With transfer fees rising up to hundreds of millions these days, the definition of a good bargain has changed drastically. Manchester United, Chelsea and Barcelona are three clubs who have exhibited similar spending habits in recent years and they would consider signing a player below the price of £40 million as a real bargain, especially in a position where they needed urgent recruitment.
Three of the biggest clubs in the transfer market will be looking for some clever signings this summer. While Chelsea and Manchester United need a massive overhaul, Barcelona will be looking for some good backup to their core team which missed out on the UEFA Champions League and clinched the La Liga title by just one point.
Here are five players that may be just what these three giants of European football need right now.
1. Andre Gomes
22 year old Portuguese midfielder Andre Gomes has been one of the bedrocks of the Valencia midfield in a disappointing season for Los Che. In his first season as a Valencia player, after spending 2014-15 on loan at the club from Benfica, Gomes notched up 5 goals and 5 assists.
Those figures don’t mean much, but his performances for Valencia have attracted the interest of a number of top European clubs with Manchester United having long been linked with a move for Gomes. The central midfielder possesses excellent dribbling ability, but needs to work on his crossing and finishing. Valencia are holding our for a fee of around £40 million.
2. Marquinhos
The Brazilian was signed by Paris Saint-Germain for a massive £25 million pounds from Roma in 2013, but currently plays second fiddle to his two more senior compatriots Thiago Silva and David Luiz. The highly rated 22 year old center back has been on the radar of a number of the top clubs in Europe, including Manchester United, Chelsea and Barcelona.
The young defender could develop into one of the best in the near future, and he is reportedly keen to seek greener pastures in search of more game time. Marquinhos would demand a transfer fee of at least £30 million, but PSG aren’t really a selling club so the price could be a huge one.
3. Seamus Coleman
Coleman is one of the most talented players that the Republic of Ireland can bank upon in Euro 2016. The Everton right-back has pace, power and attacking flair, being one of the key members of the team in recent times. With Manchester United unsettled over Matteo Darmian’s dipping form, Barcelona losing Dani Alves and Chelsea right-back Branislav Ivanovic looking lost this season, Coleman would be perfect for any one of those teams.
The Everton takeover will make the deal very difficult though, and the 27-year-old could command a transfer fee of anywhere between £30 to £40 million.
4. Kevin Strootman
While all the transfer speculation has been surrounding his fellow Roma midfielders Radja Nainggolan and Miralem Pjanic, Dutch midfielder Kevin Strootman has recovered from his third knee surgery in two years. The 26-year-old was a prime target for the top European clubs two years ago and would be in their sights once again if he can put his injury woes to rest.
On his day Strootman is a brilliant box-to-box midfielder who can dictate play from deep in the midfield as well as get forward to attack. It would represent a risk given his lack of appearances in the past two seasons, but Strootman could be an astute signing for a top club if he gets back to top form without re-injuring his knee.
5. Kingsley Coman
The 20 year old Frenchman has already had a tour of the best clubs in three different leagues. A product of the PSG academy, Coman joined Juventus on a free transfer in 2014. He announced himself to the world in the colors of Bayern Munich this past season, playing a big role in their Champions League victory over his parent club Juventus who had loaned him to the Bavarians.
Bayern have the option of buying Coman this summer for around £22 million, but should the Bundesliga giants forego this opportunity, the French winger would be a bargain signing for the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea or Barcelona.