As the World Cup has wound down, the transfer market has not taken long to spring into life.
Though some headline transfers were resolved during the World Cup — Marc Cucurella’s switch from Chelsea to Real Madrid and Elliot Anderson’s British-record move from Nottingham Forest to Manchester City are two examples — it has been a relatively quiet period with attention elsewhere.
But as teams’ journeys end in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, that is changing. Following England’s semi-final defeat to Argentina, it took only three days for one of the biggest stories of the summer to accelerate. The Athletic broke the news on Saturday that Chelsea have reached a verbal agreement to sign Aston Villa and England’s Morgan Rogers for a new British-record fee of £117million ($157m).
With the tournament now over, the focus turns to where World Cup stars will line up at the start of the club season in August.
Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
The England international spent last season on loan at Barcelona, but after they decided against taking up an option to buy him for €30million (£25m; $34m), Rashford’s future is unclear.
A £40m exit clause has now expired, so any sale will have to be negotiated. Rashford is set to return to United training with other team-mates who were involved in the latter stages of the World Cup.
He could stay at his boyhood club, but there are complicating factors: his weekly wage of more than £325,000, Manchester United’s pursuit of other options on the left, and the fact that the decision for him to leave in 2025 was not only made by former head coach Ruben Amorim, but also executives who remain at Old Trafford.
However, The Athletic has been told by sources with knowledge of the situation, who spoke anonymously as they were not authorised to speak publicly, that the player has turned down proposals, some of which were more lucrative than his United deal.
The Athletic’s Mark Critchley has explained Rashford’s situation in more detail — and it is a saga that could run deep into the window.
Folarin Balogun (Monaco)
Dominating headlines around the world, Balogun had a one-match ban suspended after a red card against Bosnia and Herzegovina, allowing him to play against Belgium.
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The USMNT lost 4-1 in that last-16 tie but, before the controversy, all the stories around the striker had been of his impressive World Cup performances. As The Athletic reported in June, he is expected to depart Ligue 1 side Monaco this summer, with the French club’s asking price around €50million (£42.5m; $57.2m).
There have been no talks about extending his contract, which expires in 2028, and Balogun is believed to prefer a transfer. There is interest from clubs in the Premier League, where he would count as a homegrown player after coming through at Arsenal, and elsewhere in Europe.
Morgan Rogers (Aston Villa)
The Athletic reported in June that many top Premier League teams admired Rogers. In the Transfer DealSheet on July 7, The Athletic set out Villa’s position that they did not want to lose Rogers, but any deal would need to include a fee exceeding the £116m it cost to take Anderson to Manchester City from Nottingham Forest.
Though Rogers was among Premier League champions Arsenal’s top targets, their London rivals Chelsea have pounced and Rogers has chosen them. Villa have accepted a £117m bid, and personal terms are in place, though the deal is still being finalised according to sources briefed on the situation, speaking on the condition of anonymity.
Yan Diomande (RB Leipzig)
Despite Liverpool’s efforts, 19-year-old winger Yan Diomande wants to join Paris Saint-Germain if he moves this summer.
Following some dynamic performances on the way to a round-of-32 exit with Ivory Coast at the World Cup, attention will turn to whether any club can match RB Leipzig’s asking price.
Liverpool were prepared to offer a package approaching €100m, but Leipzig were unwilling to accept it. They want closer to €130m for Diomande and, as their managing director for sport Marcel Schaefer has publicly said, are intent on keeping him. They are trying to agree a new contract.
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The Athletic’s David Ornstein reported on June 28 that if Diomande leaves, he wants to join European champions PSG — which could, of course, have a knock-on effect for another PSG star…
Bradley Barcola (Paris Saint-Germain)
Barcola, who started four of France’s eight matches at the World Cup and scored twice, has been reluctant to sign a new contract at PSG as he would like more game time.
After shipping out forward Goncalo Ramos to Milan, PSG do not need to sell Barcola and The Athletic reported in June that they feel he should be valued above Anderson’s £116m fee.
Arsenal and Liverpool are interested in the 23-year-old winger, who already faces competition from Khvicha Kvaratskhelia for a starting place at PSG — and that’s before factoring the potential for Diomande to join.
Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle United)
Having already banked big profits on core players Anthony Gordon (£69m fee) and Sandro Tonali (up to £100m), Newcastle United do not need to make further sales, and certainly do not want to part with their captain. But they know from recent experience that a resolute attitude is not always the end of the story.
As The Athletic has reported, Arsenal are pursuing Guimaraes, 28, as both a partner and alternative to Declan Rice, and the Brazilian has told Newcastle he wants to join the Premier League champions.
However, Newcastle insist he is not for sale and that there has been no direct club-to-club contact. Arsenal are willing to pay up to £60m, which would not tempt Newcastle to sell.
Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea)
Fernandez’s relationship with Chelsea has seemed fractious in recent months.
He was dropped for two games in April over comments that appeared to cast doubt on his future at Stamford Bridge. His agent Javier Pastore told The Athletic at the time that negotiations over a new contract — though his deal runs to 2032 — had stalled. If a resolution could not be reached after Fernandez’s World Cup with Argentina, Pastore said, the midfielder would explore his options.
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Since then, The Athletic have reported that Fernandez is returning Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho’s top target. Madrid have denied any intention to pursue Fernandez.
Chelsea value the 25-year-old at around £120m and new manager Xabi Alonso said in his first press conference since taking charge that he wants Fernandez to stay.
Ayyoub Bouaddi (Lille)
Morocco’s World Cup ended with a whimper against France, but the tournament has only intensified interest in Lille midfielder Bouaddi.
The 18-year-old was already being monitored by top clubs and his impressive displays, starting five of Morocco’s six matches at the tournament, have served as further evidence of what he can add to a top side.
Bouaddi is expected to decide on his future soon. Manchester United and Arsenal have been in touch with his camp in the past year, and Manchester City are pushing hard for his signature — though it would not come cheap, with Lille valuing him at around €100m.
Rodri (Manchester City)
Rodri has not indicated he is ready to sign an extension, with his deal expiring next summer. Manchester City want to keep him and have offered a new deal. They plan to speak to him again after the World Cup.
Their midfield will already look markedly different next season after Bernardo Silva’s departure and Anderson’s arrival. Before he signed for Tottenham Hotspur, City were interested in Tonali — a possible signal they are planning for life without Rodri, who turned 30 last month.
In March, the Spain international told reporters that he would like to play in his home country and “could not turn down” the opportunity to represent Real Madrid. Despite him being regularly linked to the club, the indication from various levels of Real Madrid, as The Athletic reported on the weekend, is that they do not intend to sign him.
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Crysencio Summerville (West Ham United)
Following West Ham United’s relegation, Summerville could follow Mateus Fernandes through the exit door. Perhaps surprisingly, considering he received his first call-up for the Netherlands’ senior squad just before the World Cup, his performances this summer have sharpened the admiring glances.
Summerville, 24, scored twice and assisted twice across the Netherlands’ four matches, demonstrating an ability to step in on the right wing — he has typically played on the left for West Ham.
Serie A club Roma have submitted a bid worth €46million for the winger. The Athletic reported this summer it is expected to cost around £50m for West Ham to sanction an exit.
There is interest from the Premier League, too. The Athletic has reported that Aston Villa considered him as a possible signing, and that Liverpool had been interested earlier in the year. He is a leading target for Manchester United if they recruit on the left side of their attack.
Cristian Romero (Tottenham Hotspur)
After four years at Tottenham Hotspur, The Athletic has reported that Argentina international Romero, 28, looks likely to leave.
There was uncertainty over his future last summer, but Atletico Madrid eventually called off their pursuit. The centre-back ended up signing a new contract to 2029 and was named club captain after Son Heung-min’s departure.
However, he attracted considerable criticism during a season in which Spurs narrowly avoided relegation, not least for two red cards. Signing Jan Paul van Hecke from Brighton & Hove Albion seems to indicate that the club are planning for life without Romero.
John Stones (free agent)
Given how limited Stones’ minutes were at Manchester City in the 2025-26 season, there was doubt over how heavily Thomas Tuchel would use him during the World Cup.
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However, the centre-back started three of England’s games, including the quarter-final and semi-final, and featured from the bench against Mexico. Despite a chequered injury record, he feels he has much to give.
Having departed City as a free agent at 32, Stones needs a club sharing that view. He has been linked with Everton, his last club before moving to the Etihad 10 years ago, but they have concerns about his fitness.
Julian Alvarez (Atletico Madrid)
Barcelona’s pursuit of Alvarez received a boost when the 26-year-old striker told reporters after Argentina’s win over Austria at the World Cup that he wants to move on from Atletico Madrid and “fulfil (his) dream”.
The Athletic reported talks between Atletico and Barcelona at the end of May. Barca were preparing an offer of around €100m, which did not meet Atletico’s valuation.
Real Madrid revealed in June they had had a €150m bid for Alvarez rejected, though Atletico sources told The Athletic at the time that they did not believe it was a genuine attempt to sign him.
Now that the World Cup is over, Barcelona’s interest is expected to advance.
Ferran Torres (Barcelona)
Barcelona’s interest in Alvarez comes against the backdrop not only of Robert Lewandowski’s departure to Chicago Fire, but also the fact they are open to selling Torres this summer.
The 26-year-old forward’s contract runs until June 2027, and renewing it would force them to pay around €8m to former club Manchester City. To avoid triggering that clause or losing Torres as a free agent at the end of next season, a sale is being considered.
Reports from Spanish media have linked Torres to PSG, and Atletico could also be interested — though Atletico sources have distanced themselves.