5 top players who have been unable to attract bids this summer
With the financial ramifications of the COVID-19 pandemic beginning to ease off, clubs are beginning to splurge to land their top targets.
Manchester City and Chelsea spent upwards of €100 million this summer to land Jack Grealish and Romelu Lukaku, respectively. Bayern Munich signed Dayot Upamecano from their Bundesliga rivals Leipzig and La Liga holders Atletico Madrid got hold of Copa America 2021 winner Rodrigo de Paul.
AS Roma have brought Chelsea's wantaway striker Tammy Abraham, while Ligue 1 giants PSG have snapped up four high-profile players on free transfers and young right-back Achraf Hakimi.
However, there are a few big-name players who are yet to receive any bids despite being linked with exits from their current clubs this summer. Of course, things could change if an incredible offer comes along in the last few days of the transfer window.
On that note, here's a look at five such players:
#5 Bernardo Silva (Manchester City)
Bernardo Silva has been widely tipped to exit Manchester City this summer, especially after Jack Grealish's arrival and City's pursuit of Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane.
The 27-year-old has had a decent four-year stint at the club, scoring 35 times and assisting on 44 occasions in over 200 appearances across competitions. But the quality in City's roster, especially after Grealish's arrival, means Silva has become surplus to requirements at the Etihad.
City tried to use the three-time Premier League winner as a makeweight to land Harry Kane, but Silva refused to join Spurs.
With the transfer window closing in less than a week's time, no offer from any club has arrived for Silva yet. However, recent reports suggest that the Portuguese has agreed personal terms with AC Milan and is close to joining them.
#4 Aymeric Laporte (Manchester City)
Another player surplus to requirements in Manchester City's star-studded squad is Spain defender Aymeric Laporte.
Like Silva, Laporte also arrived at the Etihad in the summer of 2017, but has made far fewer appearances for City than his Portuguese counterpart. After playing a stellar role in City's 2018-19 Premier League win, Laporte endured a long injury layoff, which cost him a place in the first team.
In his next two campaigns, the 27-year-old made only 31 combined appearances, four less than what he registered in 2018-19. A ball-playing centre-back, Laporte's first eight goals for the club came away from home before he netted his first at the Etihad in his first league match of the 2021-22 campaign.
Although Laporte's contract at City runs till 2025, he is widely tipped to leave the club. That's because Ruben Dias's arrival last summer and the emergence of John Stones means Laporte is no longer a first-choice player for Guardiola.
City have put a £60 million price tag on Laporte, who has been linked with AC Milan and Real Madrid this summer. So far, no offer has come for the Spaniard, though.