It’s always around springtime that transfer talk begins. Teams are looking at areas of their squad that they need to deepen and agents are making calls. That’s why journalists across Europe have entire teams working on what might happen when the season ends.
Summer 2026 could be one of the biggest transfer windows in many years, as there are numerous high-profile contract situations still up in the air, as well as players putting their skills to the fore during this summer’s World Cup.
Anybody tracking football betting odds on next season’s title races knows that summer business from Europe’s richest clubs will have a big impact on these markets. Here’s a quick look at what the media in Europe are saying about the biggest names in football.
Mo Salah
Mo Salah is the biggest free agent in world football. The story has dominated the back pages over recent weeks due to speculation that Mo Salah will be leaving Liverpool at the end of the season.
His differences with Arne Slot are well documented and he’ll be bringing an end to his glittering career. Once the Premier League season comes to an end, he agreed with the club to cut his contract short by a season, which means that he’ll have spent nine years in total at Anfield.
The 33-year-old is one of the club’s best-ever players, having scored 255 goals in 435 appearances to date, putting him third on the all-time list of goal scorers for Liverpool. He’s racked up two Premier League titles, a Champions League and six other trophies during that time. He also won the PFA Player of the Year award for a record three times, most recently last season.
Italian media, most notably Gazzetta dello Sport, reported that Salah is considering a return to Roma when he leaves Liverpool, the club where he spent two years before he made the permanent move to Merseyside. The fans in Rome hold a special place in the heart of Salah. However, his high wage demands could be an issue.
The Italian newspaper acknowledges that the deal will be very difficult to complete. The likelihood of this destination financially appears to be a Saudi Pro League, as he’s been linked in particular to Al-Ittihad, where his former Liverpool teammate Fabinho is currently playing.
Some have also discussed the MLS as a potential destination with San Diego FC and Chicago Fire as potential landing spots. However, reports indicate that Salah is looking to maintain his time playing more competitive football in Europe. However, if he has to do so, it would likely be at one of the biggest clubs or else he’ll be looking at a wage cut.
Julian Alvarez
The transfer news that a lot of people in Spain are talking about now is Julian Alvarez, the Argentinian striker, who has been one of the biggest stories so far in 2026. He’s now been widely tipped to leave Atletico Madrid at the end of the season.
The word is that he’s going to move to Barcelona, despite major interest from Arsenal and Chelsea. He’s already reportedly negotiated with Barcelona, although the team still has some financial issues, which could be a stumbling block.
Spanish publications claim that Atletico Madrid doesn’t actually want to sell Alvarez to Barcelona. That’s why the Premier League interest has been ramping up. It was thought Alvarez would be willing to return to England during the summer if a deal at Barcelona fell through. He scored 40 times in 85 games since joining Atletico, and his contract is in place until 2030.
Spanish sources claim that Atletico will be looking for €100 million this summer if they’re going to sell him. Transfer insiders are confident that Alvarez will definitely be leaving the club as he wants to move somewhere that has a better chance of competing for major trophies.
Vinicius Jr.
Vinicius Jr.’s contract situation around Madrid is well documented. The contract talks have stalled since last May and sources close to the player believe that he’s not willing to negotiate until after the 2026 World Cup. Xabi Alonso and Vinicius Junior had a poor relationship, which added complications.
Alonso is now out, so this has changed the speculation about Vinicius Junior’s future. Spanish outlets report that Real Madrid president Florentino Perez now wants to secure a contract extension as soon as possible, following the Brazilian’s return to form under the interim boss Alvaro Arbeloa.
He’s had 29 goal involvements from 43 games so far this season, scoring 10 in his last 11 appearances through all different competitions. He’s on the record saying that he’d like to stay in Madrid and he’d like to stay there for a long time.
Bruno Fernandes
Bruno Fernandes is one of the turnaround stories in the Premier League this season. While he struggled playing in unfamiliar positions under Ruben Amorim, his departure and replacement by Michael Carrick has restored Fernandes to his preferred position as the conductor in Old Trafford’s midfield.
He’s now been talked about as one of the best players in the league and he’s in with a real chance of breaking the record for most assists in a Premier League season. There’s been much speculation in Saudi Arabia, although he rejected the chance to join Al Hilal last summer.
Portuguese outlets extensively covered the story and believe that, as Fernandez is in his early 30s, he might be looking to cash in on one more big contract.
A major summer ahead
Many top players in the game have entered the last year or two of their contracts, which puts pressure on clubs to either extend the deals or to sell them now and lock in some value.
Financial sustainability rules also come into question, so teams have to be a bit careful about what players are signing. The World Cup always sees players coming back with bigger profiles and price tags. Others will have underperformed and their stock will go down.
Clubs making decisions before tournaments could be gambling on form before those who try and wait, wait it out a bit more until after the World Cup, can face different competition and bigger fees.
