Ranking Big Transfer Stories Ahead of January

Hello Rank Squad! There's a few big managerial vacancies opening up this summer - Barcelona and Liverpool in particular - and there's also signs that there could be openings at Bayern Munich, AC Milan, Borussia Dortmund, Napoli, Juventus and more. So we decided to take a look at five managers who have had impressive campaigns, and who might be on the wishlists of a few of Europe's giants - Sebastian Hoeneß at VfB Stuttgart, Thiago Motta at Bologna, Michel at Girona, Ruben Amorim at Sporting CP, and Xabi Alonso at Bayer Leverksen - to see how they've become so in-demand, and which potential destinations are suitable for what they're trying to do. Before that, there's Things We Love, where Dean discusses this weekend's game between Bayer Leverkusen and Bayern Munich, whilst Jack waxes lyrical about the joy of AFCON 2023 and the narrative arc of Côte D'Ivoire's Zombie Elephants campaign, where they came back from the brink to be crowned Champions of Africa. And in Guru Wisdom, Dean ruminates on a tweet he saw recently which has been stuck in his brain, examining the potential for a TV series that puts an internet theory to the test. It's Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

14 Helmi 202459min

Hello Rank Squad! The January window has been and gone, and it's time to turn our attention to the return of continental European football - with the Champions League returning next week. We break down our rankings of every team in the competition and their chances of lifting that famous trophy in May, starting with outsiders Copenhagen and working our way through to the big hitters - holders Manchester City, record winners Real Madrid, beaten 2023 finalists Inter, and German powerhouses Bayern Munich, as well as discussing the best of the rest - PSG, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid, PSV, Barcelona, Dortmund, Napoli, Porto, Real Sociedad, RB Leipzig, Porto and Lazio. Jack also gives you a little nudge in the direction as to which games are the ones you shouldn't be missing, whilst before we dig into the UCL, we have a discussion about the announcement of 2026 World Cup venues and the utter madness that is going to unfold over the summer across the USA, Mexico and Canada. And finally, Dean gives us a little update on his temporary solo parenting situation; and Guru Wisdom revolves around the lessons he's learned over the past few days. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

7 Helmi 20241h 4min

Hello Rank Squad!The January transfer window has SLAMMED SHUT, so we thought it was an opportune time to take a look back through the deals that went down, even in a quiet window; and pick out our favourite ones. Dean picks three deals from the Premier League - Gio Reyna to Nottingham Forest, Timo Werner to Tottenham Hotspur, and Claudio Echeverri to Manchester City ; whilst Jack heads to the continent to discuss Borja Iglesias to Bayer Leverkusen, Yerson Mosquera to Villarreal, and Arthur Vermeeren to Atletico Madrid. It's Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

2 Helmi 202436min

Hello Rank Squad!This transfer window has been a funny one across the board in many ways - we've seen the Premier League's financial dominance of the market fall by the wayside, and a quieter one all round take place across Europe. So, in regards to that, we've decided to eschew our usual Deadline Day preview episode in favour of something looking a bit further forward - to working out who could be the next player to break the nine-figure-mark in terms of a transfer fee. For our main ranking this week, we discuss the effect that Kylian Mbappé moving for free could have on the market, as well as putting forward cases for Marcus Rashford, Rafael Leão, Mohamed Salah, Ivan Toney, Victor Osimhen, Florian Wirtz and Jamal Musiala. We haven't forgotten about Deadline Day entirely though - Part One is a discussion of why this January market has been such a quiet one, and what it means for the complexities of the transfer market looking forwards, as well as discussing a few of the deals that could happen over the coming days. And Part Three's Guru Wisdom allows us to take a deeper insight as to what the phone activity of a Transfer Guru looks like in the final week of a transfer window - as Dean reveals the numbers and statistics that Apple have kindly revealed to him, and what they might mean. It's Ranks!  And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

31 Tammi 20241h 2min

Hello Rank Squad!The whole gang's back together as Dean and Jack are joined by our Rank God  Sam Tighe, who, we're delighted to say, has just become a father for the first time. Today we're talking about various things you need to watch out for on the week leading up to Deadline Day. Dean starts us off with three big names who could yet sneak their way into a move: Karim Benzema, Aaron Ramsdale, and Kieran Trippier; and also looks at three realistic movers who should be on their way this week: Armando Broja, Antonio Nusa, and Jhon Duran. We take a bit of a detour away from Things We Love to discuss a couple of the wilder transfer stories that have erupted over the past week or so - firstly the apparent swap offer between Inter and Manchester United for a deal that would involve Denzel Dumfries and Aaron Wan-Bissaka switching clubs; and also Ben Godfrey's seemingly very easy decision between Sheffield United, Leeds United, and... AC Milan. Then finally, Sam talks us through three things he wishes that he'd known before becoming a father, whilst Dean dishes out three pieces of advice he'd offer to any new parent as well. It's Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

24 Tammi 20241h 1min

Hello Rank Squad,It's time for a little twist on a Ranks FC classic in today's podcast - we're taking a look at six players who desperately need a move for the sake of their careers, for varying reasons and in different situations. Dean picks three players from the Premier League - Arsenal's Aaron Ramsdale, Everton's Ben Godfrey, and Manchester United's Anthony Martial; whilst Jack takes on three from across the rest of the world - Inter's Stefano Sensi, Borussia Dortmund's Gio Reyna, and Al-Ittihad's Jota. We discuss their situations at their current clubs, the reasons they need a move for the sake of their careers, and suggest some options which would be smart moves to make. Things We Love sees a discussion of Jose Mourinho's time at Roma, what the future holds for him, and his replacement in the form of Daniele de Rossi - including some speculation on what would be an emotional move for Mourinho to Newcastle United, and thoughts on why Roma might have made a mistake with this one. And there's a quiz from Dean in today's Guru Wisdom, allowing everyone, including Jack, to get to know the Transfer Guru a little better. It's Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

17 Tammi 202459min

Hello Rank Squad!We're back with a new series that will run throughout January, ranking the five hottest transfer rumours that have been floating around this week, and examining them in some forensic detail. In this first episode we take a look at rumours surrounding Borja Mayoral to Arsenal, Conor Gallagher to Tottenham, Evan Ferguson to Chelsea, Michael Olise to Manchester United, and Jordan Henderson to...well, anywhere in Europe that will have him basically. We discuss their likelihood of happening, why they're interesting right now, and the background surrounding the links, hoping to fill you in on the discussions behind the scenes to give you those pearls of insight. It's Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

11 Tammi 202436min

Hello Rank Squad!It's the biggest story of the January transfer window, so we thought it deserved its own episode - Kylian Mbappé and what the future holds for potentially the best player in the world right now. In this podcast, our own Transfer Guru Dean Jones examines five potential places where Mbappé could be plying his trade next season. We examine the romantic ideal of AC Milan, the idea of remaining at PSG, the possibilities in the Premier League, a shock flip-the-script to Barcelona, and the most likely ending to this - a reveal to millions at the Bernabeu as he joins Real Madrid. There's also a little tribute to Franz Beckenbauer, and Things We Love where Dean discusses Jadon Sancho's move to Borussia Dortmund, and Jack talks about his experiences watching the Derby da Invicta between Boavista and Porto at the Estadio Bessa at the weekend. And in Guru Wisdom, we learn about the things in fashion right now that Dean just can't get his head around.It's Ranks! And remember, if you’d like more from the Rank Squad, including extra podcasts every Monday and Friday (including our weekly Postbox taking a look at the whole weekend of football) and access to our brilliant Discord community, then why not join us here on Patreon? Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

10 Tammi 202458min