Five mutually beneficial player trades that should happen this January

With a third of the season already past us, managers and fans alike have tasted the fruit of their activity in the summer transfer window. For some, the season has been a casual gallop, well ahead of the maddening crowd (yes, we’re looking at you Chelsea, Bayern, Juve fans). Others have suffered a serious reality check and seen their high-flying hopes brought to a premature tame end (Liverpool or Dortmund, anyone?). But football is football. And in football, hope springs eternal. After all, aren’t matches (and similarly seasons) won and lost in the second half? Haven’t we learned already that it is too early to write someone out of the title race before ‘squeaky-bum time’ comes to pass?So take heart, dear readers, and look eagerly to the winter transfer window in the hopes that your club will follow through on some of the following genius suggestions. That should help keep your Christmas cheer going for a while, we hope.

#5 Xherdan Shaqiri - Paulinho

Mauricio Pochettino might already be regretting his switch from potential Champions League nights at St Mary’s next season to the cheery atmosphere (Adebayor might disagree) of White Hart Lane. He has good reason to do so as well, with his three strikers having scored a total of 5 league goals between them in 21 appearances. There is no doubt then that the addition of a Shaqiri, who can be more of a goal-scoring threat, will supplement the efforts of the Tottenham attacking midfielders consisting of the likes of Lamela, Eriksen and Chadli.

The choice of whom to send in the opposite direction is a tough one, primarily because Bayern are more than adequately blessed in almost all departments. However, considering all their injury problems in midfield, a holding midfielder such as Paulinho is one that will definitely add to their squad strength and will probably be considered to be a welcome addition.

#4 Stevan Jovetic - Jan Vertonghen

No thanks to the giant figure of Aguero looming over him (in addition to the hulking figure of Dzeko), Jovetic has found playing time really hard to come by at Manchester City. After a dull first season, the Montenegrin international has shown glimpses of explosive talent this season, and will be pushing for more playing time. Meanwhile, City’s only weak spot has been their defence, with Mangala having failed to settle down as yet, and Demichelis still prone to the odd individual errors, the combination of which has cost them valuable points.

Vertonghen might not sound like the best option if one is looking for defenders who are not prone to one or two lapses in concentration, but his versatility will be a strategic asset for City. Given that the two left-backs at the club at the moment are also susceptible to the odd error, Vertonghen will definitely be an upgrade.

Jovetic could be a very good fit at Tottenham, with the Londoners looking for a naturally dynamic striker who can compliment an attacking midfield composed of Eriksen, Lamela and Chadli.

#3 Joao Miranda - Juan Mata

Oops, he’s done it again! For very little fault of his, Juan Mata finds himself back on the bench quite a lot during the weekends. Looking at his team’s defence though, he might well be forgiven for wondering why Louis van Gaal doesn’t start him in one of the back-four positions at least. A more capable man for the job though would be Atletico Madrid’s Miranda who was voted the joint-best defender in La Liga last year.

Given that Atletico’s triumph last year was based on a solid defence which leaked only 26 goals through the season, trading 30 year-old Miranda for Mata might not seem like the most logical move for Simeone. But with the option of recalling Alderweireld from Southampton at his disposal, placing a bet on Mata’s vision to unlock defences for Atletico’s runners might reap rich reward for the Argentine.

Already having featured in four La Liga seasons with Valencia, Mata will likely hit the blocks running, and eagerly press his case for a permanent return to the national team. This deal, if it does go through, will see a potential player + cash deal in return for Mata.

#2 Ron Vlaar - Lukas Podolski

Poor ol’ Arsenal are at it again. After having their 9 year-old major trophy drought broken last year, they seem to have turned breaking things into a habit. Unfortunately, these are often the hearts of the over-taxed Arsenal fans, who have seen their team give away points on account of their weak defence.

Aston Villa on the other hand have been so intent on showing their fondness for Vlaar that most of the team has often been huddled around him on the pitch, trying their best to not concede. Yet, they have managed to score a remarkable 6 goals from their 12 league fixtures thus far, thus indicating quite clearly the need for some firepower.

Off with him then, pack him off to Arsenal, with Podolski coming in the other way as an added bonus. The German forward has been talking of the need to play regular first-team football, and Villa offer him the chance to do the same. Vlaar has been linked to big clubs across England after his performances for England were noticed quite keenly, and this could be an ideal move for the Dutchman.

#1 Marco Reus - Edinson Cavani

PSG made it plenty clear this summer that they were looking for a top-tier attacker who can play on the flanks with their secretive bid for Angel Di Maria, which we must say did not blow up in their face at all. On the other hand, Borussia Dortmund’s likely exclusion from the Champions League next year has seen Jurgen Klopp & co almost resign themselves to losing Marco Reus next summer.

Put two and two together, and you come up with the obvious – Zlatan. Ibrahimovic’s stature in the PSG side has led to a slight drop in Cavani’s prolific goal scoring rate while he is supposed to be peaking at this stage of his career.

And a switch would be welcome for both players, given that Reus’ best positions on the pitch do not clash with that of the Swedish striker.