The winter transfer window is set to be a busy one this year following hot on the heels of the World Cup, and the Premier League has a habit of spending the most money these days....CONTINUE READING THE FULL ARTICLE>>>
From clubs looking to clear out deadwood to nascent players not yet plying their trade at the level their talent perhaps deserves, expect to see plenty of movement in January.
1. Christian Pulisic
Christian Pulisic’s time at Chelsea looks to be drawing to a close, with consecutive managers in Thomas Tuchel and Graham Potter reluctant to trust the American winger at Stamford Bridge. A €64 million arrival from Borussia Dortmund in 2019, Pulisic has reportedly attracted interest from Manchester United and Newcastle at home and Juventus further afield.
2. Hakim Ziyech
Hakim Ziyech is in a similar position, quite literally, to Pulisic. Another wide man struggling for minutes at Chelsea, Ziyech has had a stellar World Cup with Morocco, helping his nation to a shock semi-final place.
With Raheem Sterling signed in the summer and RB Leipzig man Christopher Nkunku in Chelsea’s crosshairs, the club are unlikely to hold up a move to AC Milan.
3. Aaron Wan-Bissaka
While the transfer future of Diogo Dalot is somewhat uncertain – he is out of contract in the summer, but Man Utd have an option to extend – the man he has consigned to the bench, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, should leave Old Trafford before him.
Wan-Bissaka has played just four minutes of Premier League football this season, and United are unlikely to demand anything like the €55m they paid for him.
4. Youri Tielemans
Youri Tielemans is one of the most in-demand central midfielders in world football, yet playing for a Leicester side who have been stuck in the relegation quagmire for much of the first half of the season. Out of contract in the summer, and Arsenal are at the front of a queue which also includes Barcelona.
5. Ivan Toney
Ivan Toney was one of the more controversial omissions from Gareth Southgate’s England squad for the World Cup after racking up 10 goals in 14 Premier League games with Brentford. The Bees could struggle to keep him even if he didn’t get that extra exposure in Qatar, with Chelsea and Man Utd both in the market for a genuine No.9.
6. Billy Gilmour
Billy Gilmour only left Chelsea for Brighton in the summer, but days later the manager who signed him, Potter, left to replace Tuchel at Stamford Bridge.
Has since sat on the bench while Alexis Mac Allister and Moises Caicedo have dominated the central midfield positions. Villarreal are the latest to have offered him a way out.
7. N’Golo Kante
A former Chelsea teammate of Gimour’s, N’Golo Kante was one of the players in his way at Stamford Bridge. Still a world class operator when fit, the Frenchman is out of contract at the end of the season, and Barcelona could be tempted to pounce in January even if he currently has a hamstring injury, thus beating off the competition.
