Transfer Tiers ranks summer targets by position and club level | OneFootball

Clubs draw up shifting target boards before the window. The Athletic’s Transfer Tiers aims to mirror that decision-making across the market this summer.

According to NY Times, The Athletic compiled a long list of likely movers across seven positions, roughly 20 per role, then canvassed nearly 40 industry figures, from sporting directors and coaches to scouts, intermediaries and analysts.

Participants ranked three players per position for Champions League contenders, three for the level below, and three for the wealthy middle. Manchester City or Paris Saint-Germain illustrate Tier One, Aston Villa, Inter Milan and Borussia Dortmund sit in Tier Two, and Brighton and Bayer Leverkusen typify Tier Three.

The tiers are not a club ranking, they reflect how teams approach fees, wages and past behaviour. Lines blur between categories.

A Tier One side missing its first choice might move for a Tier Two profile, and the reverse can happen. If a player is on the board, the view is that he could contribute in a top five European league.

Some players were excluded. Near-untouchables such as Lamine Yamal are highly coveted but unlikely to move, with Neymar’s 2017 switch treated as an extreme outlier, not a planning basis.

Long-term injuries were also a cut-off. Tottenham’s Cristian Romero was included as he is expected to be back within weeks, while Xavi Simons, recovering from an ACL, is unlikely to feature for much of the year and is not a summer 2026 consideration.

Stylistic ideals can give way to need when a squad has a clear gap. Those consulted had no ties to the players or clubs.

Source: NY Times