Chelsea's top transfer target should get Football INDEX backing

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Now the 2018 World Cup is done and dusted, it's time to re-focus on club football and the hectic transfer period between now and the start of next season. We have picked out five players from across Europe's top five leagues worth considering for your Football INDEX portfolios. Here they are:

1. GONZALO HIGUAIN (JUVENTUS)

Gonzalo Higuain has emerged as a top transfer target for Chelsea this summer, as new boss Maurizio Sarri is keen to reunite with the Juventus striker.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s sensational move from Real Madrid to Juventus has opened up the door for Higuain to leave the Old Lady and a summer exit appears a formality for the 30-year-old.

Juventus splashed out £99.2m to sign Ronaldo in a club-record deal and hope to recoup some of their investment through player sales, with Higuain a serious candidate to leave.

Chelsea have already made their first approach to Juventus to sound of Higuain’s availability and Sarri is even willing to sacrifice Alvaro Morata and Michy Batshuayi to make room for the Argentina international.

His Football INDEX share price is currently £2.42 but that will only increase if he completes a stunning move to Chelsea before the start of the new season.

2. DOMAGOJ VIDA (BESIKTAS)

One of the biggest success stories of the 2018 World Cup was Croatia international Domagoj Vida, who is now being linked with big money moves to a number of Europe’s biggest clubs.

Besiktas only signed Vida on a free transfer in January but are now set to cash in on the 29-year-old, having reportedly already rejected a £20m bid from Premier League giants Liverpool.

The Turkish outfit have hit the jackpot with Vida, as the Croatian centre-back struggled to make any positive impression during the second half of last season.

Vida only started seven league matches for Besiktas and his 16 minutes of Champions League action ended in a red card against Bayern Munich.

However, the experienced defender was crucial for Croatia during their run all the way to the 2018 World Cup final, earning a WhoScored rating of 7.06 in the process.

His Football INDEX share price is £0.86 and that will surely rise as speculation intensifies about his next club.

3. KASPER SCHMEICHEL (CHELSEA)

With Chelsea poised to sell Thibaut Courtois to Real Madrid, the west London outfit first need to secure his replacement before signing off on a deal to their Spanish rivals.

Petr Cech and Gianluigi Donnarumma have emerged as transfer targets for Chelsea, but so has Leicester ace Schmeichel.

The Denmark international enjoyed a thoroughly impressive 2018 World Cup campaign and his displays in Russia have caught the eye of Chelsea.

Leicester are on the verge of signing Danny Ward from Liverpool and the arrival of the Wales international could pave the way for Leicester to join Chelsea.

Of goalkeepers that made at least three appearances at this summer’s World Cup, only Mexico’s Guillermo Ochoa (6.3) averaged more saves per game than Schmeichel (4.3).

His Football INDEX share price has already increased nearly 40% in the last 24 hours of trading and the 31-year-old should be considered for your portfolios.

4. THIAGO ALCANTARA (BAYERN MUNICH)

The news emerging from Bayern Munich in the last few days is that the German champions are willing to sell Thiago Alcantara this summer but are struggling for suitors.

Thiago dropped down the pecking order last season and the arrival of Leon Goretzka from German rivals Schalke has dispensed with the need for his services under Niko Kovac going forward.

Manchester United missed out on Thiago’s signature in 2012 when the Spain international joined Bayern and now it is claimed Jose Mourinho is considering a move for the 27-year-old.

Thiago is regarded as one of the finest technical midfielders in Europe, while a return to Barcelona is also on the cards this summer.

His share price is £2.83, but the central midfielder will cause a real stir on Football INDEX if he manages to secure a high profile move away from Bayern before the start of next season.

In the last two Bundesliga campaigns, Thiago has garnered the highest WhoScored rating (7.89). 

5. LUKE SHAW (MANCHESTER UNITED)

England’s unexpected run to the last four of the 2018 World Cup has provided Luke Shaw with another chance to revive his Manchester United career this summer.

Mourinho has already confirmed none of United’s World Cup representatives that were involved during the semi-finals will feature in their first few matches of the season.

With Daley Blind sold and Ashley Young given extra time off, Shaw will start United’s Premier League opener against Leicester, barring anything dramatic until then.

Shaw has entered the final 12 months of his current United deal and is in last chance saloon if he wants to earn Mourinho's trust  and salvage his career at Old Trafford.

The 23-year-old has reportedly come out on top in all of United’s pre-season fitness tests and has come out fighting about his desire to be one of the first names on the team sheet once United’s World Cup players are available.

Shaw’s Football INDEX share price is £1.50 but there is a good chance that will increase if he can impress Mourinho at the start of next season.