Bellingham, Osimhen, Kolo Muani? Who will be football's next €100m star?

James Shearman

• 30 Mar 2023 14:09 BST
• 5 min read

Ever since Neymar broke new ground in football transfer fees in 2017 when he moved from Barcelona to PSG for a world-record €222 million, the game has been in an era of mega transfer fees.

This continued in the summer of 2022, when Aurelien Tchouameni, Darwin Nunez and Antony all moved for fees that could ultimately hit that magic €100m figure. In January, meanwhile, Chelsea spent big on Enzo Fernandez, who came a little out of the blue thanks to his performances at the World Cup to make a €121m move to Stamford Bridge.

With the anticipation building towards the 2023 summer transfer window, who is the next player that might break the nine-figure barrier?

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia (Napoli)

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has been the breakout talent of European football this season, with the Napoli winger attracting interest from all over Europe following a spectacular start to the campaign.

The Georgia international only arrived at Napoli in the summer from Dinamo Batumi for €11 million, but he has gone on to lead Luciano Spalletti's side to the brink of the Serie A title as well as a deep run in the Champions League.

Such form has made Kvaratskhelia one of the most talked about players in football transfer news, with the 21-year-old already being watched by some of Europe’s biggest clubs.

Chelsea, Real Madrid, Liverpool and Manchester City are among those sides keeping tabs on the attacker, who signed a contract that runs until 2027. Napoli, meanwhile, reportedly want to tie him down to new terms - something he is apparently not adverse to.

Rafael Leao (Milan)

Rafael Leao was named Serie A Player of the Year last season after being Milan’s key man in winning their first Scudetto in 11 years. He scored 11 goals and laid on another 10 as he tore apart defences with his electric pace and dribbling.

The Portuguese winger shares an uncanny resemblance in style of play with Arsenal and France hero Thierry Henry.

With contract talks having apparently stalled, a record club sale seems inevitable at some point, having already been the subject of a €100m-plus bid from Chelsea in 2022.

Harry Kane (Tottenham)

Harry Kane seemed destined to sign for Manchester City in 2021, with speculation building from before the European Championship all the way to the end of the window. The Spurs striker had made it abundantly clear, without saying it explicitly, that he desperately wanted a move elsewhere.

However, the biggest stumbling block in Kane's path was Tottenham chairman Daniel Levy, who has built a reputation as a tough negotiator - or not a negotiator at all. An asking price of close to €200m was set - and was not met.

Pep Guardiola's side have signed Erling Haaland now but Manchester United need a No.9 and Bayern Munich have been linked, too.

Declan Rice (West Ham)

Chelsea's interest in Rice may have cooled slightly, but the England international is still coveted around the Premier League, with Arsenal having emerged as favourites for his signature thanks to their excellent form this season.

Manchester United no longer need a holding midfielder, having signed Casemiro, but the pair could make for an incredible duo in the centre of the park.

West Ham manager David Moyes has said that Rice is worth well over €100m.

Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund)

A star on the rise, Jude Bellingham's stay at Borussia Dortmund could come to an end after three seasons.

The 19-year-old has already caught international boss Gareth Southgate's attention, having become a regular in the England national team, and Premier League clubs have followed suit. This interest only intensified after a blistering World Cup, which now means he will surely move in the summer.

Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool, Real Madrid and Manchester City will all be after the former Birmingham City man, regardless of team needs, as his remarkable ability for a player at such an early stage in his career is simply too much to pass up on.

Victor Osimhen (Napoli)

Another Serie A star who will command a massive fee is Napoli striker Victor Osimhen.

Since arriving from Lille in 2020, Osimhen has established himself as arguably the best No.9 in the league - and one of the best anywhere.

Osimhen himself wants to move to the Premier League, but Napoli president Aurelio De Laurentiis has made it clear he won't sell for anything less than €100m.

Man Utd are closely linked.

Jamal Musiala (Bayern)

At the age of 19, Jamal Musiala has established himself as a key component of the Bayern Munich attack, finding his place amongst established talents like Thomas Muller, Leroy Sane, Serge Gnabry and others.

He has scored 30 times and provided 19 assists in his short Bayern career so far and has had a fine start to the 2022-23 season, earning plaudits from former coach Julian Nagelsmann.

Musiala, though, looks settled where he is and at this point is a long shot to depart.

Randal Kolo Muani (Eintracht Frankfurt)

Another big breakout star of the season, Kolo Muani has impressed both domestically for Eintracht Frankfurt but also on the international scene for France, who he helped to the World Cup final, despite initially missing out on the squad.

Prolific form in the Bundesliga, both in terms of scoring and creating, has seen him become a viable option for Manchester United if they miss out on their other leading targets. They may feel that Frankfurt's asking price of over €100m is too great to pay for a player with relatively little top-level experience, though.