Several players are running out of time as they look to avoid the nightmare scenario of spending most of the season sitting on the bench
There is now just a week to go before the 2025 summer transfer window slams shut, meaning the clock is very much ticking for several players still waiting for the moves they've been so desperately seeking. Consequently, agents all over Europe are scrambling around right now trying to tempt clubs to bid for the clients.
There is, though, a division to be drawn between those stars that want a transfer and those that actually one. For example, we know that Alexander Isak has his heart set on a switch to Liverpool, and his attempts to make the move happen have upset pretty much everyone at Newcastle. However, it's not as if Isak to leave St. James' Park because Eddie Howe wants him out; on the contrary, the manager is desperately hoping to hold onto his striker and has been very clear about his belief that he could successfully reintegrate the Swede into his squad.
Other players, though, know that if they don't find a new club, they're going to spend the coming campaign sitting either on the bench or in the stands – and not by choice. So, with deadline day on September 1 looming, GOAL picks out the big names that need a transfer for the sake of their careers…
AFPChelsea's 'Bomb Squad'
Where to begin at Chelsea?! Just like last summer, the free-spending Blues have a plethora of players in dire need of a transfer going into the final week of the season.
Ben Chilwell is searching for a new home for the second consecutive summer after making little impact during a six-month spell at Crystal Palace last season, and he has been re-joined in Enzo Maresca's dreaded 'bomb squad' by Raheem Sterling, who failed miserably to turn his loan stay at Arsenal into a permanent transfer. Axel Disasi is also surplus to requirements following his own loan spell at Aston Villa, though speculation is mounting that he could soon secure a move to either Bournemouth or Wolves.
It would also be a big surprise if forward duo Christopher Nkunku and Nicolas Jackson are still at Stamford Bridge when the window shuts, with Maresca having made it painfully clear that he has no interest in retaining the services of either player.
Nkunku could well return to RB Leipzig if the reported interest of Bayern Munich and Tottenham doesn't materialise into at least one concrete offer, while Jackson is a potential solution to Aston Villa or Newcastle's striking problems.
AdvertisementAFPGigi Donnarumma
One doesn't necessarily have to feel sorry for Gigi Donnarumma. AC Milan supporters certainly won't have a lot of sympathy for the academy product who left the Rossoneri for Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer four years ago. However, any football fan would be forced to admit that Donnarumma is desperately unfortunate to have been deemed surplus to requirements at Parc des Princes by Luis Enrique – despite playing an absolutely pivotal role in PSG's historic Champions League triumph last season.
Also, even accounting for the fact that Lucas Chevalier had already arrived to replace Donnarumma, there appeared little need to freeze the Italy international out of the first team in order to force him into finding a new club. Donnarumma and his inner circle are unsurprisingly upset by the way in which he has been treated by PSG, but the only thing that matters now is him securing a transfer to a top team in the next seven days.
The good news for one of the best shot-stoppers in world football is that he only has one year left on his contract, so PSG can't charge too much for his services – which is why Manchester City are said to be interested in signing Donnarumma if Ederson leaves.
Getty Images SportEndrick
Endrick is very clearly a special talent, but making the grade at Real Madrid is never easy – especially not for a teenager coming from a different league, country and culture. Remember, Endrick's fellow Brazilians Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo both took time to nail down a regular starting spot at Santiago Bernabeu.
Furthermore, nobody is suggesting that the Palmeiras product should give up on his dream of becoming a superstar in the Spanish capital. However, the common consensus is that Endrick needs game time at this important stage of his development – and he's not guaranteed any under new Madrid boss Xabi Alonso. Indeed, the Spaniard seems to view academy product Gonzalo Garcia as a more reliable understudy to first-choice striker Kylian Mbappe than Endrick, who has yet to see a minute of game time in La Liga this season.
It would, therefore, be best for everyone involved if Endrick were to go out on loan this season. If not, the 19-year-old attacker, who has already been capped 14 times by Brazil, runs the risk of missing out on Carlo Ancelotti's squad for next year's World Cup.
Getty ImagesRandal Kolo Muani
Randal Kolo Muani knew he needed a change of scenery after making just 10 Ligue 1 appearances for Paris Saint-Germain during the first half of last season, so he jumped at the opportunity to join Juventus in January. That loan spell worked out wonderfully well for both the forward and his new team, with Kolo Muani becoming the first player since the great Roberto Baggio to score in his first three Serie A games for the Bianconeri.
A permanent move to Turin, thus, appeared a formality but Juve have yet to agree a deal with PSG with just a week of the summer window remaining. According to reports in Italy, the French outfit have increased their asking price, much to the frustration of the cash-strapped Old Lady.
Kolo Muani, for his part, remains so intent on joining Juve that he's reportedly willing to take a pay cut to help make the move happen, while it's also been claimed that he's resisting advances from elsewhere. A breakthrough is required sooner rather than later, though, as Kolo Muani wants to represent France at the 2026 World Cup – and that won't happen if he ends up back at PSG.