Silly season has well and truly arrived. And Premier League supporters will be hoping these rather baffling transfer rumours are little more than tomorrow’s fish and chip paper.
Manuel Akanji – Borussia Dortmund
Next month, Akanji will celebrate his 27th birthday. With that in mind, he really should be entering in his prime right about now. But, in truth, the £25 million-rated Swiss international is pretty much the same player that arrived from Basel in 2018, albeit four years older and a damn sight less promising.
A relentless spate of injuries have taken their toll, while the Arsenal-linked Akanji is yet to cut out the mistakes that continue to undermine his undoubted potential.
No wonder Dortmund are struggling to drum up interest in a man who will be a free-agent in 12 months’ time.
Alvaro Morata – Juventus
You could see it coming a mile off. As Alvaro Morata stepped up to take a crucial penalty during Spain’s Euro 2020 semi-final with Italy, the striker’s composure collapsed quicker than a house of cards in a hurricane. Not for the firwt time, and probably not for the last either.
Remarkably, only five players in football history have cost more than Morata in transfer fees over the years. He could move ahead of Eden Hazard, Kylian Mbappe and potentially even Cristiano Ronaldo if the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United firm up their interest.
But, after another underwhelming season at club level, surely it’s time for the cult of Morata to come crashing down and for clubs to see the former Real Madrid man for what he really is. Overpriced, overrated and, as Chelsea supporters will tell you, painfully ill-suited to the pressures of the Premier League.
Miguel Almiron – Newcastle United
Jack Grealish may have received his fair share of criticism for a rather needless, albeit inebriated dig at the Newcastle winger recently but, deep down, plenty on Tyneside will know where the Premier League’s most expensive ever player is coming from. In 123 games, Almiron has provided just 14 goals and five assists. End product continues to evade him like Roadrunner evades Coyote.
Everton and Fulham can do a lot better, particularly with Newcastle hoping to recoup much of their £20 million investment.
Ola Aina – Torino
According to reports, Crystal Palace have identified the Nigeria international as one of the leading candidates to become Patrick Vieira’s new first-choice right-back at Selhurst Park. Anyone who watched Aina on loan at Fulham in 2020/21 will be wondering why. It’s not as if he has thrived since returning to Torino either, spending much of this year out of the side.
Simply put, Aina lacks the technique or the thrust to truly succeed in Vieira’s free-flowing style.
Luka Milivojevic – Crystal Palace
While no one is condoning the boos that rippled around the room during Crystal Palace’s end-of-season awards show recently – the long-serving captain deserves more respect than that, to say the least – there is a reason why Milivojevic’s reputation has nosedived at Selhurst Park (The Athletic).
Now the wrong side of 30, the rangy Serbian has lost a yard of pace he didn’t really have in the first place. And, in truth, he looked more of a hindrance than a help during his nine Premier League starts last season.
Everton and Fulham are reportedly keen. But Milivojevic’s vast experience and leadership skills cannot make up for his lack of mobility.
Michy Batshuayi – Chelsea (believe it or not)
Like fellow Chelsea flop Morata, Batshuayi surely cannot dine out on ‘potential’ forever. The nomadic Belgian will turn 30 in just 16 months’ time but has hit double figures in league football just once (during a loan spell at Besiktas) since sealing a £33 million move to Stamford Bridge all the way back in 2016.
Still contracted to Chelsea, TEAMtalk believe that Leeds United, Southampton, Wolves, Brighton and Frank Lampard’s Everton are interested.
But, after scoring just two goals in 18 games during his most recent Premier League spell at Crystal Palace, the alarm bells should be ringing loud and clear.
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