Football
David Amoyal, ESPN.com writer 6y

Rumours rated: Neymar to Real? Rooney to D.C.? Allegri to Arsenal?

With the transfer window set to open early this year, on May 17, David Amoyal sorts through the speculation and rates how likely the rumoured moves are to take place.

Neymar to Real Madrid: 15 percent

The Brazilian star could become the protagonist in another summer transfer saga after last year's record-breaking, €222 million move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain. However, the rumours of Neymar's desire to return to La Liga -- with Real Madrid extremely interested in him -- were promptly put to rest by the French side's president, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, who said Neymar "will 2,000 percent stay" with them. Considering PSG's track record of keeping their stars, even the disgruntled ones, it's hard not to take Al-Khelaifi's statement seriously.

Wayne Rooney to D.C. United: 85 percent

After Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, another English star is set to play the last stint of his career in Major League Soccer, as the former Manchester United and England captain is very close to joining D.C. United. With this move, the American club -- currently sitting at the bottom of the Eastern Conference table -- hopes to reignite the fans' passion after a long unsuccessful spell, while Everton (Rooney's current club) are exploring some young options for the attack, such as Olympique Lyon's Mariano Diaz and Wigan youngster Callum Lang.

Massimiliano Allegri to Arsenal: 10 percent

The Juventus manager has been linked to Premier League clubs the past few summers, and with Arsene Wenger leaving Arsenal, there has been a lot of buzz that Allegri will be heading to London to start a new cycle. But Allegri is expected to stay in Turin and lead Juventus in the post-Gianluigi Buffon era. Last year, he signed a rich extension, bringing his salary in line with the top managers in Europe, and the club backed him when he had issues with Leonardo Bonucci and, more recently, Paulo Dybala.

Paulo Dybala to Bayern Munich: 25 percent (could increase)

After Bonucci left Juventus because of his feuds with Allegri, could the Argentina international follow the same path? By now, most are aware that Juventus' policy is to sell players who demand to leave, but it remains to be seen if Dybala has reached that point after three seasons in Turin. Should he decide to get a fresh start, Bayern Munich would have the advantage of their strong relationship with Juventus after the Arturo Vidal and Kingsley Coman deals, in addition to the fact the Serie A champions still have to pay them the €40 million of Douglas Costa's option to buy by summer of 2019.

Jorginho to Manchester City: 35 percent (could increase)

Pep Guardiola's admiration for the way Napoli play is well known, and now he's interested in signing the midfielder who is the brains behind the "Sarri-ball" style. City recently contacted Napoli to gauge Jorginho's value, but at the moment, there's significant distance between the parties after the Italian club asked for €60 million. Considering Napoli are in strong financial position, at least by Serie A standards, and the significant market for the Italo/Brazilian player, it's unlikely their demands will lessen anytime soon. With Amadou Diawara waiting in the wings, Jorginho is expandable, but he won't come cheaply.

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic to Manchester United: 30 percent (could increase)

While the Red Devils have been scouting the Serbian midfielder for some time, recent reports of a done deal bringing him to Old Trafford appear premature. Aside from Milinkovic-Savic's agent denying that deal had already been completed, few Italian clubs have mastered the art of selling better than Lazio. And considering the significant interest from numerous rich clubs for Milinkovic-Savic, including Paris Saint-Germain and some other Premier League teams, they will almost certainly take their time to create a bidding war.

Kwadwo Asamoah and Stefan De Vrij to Inter: 99 percent

After winning his sixth Scudetto at Juventus, Asamoah is set to join Inter on a free transfer. The Ghana international had been linked to Galatasaray since last summer, when he had one year left on his deal, but decided to stay in Serie A after receiving an offer from Inter, a club his agent has a strong relationship with since the Samir Handanovic and Antonio Candreva deals. De Vrij will join Asamoah with the Nerazzurri on a free transfer after his contract with Lazio expires in June.

Stephan Lichtsteiner to Borussia Dortmund: 55 percent

Asamoah isn't the only wing-back expected to leave Juventus this summer. Lichtsteiner has said he'll leave Serie A altogether once his contract expires in June, and the Switzerland international has suitors in Germany and France, where he previously played for Lille. Borussia Dortmund appear to be the favourite after offering Lichtsteiner a two-year deal, but they face competition from Monaco and Marseille.

Joao Cancelo to leave Inter: 55 percent

Despite being one of the key players in the second part of the season for Inter, the Portuguese right-back could leave the Nerazzurri in the summer. The Italian club is still struggling with Financial Fair Play, and they may not be able to pay the €35 million to Valencia to make the deal permanent. The Spanish club has no intention of offering a discount in light of the fact they have received substantial offers for Cancelo, including from Spurs. For this reason, Inter director Piero Ausilio is on the market to find a suitable replacement, with Roma's Alessandro Florenzi rumored to be on the list of candidates.

Andre Silva to Wolverhampton: 40 percent

After returning to the Premier League, the Wolves are eager to make a splash on the transfer market and could leverage their close relationship with Jorge Mendes to land Silva. The Portuguese striker struggled to adapt to Serie A, and with Milan looking to raise funds to meet upcoming Financial Fair Play obligations, a deal could be reached rather quickly. In addition to Silva, Wolverhampton are also competing with Napoli for Rui Patricio's signature.

^ Back to Top ^