26 June 2026

Transfer prospects linked with Manchester United, Barcelona, and Tottenham Hotspur are among those who will not be distracted by the World Cup this summer.

While many football stars are currently involved in the tournament and still attracting big transfer rumours, their main focus, as they say, remains on their national duties in North America.

However, others have a quiet summer ahead — an ideal time to secure new clubs. Here’s a starting XI of such players.

Tottenham’s goalkeeper has been frequently mentioned in transfer circles after becoming one of the symbols of their poor form last season, partly due to the strong criticism from Gary Neville and Jamie Carragher towards the Italian shot-stopper.

Guglielmo Vicario has reportedly drawn interest from Juventus, though they might find Emiliano Martinez too costly an option. Napoli are also said to be monitoring him but need to offload their current goalkeepers first.

Inter Milan were on the verge of signing a deal with Atalanta for their 21-year-old full-back before Chelsea swooped in and outbid the Nerazzurri completely.

Atalanta, for their part, pocketed a tidy £43 million for a player who had made fewer than ten Serie A appearances for them. However, it was during his loan spell at Cagliari that Palestra caught Chelsea’s attention — and, during that time, earned his Italy debut in the ill-fated World Cup qualifying play-offs, making him an eligible member of this XI.

We might be stretching for central defenders here, but Burkina Faso’s Edmond Tapsoba makes the cut due to his recent links with Chelsea.

Yes, the speculation is rather weak — based mainly on the fact that Tapsoba previously worked well under Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverkusen, leading many to assume he must be on Chelsea’s radar. Still, Leverkusen are keen to extend the 27-year-old’s contract this summer, showing just how valued he is.

Alessandro Bastoni, meanwhile, has endured a tough 2026 both for club and country. After struggling domestically with Inter Milan, he was sent off in Italy’s World Cup qualifying play-off defeat to Bosnia. That prompted former Inter and Italy defender Giuseppe Bergomi to comment, “Now this guy, for his own good, will have to leave Italy.”

Liverpool, Real Madrid, and Barcelona are reportedly interested in giving him an escape route, though Inter are said to have placed a £60 million price tag on the 27-year-old defender.

It has also been a difficult summer for Real Madrid’s Miguel Carreras, who was overlooked by Spain for the World Cup. To compound matters, Real Madrid signed Marc Cucurella to fill his position, seemingly just to ensure they had a representative in Spain’s squad.

Carreras is now left questioning his future, as Jose Mourinho apparently doesn’t rate him highly. Real are open to selling the former Manchester United academy player. While United have been linked with him, no formal approach has been made yet.

Adam Wharton’s omission from England’s World Cup squad — to make way for Jordan Henderson — means the Crystal Palace midfielder can use this time to sort out his future. Despite earlier hype, there isn’t currently a major rush for his signature. Chelsea and Liverpool are both interested, but no decisive offers have been made yet. Palace are believed to want £75 million for him — a figure that seems both steep and oddly plausible.

Considering Newcastle United reportedly rejected £80 million for Sandro Tonali, Wharton’s valuation doesn’t seem far-fetched. Tonali himself missed out on the World Cup because Italy failed to qualify. Nonetheless, that hasn’t stopped the transfer market from buzzing around him, with his agent actively offering him to clubs since January. He could well find himself part of a very competitive Tottenham team next season.

João Fernandes might also be heading to Tottenham if Spurs manage to move ahead of Manchester United in their pursuit of the 21-year-old midfielder. Fernandes was one of the unluckiest players to miss his nation’s World Cup squad, having made his international debut in March and played excellently for West Ham United. Without his performances, the Hammers might have faced relegation much earlier.

Welsh winger Harry Wilson is currently in the final days of his Fulham contract. With Wales having failed to qualify for the tournament, Wilson now has the chance to secure a move to West Yorkshire. Leeds United, who were strongly linked with him last season, appear to have finally signed the 29-year-old — potentially another very smart free transfer.

Injury ruled Jack Grealish out of contention for England’s World Cup squad, though it’s doubtful Thomas Tuchel would have selected him anyway, given his preference for more direct, high-tempo wingers. Still, this gives Grealish a summer to relax and decide his next move — which almost certainly won’t be at Manchester City. A return to Everton on loan seems the most likely outcome.

Finally, Borussia Dortmund striker Serhou Guirassy is perhaps the biggest Bundesliga name not appearing at the World Cup. Guinea’s failure to qualify wasn’t unexpected, but Guirassy’s record — 60 goals in 96 matches since joining Dortmund from Stuttgart — ensures he remains a major transfer target this summer. AC Milan and Juventus are both reportedly interested in the 30-year-old forward.