The January transfer window opens soon -- England's Premier League, Germany's Bundesliga and France's Ligue 1 on Wednesday, Jan. 1, with Spain's LaLiga, Italy's Serie A and Portugal's Primeira Liga opening for business 24 hours later -- and this January looks set to be busier than in recent years because of several clubs and players needing to negotiate transfers.
Injury problems and congested fixture lists mean that clubs including Manchester City and Arsenal will be looking to bolster their squads, while under-performing teams such as Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur need to improve in key areas of their player pool. Some players will be targeted for moves now to avoid rivals signing them in the summer, while others will be looking to relaunch their careers elsewhere after losing form and regular football at their present team.
With big salaries on offer in Saudi Arabia (the window there is open from Jan. 1 to 31) and Turkey (Jan. 13 to Feb. 11), players seeking a move could also have a transfer to clubs in those countries as options in January.
So, with the window set to open this week, which players could seal a move in the transfer window?
Marcus Rashford
The Manchester United forward is the player who will dominate the January transfer window, having said in an interview earlier this month that he is ready for a new challenge away from Old Trafford. With new United coach Ruben Amorim dropping the 27-year-old from his match-day squads since mid-December -- though he did make a surprising return for Monday's game vs. Newcastle United after a four-game exile -- Rashford's future at the club appears bleak, and there are no obvious options for a route away for the England international.
With over three years remaining on a £325,000-a-week contract, United will be demanding a significant fee for the player, meaning only a handful of clubs could afford to even consider a move. Sources have told ESPN that United had little interest in Rashford from European clubs during the summer, which makes Saudi Arabia the most likely destination at this stage.
Viktor Gyökeres
The Sporting CP forward is the hottest player in Europe right now, scoring 27 goals in 27 appearances this season including a Champions League hat trick against Manchester City. Clubs including Arsenal and Manchester United want a proven scorer to bolster their attack, but those players don't come cheap and Gyökeres has a ¢100 million release clause in his contract with the Portuguese champions.
A January move for Gyökeres had seemed unlikely, but Sporting have lost form since coach Ruben Amorim quit to take over at United in November. The upheaval at the Lisbon club -- Amorim's successor João Pereira was sacked after just six weeks in charge -- could prompt the 26-year-old to consider his options if a top club triggered his release clause.
Martín Zubimendi
The Real Sociedad and Spain midfielder was Arne Slot's top target after taking charge at Liverpool, but a deal could not be done for the 25-year-old in the summer. Liverpool remain interested in Zubimendi and have money to spend, but Manchester City have now emerged as the front-runners if La Real are prepared to do a deal.
City manager Pep Guardiola wants to reinforce his midfield following the loss of Ballon d'Or winner Rodri in September with a cruciate ligament injury and Zubimendi, Rodri's replacement in the Spain team, is the leading target. But Real Madrid are also tracking Zubimendi ahead of a possible summer move, so City may find it tough to convince the player, and his club, to do a deal in January.
Antonee Robinson
The Fulham and United States defender has developed into one of the most consistent left-backs in the Premier League under the guidance of coach Marco Silva at Craven Cottage and is attracting interest from rival clubs. Liverpool have been strongly linked with the 27-year-old, but sources have told ESPN that the Premier League leaders have minimal interest in the player, with the club looking elsewhere for a long-term replacement for Andrew Robertson.
Robinson is a potential target for Manchester United, Manchester City and Arsenal given a shortage of reliable left-backs at the highest level right now. The one hitch with Robinson is the length of his Fulham contract, which runs until June 2028, meaning any deal would therefore come with a significant transfer fee.
Milos Kerkez
Liverpool and Manchester United are both interested in Bournemouth left-back Kerkez, who has been one of the standout performers in the Premier League this season. At 21, the Hungary international is regarded by both clubs as a better long-term option than Fulham defender Robinson, but he is also under contract until June 2028 at the Vitality Stadium.
Liverpool sporting director Richard Hughes, who moved to Anfield from Bournemouth last season, oversaw Kerkez's transfer to the Cherries from Dutch club AZ Alkmaar in 2023, which could place Liverpool in pole position to do a deal this month.
Antony
Having signed for Manchester United in an £80m transfer from Ajax in August 2022, Antony has become one of the most-expensive flops in Premier League history at Old Trafford. The 24-year-old forward has registered just 12 goals in 93 appearances for United and sources have said that the club are prepared to offload the Brazil international, either permanently or on loan, in January.
While Antony's transfer fee means United will look to recoup some of that in any deal, the player's modest £70,000-a-week salary means many clubs could afford to take him on loan. United have previously had interest in Antony from Turkish clubs, and that could be turn out to be the most likely destination for the player if he moves in January.
Christopher Nkunku
Chelsea forward Nkunku has struggled to impress at Stamford Bridge since arriving at the club in a £52m transfer from RB Leipzig in 2023. While coach Enzo Maresca said this month that he wants Nkunku to stay and fight for his place, he also said that "the best thing for everyone is that the players who aren't happy are going to leave."
The 27-year-old France international has scored just two goals and registered only 325 minutes in the Premier League for Chelsea this season, even being linked with Manchester United in recent weeks. Although Maresca expressed his desire for the player to stay, Chelsea have shown that they're prepared to do deals to move players on if they are deemed surplus to requirements by the football hierarchy.
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Dani Olmo
The Spain international's future at Barcelona will be dictated by the outcome of the club's attempts to secure new funding so they can extend the forward's registration with LaLiga ahead of a Dec. 31 deadline. Having moved to Camp Nou for an initial €55m from RB Leipzig last summer, Olmo could become a free agent on Jan. 1 if Barca fail to secure the funding that will allow them to re-register the player without breaching LaLiga's financial regulations. (Their appeal to extend the deadline was already rejected last week, leaving the club little time to fix the issue.)
The potential availability of the Euro 2024 winner on a free transfer in January has alerted a host of Premier League clubs including Manchester City and Manchester United. And although Barcelona are expected to beat the deadline, there is plenty of interest in the versatile forward if he suddenly becomes available.
Bryan Mbeumo
The Brentford forward already has 10 Premier League goals this season and is once again proving himself to be one of the division's most reliable scorers. Brentford are determined to keep the Cameroon international for the remainder of this season, but entering the final 18 months of his contract makes the club vulnerable to a significant bid for the 25-year-old.
Manchester United and Arsenal are both in the market for a proven forward and Mbeumo's track record in the Premier League not only makes him a strong option, but also a less costly one than Sporting CP's Viktor Gyökeres.
Tyler Dibling
Southampton are aiming to secure 18-year-old forward Dibling to a lucrative new contract at St. Mary's following his impressive performances for the Premier League strugglers this season. With the Saints seemingly destined for relegation following promotion from the Championship last season, Southampton are facing a battle to hold on to the homegrown talent whose existing contract expires in June 2026.
Man United are very much interested, as they look to rebuild their squad under Ruben Amorim by identifying the best emerging talent in Europe, and they may have an advantage in their pursuit. Dibling signed his most recent contract at Southampton under the guise of Jason Wilcox, who left his role as director of football at St Mary's to become United's technical director earlier this year.
Randal Kolo Muani
The 26-year-old Paris Saint-Germain forward has fallen out of favor at Parc des Princes under coach Luis Enrique and appears likely to leave the French champions in January. Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester United have all been linked with the France international, who signed for PSG in a €95m move from Eintracht Frankfurt in 2023.
Kolo Muani has scored just two goals in 14 appearances in all competitions this season, and only 12 in 44 games last season for PSG. But his return of 23 goals in 46 games for Frankfurt in 2022-23 made him one of the hottest strikers in Europe and despite his poor form at PSG, a club in need of goals could make a move for Kolo Muani in January.
Casemiro
The Manchester United midfielder has become a peripheral figure in the team following Amorim's arrival as coach in November, making him available for a loan or permanent transfer in January. Sources have told ESPN that United courted Saudi Pro League clubs over a potential summer deal for the former Real Madrid player, but no firm interest was forthcoming.
With 18 months to run on his £300,000-a-week contract at Old Trafford, United face a financial hit in order to get Casemiro off the wage bill. But with his diminishing value due to his contract length, a deal in January offers United the best chance of cutting their losses on the Brazil international.
Ben Chilwell
Chelsea coach Enzo Maresca told Chilwell he could find a new club during the summer window, but the left-back was unable to negotiate a move before the transfer deadline. The 28-year-old has made just one first-team appearance all season -- a 45-minute Carabao Cup outing against Barrow -- and is expected to be one of the first senior players to leave Stamford Bridge in January.
With two and a half years to run on his £200,000-a-week contract, Chelsea will have to subsidize Chilwell's wages or accept a low transfer fee for the player to get him off the books, but with left-backs in short supply, several clubs will be interested in the former Leicester City defender at the right price.