The big name players who could move in the 2021 summer transfer window

The upcoming 2021 summer transfer window is going to be a particularly weird one. Clubs have felt the financial impact of the pandemic, but at the same time, there seems to be more stars on the market than ever before.

Stick or twist? Gamble or play it safe?

Here are 25 of the biggest names that might just be on the move in 2021.


1. Lionel Messi

Messi has found his Midas touch again in 2021 | David Ramos/Getty Images

Current club: Barcelona
Potential destinations: Manchester City, PSG

Oh yeah, we're starting with the big (little) boy himself.

After throwing all of his toys out of the pram last summer off the back of an 8-2 hammering by Bayern Munich, Messi agreed to honour the final year of his contract.

New club president Joan Laporta hopes their all-time record everything will sign a new deal, but don't be so sure.

2. Cristiano Ronaldo

Ronaldo has been unable to win the Champions League at Juve | Soccrates Images/Getty Images

Current club: Juventus
Potential destinations: PSG, Real Madrid

Imagine going back three or four years and saying Messi and Ronaldo might be off in the same window.

Unfortunately for Juve fans, the club revealed that they intend to keep the36-year-old who broke their wage structure.

But Juventus (mainly Andrea Agnelli, who didn't actually say this) have said lots of things before. Don't bank on a crazy year not getting any crazier.

3. Kylian Mbappe

Current club: Tottenham Hotspur
Potential destinations: Manchester City, Manchester United, Real Madrid

Harry Kane choosing between Spurs and pretty much any elite club in world football is like when Maggie Simpson had to choose between her own family, dripping wet in a dirty river, and the Flanders', portrayed against a background of sunshine and rainbows.

Spurs' saving grace is that winning the Carabao Cup/Daniel Levy's slapping a price tag of about £12bn on him might keep Kane in north London.

6. Erling Haaland

What a silly, silly human being | Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

Current club: Borussia Dortmund
Potential destinations: Real Madrid, Manchester City, Manchester United, Barcelona, Chelsea

Here he is, the man/machine everybody wants.

The sweepstakes for Haaland feel reminiscent of those for LeBron James in 2010, not least because it appears most of Europe have given up on landing Mbappe instead.

7. Raphael Varane

Varane has been one of Madrid's finest ever signings | Soccrates Images/Getty Images

Current club: Real Madrid
Potential destinations: Manchester United, Chelsea, PSG

But while Haaland and Mbappe may both end up at Real Madrid (God help us all), it seems as though a few of their stars are searching for a new challenge.

One of those is Raphael Varane, who's won pretty much everything this game has to offer at the highest level in a decade-long stay in the Spanish capital.

He's only 27 years old, too.

8. Sergio Ramos

Ramos is still showing up when it matters most for Real Madrid | Soccrates Images/Getty Images

Current club: Real Madrid
Potential destinations: Manchester United, Chelsea, PSG

From 'a' Madrid star that could leave to 'the' Madrid star that could leave.

Ramos' contract stand-off has been well documented, but we've been here before with him, more often than not using Man Utd to make his current club jealous. It tends to work, to be fair.

9. Paulo Dybala

How could you not want that face to succeed? | Quality Sport Images/Getty Images

Current club: Juventus
Potential destinations: Chelsea, PSG, Barcelona

Hailed by 90min's Jack Gallagher as 'simply the most talented player at Juventus Football Club', it appears the Bianconeri are more willing to listen to offers for Dybala than their other superstar attacker.

At least he'll be free to blossom elsewhere, Jack, so, you know, every cloud. You're still thinking about the bad news, aren't you?

10. Jack Grealish

Yep, this guy right here | Pool/Getty Images

Current club: Aston Villa
Potential destinations: Manchester City, Manchester United

Jack Grealish is now one of the ten best players in the Premier League, and he plays for Aston Villa.

Kane being that good at Spurs is one thing, but ol' Greal boy is taking it to a whole new level.

He might desire to be to be Villa what Alan Shearer was to Newcastle, or what Francesco Totti was to Roma. But if he doesn't, then there'll be plenty of huge clubs eyeing him up.

11. Jan Oblak

A rare picture of Jan Oblak not using his hands to do his job | Denis Doyle/Getty Images

Current club: Atletico Madrid
Potential destinations: PSG, Chelsea

You know what? Maybe Jan Oblak doesn't want to make a million saves every week. Maybe Jan Oblak wants to go somewhere else and play like Nick Pope did against San Marino, laying on his arse and doing a sudoku puzzle to pass the time. Have you ever thought of that?

12. Sergio Aguero