The chaos that is the summer transfer season has begun, with signings, departures, offers, and speculation all underway.
Clubs have just over two months to reconfigure their rosters in preparation for the 2022-23 season, which begins earlier than normal in most nations owing to the winter World Cup in Qatar.
Many players in European football are connected with new clubs, and Manchester City has moved quickly to sign Erling Haaland. There may also be some major names on the move.
Certain agreements appear to be on the verge of becoming massive sagas that will last throughout the summer for a variety of reasons.
PSG or Barcelona for Robert Lewandowski
The Poland striker’s stellar career at Bayern Munich, where he has scored 344 goals in 375 games, might come to an end this summer.
‘It’s the end of my era at Bayern,’ he remarked earlier this month. ‘I don’t think I’ll be able to play for this club much longer.’
Bayern has one more transfer window to cash in on Lewandowski before he can begin negotiating a free transfer overseas in January, with only a year left on his deal.
As a result, the German champions may be inclined to move him while they still have the opportunity this summer, with Paris Saint-Germain and Barcelona vying for his signature.
PSG have identified Lewandowski as their primary offensive target, after bringing in Luis Campos as a football advisor last week.
Campos wants to strengthen the club’s frontline next season to guarantee they aren’t as reliant on the Mbappe-Messi-Neymar axis, and Lewandowski would provide them with a striker who scored 50 goals in all competitions last season.
PSG, on the other hand, may face competition from Barcelona, which wants to make him the focal point of their assault in 2022-23.
Unlike the Parc des Princes bosses, Barca can provide this luxury to the 34-year-old, but they lack the financial means to tempt him to Catalonia.
According to reports, Lewandowski has signed to a three-year contract with Barcelona, but the Spanish club must trade players before a deal with Bayern can be finalized.
In any case, expect the fight for his signature to take center stage in this timeframe.
Manchester United has signed Frenkie de Jong.
De Jong, who might reconnect with former coach Erik ten Hag at Old Trafford, is another player coveted by United this summer.
Ten Hag has selected his former Ajax midfielder as a key transfer target when he takes over at United, and has already persuaded him to move to Manchester.
De Jong, who has spent the previous three years at Barcelona after joining for £70 million from Ajax, was originally hesitant to follow his former boss to United due to United’s lack of Champions League action next season.
But Ten Hag has made a breakthrough, convincing the 25-year-old to join him at Old Trafford, passing his first test in the hot seat.
De Jong was asked about his ties to United after Holland’s 2-2 draw with Poland on Saturday, and he gave an odd response.
Arsenal or Chelsea for Gabriel Jesus
The £51 million signing of Erling Haaland by Manchester City has placed questions on Jesus’ future at the club, with his playing time likely to be limited as a result.
Arsenal and Chelsea are both said to be interested in signing the Brazilian, who has a year left on his current contract.
Jesus’ agents have conducted preliminary talks with Arsenal, while the Blues have also been offered the chance to recruit him.
In the summer transfer window, both teams are in desperate need of forwards. Arsenal are without a recognized center-forward with the release of Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah, but the latter might yet sign a new contract in north London.
Chelsea are on the lookout for offensive players, with Lukaku, Timo Werner, and Christian Pulisic’s futures in doubt.
With City’s starting price set at £50 million, the London rivals might duke it out for Jesus during the summer, but Tuchel and Co will have a big edge due to their ability to provide Champions League football.
However, it is unlikely to be a quick saga, as Jesus is anticipated to consider his choices over the next few months.
Chelsea has signed Raheem Sterling.
However, Jesus is not the only City player on Chelsea’s radar; Sterling has also surfaced as an unexpected transfer target for the west London club.
Chelsea officials are reportedly trying to wrest the England international from Manchester United for £60 million this summer in order to bolster Tuchel’s assault.
Sterling is anxious to play as much football as possible in the first half of the season ahead of the winter World Cup in Qatar, which may not be feasible under Pep Guardiola.
Last season, he only started 23 of City’s 38 league games and was benched for several critical matches, including their two Champions League semi-final matchups against Real Madrid.
As a result, a summer exit may be necessary to increase his chances of remaining in Gareth Southgate’s England plans.
Chelsea would have to guarantee that Sterling would not be benched under Tuchel, who faced fire for chopping and replacing his wide strikers too frequently last season.
However, with a year left on his contract, City will not want to lose him for free next year and may want to cash in while they still have the opportunity in the coming months.
Chelsea may accept a bid in the area of £60 million, despite City’s willingness to sell to a direct competitor remains to be seen.