Window shopping: What every Premier League club needs to do in transfer market this January
LINING UP: Evan Ferguson will likely leave Brighton & Hove Albion on loan and could help plenty of teams. Pic: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images
Now thatâs the big question. Arsenal have been linked with huge names such as Alexander Isak, Viktor Gyokeres, Benjamin Sesko, and Victor Osimhen. Gyokores would be a game-changer, but itâs not going to be an easy deal to get over the line.
Arsenal made their sales in the summer and it seems unlikely they will let more go. But could someone come in for Thomas Partey (out of contract in the summer), Kieran Tierney or Jorginho?
Mike Arteta sums it up by saying: âI never expect January to be super busy. But some surprises can come.â
Rumours that Villa are tied by PSR rules seem have faded, and thereâs an expectation they will be active in the window. Itâs clear a right-back is needed as an upgrade to Matty Cash and an extra forward who can play across the front line.
Right-backs are surprisingly difficult to find in the market. Vanderson at Monaco or Jeremie Frimpong at Leverkusen would be the big-money men. Kieran Trippier is available cheaply from Newcastle, or Michael Kayode at Fiorentina has been scouted.
There will be bids for youngsters Louie Barry and Rory Wilson â and almost certainly for up-and-coming striker Jhon Duran (from some big names). But Villa donât want to sell.
Expect something to happen given Villaâs challenge in the Premier League and Europe. Boss Unai Emery said: âIf there are some possibilities to spend money to improve the squad we are going to do it. The club is working on it.â A right-back looks most likely â Kayode at Fiorentina is top of the list.
Having sold Domnic Solanke to Spurs for big money in August, the Cherries could still do with an extra striker to add to their forward options. Left-back and midfield are other priorities.
Bournemouth are on the hunt for hidden gems, so predicting whoâs next is not so easy.
AC Milan midfielder Yunus Musah has been linked but US defender Matai Akinmoboni fits the model.
Liverpool like left-back Milos Kerkez and there are clubs looking at Ilya Zabarnyi and Antoine Semenyo. The Cherries insist they wonât sell, but will their resolve be tested?
Owner Bill Foley has two big pressures right now.
Firstly, to take advantage of an impressive start to the season to maximise his clubâs chances of reaching Europe. Then, to do enough to convince talented manager Andoni Iraola to stay longer. Both add up to the big names staying put.
Quality cover for Christian Norgaard in midfield. Whenâs the Dane is missing, the Bees suffer. A right-back could be a priority, too, with Aaron Hickey still injured â and a replacement for Bryan Mbeumo if the in-form winger is sold (which isnât the plan).
Michael Kayode at Fiorentina is high on Brentfordâs right-back list, and Nicolas Kuhn at Celtic interests them on the wing. Could the Bees move for Chelsea midfielder Kieran Dewsbury-Hall having missed out on him in the summer?
Mbeumo is interesting Arsenal and Newcastle, with Liverpool also mentioned in despatches. But Brentford donât want to sell until the summer.
The Bees say they are looking â but donât expect a busy window. They rarely sell in January and save their big spending for summer. One or two in, none out unless on loan.
Having already been one of the biggest spenders in the summer window, Brighton donât have a long list and already have a big squad. They would like an experienced defender, having failed to sign Mats Hummel in August.
Theyâve already got one! Paraguay midfielder Diego Gomez will arrive from MLS side Inter Milan after a deal was completed early.
Liverpool have been linked with Joao Pedro, but that seems unlikely for January. Evan Ferguson is wanted on loan by numerous clubs, even though Fabian Hurzeler says: âI never said anything about a loan. We are happy that Evan is here.â Midfielder Jakub Moder is most likely to move on.
Donât expect a big window from the Seagulls â but adding experience in defence and young talent from abroad is possible.
Thatâs not as easy to answer as it used to be. The go-to reply in the past was âa proper strikerâ. But Nicolas Jackson is defying his critics. Donât be surprised if the Blues still scour the market, though. An upgrade on Robert Sanchez is also a call.
Who knows with Chelsea! They certainly have the money to go for whatever they want. All the big-name strikers have been linked, especially Victor Osimhen, but Evan Ferguson, at 20, fits their recruitment model best.
Possible outgoings: Midfielder Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall has played very little since signing from Leicester. That will alert Brentford and Brighton who tried to buy him â and Leicester, whoâd like him back.
Verdict: Most of Chelseaâs work in the market has already been done, but given they are so close to Liverpool at the top of the table, could they be tempted to give it one last go for Osimhen or Dusan
This is becoming a repetitive theme, but Palace need something extra up front. The only problem is they donât have significant funds available â and that makes things tough.
The Eagles have a long-term interest in Sunderlandâs Jobe Bellingham and Manchester Cityâs James McAtee.
Having persuaded Marc Guehi not to leave in August, could the pressure be on to sell if a bid comes in again?
Palace need the money for other positions. Plenty of clubs are interested.
Recent improved form after a terrible start to the season has settled nerves and reduced the need for a panic signing. Palace will be looking, but they wonât spend big. One in, one out at best.
Well, itâs full-backs, midfielders and attackers â but there wonât be enough funds to buy them all despite the Friedkin Group closing on a deal to buy the club. Full-backs should be priority but they arenât as sexy, are they?
Brazilian striker Igor Jesus at Botafogo is one of those on the radar and heâd be an interesting first buy.
Could this be the right time to cash in on Dominic Calvert-Lewin? His contract ends next summer with no sign of a new deal. It would take a big club to tempt him not to wait until July. Newcastle or Villa maybe?
Every new owner likes to make a statement in their first window, so Everton fans must be hopeful. The Toffees need goals, thatâs for sure, even if they have recovered well from a poor start to the season.
Guess what? Another club that needs a striker. Thereâs plenty of goals in the team but no out-and-out forward in top form. Raul Jiminez is chipping in but last yearâs hero Rodrigo Munez has only two.
Evan Ferguson on loan is Fulhamâs best hope but Lille striker Jonathan David (with 19 goals already this season) is the stretch target.
Fulham are confident of keeping their squad together and donât feel they need to sell. Antonee Robinson is their biggest asset. Top-quality wing-backs are in high demand. But it would take a huge bid to tempt them.
Fulham bought well in the summer, especially Emile Smith-Rowe from Arsenal, and they arenât inclined to spend big again unless a special opportunity comes up.
Extra strength in midfield and some back-up for star striker Liam Delap, but Ipswich are realistic about the money they can spend.
Middlesbrough striker Emmanuel Latte Lath remains a target after Ipswich failed with a bid for him last summer. They also like Chelseaâs Carney Chukwuemeka, perhaps on loan.
None planned, but there is already a lot of admiration for striker Delap and that will make the Tractor Boys nervous. Heâs exactly the kind of young player that Chelsea like to stockpile.
Itâs important that Ipswich get this window right. Thereâs still hope at Portman Road that the Tractor Boys can stay up, and two strategic signings now could make a big difference. Donât expect them to spend big, though.
There is a serious lack of back-up for Jamie Vardy, even though he is 37 and unlikely to play every game as the season hots up. Surely new boss Ruud van Nistelrooy has an eye for a striker?
There doesnât appear to be a lot of money at the club, so finding big names wonât be easy. Theyâd like Evan Ferguson but are low in the queue. The Foxes are, however, in contention for former Everton defender Ben Godfrey at Atalanta.
Former Wolves defender Conor Coady hasnât been a bit hit at Leicester and is earmarked for a move. Expect a few youngsters to be shipped out, too.
Leicester need new signings to freshen up their season now that the new manager bounce is already over. Thereâs not a big pot of money but it has to be spent on a striker, surely?
Liverpool are in a nice position, happy with their squad, top of the league â and with money to spend if something comes up. Central midfield and left-back are priorities â and a long-term Mo Salah successor.
Liverpool famously failed with a bid for Martin Zubimendi, could they try again? Especially as Manchester City are planning a bid, too. More realistic is a bid for Bournemouth left-back Milos Kerkez. PSV winger Johan Bakayoko and Eintracht Frankfurtâs Omar Marmoush are longer shots.
Liverpool donât need to sell but Kostas Tsimikas and Wataro Endo are contenders. Could they also give up on Federico Chiesa?
The dilemma for Liverpool is that things are going so well, do they really need to risk rocking the boat? If they spend money it will be on a long-term target that improves the team rather than squad fillers.
Someone to fill a very big midfield hole created by an injury to Ballon DâOr winner Rodri â and that isnât going to come cheap. Just as well as well that City have a âŹ250m war chest to spend.
How can signing a world-class midfielder ever be easy? Martin Zubimendi is the top target but so far, the signs are he isnât keen. Valenciaâs Pepelu or Newcastleâs Bruno Guimaraes are next on the list.
City are open to making sales. One report even suggests they would consider bids for Jack Grealish, Mattheus Nunes, Mateo Kovacic and Nathan Ake.
This is a big window for City who werenât planning to get involved â until their season went awry. You get a feeling they could spend big â and theyâll need to if they want a Rodri replacement and support for Erling Haaland.
The list is a long one but has new manager Ruben Amorim been there long enough to work it all out? Left-back, central midfield, and a striker stand out.
United fans are probably dreaming of a big-money forward â and Randal Kolo Muani from PSG is the one thatâs got the transfer gossip columns buzzing. At full-back, Wolvesâ Rayan Ait-Nouri is the top target.
Marcus Rashford has pretty much admitted heâs ready to leave, but the list of clubs that can afford him isnât long. Atletico Madrid would like Alejandro Garnacho. But others, such as Antony, Christian Eriksen, and Joshua Zirkzee, may be easier to offload.
Expect United to make at least a couple of signings â and sell as many as they buy â as Amorim makes his presence felt. It should be an interesting window for the Red Devils.
A wide forward is Newcastleâs top priority in the window, as well as a centre-half, but the men on their list are not going to come cheap. They may have to sell first â and shop in Europe rather than England.
Winger Johan Bakayoko at PSV is top of new sporting director Paul Mitchellâs list as he switches the priority from established Premier League targets to young talent abroad. Heâd cost âŹ50m.
Striker Callum Wilson and winger Miguel Almiron look to have come to the end of their Newcastle careers. Theyâll go if offers come in.
Newcastle havenât improved this season and need a decent window to revive their campaign. Mitchell and manager Eddie Howe both know how important that is. Expect the Toon to be active.
Forest need a striker to help Chris Wood, who has taken up all the slack. But with new transfer guru Edu not in the building until June, will they spend the money now or later?
Dominic Calvert-Lewin from Everton is available on a free in June, but Forest could get in first by paying a cut-down fee. Yuri Alberto from Corinthians is another consideration.
Harry Toffolo and Willy Bolo are both out of contract next summer and available for sale. Big clubs, including Liverpool, are looking at defender Murillo. But it would be a shock to see him go.
Thereâs big ambition at Forest but after a string of windows in which theyâve spent big, PSR is hanging over them. Donât expect too much.
An entire new team is probably the honest answer. But, of course, thatâs simply not possible â and the Saints are waiting for a new manager, too. Quality up front is the priority in a dream world.
Letâs be honest, this is not going to be easy. Who moves to a team rock bottom of the Premier League with only six points? The recruitment team will have to work miracles.
Young forward Tyler Dibling is admired across the Premier League but it wouldnât be good PR to sell him now. Striker Ben Brereton-Diaz could attract attention.
This is not a window for Saints fans to enjoy. They will be dreading a bid for Dibling rather than being excited about new signings. Rumours that he would cost as little as âŹ25m is causing alarm on the south coast.
An extra forward capable of playing across the front three and a centre-half are reported to be their top targets. Although fans are dreaming of a big, and unlikely, bid for Jack Grealish.
Grealish would be a crowd favourite at Spurs but sadly they arenât in a position to spend that much. German defender Jonathan Tah would be a more sensible buy.
Sergio Reguillon must be desperate to get away having spent the entire season so far in the reserves. Radu Dragusin is also a possible leaver. There will be interest in Richarlison, too.
It doesnât feel like Tottenham, still hampered by the huge cost of their new stadium, have the budget to spend big this time. But they want to strengthen â and always have an eye on young talent.
It has to be a replacement for Antonio following his unfortunate car accident. But the Hammers are also searching for extra quality at the back and an extra midfielder.
Callum Wilson from Newcastle is a serious option if they cannot get Evan Ferguson on loan. There are serious links to Victor Lindelof at Man United.
Defender Luizao is linked with a move to Internacional but he wonât be the only one. The Hammers need to bring in money to spend on top targets.
Having spent âŹ160m in the summer on nine players, thereâs not a big budget for Julen Lopetegui to save his job. So, Antonioâs accident came at a bad time. There could be a lot of sales.
A commanding centre-back and a winger are high on the list â not least because they didnât replace Max Kilman and Pedro Neto after selling them in the summer.
Defender Kevin Danso at Lens has been a long-term target and is highly rated.
Rayan Ait-Nouri is wanted by Man United, and that could be difficult to turn down. Goncalo Guedes is another potential exit.
Defenders must be the priority. Wolves, second bottom in the Premier League, have conceded 40 goals already.
But sporting director Matt Hobbs also needs to think about PSR and will need to box clever.
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