Christian Eriksen, Gareth Bale, Paul Pogba: the 16 summer transfers to watch out for

The action may have finished on the pitch, but it's set to heat up off it

Christian Eriksen (Tottenham Hotspur). It came as quite a shock when Eriksen announced: “I feel that I am in a place in my career, where I might want to try something new”. But coming after Tottenham's Champions League final defeat to Liverpool and given he has a year left on his contract and is at his peak, it's understandable that he may seek a move. Real Madrid has been the most heavily speculated move. A great player who deserves the highest stage. Reuters

Danny Rose (Tottenham). Rose says he doesn't know whether he will be at Tottenham next season. "I'll be just sitting tight over the next few weeks and just seeing what happens," the left-back said. "Either way, I'm prepared for whatever happens." AFP

Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United). The striker hasn't done much wrong in his two seasons at Manchester United, scoring 42 goals in all competitions. But he is seen as a big part of the club's underachievement, and manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has preferred Marcus Rashford as his number one striker. Regularly linked with Inter Milan. Getty Images

Gareth Bale (Real Madrid). Bale is unwanted and seemingly unloved at Real Madrid these days. How can that be when he's such a talented player? His massive wages are a stumbling block and there's very few top clubs that have room for him - both financially and in their team. Could he end up in China, or will a loan deal to Manchester United materialise if they can move Alexis Sanchez on? Should be an interesting one to follow. Getty Images

Wilfried Zaha (Crystal Palace): Tried and failed during his time at the top at Manchester United but has rebuilt his career at Crystal Palace. Now 26 and another fine season suggests he's ready for Champions League action. Asking price will be astronomical. Reuters

Gonzalo Higuain (Juventus): Slightly complicated one this. Loaned to Chelsea from Juventus with an option to buy but failed to impress. However, Chelsea boss Maurizio Sarri could be heading to Juve and Higuan's deal is reported to be linked to Sarri's move whereby Juve waive the loan fee Chelsea are said to owe. Potentially stuck in the middle of a tug-of-war and potentially unwanted by both clubs. AP Photo

Jasper Cillessen (Barcelona): Has struggled to dislodge Marc-Andre Ter Stegen at Barcelona, making just five La Liga appearances in three seasons since joining from Ajax. Still a regular for the Netherlands however and may seek first team football now that he's 30. AP Photo

Toby Alderweireld (Tottenham): His Tottenham contract has a well-publicised £25 million release clause which can be activated this summer. Linked heavily with Manchester United for years now and could go somewhere with a greater chance of silverware after the Champions League disappointment (not United then). Getty Images

Ryan Sessegnon (Fulham): He is regarded as one of the brightest prospects in England but was relegated from the Premier League with Fulham. Linked with Tottenham all year and will be linked with every club that needs a left-sided player. Reuters

Gianluigi Buffon (Paris Saint-Germain): Time to retire? Not yet. The 41-year-old is available on a free transfer after leaving PSG. Reuters

Matthijs de Ligt (Ajax): He surely won't be playing at Ajax next season. The most sought-after defender in the world (excluding Virgil van Dijk who is not for sale) starred in the Champions League and then kept Ronaldo largely quiet in the Uefa Nations League. Linked with all of Europe's top clubs, while Ronaldo told him to sign for Juventus. Reuters

Joao Felix (Benfica): He is regarded as Cristiano Ronaldo's heir on the international stage. Impressed for Benfica last season with 15 league goals as a teenager, and reportedly on the shopping list of most of Europe's top teams. Has a release clause of €120m. AP Photo

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal): His situation at Arsenal is a strange one. Joint-won the Premier League Golden Boot, reached the Europa League final and formed an exciting partnership with Alexandre Lacazette. Was then reported to have received an offer from China, and deleted mention of Arsenal from his Instagram page. Is he settled? Reuters

Ryan Fraser (Bournemouth): He is sought-after following a couple of strong seasons on the wing for Bournemouth in the Premier League. Finished second in assists behind Eden Hazard. He admitted after helping Scotland beat Cyprus on Saturday that he doesn't know where he will be playing next season. Getty Images

Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid): He confirmed at the end of the season that his days at Atletico were over. But he's yet to confirm where he's going. Barcelona was the obvious destination especially after how close he came to joining them last season, but it's all quiet on that front at the moment. Reuters

Paul Pogba (Manchester United): Has anyone been subject to more transfer speculation than Paul Pogba in the past 12 months? Okay, maybe Eden Hazard. Anyway, it's hard to see the Frenchman lining up for Manchester United next season without Champions League football. Heavily linked with Real Madrid. AFP

The transfer rumour mill is going into overdrive - and we're only in June with some players just setting off on their summer holidays. Imagine what it will be like in the week before the new season starts?

Now, it's hard to keep tabs on every move that's going on, so we've made a list of the key potential movers during the summer months - and there are some big names in there.

Will Gareth Bale be able to end what is swiftly becoming a nightmare scenario at Real Madrid? Will Paul Pogba finally be free of Manchester United having appeared on the cusp of a move away for more than a year.

And will Tottenham Hotspur be able to keep hold of some of their big names after the disappointment of defeat in the Champions League final, or will they look to cash in and rebuild?

Whether any of these transfers get over the line or not, it's sure to be a fascinating summer.