Missed out on France’s European Championship team despite a sensational end to the season for Crystal Palace, but will instead play a key role for Thierry Henry’s under-23 team at the Olympics. It seems likely that Olise’s future lies far away from South London, despite signing a new four-year contract last summer when Chelsea met his £35m release clause, although this time it will cost £60m under the interest of Chelsea, Arsenal and Manchester United others. The same goes for Palace teammates Marc Guéhi and Eberechi Eze, who will be present at the European Championship with England. Guéhi has less than two years left on his contract and is being tracked by Manchester United, while Eze has a similar release clause to Olise and has admirers at Manchester City and Tottenham.
Désiré Doué, Rennes
The 19-year-old midfielder is the latest star to emerge from Rennes’ youth academy and attracted attention across the continent with his mature performances in Ligue 1 last season. He can play in a variety of positions, has been compared to former Rennes player Eduardo Camavinga and is believed to be on the radar of Arsenal and Manchester United. An offer from Bayer Leverkusen was rejected in January, with Paris Saint-Germain also said to be interested in the player who could be sold for around €40 million. “Since his youth, he has been followed by the biggest European clubs,” said Rennes president Olivier Cloarec. “That won’t change this summer and we’ll see depending on the offers.”
Chelsea’s need to balance the books means the midfielder, who joined the club’s youth academy at the age of eight, could be sold this summer, although Gallagher is willing to remain at Stamford Bridge if conditions for a move are not met meet the requirements. Aston Villa and Tottenham are expected to make offers for the 24-year-old, who has one year left on his contract and could opt to leave on a free transfer within 12 months. Chelsea are expected to accept a bid of around £50 million for Gallagher.
If reports from Italy are to be believed, the Nigerian striker’s goal-filled spell could be about to come to an end. The new manager, Antonio Conte, is said to be planning his departure. The only problem could be the huge €120 million release clause that clubs will have to come up with, with Saudi Arabia’s Al-Ahli now in pole position despite long-term interest from the Premier League. Arsenal and Chelsea could still try to join in, but could be forced to turn their attention to cheaper alternatives.
Related: Summer 2024 men’s transfer window – all deals from Europe’s top five leagues
Jadon Sancho, Manchester United
A revived Sancho helped Borussia Dortmund reach the Champions League final after being deemed surplus to requirements at Manchester United, but it still seems likely he will leave Old Trafford this summer. United reportedly want £40m for a player they paid £73m for three years ago, including Juventus. A return to Dortmund could also still be on the cards, although the German side would prefer a new loan deal. Could Premier League clubs be tempted to target the former Manchester City academy player?
Ivan Toney, Brentford
Thomas Frank acknowledged in February that it was “relatively clear” that the England striker would leave Brentford this summer, with Toney himself admitting he wanted to play for a “top club competing for trophies”. After returning from an eight-month ban for gambling offenses he struggled to recapture the form that saw him score 32 Premier League goals in two seasons, but the 28-year-old’s inclusion in Gareth Southgate’s Germany squad could see him opportunity to make an impression. Chelsea, Manchester United, Tottenham and West Ham are among those linked in recent weeks, with Brentford expected to value him at around £50million.
Florian Wirtz, Bayer Leverkusen
The standout star of Bayer Leverkusen’s remarkable performances last season under Xabi Alonso is expected to remain in Germany for another year, like his manager. But that doesn’t mean the race for his signature won’t intensify this summer. Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Manchester City – who may see the German playmaker as a long-term successor to Kevin De Bruyne – have all expressed interest, with talks expected to resume after the European Championship. Leverkusen are thought to want a fee of more than £120m for a player they signed from Cologne in controversial circumstances in 2020 for just €200,000 (£168,000).
Leny Yoro, Lille
Still just 18 years old, the towering defender became the second-youngest player in Lille’s history when he made his debut in 2022 and established himself at the heart of one of Ligue 1’s meanest defenses last season, with 32 performances. That has attracted the interest of most of Europe’s top clubs, with Real Madrid said to be his preferred destination. Manchester United are also closely linked as they look to strengthen following the departure of Raphael Varane, but rejected reports that they had offered £51million for the player. Yoro was forced to withdraw from the French squad for the Olympic Games this week after his club refused to release him.
Eddie Nketiah, Arsenal
The fact that the striker has not started a Premier League match for Arsenal since the 2-1 defeat against Fulham on New Year’s Eve speaks volumes about his status under Mikel Arteta. Arsenal are open to offers for Nketiah, along with fellow academy graduates Emile Smith Rowe and Reiss Nelson, as they look to freshen up their squad, with the 25-year-old likely to cost around £25 million. Crystal Palace, Ipswich or Wolves could be potential destinations for England’s Under-21 record goalscorer as he attempts to kick-start his club career.
Joshua Zirkzee, Bologna
Juventus are the latest club to join the race for the Dutch forward, who excelled for Bologna last season as they surprised Serie A by finishing fifth and qualifying for the Champions League. Milan, Arsenal and Manchester United have already shown interest in the 23-year-old who was named Italy’s young player of the season and has a €40m release clause, although Bayern Munich could complicate matters further if they decide to include a buy-back clause applying. after the sale of Zirkzee to Bologna in 2022.