MSport DataScout: Nicolas Jackson, Donnarumma, Garnacho, Rodrygo & Stars Who Need a Move Before the Window Closes.

Transfer News 28 August 2025 Hits: 39

There’s only a week left before the 2025 summer transfer window shuts, and for some big names across Europe, the next seven days could define the next five years of their careers. These are not players simply angling for a payday or daydreaming about a “dream club.” These are stars who genuinely need a move, because staying put could mean lost minutes, lost momentum, and in some cases, lost reputations. And with the 2026 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Mexico and Canada less than a year away, the pressure is even sharper.

For players like Rodrygo, Garnacho, and Donnarumma, this season isn’t just about club form; it’s about securing a national team spot on the biggest stage in football. The difference between starting every week or rotting on the bench could be the difference between booking a ticket to the World Cup or watching it on television.

1️⃣Nicolas Jackson (Chelsea) Market Value: €50m🇸🇳

Chelsea’s attack has been reshaped again under Enzo Maresca, and Jackson has fallen to the margins. Despite arriving with big expectations, his return, just 7 Premier League goals in 33 appearances last season, has left the hierarchy unconvinced. Add the arrivals of new forwards like Joao Pedro and Liam Delap, Jackson looks surplus to requirements. His €50m valuation still makes him an attractive option for clubs like Aston Villa or Newcastle, both short on reliable strikers.

2️⃣Gianluigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain) Market Value: €40m🇮🇹

Few goalkeepers in Europe have a Champions League winner’s medal and yet find themselves unwanted. That’s Donnarumma’s strange reality. Despite being pivotal in PSG’s historic continental triumph, Luis Enrique has moved him aside for Lucas Chevalier. The Italy international is only 26, but wasting a year on PSG’s bench in a pre-World Cup season would be a disaster. With just 12 months left on his contract, PSG cannot realistically demand a huge fee, opening the door for interested clubs like Manchester City if Ederson departs. For Donnarumma, a transfer is no longer about choice; it’s about survival at the top level.

3️⃣Alejandro Garnacho (Manchester United) Market Value: €45m🇦🇷

Manchester United’s crisis under Ruben Amorim has claimed many victims, and Garnacho is one of them. Once touted as a future star, he now finds himself unsettled, with even Chelsea monitoring him as a potential reclamation project. At Old Trafford, competition has increased while form has dipped. With just 6 league starts in 2024-25 and only 2 goals to his name, Garnacho cannot afford another wasted season.

4️⃣Rodrygo (Real Madrid) Market Value: €90m 🇧🇷

It’s rare to see a player valued at €90m struggling for minutes, but that’s where Rodrygo is at Real Madrid. Under new boss Xabi Alonso, the Brazilian hasn’t started either of Madrid’s opening league games. Worse, when handed a chance against Real Oviedo, he looked lost, and Vinícius Jr promptly came off the bench to score and assist. With the World Cup on the horizon, being reduced to a rotation option at Madrid could be catastrophic for his Brazil ambitions.

5️⃣Dusan Vlahovic(Juventus) Market Value: €35m 🇷🇸

Vlahovic was supposed to be Juventus’ talisman, but instead he’s stuck in a side that doesn’t create enough chances and a system that doesn’t suit him. At 25, he should be entering his peak, yet his numbers have flatlined; 12 Serie A goals last season is a poor return for a striker of his calibre. With AC Milan and Bayern sniffing around, the Serbian must decide quickly whether to ride out another season in Turin or make the jump to a club that will actually build around him.

6️⃣Adrien Rabiot (Marseille) Market Value: €12m 🇫🇷

Rabiot became persona non grata at Marseille after that dressing-room flashpoint, was suspended and put on the list. Even with De Zerbi hinting there might be a way back, this is still a fragile truce at best. He’s 30, still a high-level runner and progressive passer, but one more stagnant year and he gets leapfrogged in France’s pecking order.

A stable Premier League move (his long-stated dream) or another top-5 landing spot with guaranteed starts keeps him in Didier Deschamps’ sights.

DataScout Verdict 🟡⚫️

All these players sit at different stages of their careers, but the stakes are the same: minutes, relevance, and trajectory. Jackson risks becoming just another Chelsea cast-off; Donnarumma risks losing his prime years to a PSG power play; Garnacho risks fading into United’s mediocrity; and Rodrygo risks stalling at a club where competition is merciless.

Deadline day is coming fast, and for these names, staying put might be far more dangerous than moving.

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