2022 FIFA World Cup transfer rumors

As usual, the FIFA World Cup in Qatar gave the world a chance to see some players who weren’t well-known before the tournament but who, thanks to their good play at the most important stage of football, have caught the attention of some of Europe’s best teams.

Some recent cases are those of James Rodriguez and Keylor Navas, who, after their great World Cup performances in Brazil in 2014, signed for Real Madrid; Asamoah Gyan, who arrived at the Premier League (Sunderland) after South Africa 2010; or Rüştü Reçberin, whose 2002 performance earned him a chance to get to FC Barcelona a year later.

In Qatar, we got a pleasant surprise with Morocco, which became the first national team in Africa to play seven games in a FIFA World Cup. So, although it has players like Ziyech, who is at Chelsea, or Hakimi, at Paris Saint-Germain, they also have less internationally recognised players who have captured the attention of many teams.

Sofyan Amrabat

The most well-known case is that of Sofyan Amrabat, a midfielder who plays for Fiorentina in Serie A. Thanks to his many ball recoveries, his control of the midfield, and his good management of the rhythm of the matches, teams like Barcelona, Liverpool, and Atletico Madrid have set their eyes on him. However, the Italian club has contacted the player to renew his contract so he can stay for several more years.

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Azzedine Ounahi

Another player who has been highlighted even by rival coaches is Azzedine Ounahi, a 22-year-old midfielder of Angers, who has become a target of Leicester City’s, although recently he has also spoken of FC Barcelona’s interest in signing him. At the moment, the English club has more money than Barcelona, but the Catalan team can be a lot more interesting on the sporting front.

Mohammed Kudus

Mohammed Kudus stood out during Ghana’s short time at the World Cup in Qatar. He was the main threat to the other teams because he could easily get into offensive positions and run long distances on the field. These characteristics have made AC Milan, Juventus, Chelsea, and above all, Liverpool, want to sign him. The English team is looking to strengthen their midfield, which is why some candidates were scouted during the FIFA World Cup.

Goncalo Ramos

Goncalo Ramos, the Portuguese striker who replaced Cristiano Ronaldo in the starting lineup of the national team coached by Fernando Santos against Switzerland and scored a hat trick, was another player who made a name for himself at the World Cup. Ironically, Cristiano’s former team, Manchester United, has shown interest in the striker, who still belongs to Benfica.

Jude Bellingham

In the case of Jude Bellingham, the rumors of a possible signing for a top team in Europe were already a big deal before the FIFA World Cup. But the fact that the young midfielder has done well and is an important part of Southgate’s starting eleven has made this talk more widespread.

Liverpool is the main candidate to sign him and there is already talk of an offer that could be around 130 million euros, something that would take over Real Madrid’s offer, another of those who has been very interested in the Englishman. However, Florentino Pérez’s team doesn’t seem willing to match the Reds’ offer, in addition to Manchester City being interested, which could make things a lot more complicated for Los Blancos.

Jurgen Klopp laughs after question on Bellingham available in January: “I’m the wrong person to ask about whether Jude is available in January” 🔴 #LFC

“January window? We are looking and if something happens, we will see. From a sports side, we are always prepared”. pic.twitter.com/TsbYYQI742

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 23, 2022

Enzo Fernández

Bellingham’s fate is linked to Enzo Fernández’s because both Liverpool and Real Madrid have been following them for their good performances with Borussia Dortmund and Benfica, respectively, even before the World Cup, so if the Englishman came to sign for Liverpool, Los Blancos would likely go after the Argentine midfielder whose signing would be more affordable in economic terms than the Englishman’s.

(🌕) Exactly 6 months ago, Enzo Fernández was available in the market for €18M and many teams were watching him, but no one decided to trigger his release clause except Benfica. @FabrizioRomano 🇦🇷 pic.twitter.com/NKktHTSjp5

— All About Argentina 🛎🇦🇷 (@AlbicelesteTalk) December 19, 2022

Benfica signed the Argentine last summer, but it is worth noting that the Portuguese are a seller club, and they know that the World Cup will help them ask for a large sum of money for their signing and make a significant profit in a short period of time.

Rodrigo De Paul

The Argentine midfielder, who is key in the tactical setup of Argentina manager Lionel Scaloni, had not had a good first half of the season with his club (Atletico Madrid), but his contribution in the midfield of Argentina in Qatar has been recognized by other clubs such as Juventus, who knows the player very well due to his time in Serie A with Udinese and who would like to bring him in during the next January transfer window.

Josko Gvardiol

Another player whose value skyrocketed during the FIFA World Cup was Croatian defender Josko Gvardiol, who has left a good impression in Qatar despite the play where Messi leaves him stranded during Argentina’s third goal in the semifinals. Other clubs such as Real Madrid, Manchester City, and Manchester United have been added to the interest that Chelsea has already had since the summer (it was commented that they had an agreement for the next season). The player’s price could be around 100 million euros, according to sources close to his club, RB Leipzig.

Cody Gakpo

Manchester United’s signings have been oriented toward the Dutch market since the arrival of Erik Ten Hag, which is why the Red Devils investigated the signing of Cody Gakpo this summer. Following the Dutchman’s outstanding performance with the Netherlands during the FIFA World Cup, where he scored three goals in five games, and in light of Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure, the Manchester club has renewed interest in Gakpo in order to add more options to the team’s attack.

There is talk that Real Madrid would also have plans for the Dutch player as a replacement for Benzema, and the good relationship between the club and Van Nistelrooy, the current coach of PSV Eindhoven, club where Gakpo plays, could facilitate the signing a bit.