10 World Cup Stars to Watch in the Transfer Market

The 2026 World Cup was fun, but now it’s time to turn our attention back to club soccer and the whirlwind that is the transfer window.

Many players strutting their stuff this summer will have used the tournament as a shop window—the chance to display their skills on the grandest stage to the biggest audience imagineable—and plenty did an excellent job of raising their price tags.

Here are 10 players whose World Cup performances could inspire big transfers at club level.

Ayyoub Boaddi

Current club: Lille

There is perhaps no better place to start than with Lille midfielder Ayyoub Bouaddi.

Clubs across Europe have been aware of the 18-year-old for a while now and there was a sense that transfer interest would start arriving this summer regardless of his World Cup exploits, which have only served to raise Bouaddi’s price tag towards the $114 million (€100 million, £85 million) mark.

Most of the Premier League’s elite are thought to be trying to negotiate themselves a discount on the Morocco international, with Arsenal and Manchester City often reported to be the leading suitors.

Michael Olise

Current club: Bayern Munich

Chances are you did not need the World Cup to make you aware of Bayern Munich forward Michael Olise, who entered the tournament on the back of a Bundesliga-winning season that yielded 22 goals and 31 assists.

Real Madrid are dreaming of uniting Olise with France teammate Kylian Mbappé, and the strength of their interest will have only risen after a World Cup that saw Olise break Pelé’s record for the most assists in a single tournament with seven.

While Madrid may be even more infatuated with Olise, his World Cup performances will have strengthened Bayern’s desire to keep him. If this transfer goes through, we could easily be looking at a new all-time record.

Orlando Gill

Current club: San Lorenzo

Nobody used the spotlight of the World Cup better than Paraguay goalkeeper Orlando Gill.

Two penalty saves in a victory over Germany was followed by a star showing in a heartbreaking round-of-16 defeat to France, but Gill’s legacy was already secure, stealing the show and earning a place in Sports Illustrated’s World Cup XI. Not bad for a 26-year-old who was playing reserve soccer as recently as December 2024.

Manchester United are the biggest name to have been linked with Gill, but reports have also named Aston Villa, Ipswich Town and Nottingham Forest as admirers in a player whose release clause sits at a reported $7 million (£5.2 million).

Yan Diomande

Current club: RB Leipzig

Yan Diomande has plenty of superstar suitors. The RB Leipzig winger has admirers at Arsenal and Liverpool, but it is Paris Saint-Germain who have secured the player’s preference ahead of a transfer that could cost around $114 million (€100 million, £85 million).

Diomande showed why that price tag is somewhat reasonable with a series of impressive showings for Côte d’Ivoire, catching the eye against Ecuador and holding his own in heavyweight clashes with Germany and France.

Talks between PSG and Leipzig are expected to continue over the coming weeks, with his English admirers waiting for a possible opportunity to turn Diomande’s head.

Djed Spence

Current club: Tottenham Hotspur

Questions were asked about Djed Spence’s place in Thomas Tuchel’s England roster earlier this summer, particularly because the Tottenham Hotspur right back was named ahead of Real Madrid’s Trent Alexander-Arnold. Nobody is doubting that decision now.

While Jude Bellingham stole the headlines and Harry Kane continued to do Harry Kane things, Spence sent his reputation into orbit with a series of stunning showings on both sides of England’s defense. Predictably, the transfer interest has followed, and deservedly so.

Reports suggest Spurs are ready to cash in on the 25-year-old, with links to clubs across Europe becoming increasingly strong. This summer could well be a turning point in Spence’s career.

Aymeric Laporte

Current club: Athletic Club

The World Cup has thrust Aymeric Laporte back into the global spotlight after his decision to swap Manchester City for Saudi Arabia in 2023 appeared to signal the steady decline of his career.

Laporte, who was born in France but chooses to represent Spain, actually returned to Athletic Club in the summer of 2025 to set up a strong run at this year’s World Cup. Considering he played every second of his country’s eventual triumph, you have to say that was a wise decision.

Still only 32 years old, Laporte’s career clearly still has plenty of time left to run. He has been tipped to seal one last blockbuster move to the likes of Barcelona or Real Madrid, although his attachment to Athletic could be tough to break.

Folarin Balogun

Current club: AS Monaco

With three goals and an assist in his first three appearances this summer, Folarin Balogun looked to be having a tournament to remember. He does have a place in World Cup history, but unfortunately for the USMNT striker, it is one he neither wanted nor deserved.

An accidental red card in the round of 32 against Bosnia and Herzegovina began a controversial saga in which President Trump and the White House even appealed privately to FIFA. Soccer’s governing body, despite having confirmed the details of a one-match ban, ultimately suspended the punishment, landing Balogun right at the heart of one of the biggest controversies in World Cup history.

Balogun is no conspiracy theorist, he’s just a goalscorer—and a pretty good one, at that. A summer transfer away from Monaco seems increasingly likely and the 25-year-old will relish the chance to banish this unwanted backstory and get back to scoring goals.

Cristian Romero

Current club: Tottenham Hotspur

The Cristian Romero that plays for Argentina and the Cristian Romero that plays for Tottenham could be different players entirely.

At club level, a repeated lack of discipline is expected to lead to a summer departure for Romero. That reputation would usually be enough to scare off big-name suitors, but those that watched his run to the World Cup final with Argentina will already have forgotten their concerns.

Some of Europe’s biggest clubs have already lined up in the race for Romero’s signature. Spurs may be frustrated by how things have played out, but at least they may be able to demand a little more money.

Andreas Schjelderup

Current club: Benfica

Andreas Schjelderup, who celebrated his 22nd birthday in June, is no stranger to scouts. The Benfica winger has been tipped for greatness for several years now and, after a minor career lull, has really figured himself out over the past 12 months.

Standing out in a Norway side that also boasts undisputed superstars like Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard is an unenviable task, but it is one which Schjelderup relished. Three assists—two against Brazil and one against France—and a gorgeous goal in the quarterfinal defeat to England proved he can hang right at the highest level.

Teams are really taking notice of a player whose contract has just two years left to run. Schjelderup is a player on the rise and the chance to sign him may never be greater than it is this summer.

Vozinha

Current club: Free agent

We end with the feel-good story of the summer. Cabo Verde goalkeeper Vozinha is 40 years old and watched his contract with Portuguese second-tier side Chaves expire four days after keeping his second clean sheet of the World Cup.

A particularly heroic showing in Cabo Verde’s 0–0 draw with eventual champion Spain catapulted Vozinha to viral fame overnight. Following the conclusion of Sunday’s final, his Instagram page sits at over 29 million subscribers.

Links to Inter Miami have surfaced, while Vozinha has plenty of offers from top-tier teams across South America, earning himself one final hurrah in a career that has peaked right in its twilight.

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