With only a month and a half until the window closes, the annual transfer merry-go-round looks set to move into overdrive for the continent's biggest clubs in the coming weeks
As the heavyweights of European football await the the start of the 2011-12 season, it would appear strange that with a ball yet to be kicked, it is the idea of unfinished business that dominates the game's discourse.
With the summer transfer window reaching it's seminal point, as unsettled players look to jostle out of clubs reluctant to sell, it is an unusual but somewhat inevitable fate that their futures are guided by the activity of others, with coaches and owners keen to ensure that they aren't left with gaps in their respective squads come September. To sell a star without a replacement lined up is a risky tactic in the current market.
The stalemate that typically ensues has become prominent once again over recent weeks and Goal.com have taken a look at six players whose futures are still up in the air and explore how their moves could be helped, or hindered by the transfer deals going on around them.
Like the first domino waiting to fall, Carlos Tevez could prove to have a huge impact on the transfer market without even moving on himself. The Manchester City man has been vocal in his desire to leave Eastlands and the UK for months, citing family reasons for doing so but having seen a move to Corinthians fall through earlier in the week, Carlito's options for escape are shrinking by the day.
However, with agent Kia Joorabchian working behind the scenes to maneuver a deal, it is unlikely that the 27-year-old won't be offered a new club to call home before the end of the window. Real Madrid have been touted as potential suitors, though Jose Mourinho is thought to prefer either Emmanuel Adebayor or Neymar. Another option is Inter, who would certainly be in the market for a marquee signing if Wesley Sneijder was to move to Old Trafford, though with that anything but a done deal, Tevez may have to wait to see what happens elsewhere before he can plot his exit route.
SERGIO AGUERO | Atletico Madrid, Forward, 23
Despite now being a superstar in his own right, Sergio Aguero's future may rest heavily on his Argentina teammate Tevez. The 23-year-old announced he wanted to leave the Vicente Calderon as soon as the La Liga season finished and with Real Madrid waiting in the wings to snap-up its local rivals' prized asset, a move to the Bernabeu looked likely.
However, with Manchester City now earmarking possible replacements for Tevez, Aguero could find himself becoming the main man at Eastlands. Roberto Mancini has admitted that a deal for the former Independiente forward is dependent on the future of the current City man but with the Corinthians deal having collapsed, El Kun may be forced to evaluate his options once again.
SAMIR NASRI | Arsenal, Midfielder, 24
Having spent the last three years alongside Cesc Fabregas in Arsenal's midfield, Samir Nasri has followed his captain's lead by posturing himself for a move away from the Emirates this summer. After refusing to sign a contract with Arsene Wenger's side and with his current deal set to expire this time next year, the 24-year-old, like so many Gunners fans, is disillusioned with life at a club where the trophy cabinet has remained ominously bare since 2005.
The France international has a number of suitors whose ambitions match his own. Chelsea may well be targeting Luka Modric as a priority but would see Nasri as a cheaper, more attainable alternative if Tottenham chief Daniel Levy refuses to negotiate over the Croatian. Manchester United has also opted to chase the signature of another midfielder, namely Wesley Sneijder, over the Arsenal man but the Red Devils' interest in the Gunners star would almost certainly be reignited if the Dutchman was to stay in Milan. However, if Fabregas is to return Camp Nou, the former Marseille starlet may well be forced to stay put by Wenger, with the French boss having already insisted that he is willing to lose the diminutive midfielder for free in 12 months time.
LUKA MODRIC | Tottenham, Midfielder, 25
When it became clear that Tottenham weren't going to repeat its Champions League exploits of 2010-11 next season, fears of a White Hart Lane exodus were prevalent in north London. Gareth Bale, the club's most valuable asset in a commercial sense, looks likely to remain at Spurs for at least another season but for Luka Modric, the metronome in Harry Redknapp's midfield, the promise of pastures new has proven too tempting.
Chelsea is the undoubted favorites to sign the majestic 25-year-old and Manchester United's pursuit of Wesley Sneijder would suggest that the Blues are currently running a one-horse race for his signature. If the Inter man was to remain at his current club then United may well pursue the Spurs midfielder but it is the resolve of Daniel Levy, who has already turned down a €30 million bid and noted interest from elsewhere, that looks likely to prove the ultimate stumbling block in Modric's passage to Stamford Bridge.
CESC FABREGAS | Arsenal, Midfielder, 24
The long-distance love story between Fabregas and Barcelona has become laced with such tedium that Arsenal fans would be forgiven for wanting the seemingly inevitable deal to be done as soon as possible. It has dragged on long enough. The position of the La Masia graduate has been clear for a number of seasons, with a return to his boyhood club at the top of his agenda and the Catalans are more than willing to welcome him back. The issue of whether they need him or not has become sidelined, as has, it would appear, Arsenal's desire to keep hold of their captain.
The European champions may be intent on bringing back the midfielder who they see as 'theirs' but the Gunners aren't going to make it easy for a club whose so-called disrespect has angered many at the Emirates. The north Londoners reportedly want at least €45m for the 24-year-old but this asking price could be raised further if Samir Nasri was to leave the club for a Premier League rival. For Arsene Wenger to lose two of his strongest players may not be out of the question but it is more than likely that one will be kept if the other were to leave. The Spain international will be hoping that he gets out first.
WESLEY SNEIJDER | Inter, Midfielder, 27
At 27, any transfer for Wesley Sneijder this summer is likely to be the last huge move of his career and his tentative steps out of San Siro are as understandable as they are logical. The occasional speculative quote to the press has been the Dutchman's go-to tactic in recent weeks, refusing to rule out a move to Manchester United without severing ties with Inter.
With the web of the transfer window becoming ever more tangled, a move to United could have significant after-effects across the continent. The Red Devils signing the Dutchman would make the likes of Samir Nasri and Luka Modric far more approachable targets without the potential pull of playing for the Premier League champions whetting their appetite in the background. A deal would also line the already deep pockets of Inter, who would be keen to appease the Giuseppe Meazza faithful by replacing one superstar with another. The name Carlos Tevez springs instantly to mind.
