Saturday’s Champions League final between Liverpool and Real Madrid will bring the curtain down on the European football season. It’s a time when managers really have to earn their corn and also a time when players finally have some time off after being hard at work for the previous 10 months. That is if they still have a contract for next season. If they don’t, they will be constantly on the phone with their agents, who in turn will be contacting clubs all across Europe, trying to seal their next move. Some of this summer’s free transfers are all but confirmed. Paul Pogba – after a tumultuous six years at Manchester United – is all but guaranteed a return to Juventus. Paulo Dybala’s move from the Old Lady to Inter Milan has been one of this season’s worst kept secrets and should be announced within days. Chelsea’s rock at centre-half, Antonio Rudiger, also recently confirmed his move to Real Madrid at this campaign’s end.
But there are still a number of top players whose future is up in the air and don’t know where they’ll be plying their trade when August rolls around. Betting odds compiled by OddsChecker, which not only compares free bet offers but furnishes its users with special deals like the borgata promo code, suggest the next potential moves for these three superstars. Let’s take a look at who they are and where they may be off to.
Ousmane Dembele – Barcelona
It’s fair to say that Barcelona got much less than they bargained for when they stumped up a jaw-dropping €140m for Borussia Dortmund’s Ousmane Dembele. The deal – triggered by Neymar’s sudden departure to Paris Saint Germain – will surely go down as one of the worst in football history, alongside the €135m they paid to Liverpool for the services of Philippe Coutinho six months later.
The Frenchman rejected Barca’s attempts to renew his contract which prompted Director of Football, Mateu Alemany, to try and move him in January, demanding that he left the club “immediately.” That didn’t come to pass, and U-turns were to follow by the powers that be in Catalonia. Barely one month after accusing the player of blackmail, President Joan Laporta then stated that he would like Dembele to extend his contract with the club upon the expiry of his current deal after some dazzling displays in the second half of the campaign. It’s clear that Xavi’s revolution at his hometown club is well underway. Both Bayern Munich’s scoring sensation Robert Lewandowski, as well as Leeds United’s Brazilian winger Raphina, are rumoured to be on their way to the Nou Camp this summer and Dembele may be excited by the project.
On the other hand, however, the damage may have already been done, and it may be best for both parties to cut their losses and head their separate ways. Paris Saint Germain are the favourites to land the winger at the end of the current campaign, and with Angel De Maria set to leave the Parc De Princes at the end of June, he may be the perfect replacement.
Alexandre Lacazette – Arsenal
Another signing that hasn’t worked out as planned is Arsenal’s €53m acquisition of then-Lyon captain Alexandre Lacazette. The Emirates was rife with excitement when the deal was announced back in 2017. The French striker netted 129 times in 275 appearances across eight years for the 7-time Ligue 1 champions, including 113 in his final four seasons. And despite a debut goal at home against reigning champions Leicester City, ‘Laca’ has never truly impressed, regularly outshone by the goalscoring exploits of strike partner Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
The Gunners are undergoing somewhat of a rebuild, with a primary focus on promoting their young stars to the first team. The likes of Bukayo Saka, Emile Smith-Rowe and Gabriel Martinelli have all impressed this season, as they missed out on a spot in the Champions League by just two points. And with him losing his place to youth academy product Eddie Nketiah towards the end of this term, it would appear that the 16-time France international’s days in North London may be numbered.
Mikel Arteta has already cut ties with a number of his club’s higher-earning stars. The likes of Mesut Ozil and the aforementioned Aubameyang were both forced out of the club to free up funds, and Lacazette could be next on the list. If he is to leave, it would appear that a return back to Lyon, his home town club, would be his most likely destination.
Isco – Real Madrid
Whatever happened to Isco? It’s one of football’s great mysteries. The playmaker was supreme in his younger days, playing a crucial part in Malaga’s run to the Champions League quarter-finals. He followed that up by being featured in the team of the tournament as Spain won the Under-21 European Championships later that year, prompting Real Madrid to fork out €30m for his services.
He would be key to Zinedine Zidane’s all-conquering side that won three Champions League crowns on the spin between 2016 and 2018, especially the second one, where the iconic French manager dropped Gareth Bale in order to play the Spanish playmaker in the number 10 role behind strikers Cristiano Ronaldo and Karim Benzema. That would prove to be a managerial masterstroke, with Los Blancos routing Juventus 4-1 in the final in Cardiff to become the first team in history to retain the iconic trophy since its rebranding in 1992.
Since that third final victory in Kiev though, Isco’s playing time has drastically reduced, culminating in him playing just 324 minutes as his side romped to the La Liga title this season. There should be a number of suitors for the Spaniard however, it would seem that his talents are more suited to Spain, where he has much more time on the ball and more protection from referees. Real Betis – who are looking to build on their Copa Del Rey win, their first trophy in 17 years – are the favourites to bring Isco back home to Andalusia, and they will be hoping that he can lead them to Champions League football for the first time since 2005.
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