Struggling to pick out the facts from the figures? Reality from the rubbish? Sense from the silly season? We’ve got you sorted in our daily dose of the Transfer Predictor, where we round up the latest rumours with an analytical spin.
We sort through the most eye-catching transfer reports of the past 24 hours and give a balanced judgment on whether the move really will happen – and why.
KEYLOR NAVAS
Keylor Navas
Rumour: Real Madrid -> Undisclosed ->PSG
Keylor Navas could be on his way to PSG following Gianluigi Buffon’s decision to leave the Ligue 1 champions at the end of June, according to Marca.
WHY IT WILL HAPPEN
PSG have craved for European success for far too long and Navas is a player who boasts vast experience in this arena, having won a hat-trick of Champions League titles with Real Madrid. With Zinedine Zidane announcing that Thibaut Courtois will be his number one for next season, Navas is left searching for a top European club this summer. And with Buffon leaving Parc des Princes, it looks likely Navas could join the French giants over the coming weeks.
WHY IT WON’T HAPPEN
Madrid will want to maintain a good relationship with the French club, given Kylian Mbappe and Neymar are still on their radar. However, with Mbappe likely to depart, PSG will be injected with a huge transfer budget and may opt to sign a younger custodian instead, like Gianluigi Donnarumma, who is yet to hit his prime.
Transfer rating: 7/10
MAURO ICARDI, EDIN DZEKO
Rumour: Roma <=> Dzeko swap Icardi <=> Inter
Several reports in Italy, including Calciomercato, have suggested that Roma and Inter could agree upon a swap deal for Icardi and Dzeko.
WHY IT WILL HAPPEN
Dzeko’s move to Inter for €13.5m has been all but confirmed, pending official announcement. Roma will then be left needing a striker who can score 20-25 goals a season. Icardi, a player who has already proved himself in the Serie A, could be the right man for the job. Inter will certainly demand a transfer fee on top of the swap deal – a figure rumoured to be in the region of €76.5m.
WHY IT WON’T HAPPEN
It was not long ago that Icardi was linked with a move to Madrid. The Rosario man has enough quality to start for a top European club and it’s unlikely that he will settle for what could be a downgrade, given he was steadily reaching the peak of his career at Inter already.
Transfer rating: 4/10
THOMAS PARTEY
Thomas Partey
Rumour: Atletico Madrid -> €50m -> Arsenal
Arsenal and Manchester United have emerged as favourites to sign Atletico Madrid star Thomas Partey, according to Mirror.
WHY IT WILL HAPPEN
With Grant Xhaka failing to build on his strong start to the 2018/19 season, the Gunners could do with adding more creativity to their midfield. Partey has enough quality to compliment the talented Lucas Torreira in a double pivot. Unai Emery should prioritise with this move in the transfer window.
WHY IT WON’T HAPPEN
Arsenal only have a €45m transfer budget to work with this summer. Should they fail to negotiate with Atletico for a reduced price, they will need to offload players in order to afford Partey’s release clause of €50m. It’s unlikely that Atletico will be willing to reduce Partey’s price as they need sufficient funds to replace departing stars like Antoine Griezmann and Lucas Hernandez.
Transfer rating: 5/10
