Arsenal, Liverpool targets and Man Utd star among five who could be stuck this summer… | OneFootball

These five stars, worth a combined total of around £350million, all want moves but could find themselves stuck come September…

With the new Premier League season coming into view and the closure of the transfer window less than six weeks away, some players might be starting to worry that the moves they wanted won’t materialise.

Here are five who might be starting to sweat…

Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle United)

Guimaraes wants to join Arsenal. But do they really want him?

We know they like him – a lot, probably – but we remain unconvinced that the Gunners share the player’s conviction.

Arsenal were led to believe there might be a bargain to be had, probably by Bruno’s representatives as they sought to tease the champions into a bidding. Which they have. Very sheepishly.

Apparently, the only direct contact between the two clubs was initiated by Newcastle to ask what the f*** was going on. In that conversation, they surely told Arsenal that their captain can go, but only for Tonali money.

Unless Arsenal struggle to attain other big-money targets – they have already missed one – then we suspect the only thing Guimaraes will be signing is a new Newcastle contract.

Enzo Fernandez (Chelsea)

Like Guimaraes, Fernandez wants to go. But he’s not ashamed to say it. If the World Cup is any guide, he’s not ashamed of much.

Fernandez was flirting hard with Real Madrid last season, so much so the vice-captain was suspended by Chelsea when his lack of subtlety ‘crossed a line’.

But Real don’t fancy him back. They found the Fernandez thing weird enough to issue a statement saying they have no interest in making a move for the Argentina star. And that was before he made a tit of himself against Spain in the World Cup final.

The object of Real’s desire is Rodri. Which might prompt Manchester City to offer Fernandez a move out of Chelsea, but we doubt City would pay the £120million the Blues want. We doubt anyone will this summer. So Fernandez is almost certainly stuck at Stamford Bridge.

Marcus Rashford

United have already started laying the groundwork to reintegrate Rashford since no one seems interested in paying them – or the player – what they want.

There is still time for that to change of course. Barca might even come back for Rashford, despite custard-pieing the attacker when they chose to sign Anthony Gordon instead for more than double the money.

But Barca and everyone else are waiting for relent that probably won’t come. Rashford won’t drop his salary and United shouldn’t drop their fee demands in a market that seems to have lost its freaking mind.

It is just as likely as not that the noises around reintegration are part of the dance to lure in a suitor, and we can see Spurs barging their way in, but perhaps bridges can be rebuilt between Rashford and United, even in a transparent marriage of convenience.

Adam Wharton

While hundreds of millions is spent on other midfielders, the market around Wharton remains oddly quiet.

Obviously that could change at any point in the next six weeks. But most of the clubs who could pay the money required to get Wharton out of Palace haven’t been shy this summer.

It seems the two clubs most likely to make a decisive move might be Chelsea and Liverpool.

There are many moving parts around Chelsea and it would be no more of a surprise for Wharton to be in blue by the weekend than it would be for him to remain an Eagle come September.

Liverpool seem to be taking their sweet time generally this summer. And maybe Wharton’s suitors are holding fire in the absence of obvious competition in the hope his price falls towards the end of the window.

But it just seems weird that a player of Wharton’s quality isn’t in more obvious demand, especially while a not-so-orderly queue forms for Alex Scott at a similar price.

Lucas Bergvall

The Sweden midfielder was fearing for his prospects at Tottenham even before their wild summer. He didn’t start a game after Roberto De Zerbi’s first match in charge and Bergvall has been stewing all summer in the absence of any reassurance from the manager.

So the 20-year-old fancies a move to get some game time and there are some good suitors. But Spurs could be a problem.

While they are spending, Tottenham have suddenly realised they are terrible sellers. And they are determined to change their image.

Which means demanding top dollar – the sort of figures only they themselves might spend.

Forest were keen on Bergvall – they still are – but had a bid rejected, as did Newcastle, who offered £46million, which feels fair for a player with 22 Premier League starts.

Tottenham, apparently, want £60million. Which has scared off Bergvall’s suitors – for now. While he’s not feeling the love from De Zerbi, he can only hope Spurs are chancing their arm before reducing their demands to something more reasonable.