3 January signings who could light up the Premier League

Juventus v Atalanta BC - Serie A
Juventus v Atalanta BC - Serie A

The 2019/20 edition of the Premier League is well underway and Liverpool lead the way after 12 matchdays, as they extended their lead at the top of the table to eight points after their stunning 3-1 victory against last season's treble winners, Manchester City. Jurgen Klopp's side are unbeaten in the English top-flight this season and the Reds look unstoppable in pursuit of the Premier League title that has eluded them for 30 years now.

The likes of Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal have all been underwhelming in the opening weeks of the season and have fallen behind in the race for the top-four spots. After coming within touching distance of European glory in the summer, Mauricio Pochettino's side were expected to challenge for the title this season but have failed to do so despite bolstering their ranks with the high-profile additions of Giovani Lo Celso and Tanguy Ndombele.

Leicester City have been the surprise package of the season and the Foxes look primed for a spot in the top-four, as Brendan Rodgers has enjoyed a stunning start to his tenure at the club. The January transfer market is often approached with fair caution as teams are usually unwilling to part with their players midway through the season, as has been the case in recent years.

Despite the notoriety of the mid-season window, the likes of Virgil van Dijk and Aymeric Laporte have been snapped up in recent seasons by Liverpool and Manchester City respectively and have gone on to play pivotal roles for their clubs, which is an encouraging trend, to say the least.

Manchester United and Arsenal, in particular, have fallen behind in their race for the top-four spots and the two sides could dwell into the transfer market, to snap up a bargain or two. On that note, let's look at three potential January signings who could light up the Premier League if their moves come to fruition.


3. Mario Mandzukic to Manchester United

Juventus v FC Internazionale - 2019 International Champions Cup
Juventus v FC Internazionale - 2019 International Champions Cup

Mario Mandzukic's situation has gone to worse in recent weeks, as the Croatian international has been frozen out of the squad under Maurizio Sarri. The veteran striker has been one of the most reliable performers for the Bianconeri over the years and has filled in at multiple positions under Massimiliano Allegri.

Mandzukic has been one of the main victims of the managerial change, as the Champions League winner has fallen out of favour at the Old Lady alongside midfielder Emre Can. The Juve pair have been linked with a move to Manchester United in recent months and the former Atletico Madrid man, in particular, could represent good business for the Red Devils as a short-term option.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's side are short-staffed upfront after the departures of Alexis Sanchez and Romelu Lukaku and the striker could add some much-needed steel and versatility to the Red Devils' attack. Daniel James has been a revelation since joining the record English champions and although the likes of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial produce the goods more often than not when fit, Mandzukic's addition would represent a good mid-season solution and would also allow the club to spend big on the likes of Erling Haaland, Jadon Sacho and James Maddison in the summer.


2. Mikel Oyarzabal to Manchester City

RCD Espanyol v Real Sociedad - La Liga
RCD Espanyol v Real Sociedad - La Liga

Leroy Sane's move to Bayern Munich looks inevitable at this stage of the season and Manchester City are reportedly targetting Real Sociedad winger Mikel Oyarzabal to replace the German international.

The young Spaniard, who has been a regular feature of the Spanish National Team in the European Qualifiers, could prove to be the X-factor in the title race as the Cityzens look to close the gap between themselves and Liverpool in the Premier League summit.

Described as an old-fashioned winger with bags of pace and trickery, Oyarzabal is as good a signing as you can make midway through the season and Guardiola's track-record with wide players means the Spaniard could flourish under the tutelage of his compatriot.


1. Timo Werner to Liverpool

AS Monaco v RB Leipzig - UEFA Champions League
AS Monaco v RB Leipzig - UEFA Champions League

In recent seasons, Liverpool have been heavily linked with a move for Timo Werner and the German hotshot could turn out to be a wildcard move of sorts, as Jurgen Klopp's side aim to end their long wait for a Premier League trophy. The 23-year-old has started the season in scintillating form, with 15 goals and 7 assists in all competitions as he has spearheaded RB Leipzig's title charge under Julian Naglesmann.

Werner has been one of the most potent attackers in world football this season and as reported by the reliable Raphael Honigstein from The Athletic, the German is the ideal candidate to supplement Liverpool's feared front-three of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane.

“He is very similar in terms of his movement, in terms of his positioning to what they’ve already got. Different player. More of a striker than perhaps Salah.”

The former Stuttgart man has been linked with a move to Bayern Munich but it has been reported that he is not a target for the Bavarian giants, as they have other areas of concern to address, leaving the Reds with a clear path to snap him up for a reasonable fee.

Werner signed a contact extension this summer but it is believed that the German international has a £30 million release clause in his contract, making him an attainable choice for Jurgen Klopp in January. Although it would be hard to displace the Liverpool front-three, Werner's versatility and end product make him a viable option as he could fill in for any of the Reds' first-choice attackers, without there being a noticeable drop-off in quality.

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Edited by Sai Teja