Centre-forwards always attract significant transfer interest and this summer’s window is set to be no different, a number of leading clubs across Europe in search of guaranteed goals.
Some of the finest forwards on the continent have already been the subject of intense transfer speculation and we’ve decided to look at the notable names that look set to become the sagas of the summer.
Here are five strikers that will dominate the transfer headlines this summer.
Harry Kane
Harry Kane is understood to have requested to leave Tottenham this summer in search of silverware, the north London side’s regression over the past two seasons having convinced the forward his future lies elsewhere.
The news has come as a hammer blow to Spurs with Kane having enjoyed an exceptional individual campaign, leading the Premier League for both goals and assists.
Spurs are in a strong negotiating position with Kane having three years remaining on his current contract, with the forward’s hope to finalise his future before this summer’s European Championship appearing fanciful at best.
Manchester City, Manchester United and Chelsea have all been linked with a move for the England captain, whilst there is interest from Spain despite neither Real Madrid or Barcelona appearing in a financial position to make a bid.
Watching Kane leave for a Premier League rival will be a bitter pill to swallow for Spurs and will re-emphasise their failure to kick on in recent campaigns, though Daniel Levy will no doubt dig his heels in in a bid to extract the maximum from potential suitors.
Kane will have watched Manchester City win the Premier League title without a recognised centre-forward this season and would no doubt relish the service provided from the likes of Kevin De Bruyne, whilst he could prove the perfect player as Manchester United bridge to close the gap to their cross-city rivals.
Whatever the scenario, it is unlikely to be resolved quickly and could drag on throughout the summer as Spurs find a solution to the unhappiness of a player who has scored 220 goals in just 334 appearances for the club.
Erling Haaland
Erling Haaland’s incredible rise has alerted virtually every major club in world football, the Borussia Dortmund forward having posted mind-boggling goalscoring statistics since bursting onto the scene at Red Bull Salzburg.
Haaland’s first full campaign at the Westfalenstadion has seen the Norwegian score 39 goals in just 39 appearances across all competitions, with Real Madrid, Barcelona, Juventus and Bayern Munich joining the Premier League’s biggest clubs in monitoring his progress.
The 20-year-old has a well-publicised release clause of €75m in his contract, though this will only become active next summer and Dortmund face a decision on whether to cash in now for a greater fee than they will be obligated to accept in 2022.
Mega-money deals are expected to be minimal this summer given the financial impact of the coronavirus pandemic, whilst Dortmund have recently insisted that Haaland will remain with the Bundesliga side next season.
Available for a relative bargain figure in 2022, there may be clubs willing to make their move now in a bid to avoid the guaranteed competition that will come from Europe’s elite next summer.
He won’t come cheap, but Haaland is a generational talent and will no doubt prove worth the astronomical sum it may take to prise him from Dortmund at the end of the season.
Kylian Mbappe
As the futures of Kane and Haaland have dominated the headlines in recent months, Kylian Mbappe’s contract situation as relatively flown under the radar for those outside of Paris.
Mbappe is yet to commit to a new deal at Paris Saint-Germain and will enter the final year of his deal this summer, leaving the Parisians with a huge dilemma on whether to cash in on arguably the world’s most valuable talent.
The France international has reportedly rejected several approaches to renew and his future remains firmly up in the air, Real Madrid long-term admirers of the forward who held childhood aspirations to represent the Spanish giants.
Having already secured a new deal for fellow superstar Neymar, PSG will be desperate to tie Mbappe down but are yet to make tangible progress on a new contract for the 22-year-old.
The situation is complicated given Mbappe is out of the financial reach of most of Europe’s elite at present, in particular Real Madrid who have monetary issues and would need to raise huge funds to conclude a deal.
The Spaniards could wait a season to sign Mbappe on a free transfer, but are PSG willing to gamble on persuading the forward to stay and allow their leading scorer to wind down his contract?
Andre Silva
Andre Silva has reignited his career this season at Eintracht Frankfurt, outscoring even the aforementioned Erling Haaland in the Bundesliga so far this season.
Silva rose to prominence at Porto before moves to AC Milan and Sevilla failed to work out as hoped, but the 25-year-old has been brilliant since making the switch to German football in 2019.
Silva scored 16 goals during a loan spell at Frankfurt last season before making a permanent move, the club’s investment having been vindicated with a 28-goal campaign in all competitions.
The Portugal international’s form has already attracted interest from abroad with Manchester United and Atletico Madrid amongst those linked with a deal, whilst Borussia Dortmund are also monitoring the star in the event Haaland departs this summer.
Frankfurt are under no pressure to sell the player despite falling out of contention for Champions League qualification, though could cash in whilst Silva’s stock is high and he still has two years remaining on his contract.
Recent reports have suggested a fee of £35m could be enough to sign the forward, a reasonable sum given his exploits this season with the Germans set to make a significant profit on their £8m outlay to AC Milan last summer.
Dusan Vlahovic
Goalscoring prospects often catch the eye and Dusan Vlahovic’s breakout season has attracted attention, the Serbian striker scoring regularly for Fiorentina in Serie A this season.
Vlahovic became the youngest debutant and goalscorer in Partizan Belgrade’s history before making the move to Italy, where after two seasons of adaptation he has burst into life during the 2020/21 campaign.
The 21-year-old has scored 21 league goals for Fiorentina this season, one more than European Golden Shoe holder Ciro Immobile and a figure that trails only Cristiano Ronaldo, Romelu Lukaku and Luis Muriel amongst the division’s top scorers.
The youngster has the physical frame to handle the demands of the Premier League with Liverpool having been linked with a move, whilst his intelligent array of finishing has been demonstrated during a season of real growth in Florence.
AC Milan have also been mooted as a potential destination for a player who has two goals in seven caps for Serbia, Europe’s elite watching his development closely ahead of the summer window.
