FIFA has officially kicked off the signing period for the Club World Cup. From June 1st to 10th, a special transfer window has been opened for clubs to bolster their squads ahead of a tournament destined to make history. Ten days of sheer madness to face the first-ever 32-team edition with renewed confidence.
Real Madrid were the quickest off the mark. They’ve secured the signings of Dean Huijsen and Trent Alexander-Arnold for hefty fees. The centre-back joins from Bournemouth for $65.95 million USD, while the English full-back paid $11.37 million USD. in compensation to Liverpool to secure an immediate move. And those aren’t the only names being discussed at the Bernabéu. Xabi Alonso’s side is also eyeing Nico Paz (Como), Álvaro Carreras (Benfica), and Angelo Stiller (Stuttgart).
Los Blancos aren’t alone in shaking up the market. After a disappointing season, Guardiola’s Manchester City are under pressure to respond; their president is already anticipating more arrivals. While Reis, Marmoush, and Khusanov came in during the winter window, the summer reinforcements could be even more impactful. Rayan Cherki (Lyon), Tijjani Reijnders (Milan), and Rayan Aït-Nouri (Wolves) are all set to don the Citizens’ shirt this June.
Morgan Gibbs-White (Nottingham Forest) is also rumoured to join the squad heading to the U.S. And let’s not forget—City’s biggest boost could be the full recovery of current Ballon d’Or winner Rodrigo. However, they will have to cope without Kevin De Bruyne and must decide on the future of Kyle Walker, who returns from Milan.
Bayern Munich made their first move a few days ago, signing Jonathan Tah from Bayer Leverkusen. They’ve also confirmed that Adam Aznou will rejoin the squad after his loan at Valladolid. But Bryan Zaragoza’s return remains uncertain. Following Wirtz’s refusal, Bayern are looking elsewhere, but negotiations during this brief window are proving tricky.
PSG, newly crowned Champions League winners and title favourites, are keeping things quiet on the transfer front. The only anticipated change is Marco Asensio’s return from his loan spell at Aston Villa. The Spaniard has already said goodbye to Villa fans on social media. There’s also interest in Franco Mastantuono, but he’s expected to stay with River Plate for the World Cup, making a move unlikely.
Chelsea, fresh off their Conference League triumph, are ready to capitalize. Maresca’s side is a ticking time bomb of potential. First, they need to sort out their loan players: João Félix (Milan) and Axel Disasi (Aston Villa) could reinforce their Club World Cup push. The returns of Chukwuemeka (Dortmund) and Renato Veiga (Juventus) are more complicated, with their current clubs negotiating terms with the Blues. Similarly, Juventus is working with PSG over Kolo Muani.
Beyond loans, Chelsea are speeding up other targets. The Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United) option is gaining momentum. Hugo Ekitiké (Eintracht Frankfurt) is also highly rated at Stamford Bridge. But the closest deal so far is Liam Delap—the Ipswich Town striker is all but confirmed.
Atlético Madrid are in wait-and-see mode. Their priority is keeping Clément Lenglet beyond the group stage (the round of 16 is scheduled for June 28 and 29). They also have ongoing talks for Johnny Cardoso (Betis), Álex Baena (Villarreal), Nick Woltemade (Stuttgart), Leo Román (Mallorca), and Federico Chiesa (Liverpool).
Across Europe, the market is heating up fast. Inter Milan are close to securing Luis Henrique from Marseille, while Porto are going all out to land Gabri Veiga from Al Ahli.
Cristiano Ronaldo: The Great Unknown
Whether Cristiano Ronaldo will feature in the Club World Cup remains the big question. His current team, Al Nassr, hasn’t qualified—raising the possibility of a loan move. From Brazil to the U.S. to Africa, everyone wants CR7, but pulling off a deal won’t be easy financially.
One club that could make a serious push is Al Hilal. While a tough move for Al Nassr to justify, Saudi-backed negotiations mean nothing is off the table. Al Hilal are eager to act, especially regarding their coaching position. They’ve approached Zinedine Zidane and are aggressively pursuing Simone Inzaghi. But that’s not all—they’re also interested in Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United), André Onana (Aston Villa), and Victor Osimhen (Napoli).
The transfer market is on the verge of exploding. It’s a frantic race against the clock to finalise deals before the window closes on June 10th—each move potentially vital in the quest for Club World Cup glory.