Núñez, Grealish, Sancho: Soccer's toughest summer transfers

The summertime transportation model has been unfastened for concern since June 16 and clubs successful Europe's large leagues tin bash deals until 2 p.m. ET (7 p.m. BST) connected Sept. 1, but immoderate starring players hazard becoming high-profile "untransferables" successful the weeks ahead.

From Marcus Rashford to Darwin Núñez and Raheem Sterling to Jack Grealish, immoderate of football's biggest names look an anxious summertime waiting for a caller squad to connection them a caller situation aft falling retired of favour astatine their genitor club. It is simply a occupation that has go peculiar to Premier League players due to the fact that lone a prime radical of clubs from extracurricular football's biggest league tin spend to motion them oregon wage them -- and those teams, including Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain, Bayern Munich and Barcelona person different targets.

So, with clubs looking to fortify their squads earlier those not participating successful the FIFA Club World Cup instrumentality to preseason grooming successful early-July, which players are struggling to find a caller club, and what is astir apt to hap to them?

Marcus Rashford

Manchester United person plentifulness of problems to lick this summer, but nary is bigger than the situation of uncovering a nine to instrumentality Rashford and his £325,000-a-week wage distant from Old Trafford.

After failing to measurement up to the demands of manager Ruben Amorim, the 27-year-old has not kicked a shot for United since the Europa League necktie against Viktoria Plzen past December, and helium managed conscionable 4 goals successful 17 appearances for Aston Villa during a six-month indebtedness spell successful the 2nd fractional of past season. Rashford is keen to determination to LaLiga champions Barcelona, but their involvement successful Nico Williams has reduced the chances of the England guardant landing astatine Camp Nou this summer.

With 3 years to tally connected Rashford's contract, United would request to slope a interest of astatine slightest £45 cardinal conscionable to debar signaling an accounting nonaccomplishment connected the subordinate -- a important contented successful presumption of complying with Profit and Sustainability Regulations (PSR) -- and that looks highly unlikely. Another indebtedness determination could beryllium the astir realistic result for Rashford and United, but the worst-case script is the subordinate returning for grooming adjacent period and Amorim having to woody with the distraction that would create.

Darwin Núñez

The Liverpool guardant is disposable for transportation this summertime aft spending the bulk of past play arsenic a bit-part subordinate for Arne Slot's Premier League champions.

Despite scoring conscionable 40 goals successful 143 appearances since a nine grounds €75 cardinal transportation from Benfica successful 2022, Liverpool worth the Uruguay planetary astatine €50 cardinal and that valuation has truthful acold priced retired funny parties. Napoli person a confirmed involvement successful the 26-year-old, but the Serie A champions indispensable resoluteness the aboriginal of Victor Osimhen, who spent past play connected indebtedness astatine Galatasaray, earlier pressing up with a woody for Nunez.

Having already spent successful excess of £150 cardinal this summertime connected Bayer Leverkusen brace Florian Wirtz and Jeremie Frimpong, with a £40 cardinal determination besides planned for Bournemouth's Milos Kerkez, Liverpool present request to rise funds to equilibrium the books.

So Nunez could beryllium forced to hold for his valuation to driblet earlier uncovering a determination distant from Anfield.

Jack Grealish

The Manchester City winger has been near retired of the club's squad for the Club World Cup with manager Pep Guardiola paving the mode for a determination distant from the Etihad by saying that the 29-year-old needs to play.

Grealish has struggled for signifier and fittingness ever since helping City execute a Premier League-Champions League-FA Cup treble successful 2023, and his lack from the Club World Cup echoes his nonaccomplishment to beryllium named successful England's Euro 2024 squad past summer.

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Who could motion Jack Grealish aft being dropped by Man City?

Gab & Juls statement the aboriginal of Jack Grealish aft reports of him being near retired of Man City's Club World Cup squad.

Although City are prepared to offload the erstwhile Aston Villa player, Grealish won't travel inexpensive with 2 years inactive to tally connected his £15 million-a-year contract. And having been a £100 cardinal signing -- the biggest successful Premier League past astatine the clip -- erstwhile helium arrived from Villa successful 2021, City volition besides expect a important interest for immoderate imperishable transfer.

Newcastle and Everton person shown an interest, but arsenic it stands, City person yet to person a ceremonial inquiry.

Antony

Antony has earned the unenviable favoritism of becoming 1 of the biggest transportation flops of the Premier League epoch since completing an £81 cardinal determination from Ajax to Manchester United successful August 2022, and the 25-year-old's nonaccomplishment to execute astatine Old Trafford is wherefore the nine is struggling to offload him permanently. The Brazil planetary enjoyed a palmy six-month indebtedness astatine Real Betis past season, helping the LaLiga squad to the UEFA Conference League final, but with United needing to slope a interest of astatine slightest £32m to debar signaling an accounting nonaccomplishment connected Antony, Betis cannot spend a imperishable deal.

Ultimately, his interest is the large stumbling artifact to immoderate transfer. His £70,000-a-week wages marque him comparatively inexpensive arsenic a indebtedness option, but United privation to chopped their losses by getting him disconnected their books.

Bayer Leverkusen, present coached by erstwhile United manager Erik 10 Hag, and Betis are successful the marketplace for a indebtedness deal, but astatine this aboriginal signifier of the window, United person nary takers for a imperishable transfer.

Kyle Walker

Manchester City fullback Kyle Walker has nary aboriginal astatine the Etihad, but a January indebtedness determination to AC Milan failed to crook into a imperishable woody for the 35-year-old. With 1 twelvemonth inactive to tally connected his City contract, this summertime offers the nine their past accidental to make a interest for the England defender and determination is immoderate involvement from Turkey, with Fenerbahce considering a move.

Walker's nonaccomplishment to impressment successful Serie A has diminished his chances of getting a determination to different large European league and Sheffield United's nonaccomplishment to triumph promotion backmost to the Premier League ended the imaginable of a instrumentality to his boyhood club.

City person inactive to find the solution to their close backmost problem, but it is highly improbable Guardiola volition bash that by giving Walker a reprieve.

Raheem Sterling

At 30 years old, Sterling should person a raft of options aft falling retired of favour astatine Chelsea, but the world is that the erstwhile England winger has go a forgotten antheral who cipher wants. A instrumentality of conscionable 1 extremity successful 28 appearances -- mostly arsenic a substitute -- during a seasonlong indebtedness astatine Arsenal ensured nary imaginable of a imperishable woody astatine the Emirates.

But with 2 years to tally connected a £300,000-a-week declaration astatine Chelsea, Sterling indispensable either judge a immense wage chopped to permission Stamford Bridge oregon look up to 2 much years of indebtedness spells.

Sterling has made it wide that helium is not funny successful a determination to Saudi Arabia, portion a power to MLS depends connected Chelsea waiving a transportation interest and the subordinate accepting a important driblet successful wages.

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Marcotti: Sancho not taking a wage chopped for Chelsea is short-sighted

Gab Marcotti reacts to Jadon Sancho's determination to instrumentality to Man United aft his indebtedness astatine Chelsea.

Jadon Sancho

Chelsea had been prepared to manus Jadon Sancho a imperishable declaration aft triggering their work to motion the winger pursuing his seasonlong indebtedness from Manchester United, but the player's reluctance to trim his £300,000-a-week Old Trafford wage scuppered the deal. So Chelsea paid United a pre-agreed £5 cardinal punishment clause for failing to fulfill their obligation, and the erstwhile England planetary is erstwhile again facing a summertime of uncertainty astatine his genitor club.

Sancho has a twelvemonth to tally connected his United declaration -- the nine has an enactment to widen it by a further year, but don't expect that to hap -- and has nary aboriginal nether Amorim, truthful United person a Sancho occupation to woody with erstwhile again. Fenerbahce person been linked with the 25-year-old, portion Juventus and erstwhile nine Borussia Dortmund clasp an interest, but United's champion anticipation is apt a indebtedness woody that covers astatine slightest fractional of Sancho's wages.

Christopher Nkunku

France planetary Christopher Nkunku has managed conscionable 17 goals successful 58 games for Chelsea since completing a £52 cardinal determination from RB Leipzig successful 2023. The Blues had been keen to offload the 27-year-old successful January, but a woody did not materialize and Nkunku is erstwhile again disposable for transfer.

Injuries person sidelined Nkunku for implicit 50 games during his 2 years astatine Stamford Bridge and his patchy fittingness grounds volition interaction his chances of a imperishable move. But with 4 years remaining connected his Chelsea contract, the onus is connected the nine to find a club, which won't beryllium casual considering his nonaccomplishment to impressment successful westbound London.