Bellingham, Osimhen, Musiala... who will be football's next €100m star?
James Shearman
- Updated: 3 Nov 2022 12:06 CDT
- 5 min read
The 2022 summer transfer window continued the era of mega transfer fees, which began in 2017 with Neymar's spectacular €222 million move to PSG.
There were two transfers worth €100 million this summer - and with plenty of emerging stars, there exists the very real possibility that there will be many more next year.
The completed deals that hit the headlines this summer, meanwhile, were Darwin Nunez's switch to Liverpool from Benfica and Aurelien Tchouameni's move to Real Madrid from Monaco.
Who are the next players who could break the €100 million barrier?
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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 score eight goals and created 10 in just 17 appearances.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia: Football's next €100m man? pic.twitter.com/at1tcumrSW
— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) November 3, 2022
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.
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.
He is currently in contract talks with Milan but a record club sale seems inevitable at some point, having already been the subject of a €100m-plus bid from Chelsea.
Harry Kane (Tottenham)
Harry Kane seemed destined to sign for Manchester City last summer, 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, and Champions League qualification means that Antonio Conte's future at Spurs is apparently secure. Kane now appears to be far likelier to sign a new deal than depart, but you never know.
Declan Rice (West Ham)
One of Frank Lampard's main targets in his time as Chelsea boss, it was thought that interest in Declan Rice would have cooled with the arrival of Thomas Tuchel, and now Graham Potter.
But N'Golo Kante and Jorginho are both aging, and out of contract at the end of the season, it's one to keep an eye on in 2023.
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.
Chelsea, Manchester United, Liverpool 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.
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.
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 25 times and provided 14 assists in his short Bayern career so far and has had a fine start to the 2022-23 season, earning plaudits from Julian Nagelsmann.
Musiala is likely to be in Germany’s squad heading out to the World Cup in Qatar, where he can show his quality on the grandest stage in football, which will only raise his profile in the sport even further.
