5 players who need to leave their clubs before the transfer deadline
We have entered the business end of the summer transfer window. It has been quite a busy and exciting summer and all transfer activity in Europe will cease by Friday. Most of the top European clubs acted with purpose early on in the summer transfer window and got some big signings done in the initial weeks of the window.
Despite that, there are still plenty of clubs and players around Europe who are looking to seal transfers before the end of the transfer deadline. Suffice it to say, there's not going to be any shortage of excitement or drama on transfer deadline day.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five players who need to leave their clubs before transfer deadline day.
#5 Donny van de Beek | Manchester United
Donny van de Beek has no future at Manchester United and it seems quite obvious at this point. Even Erik ten Hag, his former manager at AFC Ajax, doesn't seem to hold him in high regard or keen to give him chances.
Turkish side Galatasaray SC and French side Lorient are in talks with Manchester United for the Dutch midfielder, as per GOAL. Van de Beek has had an extremely underwhelming three-year stint at Manchester United. It's time he is put out of his misery and afforded the chance to revive his career elsewhere.
#4 Randal Kolo Muani | Eintracht Frankfurt
Randal Kolo Muani has gone on strike at his club Eintracht Frankfurt in a bid to force a move to Paris Saint-Germain, as per GOAL. The relationship between the player and the club has soured considerably in recent weeks after Eintracht Frankfurt rejected an €80 million bid from PSG for the young forward.
The Bundesliga club expressed their disappointment with Kolo Muani's actions this summer. In an official statement, the club's sporting director Markus Krosche said:
"We got to know Randal differently and know his real character. There's a lot coming at him at the moment and this has resulted in this reaction, which is wrong, something we've made clear to him and those around him in all its implications.
"We will play the game against Levski Sofia without him. It is clear to us: behavior has no influence on transfer activities. The important thing now is the important game against Sofia. This is a top priority and of great importance for the club. Our team is of high quality and they are fully focused on tomorrow’s game.”
PSG are expected to return with another bid for Kolo Muani. Fans will hope for the player's sake that he is able to seal an exit from Eintracht Frankfurt because otherwise, he is unlikely to have an easy season ahead of him.
#3 Joao Cancelo | Manchester City
It's not easy to recover from a fallout with Pep Guardiola and it doesn't look like Joao Cancelo will change that trend. After a decent half-season loan spell at Bayern Munich in the latter half of the 2022-23 campaign, the Portugal international is back at Manchester City.
According to ESPN, Barcelona want to sign Cancelo. A loan deal is likely but the Catalans have to offload more players before they can sign the right-back. Otherwise, they won't be able to comply with the La Liga salary cap regulations.
#2 Ryan Gravenberch | Bayern Munich
By the end of the 2021-22 season, Ryan Gravenberch had become one of the most coveted young central midfielders on the planet. Bayern Munich secured his services last summer but it has proven to be an ill-advised move for the youngster.
Gravenberch's career has stagnated at Bayern. He started just five games across the Bundesliga and the Champions League last season. These are very crucial years as far as his development is concerned and he needs to be playing football on a regular basis right now.
If he doesn't cop a transfer, the Dutch midfielder is going to continue warming the bench at Bayern Munich. Manchester United and Liverpool are keen to sign him before the transfer window draws to a close and Gravenberch should push for a move.
#1 Joao Felix | Atletico Madrid
Joao Felix has all the talent in the world. For a player of his qualities, a team like Atletico Madrid, managed by a conservative coach like Diego Simeone, has seemed like a poor fit. To make matters worse, the player has fallen out of favour with the coach and it doesn't look like he has a future at Atletico.
Barcelona are keen to sign Felix but they must first resolve their Financial Fair Play issues to greenlight a deal for the young and exciting attacker. The Portugal international will need to work on his defensive attributes but there's a good chance that his career might take off if he joins a club like Barcelona.