January Transfer Rumours: 15 Midfielders Who Could Change Sides

Midfielders form the backbone of every team. The same could probably be said of a midfielder's role in the world football transfer market.

More than any other position, midfielders seem to be a hot commodity at each transfer window. They might not command the huge fees of a world-famous striker, but every team needs its share of talented midfielders.

That's why there's never a shortage of rumours featuring them. With that said, here are 15 midfielders who could be on the move this month.

Daniele De Rossi

Italian international midfielder Daniele De Rossi, who has spent his entire senior career with AS Roma, is the subject of speculation over a move to Manchester City.

Blues manager Roberto Mancini, reportedly a long-term admirer of De Rossi, apparently showed interest after the midfielder grew frustrated over negotiations of his latest deal with Roma.

The latest reports indicate that Roma could be willing to offer De Rossi €6 million per year with a €25 million buy-out clause.

Not that City couldn't afford it.

Riccardo Montolivo

It seems likely that Riccardo Montolivo will leave Fiorentina this winter. The Italian international midfielder's contract expires at the end of the season, and he has previously said he won't sign a new deal.

But where will he go?

Montolivo either turned down Juventus or didn't, depending who you believe; AC Milan are also interested.

Foreign clubs are reportedly interested as well, including Liverpool.

Gaël Kakuta

Chelsea's Gaël Kakuta is a hot commodity apparently.

The 20-year-old midfielder, who has spent all of the current season on loan at Bolton, is the subject of a reported tug-of-war among three clubs.

Greek side Olympiacos want to sign Kakuta on loan, as do French clubs Marseille and Dijon. Nice are also in the mix, according to this report.

Where will he go? Time will tell.

Granit Xhaka

Manchester United's interest in Inter Milan midfielder Wesley Sneijder is no secret. We're not including Sneijder in this list for the simple reason that his potential transfer to England has been discussed ad nauseum in every corner of the web.

We will, on the other hand, report this rumour. If United don't go for Sneijder, they could be after FC Basel's Granit Xhaka. Hamburg and Lazio are also reportedly interested.

Xhaka is a Swiss international of Albanian descent. He has been capped six times by Switzerland, scoring once.

Steven Pienaar

South African midfielder Steven Pienaar has found his opportunities limited at Tottenham Hotspur. Spurs boss Harry Redknapp has reportedly told Pienaar he can leave in January.

Everton and Sunderland are apparently interested in Pienaar, whose price tag would be around £5 million. This report from Metro suggests Pienaar could be part of a package deal that would see Spurs acquire Jack Rodwell from Everton.

Alan Dzagoev

This report has been making the rounds the last few days. Manchester United reportedly want to bring Russian midfielder Alan Dzagoev to Old Trafford.

Dzagoev has been called the "Russian Messi," for what it's worth. His deal with CSKA Moscow expires in the summer, according to TalkSport.

Ki Sung-Yueng

Liverpool showed interest in Celtic's Ki Sung-Yueng last summer, and now the chase is apparently back on.

The Reds are reportedly still interested, but now so are Aston Villa. Rubin Kazan have reportedly offered £8 million for the South Korean international.

Jadson

Here's an interesting rumour. Most of the time, South American players move from their home country to a European club.

In the case of Shakhtar Donetsk's Jadson, it could be the other way around. More than six years after joining the Ukrainian club, Jadson is being linked with a move back to Brazil.

Sao Paulo are reportedly interested in signing the 28-year-old, and Jadson apparently rather wants to go.

We don't blame him. Sao Paulo is probably much sunnier than Donetsk.

Jadson has appeared for Brazil four times, scoring once.

Darron Gibson

Darron Gibson has spent much of the season on the edge of Manchester United's first team after a summer move to Sunderland failed to materialize.

Now he could have another way out: Everton. This report suggests the Republic of Ireland international could be headed to Merseyside this month, if United themselves find reinforcements in the midfield.

Rasmus Elm

Rasmus Elm is one of those potential Manchester United reinforcements. Elm, a Sweden international, turned heads with his performance against England at Wembley recently, and he's been drawing interest from several clubs.

The list includes Manchester United, Valencia and Lazio.

Elm, 23, has a contract with AZ Alkmaar until the summer of 2013.

Felipe Melo

Felipe Melo, the awesomely named Brazil international defensive midfielder, has been linked with a permanent move from Galatasaray to Juventus.

But if Galatasaray cannot meet Juventus' asking price, rival club Fenerbahce is reportedly ready to pounce.

Manuel Schmiedebach

Manuel Schmiedebach is a German footballer of Colombian descent who plays for Hannover 96 in Germany's Bundesliga.

The defensive midfielder is being linked with a move to either Bayer Leverkusen or German champions Borussia Dortmund.

Schmiedebach's contract with Hannover is up in the summer. Udinese and AC Milan have also shown interest in the past.

Mark Davies

West Bromwich Albion manager Roy Hodgson is reportedly looking for a right-sided player after the injury of Chris Brunt.

According to the Sun, Hodgson might be after Bolton's Mark Davies. The price tag would reportedly be £4 million.

Graham Dorrans

With Rangers falling behind rival Celtic in the Scottish Premier League table, manager Ally McCoist could be looking for reinforcements this month.

One target might be Graham Dorrans of West Brom.

According to Goal.com, the Scottish international wants to leave West Brom in search of more playing time. The report also says McCoist has been told by owner Craig Whyte that he will have money to spend.

Adam Maher

AZ Alkmaar are the surprise leaders of the Dutch Eredivisie, and one of the key players in their run is drawing attention from England's elite.

Adam Maher, an 18-year-old midfielder, is wanted by both Manchester City and Arsenal, according to this report. Maher made his first-team debut in December 2010, and has appeared in every Eredivisie game this season.

His contract with AZ runs until 2015.