If the Big Six opened their minds to doing business with one another, we could envisage a Man Utd-Arsenal exchange, and Liverpool sourcing an appropriate replacement for Mo Salah…
The big boys aren’t dead against the idea of trading with one another – Chelsea have sold a midfielder to Man Utd this summer – but the fear of strengthening a direct rival too often makes them wary of doing deals that might be good for them.
And, given some of the prices being quoted this summer, these clubs might be the only ones who can afford to deal with one another.
So we’ve picked out one possibly available player from their Big Six rivals that would help fix each of those clubs this summer…
Arsenal – Marcus Rashford
Rashford is back at Manchester United – but no one should be fooled that it’s a functional relationship between the England winger and his boyhood club.
United want Rashford off the wage bill since the 28-year-old now pockets around £325,000 a week. But the Red Devils remain terrified of being shown up in the transfer market.
Sending Rashford to Barcelona was perfect; Barca covered most of his wages while he was far enough away for many not to notice what United might be missing.
Selling or loaning Rashford to a direct rival would previously have been seen as a no-no, but these are also the clubs who can afford to take him.
Arsenal sure need a left winger and they would perhaps have had to pay double had Vinicius Jr ever had any real intention of joining them. They certainly would have had to give the Brazilian more than Rashford’s already astronomical salary.
MORE: Man Utd and Rashford fooling nobody while keeping up appearances
Manchester United – Myles Lewis-Skelly
Perhaps allowing their academy graduate to move to the Emirates might be more palatable for United if they were also taking one of Arsenal’s own too…
Lewis-Skelly could tick two of United’s boxes. They need a left-back and a holding midfielder. The 19-year-old can be both. Just not at the same time, sadly.
Arsenal have considered putting Lewis-Skelly up for sale to bank that sweet, sweet pure profit, but two factors appear to be holding them back.
Firstly, the teenager proved to be a very useful option during the run-in last season. Then, as ever, there is the fear that Lewis-Skelly would strengthen a direct rival.
But Bruno Guimaraes’ arrival arguably puts four players ahead of the Hale End graduate in the queue for two midfield places. If Lewis-Skelly isn’t to play – which he needs for his own development – then he’s more useful to Arsenal as a sellable asset.
Liverpool – Pedro Neto
With Jeff Bezos and his pals – a great bunch of lads, we’re sure – buying into Liverpool, it is inevitable that we’ll see the Reds linked with Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise any day now.
One of those would fix a gaping hole on Liverpool’s right, which they appear intent on filling by signing a left-sider. Weird.
Rather than attempting to talk PSG down from their £145million demand for Bradley Barcola, a task made no easier by the sight of Bezos riding into Anfield, it might be more sensible to approach Chelsea to see if they will sell Neto.
Of course they will. Chelsea will always sell if the price is right. Which, in Neto’s case, is around £70million – not unreasonable in the market this summer, when sense has gone the same way as rain and Fabian Hurzeler’s rug.
Tottenham – Savinho
This is the most likely of these prospective deals to become a reality because Spurs seem to have spent the last year trying to make it so.
That they are still waiting on a definitive answer highlights their desire to land Savinho and City’s wariness of selling the Brazilian, especially while Enzo Maresca is making his own judgements on the players he inherited from Pep Guardiola.
Whatever Maresca decides, Savinho is unlikely to see much game time at the Etihad as Jeremy Doku’s stand-in. With others also able to cover for the Belgian, City can afford to sell.
Especially if Spurs are offering City double the £30.8million they paid for Savinho two years ago. We’ve seen given little to justify such a profit – he scored once while making seven league starts last term – but Tottenham obviously see something in the 22-year-old.
Manchester City – Malo Gusto
Maresca isn’t short in many areas, but the new City boss could certainly use greater depth at right-back. ‘
Matheus Nunes improved dramatically last season but he remains a central midfielder.
And unless Rico Lewis convinces Maresca in pre-season that he is worthy of the new manager’s faith, then City need to go shopping for a full-back.
Maresca knows Gusto having teased out the France defender’s best form of his Chelsea career so far. It is certainly that period more than the back end of last season that the Blues will use to justify a £70million price tag for a player who, when everyone is fit, will be on the bench as Reece James’ stand-in.
Chelsea – Martin Zubimendi
With no club among the rest of the Big Six carrying a top-class goalkeeper – or even a competent one – who might be available, the Blues are left perusing their rivals for a midfielder.
Glancing through what’s available at Arsenal, they like the look of Zubimendi.
The Spain star is likely to be pushed down the Arsenal pecking order by Bruno Guimaraes’ arrival, while Xabi Alonso appears more willing to give the World Cup winner the prominence he deserves alongside Moises Caicedo at the base of his midfield.
We’ve already taken Lewis-Skelly to Manchester United on this page and, of course, there’s no hope of Arsenal selling both him and Zubimendi. But one would likely be available.
If reports are to be believed, the figure to motivate Arsenal to sell is around £77million, which would more than give them their money back for Guimaraes.