Six €100m transfer sagas explained: Alvarez, Rogers, Barcola and more
Updated: 20 Jul 2026 14:59 BST |
8 min read
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With the World Cup over, all eyes are on the transfer market, where there are six explosive sagas that could see records tumble.
A series of blockbuster deals have already been completed in the Premier League this summer, with Elliot Anderson’s move to Manchester City setting a new high for a signing at the Etihad Stadium as he completed a €135 million switch from Nottingham Forest.
Similarly, Tottenham have broken their transfer record by snapping up Newcastle’s Sandro Tonali in a €108m deal and flirted with the €100m mark when they signed Mateus Fernandes from West Ham.
But these moves will not be the end of the monster summer signings. There are half a dozen such deals that look realistic.
Here’s what they are and how they could play out by the FootballTransfers team.
Morgan Rogers
Club: Aston Villa
Major interest: Chelsea, Arsenal
Linked: n/a
What’s happened?
Rogers is on the brink of a deal with Chelsea. The England player has passed all the key stages of the transfer and needs only the official announcement.
That it has come to this is remarkable. Arsenal appeared well placed to sign the former Middlesbrough attacker, yet their London rivals swooped dramatically to rush through an unexpected transfer.
What’s going to happen?
Barring an incredible last-gasp hitch, Chelsea will pay €138 million to set a club record transfer fee and sign Rogers.
His reception at the Emirates Stadium later this season promises to be an interesting one…
Julian Alvarez
Club: Atletico Madrid
Major interest: Barcelona
Linked: Real Madrid, Arsenal, PSG
What’s happened?
Julian Alvarez has been publicly discussed as a replacement for Robert Lewandowski at Barcelona, with president Joan Laporta indicating that the club’s bid remains on the table.
Real Madrid have also confirmed that they have moved for the Argentina international striker, who grew unsettled at Atletico Madrid in the second half of last season, releasing a statement that they had a €150m offer knocked back. Just how serious they were in this bid, though, is questionable.
Atleti have hit back, saying they will not sell and any club that wants Julian will have to match his €500m release fee.
What’s going to happen?
Barcelona believe that Atleti’s strong stance is little more than a negotiating tactic, but it promises to be a major challenge for the Catalans to raise the type of money required to prise Alvarez away from the Spanish capital, despite taking out a large loan that could potentially allow them to do so.
With Alvarez not keen on a return to the Premier League, his chances of leaving Diego Simeone’s side seem to rest on Barca making a bid that’s acceptable to their rivals.
In order for that to happen, Alvarez may need to force the issue.
Bradley Barcola
Club: PSG
Major interest: Liverpool, Arsenal
Linked: Bayern Munich
What’s happened?
Not a lot yet. Barcola has been unable to negotiate a new contract with PSG, and with two years left on his current agreement, is coming towards a crossroads in his career.
A strong World Cup performance with France has put him onto the market, and with Arsenal and Liverpool both needing wingers, the two Premier League clubs have been linked with the two-time Champions League winner.
What’s going to happen?
This is a deal in the balance but it leans on PSG being able to find a replacement for Barcola before they sell. Yan Diomande (see below) is the player they have their eyes fixed on. Otherwise, Luis Enrique’s side will keep the winger, who has been a strong member of their squad for the last three years.
PSG have been strong at sticking to their wage structure and have been unwilling to bow to the demands of Barcola or Ousmane Dembele in contract talks. The longer this impasse continues, the greater the prospect of Barcola departing is.
Liverpool are preparing a first bid.
Ayyoub Bouaddi
Club: Lille
Major interest: Manchester City, Arsenal
Linked: Real Madrid, PSG, Manchester United
What’s happened?
Interest has been building in Bouaddi for years, with the young defensive midfielder having impressed to such a degree with Lille in France that his Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) has grown to €48.4m.
He truly exploded into the public consciousness thanks to his outstanding displays for Morocco at the World Cup, but he had previously shone on the European stage with LOSC.
The result has been a flurry of transfer rumours linking some of the world’s biggest teams. While it may appear that this interest has been sudden, in reality these clubs have known all about this intelligent young star for years.
Lille have gone public that they will not demand €100m for their young gem, but with Arsenal and Man City on the hunt, privately they are said to have pointed to the Anderson and Tonali deals of evidence that they should head out for a massive fee.
What’s going to happen?
Lille say Bouaddi will not leave them this summerbut this is a young man with stars in his eyes.
He was expected to become a France international but switched to Morocco after they promised to fast-track his progress, a gamble that has paid off amply for him.
While breaking into a top team on a regular basis promises to be a major challenge, it’s not one that’s beyond him.
Yan Diomande
Club: RB Leipzig
Major interest: Liverpool, PSG
Linked: Arsenal
What’s happened?
Diomande has exploded over the course of the last season, becoming Europe’s hottest young wing prospect at Leipzig.
Liverpool have been heavily linked with him along with PSG, who see him as a possible long-term upgrade on Barcola.
RB Leipzig appear determined not to sell, but comments made by head coach Martin Demichelis indicate that the Bundesliga club have not entirely closed the door to a move – even if it’s certainly not part of their plans.
But there’s a major catch: a battle between two agents may prevent him from leaving at all.
What’s going to happen?
Much of Diomande’s future depends on if the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) rules in his case. A deal appears to be impossible before then – and there’s no guarantee a ruling will come before the transfer deadline.
Even if this hurdle is cleared, Leipzig will demand a huge price for their young star. PSG have a strong relationship with the German club, and this could give them the edge, even if they have more typically operated in the €50-80m bracket of transfers in recent years.
Enzo Fernandez
Club: Chelsea
Major interest: Real Madrid
Linked: PSG
What’s happened?
Enzo has been agitating to leave Chelsea for several months now, making clear that his preference is a move to Real Madrid.
He has publicly gone on the record to say that Madrid is his favoured destination because it is most like Buenos Aires, with his public flirtation with Los Blancos resulting in the Blues handing him an unofficial two-game ban for his behaviour.
Enzo’s agent, Javier Pastore, has confirmed that the midfielder will ‘look at possibilities’ of leaving Chelsea this summer.
The Blues have put a €140m tag on the World Cup runner-up.
What’s going to happen?
Real Madrid seem to have decisively distanced themselves from Enzo, whose celebration after scoring Argentina’s equaliser against England in the World Cup semi-final did little to endear him to a fanbase already frustrated by his antics.
Nevertheless, the options seem to be closing for the Argentina star, who seems primed to stay with Chelsea.
Robin Bairner is an eminent digital football journalist who has been writing about the sport for major global publishers since 2006, specialising in Ligue 1 and Scottish football. He has been chief editor of the FootballTransfers global edition since its launch in 2020. Previously Bairner had been a key member of the editorial team which helped Goal.com become the world’s biggest football website. He covered multiple major competitions as a correspondent for Goal including the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, where he had the opportunity to work in Fortaleza. Among his highlights of the competition was Brazil’s quarter-final victory over Colombia.
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