Ronaldo, Alexander-Arnold, Pogba Lead Frenzied Transfers Ahead of 2025 Club World Cup

• by Arlen Fitzpatrick
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Superstars on the Move Before the 2025 Club World Cup

The transfer window is buzzing, and this round is anything but ordinary. With the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup looming, clubs are racing to lock down big names, hoping for an extra edge. The headlines are impossible to ignore—Cristiano Ronaldo, Trent Alexander-Arnold, and Paul Pogba are the hottest properties, each with a unique story fueling speculation and drama.

Club World Cup fever has completely reshaped team strategies this summer. Instead of planning for gradual squad-building, clubs are taking bold swings at short-term impact. The focus? Those players who can turn a good team into a trophy contender, fast. MLS sides are scouting Europe hard, eager for world-class reputations to shine in the States, while top European clubs are making tough calls to refresh lineups with proven winners.

Inside the Storylines: Ronaldo, Alexander-Arnold, Pogba, and More

Cristiano Ronaldo is, once again, the center of the transfer universe. After leaving Al Nassr, he’s a free agent—unattached, available, still a magnet for headlines and attention. Think a few months at a Champions League club craving experience, or a late splash at a club chasing publicity and ticket sales. While age is a factor, there’s no denying he can still draw a crowd and, occasionally, decide a game.

Then there’s Trent Alexander-Arnold, whose move to Real Madrid closed the book on a 15-year Liverpool journey. In an era when clubs want to lock up stars long-term, Trent chose a Bosman free transfer, letting his contract wind down. The move has shades of Robert Lewandowski’s shock exit from Dortmund to Bayern Munich back in 2014—proving, again, big teams can lose key faces for nothing but memories if they don’t act fast enough.

Paul Pogba’s story is all about comebacks. After serving an 18-month suspension for doping, he’s negotiating with Inter Miami, the club that can’t resist big names. The deal structure is complicated—MLS salary rules force Miami to get creative, offering Pogba a maximum Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) contract for six months at $1.5 million. Then, the idea is to bump him up as a Designated Player. If it happens, Pogba will team up with Lionel Messi, Jordi Alba, and Sergio Busquets. That could finally solve Miami’s midfield issues, especially with their defense leaking goals this season.

It’s not just the star trio making moves. Jonathan Tah is weighing his options in Germany, while Angel Di Maria, Marco Verratti, Cesar Azpilicueta, and Alexandre Lacazette are all reportedly searching for the right project. These aren’t random rumors—teams know their Club World Cup dreams could ride on some last-minute experience and leadership.

For MLS, this transfer window has become a hunt for relevance as much as talent. There’s a hope that one or two blockbuster signings can not just fill stadiums, but convince the global football audience that American teams can mix it up on the World Cup stage. The result? Lots of familiar faces in new shirts and plenty of buzz around a tournament that’s still a year out. One thing is clear—everyone wants to make headlines now to lift trophies later.