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January is arguably the busiest part of the season for players and clubs alike. In the midst of the season, the winter transfer window takes a toll on the club hierarchies. Often the clubs remain low-key in the January transfer window.
This is an after-effect of their heavy spending during the summer transfer window.
However, this time around there are some big players who would be targetted by the clubs. Most of these players are playing in the last year of their contract and haven't held any contract renewal talks yet.
The speculation over the future of some specific players has been under scrutiny. January could be the month when we finally see them switching clubs.
#5 Angel di Maria (PSG)
PSG was on a roll this summer as their quest towards winning the Champions League was evident. They completed the world-record transfer of Neymar from Barcelona and brought in Kylian Mbappe from AS Monaco on a loan deal. Mbappe's deal would be made permanent next season and thus they formed a formidable attacking trio upfront.
Unai Emery has made good use of PSG'S luxurious transfer budget. The former Sevilla manager prefers to start with the attacking trio of Edinson Cavani, Mbappe, and Neymar.
This has seen the likes of Julian Draxler, Angel Di Maria, and Lucas Moura being sidelined for most of the matches.
The Argentine moved to PSG ahead of the 2015/16 season and was a vital cog in the team until the arrival of Neymar and Mbappe. Di Maria spent four fruitful seasons at Real Madrid and won the Champions League title with them in the 2013/14 season.
Di Maria had established himself as an essential player at Parc des Princes but he has been largely subdued this season. The dynamic duo of Neymar and Mbappe have dominated the flanks which means that there is no possibility that the Argentine could be guaranteed a regular starting place.
The World Cup is a mere six months away and Angel di Maria needs to play consistently to convince Jorge Sampaoli to hand him a starting spot.
The Argentine can wreak havoc on the flanks as his skills with the ball as well as his through balls and long-range shooting are commendable. He can put in accurate crosses from the wings and has a good eye for the goal inside the box.
It has been reported that Lionel Messi is keen to reunite with his national teammate at Camp Nou and Barcelona might end up bidding for him in January.
#4 Leon Goretzka (Schalke 04)
Schalke 04 has been the team that has groomed some of the best young footballers in the past few years. The emergence of the likes of Leroy Sane, Manuel Neuer, Mesut Ozil, Benedikt Howedes is a testament to that fact and hence it is not surprising to see European football going gaga over Leon Goertzka.
Goertzka's talent was never in question; in fact, pundits in the Bundesliga had already predicted his road to stardom quite early in his career. It was just the matter of consistency and temperament and Goertzka has certainly improved on those factors.
The 22-year old is exactly the kind of strong, direct footballer that clubs in the Premier League would love to have. His strong physical build coupled with incredible pace makes him a perfect candidate for teams like Manchester United and Arsenal.
Goertzka is equally adept in both defending and attack and is strong with either foot. He can marshall the midfield well and is seen as a leader of the team already. He can make crucial interceptions and has the tendency to win the ball back.
Goertzka helps smoothen the transition from defence to attack and is the focal point of Schalke's setup. He possesses great vision and can make some excellent cross-field crosses from the wings or deep midfield.
Moreover, on top of everything, he has an eye for goal and can be quite decisive inside the box. He has been closely followed by many top European clubs but has been linked with a move to FC Barcelona and Manchester United.
The player's contract runs out in the summer of 2018 and Schalke would be better off getting some cash by selling him in January rather than letting him leave for free in the summer.
Surely, the lad can better any team that he walks into!
#3 Juan Mata (Manchester United)
This comes after Juan Mata's splendid performance against Leicester City in the last weekend. But truth be told and so it is...
Jose Mourinho made it quite clear in his first ever presser as a Manchester United manager that he would prefer building a team from the scratch. He was apparently unhappy with his predecessors' transfer activities.
Jose has been known to make decisions his way and consequently, the gaffer does not fear to make bold decisions. The sale of Juan Mata from Chelsea, in the winter of 2014 was a clear indication of this opinion.
Mata was arguably the best Chelsea player in the two seasons prior to his departure from Stamford Bridge. So, when the Portuguese boss arrived at Old Trafford ahead of last season, many expected Mata to be shown the exit door.
However, under Mourinho, Mata somewhat rediscovered himself and did a decent job last season. However, he has never been played in his preferred position behind the striker. Mata brings in a sense of creativity to the final third.
This season, he has struggled to make the required impact from the wings this season. Moreover, Jose seems to be realizing that to challenge for the top honors, he needs to have better talent and younger players at his disposal.
Mata's drawbacks are too evident these days. He lacks the pace to trouble the opposition's fullbacks and is not the best when it comes to taking on defenders too. His lack of upper body strength means the opposition have found out a way to bully the Spaniard in their half.
However, the player has been a great servant for Manchester United and the fans would be devastated to see him leave the team. His amazing work-ethic has made him a favorite among the Old Trafford faithful.
If he were to leave, then the most likely destination would be Inter Milan. Milan has found it difficult to find a leader in attack and Mata could guide their youngsters well.
Another thing that adds speculation about Mata's exit is the fact that his contract is expiring at the end of this season. United have not held any renewal talks with him and it would be interesting to see where Juan Mata ends up at the end of this season.
#2 Mesut Özil (Arsenal)
Mesut Özil has divided opinions at Arsenal over the years. Arsene Wenger signed the German for a then club record fee and the partnership between the player and manager has been amazing over the years.
Özil is loyal to Wenger and once said that his future at the club depends on Wenger’s future altogether. He has often been accused of disappearing in matches whenever required and his defensive work ethic has been criticized by fans who have lashed out at him numerous times.
The German star is often the scapegoat of Arsenal’s poor performances. This has soured the relationship between the player and the fans. Arsenal fans have termed Ozil’s approach as lackluster and complacent, which is quite an insult to a player of his pedigree.
True, the playmaker often fades out of matches but it is not entirely his fault. For years now, Arsenal has struggled to put up a decent and consistent central midfield combination.
Santi Cazorla’s prolonged injuries mean that there is no linkage between the defence and attack for the Gunners. Aaron Ramsey has taken time to settle to the new 3-4-2-1 formation that Wenger plays. Granit Xhaka has struggled to find his feet at the Emirates and has often been malicious with his tackles and inconsistent with his passes.
Özil is someone who thrives while playing in a free role behind the striker. he can shift wider to play on the wing too. When in form, the former Real Madrid man’s vision and passing range is incomparable.
He was phenomenal in the North London derby and was arguably Arsenal’s best player in their loss against Manchester United.
He has scored thrice and assisted five times in fifteen games in the league. Moreover, it has been his impact and the ability to create something out of nowhere that has benefitted Arsenal many-a-times.
He wants to play for a club with better vision and ambition going forward. The German star has been extensively linked with Manchester United as Jose Mourinho has grown tired of Henrik Mkhitaryan’s poor performances. The Armenian has faded away after making a good start to the season.
Mourinho sees Özil as the perfect player for United’s central attacking midfielder woes.
In addition to this, even FC Barcelona have been keen to acquire the player’s services. It would be surely a busy month for him as well as Arsenal.
#1 Gareth Bale (Real Madrid)
It has been a mixed time for Gareth Bale at Santiago Bernabeu ever since his arrival there. After a promising start, Bale has been hampered by injuries and hence the board has been frustrated with the player’s fitness issues.
Bale has featured in only five La Liga games this season and the club is worried about his high wages too. The fans have booed the Welshman incessantly and many have demanded his exit from the club.
Zinedine Zidane has maintained that the winger remains a crucial part of his plans at Real Madrid but even the manager’s patience has been put to the test.
The Welshman has missed far too many matches for the Los Blancos and the revival of Isco means that he has fallen down the pecking order for the team. He was seen as a potential successor to Cristiano Ronaldo but has done little to justify that tag.
However, if you keep his injuries aside, the Welshman is a player of great quality.
He has leadership qualities inbuilt in him and can be a treat to watch when in full form. The former Spurs man is well equipped to play on either wing and can be deployed in a central position too. His searing pace makes him the perfect player for the counter-attacking style of football.
His skills on the ball and ability to deliver key passes regularly can make him an essential member of any team. Bale can do the defensive work well as he earlier used to play as a left back for Southampton. Ever since his exit from Spurs, Manchester United have tried hard to lure the player to Old Trafford.
However, the eternal glory of playing at the Santiago Bernabeu meant that the player chose Real Madrid over the Red Devils.
If there is a time when Ed Woodward can bring in his desired target, it is now. Bale is suitable and used for the hard, physical game of the Premier League. Hence he would not take much time to adapt to the surroundings in England.
Jose Mourinho is a huge fan of the Welshman and this seems like a partnership made in heaven. In the past few days, it has been reported that Real Madrid could offer Bale in a player plus cash deal to Liverpool for Mohammed Salah.
Come January, a move away from Spain looks imminent for the Welshman!
