There are some big players in world soccer who will likely change teams this upcoming summer. This list likely includes: Paul Pogba, Eden Hazard, and Adrien Rabiot. These players are all coming from different situations and this creates some interesting dynamics for their current teams and potential future teams.
Paul Pogba: Pogba will likely leave his boyhood team this summer due to a lack of success. It has felt for a long time that he would move to Real Madrid at some point, and given that he is now two years removed from his move back to United from Juventus, it seems like now is the right time. Last month he made the following comments: “Real Madrid is a dream club for everyone and there is Zidane who is the coach, it’s a dream for any football player,” he said. “But I’m happy in Manchester. I play there now but we’ll see what will happen in the future.” He is clearly interested and with a potential overhaul occurring this summer as the manager brings in his new players, Pogba could be on the way out.
Eden Hazard: Eden Hazard has been halfway out the door for the past two seasons. He has made his interest in Real Madrid clear through various quotes. He has talked glowingly about the club in the past and last summer said “After six wonderful years at Chelsea, it might be time to discover something different. I can decide if I want to stay or go, but Chelsea will make the final decision. If they let me out, you already know my favorite destination”. Chelsea may once again try to get Hazard to stay, but with his contract ending in 2020, they are running out of time to sell him.
Adrien Rabiot: Rabiot has been linked with various teams for a while. For much of last summer and the beginning of this year, all signs pointed to him moving to Barcelona. He was not getting the playing time or role that he wanted at PSG and it was time to move on. His contract is ending this summer and a free transfer of a young player of this caliber will have most teams jumping to make a move. His wage demands seem to be causing some problems though, most recently with Real Madrid backing out of negotiations because of this. Premier League clubs are rumored to be interested, and if an earlier prediction on Paul Pogba comes to fruition, then there will be a large hole in the middle of the Manchester United that Rabiot could fill.
https://www.dailystar.co.uk/sport/football/767522/Man-Utd-news-Paul-Pogba-Real-Madrid-Dimitar-Berbatov-Ole-Gunnar-Solskjaer
https://www.managingmadrid.com/2018/7/14/17572324/hazard-chelsea-departure-real-madrid-quotes-2018
As we head into the summer transfer window, these 3 players are certainly going to be closely watched. Of the three, I think Hazard is the most likely to leave this summer. His performance for Chelsea over the past few years has been well beyond that of his teammates and it finally began to show this season. Chelsea’s performance in the Europa League and final place in the Premier League will likely have a great influence on his decision to move to a big club like Real Madrid. At the same time, after their less-than-stellar performance this year, Real Madrid will be looking to pick some big signings to anchor their team and make them competitive in the Champion’s League and La Liga. As a result, it’s likely that they’ll be persistent in their efforts to sign superstars like Pogba or Hazard and future prospects like Rabiot.
The transfer window is always tough to predict but I agree with the speculations discussed. Even at the end of the Manchester United vs Chelsea game this past weekend, you could see both players sharing a small moment in which both seemed to exchange some comments followed by grin, a look of familiarity and comfort, as if both know that they are both going to end up at the same club this summer. Maybe this is a tinfoil conspiracy theory, pure coincidence but it is looking the more likely that both will end up at Madrid given all available information.
This is the beauty of the sport. Even when nothing is happening on the field in the summer there is a strange satisfaction that a fan gets when speculating or reading stories linking a player to your club. Then, the moment your club puts out a tweet, and you realize its has come true; it gives an overwhelming feeling akin to scoring 5 against your biggest rival (maybe I am getting carried away). Optimism on the horizon. THIS YEAR IS THE ONE!