How we rate transfer rumours
Every rumour on the Desk carries three independent scores out of 10. They update continuously as new reporting lands. Here's exactly what goes into each one.
1. Deal Rating — how likely is this move?
The Deal Rating answers a single question: how close is this transfer to actually happening? A signed-and-announced move is a 10. A wild internet rumour with no named source is a 1. In between we weight:
- Stage of the deal — monitoring, contact, talks, agreement, medical, done.
- Number of reputable outlets independently reporting it.
- Recency of the latest update — old rumours decay automatically.
- Whether the originating reporter has confirmed it themselves versus aggregated it from elsewhere.
2. Credibility — how much should you trust the source?
Credibility is about the messenger, not the message. Each source carries a track record built from how often their reported moves convert into confirmed transfers. Tier-1 reporters who consistently break confirmed deals (Romano, Ornstein, Plettenberg, Schira, Bild, Marca etc.) score high; anonymous aggregator accounts score low even when they happen to repeat a true story.
3. Buzz — how much is the football world talking?
Buzz captures volume and velocity. How many outlets have picked it up? How fast is the story spreading? How are fans voting on it? A low Buzz score on a high-credibility story means a quiet, technical move; a high Buzz score on a low-credibility story is a sign to be sceptical.
Why three scores, not one?
A single number hides too much. A 9/10 from a tier-1 reporter at the medical stage is very different from a 9/10 driven entirely by social-media noise. Three scores let you see why a rumour is hot, not just that it is.
See the methodology in action — start from the live feed.