Julian Alvarez, Bruno Guimaraes and the 10 biggest transfer sagas that still need resolving before the end of the summer window

The word 'saga' was invented for stories like those surrounding Julian Alvarez this summer. It had long been presumed that the Argentina forward would be on his way out of Atletico Madrid after they failed to win a trophy in 2025-26, but no one could have foreseen the drama that has surrounded Alvarez thus far.

Needing a No.9 to replace Robert Lewandowski, Barcelona are regarded as Alvarez's most likely destination, but the relationship between Atleti and the Blaugrana took a turn when the former responded to reports of Barca's interest by claiming on social media that they had made derisory offers for the likes of Lamine Yamal and Pedri. A war of words has since broken out, with Barca's offers still well short of Atletico's asking price.

Sensing an opportunity to stoke the flames, Real Madrid announced in early June that Atletico had rejected their €150 million (£129m/$173m) offer for Alvarez, with many in Spain believing that Los Blancos' bid wasn't wholly serious and instead was intended to anger their rivals in Catalunya.

All the while, Arsenal continue to be linked with Alvarez, with the Gunners keen to upgrade on Viktor Gyokeres despite their Premier League triumph last season. Alvarez himself has spoken of his desire to leave the Metripolitano while Diego Simeone is reportedly preparing for life without his compatriot, even if Atletico continue to claim that Alvarez will not be sold. This one, then, could run and run.

Despite the World Cup being dominated by established superstars, there was still room for less-heralded names to enjoy breakout tournaments, and Ayyoub Bouaddi certainly put himself on the map with his displays for Morocco. His future has subsequently come into even more focus, even if Europe's biggest clubs were already queuing up to sign him long before his coming out party in North America.

Paris Saint-Germain were thought to be leading a race that also included Arsenal, Chelsea and Real Madrid, but it now seems that Manchester City have pushed themselves ahead of their rivals to sign the 18-year-old midfielder. Bouaddi has reportedly agreed personal terms with City, but Lille's €100m (£85.5m/$114m) asking price is proving a stumbling block for the Premier League outfit.

Another teenager who caught the eye at the Word Cup, Yan Diomande has dominated transfer gossip columns for the best part of six months, with it believed to be a formality that he would depart RB Leipzig after a mightily impressive debut campaign in Germany.

Named the Bundesliga Rookie of the Year, Diomande's thrilling wing play made him a target for pretty much every elite European club, though it was Liverpool and PSG who emerged as his most likely destinations once the window opened. The Reds had an €80m (£68m/$91m) offer rejected by Leipzig for the 19-year-old, and that seemed to open the door for PSG to add Diomande to their wealth of attacking options.

However, the European champions' pursuit of the Ivory Coast international has stalled as they struggle to negotiate a fee with Leipzig, who are holding out for at least €100m (£85.5m/$114m) for Diomande despite paying Leganes a fifth of that amount to sign him only 12 months ago.

Diomande has expressed his belief that he will eventually be sold, but there is more uncertainty surrounding his future now than there was a few weeks ago.

Players who made their mark on the World Cup is becoming a theme of this list, and despite his late goals against Egypt and England in the knockout rounds, Enzo Fernandez will forever be linked with the 2026 tournament thanks to his red card in the final that played a key role in dooming Argentina to defeat.

His dismissal in New Jersey brought the curtain down on a tumultuous campaign for Fernandez, who shone brightly for Chelsea at times, but was also hit with a two-week suspension by the Blues for his open flirtation with Real Madrid at various points through the campaign. Xabi Alonso's appointment as manager may have since changed his thinking, but certainly for much of the past 12 months it has felt like Fernandez wanted out of Stamford Bridge.

Chelsea's business so far this summer suggests they are about to acquiesce to those demands, too, with the arrival of Morgan Rogers and continued interest in other midfielders painting the picture of a club who are planning for life without Fernandez. The one problem for the 25-year-old, however, is that Madrid do not seem keen on following through with their initial interest while Jose Mourinho puts his mark on the Blancos' squad.

Fernandez's future, then, remains as up in the air - just as Pau Cubarsi found himself when he was clattered by the ex-Benfica man during Sunday's final.

Newcastle have already endured yet another chastening transfer window as the disappointment that accompanied the departures of Anthony Gordon and Sandro Tonali was exacerbated by them being gazumped by Aston Villa for Johan Manzambi and Liverpool for Victor Munoz. That they could still lose another key player, then, is a real cause for concern on Tyneside as rumours regarding Bruno Guimaraes' future intensify.

The Magpies' inspirational captain has made it clear that he wants to leave St. James' Park and join Arsenal, who had an initial £55m ($73.6m) offer for Guimaraes rejected in late June. The Gunners remain in negotiations over a deal, though it is believed that Newcastle value the Brazil international at closer to £100m ($134m) given they are no longer under pressure to sell due to the money they have already raised this summer.

What Eddie Howe won't want, however, is a repeat of the Alexander Isak saga, when the wantaway striker refused to train while talks over a move to Liverpool dragged on all the way to deadline day. Expect this, then, to be resolved one way or another before the beginning of the campaign.

If it goes through, this could be the transfer deal of the summer, if not the decade...

Michael Olise's outstanding season for Bayern Munich has understandably caught the eye of Florentino Perez and Real Madrid, and it is being widely reported that the 15-time European champions are willing to make Olise the most expensive player of all time by paying €223m (£190m/$255m) to bring him to the Bernabeu.

Such a deal would surpass what PSG paid to sign Neymar in the summer of 2017 and take Olise, who just over two years ago was playing for Crystal Palace, to a whole new stratosphere in terms of global recognition. Despite the money on offer, convincing Bayern to sell will still take some doing, with 24-year-old Olise regarded in Bavaria as the potential leader of a new era at the Allianz Arena.

Kylian Mbappe was doing his best to convince Olise to join him in the Spanish capital while they were together with France during the World Cup, and there is a growing feeling that the player would be open to joining Madrid. A defining moment in transfer market history might be about to take place...

Back in May, it seemed that Marcus Rashford's future was in little doubt. Having rediscovered something close to his best form during his season-long loan at Barcelona, the consensus feeling was that the Catalans would activate the €30m (£25.6m/$34.3m) purchase clause in the deal they negotiated with Manchester United.

However, less than a fortnight after the campaign had come to an end, Barca spent big on Rashford's England team-mate Anthony Gordon, and it soon became clear that they would not be keeping the 28-year-old on permanently. Rashford has since been away at the World Cup, but United will soon need to make a decision on his future.

Selling Rashford would be in the Red Devils' best interests from a financial perspective, but it is not yet clear what Michael Carrick's opinion is on the matter and whether he wants to reintegrate the one-time homegrown hero into his squad. Rashford, too, is yet to speak on the matter publicly.

If he were to move elsewhere, Tottenham have been the club most heavily linked with Rashford's signature, though it would not be a shock if others begin to show interest shoud it become clear that he continues to have no future at Old Trafford.

The recipient of the World Cup Golden Ball, Rodri was back to his Ballon d'Or-winning best as he led Spain to global glory this summer, putting suggestions that the ACL injury he suffered in 2024 had placed him in permanent decline firmly to bed. That return to form is instead likely to lead to even more transfer reports that focus on the Man City midfielder's future.

Real Madrid have routinely been linked with Rodri over the past 12 months as they aim to finally fix the problems in their midfield that have held them back since Toni Kroos' retirement and Luka Modric's subsequent departure. Perez is said to be a huge fan of Rodri, whom in turn has just one year left to run on his City contract.

Given Madrid's penchant for signing high-profile free agents, there was an expectation that they would make their move for Rodri in 2027. However, after two trophy-less seasons and with Mourinho now at the helm, there is a real chance that they will accelerate their pursuit of the former Atletico Madrid star, even if it means having to empty the Bernabeu coffers.

Rather surprisingly for this stage of the window, there are still a number of high-profile free agents on the market, including John Stones, Leon Goretzka and Dusan Vlahovic. However, the most eye-catching name among those players without a club is undoubtedly Mohamed Salah as he plots his next move following his emotional departure from Liverpool.

Salah enjoyed a memorable World Cup as Egypt reached the last 16 before falling agonisingly short against Argentina, but with the tournament now in the rear-view mirror, he is free to start considering his options. The expectation has long been that Salah would join a Saudi Pro League club, but at 34, he may still feel he can contribute to a top European team, should there be interest.

Bournemouth's ability to roll with the punches when it comes to selling their best players is hugely impressive, but after qualifying for Europe for the first time in their history, it's clear that the Cherries want one transfer window where they are not forced into letting go one of their crown jewels. However, their mettle is being tested this summer given the number of clubs who are keen on signing Alex Scott.

The England Under-21 international emerged as one of the best tempo-setting midfielders in the Premier League last term, and earned call-ups to the senior Three Lions squad as a result. Now, the likes of Chelsea, Manchester United and Arsenal are all pursuing the 22-year-old as they aim to improve their own engine rooms.

Bournemouth are doing all they can to tie Scott down to a new deal, but the sheer weight of interest, might be too much for them to fend off, especially as other midfielders continue to move for astronomical fees, making those without even more desperate.