Five January Transfer Window Targets
The January transfer window is on the horizon and it’s a familiar scene up and down the country. Will the chairman back the manager with a marquee signing in January, or will he sit tight until the summer comes around? Either way, there are plenty of top-level players who could well be switching clubs in the coming months. Here are five of the best January transfer window targets.
Jackson Martinez – Porto
The 28 year-old Colombian striker may not be one for the future but his goal scoring record is phenomenal and could be winging his way to the Premier League in a £30m deal.
Liverpool have slipped down the Premier league market and are now reported to be interested in the Porto striker, although it’s hard to see why he would move in January when his club have looked impressive and already sealed their place in the knockout stages of the Champions League.
Nevertheless, rumours of Martinez leaving in January have been gathering pace and there will be no shortage of suitors if he decides to leave Portugal.
Jan Vertonghen – Tottenham Hotspur
The Belgium defender has found his first team chances limited at White Hart Lane and with this in mind, Louis Van Gaal could be ready to step up his interest in the 27 year-old.
Vertonghen is a strong and versatile centre back that can also play on the left hand side of defence but has grown frustrated with life at Spurs under Pochettino. The North London club, however, hold all of the aces as his contract runs for another 4 years and they have no need to sell.
The former Ajax man is a top class defender on his day and would put a host of clubs on alert should he hand in a transfer request in the coming weeks.
Petr Cech – Chelsea
It would have been unimaginable to think of Petr Cech leaving Stamford Bridge in recent seasons but his demotion to number 2 has left the Czech stopper considering his options. The Chelsea keeper has dropped hints, while on International duty, that he would be open to a move if it meant regular first team football at a club that can match his ambitions.
Arsenal and Liverpool are just two Premier League sides that have been linked with Cech in recent weeks and despite Mourinho dismissing suggestions that the player will be leaving in January, it would be no surprise to see the experienced keeper depart for a new challenge.
Joao Moutinho – Monaco
The 28 year-old has reportedly handed in a transfer request at Monaco after seeing James Rodriquez and Falcao leave the club over the summer. His frustrations have also been compounded by Monaco’s poor performances in the league.
It feels like the central midfielder has been constantly linked with a move to the Premier League, however, should Arsenal decide to take the plunge in January, then Moutinho could well be at the Emirates for a fee in the region of £25m.
Meanwhile, Chelsea and Manchester United could also enter the fray and spark a bidding war for the Monaco man.
Andre Schurrle – Chelsea
Another Chelsea player that has been left out in the cold is Andre Schurrle. The German World Cup winner has been confined to fleeting appearances for the West Londoners and has only completed a full 90 minutes in the Capital One Cup.
The 24 year-old, however, was a key player for Mourinho last season making 30 league appearances and notching eight goals in the process.
Liverpool have been sniffing around the attacking midfielder, while a move back to Germany, should Mourinho decide to cash in, could also be on the cards with Leverkusen or Dortmund as likely destinations.
Elsewhere in the transfer market, Sami Khedira should get an honourable mention as he appears to be frozen out of the picture at Real Madrid and would be a useful addition to any top side in Europe.
