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Rice, Caicedo, Gundogan: Why midfielders are set to dominate summer transfer window

Rice, Caicedo, Gundogan: Why midfielders are set to dominate summer transfer window

If the indefatigable Erling Haaland shot them into contention, it was Manchester City’s supreme — and supremely enviable — midfield that saw them overtake Arsenal to win the Premier League.

By design, midfielders find themselves at the centre of everything ­— and this summer half a dozen of the world’s best find themselves at the centre of transfer activity and the forefront of top clubs’ plans to rebuild before it all starts up again in August.

Real Madrid will lose veterans Luka Modric and Toni Kroos either this summer or next, with both soon out of contract, and the presence of three tremendous young stars in Aurélien Tchouaméni, Eduardo Camavinga and Fede Valverde makes Real the subject of envy across Europe already.

Yet Los Blancos still made Jude Bellingham their transfer priority this summer, agreeing terms with Borussia Dortmund that could see them part with as much as £115million for the outstanding English teenager. Even with their burgeoning trio, the Spanish giants were looking to strengthen in midfield.

It is true that one or two strikers are also stealing a fair few headlines this summer too. Real have reportedly made Harry Kane their next transfer priority to replace the outgoing Karim Benzema, as have Manchester United, but Kane and Napoli’s Victor Osimhen are exceptions. It is in midfield that the leading European clubs are looking in order to begin new projects or refresh old ones.

Arsenal, aware their lacking midfield depth contributed to their title collapse, are believed to have started negotiations with West Ham over the possible signing of Declan Rice on the same day the Hammers captain awoke next to the Europa Conference League trophy after the Irons’ triumph in Prague the night before.

They also like Ilkay Gundogan, and why wouldn’t they? He is out of contract this summer, comes alive for City at the time in a season when winners rise and other contenders fall, and appears keen to explore new options. Barcelona also want Gundogan, with a Saudi club courting the German from afar.

Whether or not they retain Gundogan, City look set to bring in Mateo Kovacic from Chelsea, who are themselves focusing primarily on midfield acquisitions having lost out to Paris Saint-Germain in the race for Sporting’s Manuel Ugarte and with N’Golo Kante poised to leave Stamford Bridge to join Benzema for mega money at Al-Ittihad.

The sheer size of the two January bids Arsenal lodged in an attempt to prise Moises Caicedo away from Brighton dominated transfer talk at the time. Now though, just five months on, Brighton have valued the Ecuadorian 21-year-old at an eye-watering £80m. If a bidding war ensues, he could go for even more.

Gundogan and Caicedo are the subject of much interest this summer (REUTERS)
Gundogan and Caicedo are the subject of much interest this summer (REUTERS)

And while long-term Spurs target James Ward-Prowse is chased by West Ham and Wolves following Southampton’s relegation, his England team-mate James Maddison is also the subject of acute interest. Ange Postecoglou this summer embarks on a new project at Spurs, with or without Kane, and if they could sign Maddison they would belatedly have their first elite midfield playmaker since Christian Eriksen.

Spurs face competition for Maddison from Newcastle, whose riches have grown immeasurably since their 2021 takeover by the Saudi Public Investment Fund. Maddison is almost certain to leave relegated Leicester. Like for so many of these highly sought-after midfielders, the question is: where will he eventually end up?

Across the continent, this appears to be the summer of the midfield rebuild, and it is only just beginning.