Where will Ronaldo, Bale, Mbappe, Haaland, Sancho and Hazard end up?

The summer transfer window of 2020 was a rather low-key affair with the impact of COVID-19 on club finances forcing teams to show far more restraint, however with the situation slightly improved for 2021, we can expect to see much more activity this time around.

The futures of a number of key players are set to be on the agenda, not least Cristiano Ronaldo, Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland.

Whilst this particular merry-go-round might be influenced by clubs needing to sell players, it's interesting to look at just what the future holds for a number of these household names.

Cristiano Ronaldo: Juventus (Contract expiry: June 2022)

There was something seminal about Cristiano Ronaldo being left on the bench for Juventus' final league match of the season against Bologna.

The Bianconeri needed a win to give themselves a chance of Champions League qualification, which they achieved, but Andrea Pirlo opted to leave his top goalscorer out.

It felt like a decision that signalled the end for the Portuguese forward in Turin, yet his annual salary of around 60 million euros before taxes is becoming very problematic for Juventus.

Financial problems forced the club to be part of the European Super League plans, and there could well be further fiscal punishments for that venture. As such, Ronaldo's salary is something Juventus can't afford for another season.

Potential destinations for Ronaldo are limited due to this salary. Paris Saint-Germain need a reliable goalscorer and have the funds, but they would be adding another player unable to press to a Mauricio Pochettino squad.

A heart-warming return to Old Trafford isn't impossible, with Manchester United having the funds to pay Ronaldo's salary, but whether he fits into Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's plans is another matter. Furthermore, you have to wonder whether Ronaldo would be interested in returning to a team that has very little chance of winning the Champions League in the next two seasons.

Gareth Bale: Real Madrid (Contract expiry: June 2022)

Real Madrid don't want Gareth Bale or his salary and Tottenham Hotspur probably can't afford him. This makes it difficult to place Bale for the 2021/22 season, especially as he failed to rediscover his best form in a year-long loan spell with Spurs.

Bale wanted to get match-fit for the European Championship, and he has been clear that he would have no problem returning to the Spanish capital and sitting out the final year of his contract.

Given the lack of clubs interested, it's quite easy to see Real Madrid being forced to acquiesce and keep Bale around for a year, especially with money in Chinese football having completely dried up over the past year.

Erling Haaland: Borussia Dortmund (Contract expiry: June 2024)

Erling Haaland is perhaps the most sought-after player in world football at this juncture. His goalscoring return for Borussia Dortmund has been nothing short of sensational, and it's no surprise that both Real Madrid and Barcelona had registered an interest in buying the Norwegian.

At just 20 years old, Haaland is a player that is likely to contribute to a team at the top level for up to a decade, depending on how long he would like to stay, although a move this summer has been made more complicated by Dortmund's Champions League qualification.

The fee mooted for the summer of 2021 has been put at over 100 million euros, although rumours of a 75-million-euro release clause coming active in the summer of 2022 is putting clubs off this year.

Manchester United extending Edinson Cavani's stay at Old Trafford by an additional year showed that they are unlikely to investigate bringing Haaland to the club a year ahead of schedule, although Chelsea are the club best placed to try and test Dortmund's resolve, with the Blues considered to be a reliable goalscorer away from having a truly brilliant team.

Kylian Mbappe: PSG (Contract expiry: June 2022)

Mbappe's choice to not yet sign a contract extension with Paris Saint-Germain is telling. The French prodigy is keeping his options open, with Real Madrid the club most interest in signing Mbappe.

However, PSG aren't under financial pressure to sell him early this summer due to their state-ownership, whilst Los Blancos' own financial troubles have made it unlikely they will pursue any major deals in the summer.

Liverpool would love to sign Mbappe this summer, but his salary would be incredibly problematic for the Anfield club.

Mbappe will have his pick of clubs in the summer of 2022, and it seems likely he will have to wait until then to leave. In the meantime, he has another crack at winning the Champions League with the Parisian club.

Jadon Sancho: Borussia Dortmund (Contract expiry: June 2023)

Perhaps the player on this list most likely to move this summer is Jadon Sancho, with Borussia Dortmund openly accepting his fee is lower than last summer, and there remain a number of clubs interested.

Liverpool and Manchester United are the teams that most need a player like him from a tactical standpoint, and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has had the England international at the top of his recruitment list for the best part of 18 months.

With that being said, you can never predict the transfer strategy of Ed Woodward at Manchester United, and it's equally likely they will to hand their coach his primary target for the second season running.

Liverpool would need to sell one of Sadio Mane or Mohamed Salah to accommodate and afford Sancho, but he would give them a solution on the right-hand-side for a long period.

Costing under 90 million euros is a fairly acceptable fee for a player of Sancho's quality, and you also can't rule Chelsea out of the running, given the player's connections to London.

Eden Hazard: Real Madrid (Contract expiry: June 2024)

Hazard's transfer to Real Madrid should be a cautionary tale for all moving forward. The Belgian was a player who had spent the best years of his career getting kicked and taking repeated blows to his ankles.

Those knocks have caught up with him due to his age, and Real Madrid have essentially spent 100 million euros on a player they have yet to see the best of in two years, and it seems improbable that they ever will.

Now, whilst Real Madrid will listen to offers for any player aside from Thibaut Courtois and Karim Benzema this summer, it's difficult to imagine anyone taking a look at Hazard's fitness record and deeming him worth the risk.

Instead, Los Blancos and whichever coach is in charge next season will have the difficult task of carefully managing the Belgian and looking to boost his confidence. A transfer is virtually impossible.