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"I've never seen a bag of money score a goal." - Johan Cruyff. It doesn't seem like a lot of people agree with the Dutch legend today and the transfer windows are a standing testimony to this.
The January transfer window is not as rich in action when compared to the summer transfer window, but this season is promising to be an exception.
The media is going into a frenzy with articles and news items regarding such news. Some headlines are as absurd and preposterous as saying that Messi is retiring from football to start playing cricket. Yet there are others that make sense and get one thinking.
Since the January transfer window is not long due, let's take a look at players who seem to be playing their last season in England and are on the verge of a big move to elsewhere in Europe. These include players who are falling out of favour with their teammates, coaches and fans.
#1 Riyad Mahrez
From playing for France's Ligue 2 team Le Havre II to joining Leicester City, and from joining Leicester City to winning the title, Riyad Mahrez has definitely come a long, long way. But after 2015, Leicester City have failed to rediscover their winning formula and now, two managers and a season later, we are left with a team battling for a place in the middle berth of the Premier League and a lone figure waging a battle for literally nothing.
The Foxes poster boy is definitely 'talent well wasted' at Leicester. He was instrumental in their rise to a Premier League win but a year and a half later, we are left with a team that is a mere shadow of their former self, but not Mahrez who still shows sparks of brilliance.
He should take the lesson from N'Golo Kante who at Chelsea is making better use of his talent and has already won a Premier League title and has been awarded PFA Player of the Year for the 2016-17 season.
Mahrez was touted to move to Roma or Barcelona over the summer, but for whatever reasons, his transfer didn't go through. Once again, there are rumours that run through the same lines. Let's hope this time it goes through.
#2 Anthony Martial
Anthony Martial has started only seven of the 15 games Manchester United have played this season. Despite this, he has managed to score six goals and assist thrice. This clearly shows the potential that is being underused at United. With other big teams always on the lookout for young talent like his, he could very well be on the way out soon.
Also, the alleged incident that took place at the Emirates Stadium during the match against Arsenal adds more fuel to the fire. It has been reported that Martial, being unhappy when substituted, was caught on camera cussing at his manager, Jose Mourinho.
This is an addition to the fact that there were also reports of bad air brewing between him and Mourinho from early last season when his preferred No.9 jersey was handed over to Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
With a rumour suggesting that Barcelona is scouting the young French winger, his transfer could happen sooner than expected. If his move goes through, with Henrikh Mkhitaryan looking quite lost on the pitch and some others out injured, it would be interesting to see how United cope up with his loss.
#3 Henrikh Mkhitaryan
The Armenian midfielder had started the season well before his form ditched him and is now satisfied warming the bench (absent from the bench too in their last PL match) while his counterparts do the job. Only two seasons with the Red Devils, he is now battling for a spot in team with younger talent like Jesse Lingard and Anthony Martial showing what they're truly made of.
Martial and Lingard have taken their opportunities in good stead, particularly Lingard scoring three goals in the two matches that he has come on since Mkhitaryan's benching. Also, Lingard and Martial make more sense in the long run due to the many years they have on their legs before settling into a pensioning life playing in the MLS.
Now, with rumours of United's interest in signing Mesut Ozil, Mkhitaryan should be weighing his options more closely.
At 28, it only makes sense for United to offload him to whoever might want him before his value on the transfer market reduces. Given an option to play second fiddle to younger players at Manchester United or leave the club to play for other clubs where he could prove to be far more valuable, we can trust Mkhitaryan to make the right choice.
#4 David Luiz
Gary Neville on David Luiz - "He looks like he's being controlled by a 10-year-old on a PlayStation." He later had to retract, seeing David Luiz's performance after returning to Stamford Bridge for a second stint. He then went on to say that David Luiz had gone from being controlled by a 10-year-old on a PlayStation to perfect.
But this season, the Brazilian defender has definitely had a mixed stint with Chelsea, starting well before things took a turn for the worst after being chided by their manager for showing displeasure over being substituted in the Champions League match against Roma.
The Brazilian defender has not started for Chelsea in their last five games following the fallout with manager Antonio Conte. He has been replaced by Andreas Christensen, who has been a delight on the pitch. The young Danish has impressed with his skills, being the only second academy player to start three consecutive matches for Chelsea after John Terry.
This has been followed by rumours of Real Madrid approaching Chelsea to loan Luiz this January with an option to buy.
To further his woes, he has been replaced on the bench too with a much younger and inexperienced Ethan Ampadu for the last couple of games. Let's just hope it ends in an amicable fashion, unlike Diego Costa's case.
#5 Philippe Coutinho
There is certainly an ancient connect between Brazilians and Barcelona. Starting from Romario to Ronaldinho to the most recent Neymar and even Paulinho, there is always a Brazilian footballer to weave his magic for the Catalan club. Could it be Coutinho's turn to do the honours?
This was the most talked about transfer in the summer. Barcelona had put an offer on the table, but Liverpool refused to let the player go. Coutinho's form had taken a beating in the initial part of the campaign, but of late, the midfielder has found his magical touch.
Although the transfer window is still a month away, the rumours are beginning to rise. Barcelona definitely needs a creative midfielder and have set their eyes on him, therefore it only seems more likely that he is on his way out.
Another factor that could play a key role is Liverpool finding their winning contributions coming from elsewhere. Coutinho has been involved in very few contributions this season when compared to last year.
Mo Salah & Co. are proving they can do just fine without the Brazilian. Another point to consider is the transfer requested by Coutinho in the summer. Liverpool definitely wouldn't want a 'Chelsea-Diego Costa' like situation.
#6 Mesut Ozil
"Mesut is like a musician who always plays the right note, and at the right moment. His timing is perfect." - Arsene Wenger
If we were to look at Ozil from Arsene Wenger's eyes, the man who has closely seen and understood him in the five years that he has worked with him, we should also understand the timing of his exit too will be perfect.
Although his form has hit a rough patch in recent times, the former Real Madrid star has been heavily linked to Barcelona and Bayern Munich, with recent rumours of a swap deal for Arda Turan doing the rounds. Although this seems unlikely, the fact remains that Mesut Ozil hasn't signed a new contract with Arsenal. This leaves Arsenal with only two options, i.e. to sell him in January and reap benefits or wait until summer and let him go for free.
The possibility of Wenger selling him to a rival club in the PL seems bleak. Therefore, the chances of Ozil finding a new home in Europe away from England seems realistic.
Either way, he will depart and with advice from German great, Michael Ballack, to leave Arsenal and join Bayern Munich in case of a transfer, he surely is a wiser man.
#7 Sergio Aguero
The 'modern day Legend' of Manchester City may not hang around at City for much longer. The Argentine-born front-man has scored a whopping 180 goals for City, and in the process attracted a lot of attention from a bunch of other European clubs.
The time is perfect for Aguero to leave as they have found a suitable replacement in Gabriel Jesus. The World Cup slated to be held next year will only ensure that the top priority in Aguero's mind is play-time, and right now he has a competitor in Gabriel Jesus who has started more matches than him.
Also, the rumours are doing rounds involving Real Madrid and Aguero in a single sentence. This season Real Madrid is placed fourth on the league table, but what is more relevant is that Barcelona, Celta Vigo, Valencia and Real Sociedad have managed to score more goals than them.
This surely shows the need for someone more reliable and with Harry Kane valued at £250 million, it looks like Aguero is a more feasible choice. He has scored 9 goals and has 3 assists from 11 games this season with an incredible average of 95.7 minutes to every goal. Also, his experience could prove a valuable asset.
#8 Alexis Sanchez
An old quote by Arsene Wenger that went something like this," We [Arsenal] don't buy superstars, we make them." That was in 2007 and maybe back then, he was right. But the question that now seems relevant is how many of them has he been able to retain?
Alexis Sanchez has been the target of every rumourmonger in town. From being accused of clubbing with other players to demanding a very high wage to being linked to a move to Bayern Munich, PSG and Manchester City, he has seen it all.
But the main factor that could lead to his departure is his contract, which expires at the end of this season and could force the club to sell him before he is free to leave. This is not a very desirable situation for a club, i.e. to leave a superstar without cashing in anything on him.
Despite being booed by home fans on his first appearance this season, he has managed to return impressive figures. This could only increase the interest in him.
Definitely, Arsene Wenger would not want the Chilean playing in any of the rival clubs in the Premier League, which only leaves the option to sell him to other big clubs in Europe.
#9 Harry Kane
The English Hitman is considered to be the best by fans and pundits alike. Surely, he proves them right through his performance. Winning the Premier League Golden Boot for two seasons consecutively has significantly shifted the focus towards him. This season has been fruitful so far with 10 goals from 14 games, second only to Mo Salah.
The two European giants - Real Madrid and Barcelona have strikers who are aging and are struggling to find the back of the net this season, Karim Benzema (turns 30 in another 2 weeks) and Luiz Suarez (turns 31 in another month's time). A quick look at the top scorers' list of La Liga and both do not feature in the top 15.
This shows the need for attacking reinforcements for both Real Madrid as well as Barcelona. The man best suited to take over the responsibility at either of these clubs is Kane. He has the perfect track record, he has time on his legs, he has talent and most importantly, he has the maturity.
When the Los Blancos president, Florentino Perez, was quizzed about the rumoured interest of signing Harry Kane, he replied in the affirmative while adding, "He is a great player and, in addition, he is young."
#10 Eden Hazard
The Belgian is considered the best in the Premier League and often found to be playing at a different level altogether. After being injured for the start of the season, Hazard is now back and at his very best. He has scored eight goals and assisted 4 goals in 12 starts in all competition this season.
Zinedine Zidane on Eden Hazard, " I said to myself, 'This one is different, he's special.' He shows his personality on the pitch. He has the rarest and most valuable thing in football, intelligence."
After being linked heavily to Real Madrid in the summer, the Belgian could be all set to leave and what makes it more likely is that he adores Zidane and has dreamt of playing under him. The other factor that could trigger this transfer is the dismal state of Real Madrid, who are placed fourth and trailing the league leaders Barcelona by eight points.
All that needs to trigger the move is an offer by Real Madrid. He could prove the perfect replacement for Gareth Bale whose miserable run in the La Liga seems endless. The other possibility is that Barcelona could consider a move for him, thanks to Philippe Coutinho's woeful form.
