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.
WISSAM BEN YEDDER
Sevilla -> £35.9 million -> Manchester United
ABC de Sevilla report that Manchester United are interested in signing Wissam Ben Yedder as a replacement for Inter-bound Romelu Lukaku.
WHY IT WILL HAPPEN
With Lukaku’s departure all but confirmed and Marcus Rashford experiencing a rough patch, United are in desperate need of a striker who can bag at least 15 plus goals a season. Ben Yedder has shown qualities of being a prolific scorer and has the ability to make a difference should he put pen to paper on a deal at Old Trafford.
WHY IT WON’T HAPPEN
Ben Yedder is reportedly the subject of interest from French giants PSG too. Although his playing time would be greater at United, a call from home is usually hard to resist. Besides, the 28-year-old Paris native is likely to move to a team playing in the Champions League if he does opt to leave Sevilla.
TRANSFER RATING: 6/10
OUSMANE DEMBELE
Ousmane Dembele.
Barcelona -> Undisclosed -> Bayern Munich
After failing to acquire the services of Leroy Sane, German champions Bayern Munich have shifted their gaze towards Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele, according to SportBild.
WHY IT WILL HAPPEN
Bayern Munich are clearly desperate for a world class winger after losing Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben, and failing to sign Sane. They could go to lengths to secure Dembele in a bid to add spark to their attack. Should Neymar’s transfer to Barcelona materialise, the Catalan club could be forced to offload both Dembele and Philippe Coutinho.
WHY IT WON’T HAPPEN
It’s close to impossible that Barcelona will be letting Dembele go for anything less than they paid for. The Spanish giants could demand a sum in excess of €100 million to ward off interest. Bayern have already spent heavy on Lucas Hernandez and the Germans usually don’t overspend or pay more than what a player is worth, despite inflation.
TRANSFER RATING: 3/10
JACK CLARKE
😍 What an impact! What a goal! Jack Clarke glides into the Villa box before curling into the far corner! pic.twitter.com/WoUQB3pBVe
— Leeds United (@LUFC) December 23, 2018
Leeds -> £10 million -> Tottenham
Jack Clarke is close to completing a move to Premier League side Tottenham, BBC claims.
WHY IT WILL HAPPEN
Clarke played a key role for Leeds’ promotion-chasing squad last season and has shown enough quality to attract interest from Mauricio Pochettino’s side. Spurs have not made a single signing since January 2018 and are in need of new blood ahead of the new campaign. According to reports, the deal is as good as done.
WHY IT WON’T HAPPEN
It’s unlikely that this transfer will not push through, given his cheap £8.5m price tag and the fact that the player himself wants to leave Elland Road. However, it’s not done until it’s official.
TRANSFER RATING: 9/10
