© EuroFootball.com
Although the battle for the champions title in European stadiums has not yet ended, the player market has already started in the corridors of the strongest leagues on the continent. More than one of the brightest football stars are preparing to leave their teams this summer.
Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney, Arjen Robben, Edinson Cavani, Fernando Torres, Radamel Falcao, Frank Lampard, Gonzalo Higuain, Jose Mourinho, Roberto Mancini.
Although they all still have valid contracts with their current clubs, this summer more than one can already put on the jersey of a new team.
Where will the stars of the strongest European football leagues start the next season?
A look at the intensifying player and coach market in the corridors of the continent's stadiums by Lrytas.lt.
Cristiano Ronaldo.
28 years old. Madrid "Real". Contract: until 2015.
"Our main goal in the player market this June is to extend the contract with C. Ronaldo," one of the "Real" officials did not hide in a private conversation.
These words best summarize the Madrid club's attitude towards its brightest star.
Although C. Ronaldo's current contract is valid until the end of 2015, "Real" is already prepared to offer the Portuguese a yearly salary of 15 million euros (instead of the current 10 million euros).
But does C. Ronaldo only want more money? The Portuguese's attitude this season raises many doubts and questions about his intentions to stay in Madrid.
Back in August 2012, he publicly expressed his "sadness," and during a private conversation with "Real" president Florentino Perez, he admitted wanting to leave the club.
It seemed that after that, the Madrid club officials were able to resolve the first crisis in their relationship.
A smile returned to the face of the Portuguese when he was greeted with applause by the "Santiago Bernabeu" stands at every match. CR7 had been waiting for this since his first day in Madrid in 2009.
But in March 2013, by accepting the "Marca" award for the best player in the Spanish league, C. Ronaldo again raised a mystery by evading the question of whether he felt good in Madrid.
Since that moment, the Real Madrid fans have felt a sense of unease again, and it will not dissipate until the Portuguese's contract is extended.
The shadows of "Paris Saint Germain" and "Manchester United" are increasingly hovering over Madrid.
C. Ronaldo publicly admitted that he really likes the Sheikh's project in Paris, and this year, when he returned to Manchester for the first time during the Champions League quarterfinals, the Portuguese...
Wayne Rooney.
27 years old. "Manchester United". Contract until 2015.
He cannot choose when to leave Alex Ferguson's team. Unless you have the last name C. Ronaldo, and have reached a gentlemanly agreement with the "Manchester United" coach.
Paul Ince, Jaap Stam, and even David Beckham could best testify to how Sir Alex unceremoniously kicked them out of the team.
Will W. Rooney face the same fate?
When in January 2012 "The Independent" first reported that the club was ready to say goodbye to their talisman, everyone laughed. But James Lawton, who knows the "Red Devils" corridors well, then claimed that the coach would never let W. Rooney go, when he publicly stated in October 2010 that "Manchester United" lacked sporting ambitions.
Although soon the club signed a new five-year contract with the striker, this winter, it seems, it is time for A. Ferguson's revenge.
When W. Rooney missed the team twice, the coach explained that the striker had not yet recovered from an injury, although he had played 90 minutes in the England national team match against Macedonia before that and even scored a goal.
W. Rooney appeared on the "Old Trafford" pitch for just 17 minutes during the Champions League match against "Real" - the most important "Manchester United" match this season.
David Beckham was also pushed to leave when he ended up at Real Madrid in 2003.
W. Rooney also lost his untouchable status, although his statistics this season (0.53 goals per match) are among the best in the nine years spent in Manchester.
What will the forward turned midfielder choose? "Paris Saint Germain" president Nasser-al-Khelaifi has already announced that he is waiting with open arms for the Englishman.
But "Bayern" president Franz Beckenbauer is ready to do the same in Munich, and the Germans' idol W. Rooney may even be more acceptable.
Arjen Robben.
29 years old. Munich "Bayern". Contract until 2015.
Although the Dutchman's contract with the new German champions is valid until June 2015, he should already leave Bavaria this summer.
His teammates have publicly criticized his selfish behavior many times, and since the beginning of 2013, A. Robben has already lost his place in the "Bayern" starting lineup.
Robben's style of play certainly does not match Pep Guardiola's football philosophy, as for the future "Bayern" coach, the most important thing on the field is team spirit and player solidarity.
The Munich club officials are definitely not going to oppose the frequently injured forward leaving as soon as this summer.
The pragmatic Germans have already set an irresistible ransom price for A. Robben - 15 million euros, so there will certainly be buyers for the Dutchman.
Although the "Bayern" forward has been linked to Inter Milan and Tottenham Hotspur in the past, he should move to Turkey.
Galatasaray has already promised mountains of gold to the Dutchman, and this winter, his close friend Wesley Sneijder even intentionally put on the jersey of this club.
If A. Robben does not change his mind, he should experience the championship of the fifth country after his career in Groningen and PSV in the Netherlands, Chelsea in England, Real Madrid in Spain.
Radamel Falcao.
27 years old. Madrid "Atletico". Contract until 2016.
Atletico has already accepted that the Colombian striker will leave. The fans' favorite this season has become Brazilian Diego Costa, who has been designated as his successor.
It is a miracle that R. Falcao, who has been called the best striker in the world in recent seasons, has stayed in the second Atletico Madrid team for so long. The southern quarters of the Spanish capital club could never boast of their wealth, so the Atletico executives were forced to sell their brightest star.
However, not to anyone. Although Real Madrid showed serious interest in R. Falcao, and the player himself did not hide his desire to move to another Madrid club, Atletico executives were categorical. They once again vetoed such a deal - as they did two years ago when Sergio Aguero flirted with Real but had to leave for Manchester City.
R. Falcao seems to have to follow in the footsteps of the former Atletico Argentine.
After this season, the Colombian player is expected to go to England, where "Chelsea" currently has the best chance of capturing the most coveted striker.
Even if the London club fails to negotiate with the Atletico club, nobody doubts that F. Falcao will be one of the most expensive players in this summer market.
Edinson Cavani.
26 years old. "Napoli". Contract until 2016.
The Uruguayan striker already dreams of Madrid, and "Real" dreams of him.
"Now there is a 50 percent chance that my son will end up at Real Madrid," E. Cavani's father did not hide last week.
Although E. Cavani's contract with "Napoli" is valid until 2016, there are almost no doubts that he will leave Southern Italy.
"If the player decides to leave, the contract will not hold him back," said Napoli president Aurelio de Laurentiis. "If it were up to me, I would keep Edinson until my last breath, but now everything depends only on him."
Although there is a solid ransom of 63 million euros specified in the Uruguayan's contract with Napoli, this amount cannot scare off either Real Madrid, Chelsea, or Manchester City, all of whom are also luring the striker.
E. Cavani increasingly doubts Napoli's sporting ambitions, but he most wants to leave Italy for personal reasons.
When armed Neapolitan mafia gangsters attacked and robbed his wife, and the local tabloid press described his extramarital love affairs with other women, the footballer did not hide his disappointment.
Although the criminal "Camorra" clan later apologized and even returned to the Uruguayan the 18,000 euro watch ripped from his wife's arm, the player's honey months with Napoli seems to have already ended.
Fernando Torres.
29 years old. London "Chelsea". Contract until 2017.
The Spanish national team striker has not found happiness in London.
After a long break, El Nino (F. Torres' nickname - Ed.) regained his place in Chelsea's starting lineup this season and even scored two goals in the first leg of the Europa League quarterfinals against Kazan's Rubin. But all his efforts seemed to be in vain.
Although at first Rafa Benitez, who became the team's coach, trusted his compatriot, the Spaniard ultimately lost the competition with Demba Ba.
The forward from Senegal moved to Chelsea only in 2013, but now he is starting all the most important matches, such as the English Cup quarterfinal against Manchester United (1-0).
Chelsea is already looking for a new forward in the player market, so F. Torres' days in London are numbered.
The Spaniard's contract is valid until June 2017, so he could become just the ideal bargaining chip as Chelsea negotiates with Atletico for R. Falcao.
This deal suits everyone's interests, so F. Torres should return to Madrid this summer. By the way, there are more and more rumors in London that such an agreement has already been signed.
