A transfer season is nothing without its stars, so we want to hear from you on which star beats out the others.
In an ideal, financial-free football utopia (or a rigged version of Football Manager), you, a transfer chief at a top, top club, might simply take them all.
Erling Haaland and Kylian Mbappe would wreak havoc in clinical tandem.
Harry Kane would teach Dusan Vlahovic some tricks of the trade while the 21-year-old Serbia international would remind 28-year-old Kane of the fun that comes with bagging goals.
Declan Rice and Kalvin Phillips would, as they did in the summer, cement a partnership so good that their surnames roll off the tongue together, like a new crisp flavour.
But then oh how boring the transfer window would be.
Football’s purists will say they didn’t want them all anyway. That is for the best as the juries are out on just who clubs should sign and who is a poor business investment.
Haaland versus Mbappe
We could just enjoy them both while we can, let goals be goals, but until a transfer war chest arrives big enough to secure both the goalscorers’ signatures (though Real Madrid seems to think they do) warring tribes will prevail.
Mbappe has scored 202 goals in 310 career appearances. He is the only player his age to reach 30 Champions League goals (31) and is the youngest player to have netted 100 times in Ligue 1. And in three goals time, he will breach France’s top 10 all-time scorer’s list.
Mbappe is due to be a free agent in the summer, and the signs point to a move to Madrid. Yet, recent reports suggest he will sign a short-term deal with PSG.
But then there is the matter of the machine. In 77 games, Erling Haaland has scored 78 times for Borussia Dortmund, with most of those goals being more spectacle than goal. When his €64million release clause activates this summer, Dortmund will be facing up a scramble for his services.
Dusan Vlahovic versus Harry Kane
FK Partizan's sporting director Ivica Iliev did not mince his words. Dusan Vlahovic is reminiscent of Haaland, if not better, and he’s only at “60-70 percent of his potential”.
The words are grand, if not drool-worthy, but they aren’t far-fetched. Vlahovic is the youngest goal-scorer in FK Partizan history and equalled Cristiano Ronaldo's Serie A record for most goals in a calendar year in 2021.
At 21-year-old, Vlahovic is an investment and what looks to be a very good one for Arsenal, particularly as Aubameyang sits in exile and both Alexandre Lacazette and Eddie Nketiah seemingly heading for the Emirates exit.
While Harry Kane has struggled to recapture his best form at Tottenham this season, the noise around a move have not faded.
Under manager Antonio Conte, the 28-year-old has improved, having lifted his goal tally this season to five. But the youthful likes of Vlahovic makes a hard argument about wise investments in a tightened financial market.
Anthony Martial versus Ousmane Dembele
Anthony Martial could finally leave his role as a Manchester United pariah, while Ousmane Dembele could finally return to the Dembele who former Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeu dubbed “better than Neymar” in 2019.
That assertion came not long after Dembele single-handedly ripped apart Tottenham Hotspur in the seventh minute of a Champions League match, turning a Spurs free kick into a kick to the teeth. Beset with injury, Dembele’s fortunes at Barcelona have fared more in line with Spurs from that day.
Still, under new manager Xavi Hernandez, the 24-year-old looks to be gaining some momentum with two assists and a goal in 11 appearances. A demand in salary following Ferran Torres’ signature means that momentum could be gained elsewhere on a free transfer this summer. Arguments could be made that he simply needs a new fresh start.
Anthony Martial has not started a league match for Manchester United since those two minutes against Arsenal in December. In 10 appearances, he has registered only one goal this season.
It is a far-cry from the 19-year-old who signed for United from Monaco six-and-a-half years ago, and yet, still only 26, there's a nagging feeling there's an untapped player in there somewhere.
More than one manager has remarked on his extraordinary finishing abilities, though very rarely have they come to fruition.
Eden Hazard versus Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Seemingly hellbent on working in kamikaze mode this year, Aubameyang’s most recent mishap saw him granted leave from international duty with Gabon on differing tales of grounds.
Aubameyang’s disciplinary sheet reads long this year, and the Gabon international has not scored for Arsenal since October. Many Arsenal fans have already waved him out the door.
Eden Hazard has worked hard to get back to fitness, but at Real Madrid, Hazard has arguably belonged to another generation since juggling a football in front of a legion of cooing Real Madrid fans three years ago.
At 31 years old, time is not on his side, but beside Aubameyang, Hazard’s recent dedication to better his trade shines.
Kalvin Phillips versus Declan Rice
Together, the holding midfielders shored up England’s midfield over the summer despite vociferous critics claiming such a tactic was foolish.
While playing key roles for Leeds United and West Ham, the two seem destined for a bigger slice of the Premier League pie, and this summer could see both defensive midfielders move on to grander pastures.
Liverpool reportedly have it out for 26-year-old Phillips while Manchester City have put in feelers for Rice, with a £100million price tag already slapped on the 23-year-old, though City have already shown that very few price tags will deter them from something they want.
Know who you would sign? Let us know who you would pick in the head to heads below:
