Calling Fact or Fiction on the 20 Hottest January Transfer Rumours

January is almost upon us and the world's media is trying to predict just which of the world's footballers will be joining which of the world's clubs.

Now there's a lot of footballers out there and a lot of clubs, so you do not have to be Will Hunting to realise that it amounts to quite a few permutations. It is fair to say that the press' strike-rate when it comes to predicting transfers is not through the roof, but sometimes they get it right.

So which of the hottest January transfer rumours are fact and which are fiction? Join us as we play judge and jury (please note: both judges and juries have been know to get things wrong too).

Radamel Falcao to Chelsea

The Rumour: With Chelsea's Daniel Sturridge seemingly on his way to Liverpool, the London club are ready to meet the £48m buyout clause that would allow them to sign Radamel Falcao, claims Simon Johnson of The Evening Standard.

The Verdict: How mad would you have to be to sack three managers for failing to get the best out of Fernando Torres, then appoint a manager pretty much because his CV read 'managed Fernando Torres successfully', only to then tire of Torres and splash out another fortune on the latest in-vogue goalscorer?

The answer is certifiably mad, but considering that the Chelsea owner Roman Abramovic has made similarly crazy decisions in the past, I would not put it past him. 

Fact or Fiction? FACT!

Gareth Bale to Real Madrid

The Rumour: Jamie Sanderson of The Metro has stated that Jose Mourinho wants Gareth Bale in January and will fight for over the next two windows.

The Verdict: For one, Jose Mourinho's future at Real Madrid is even less sure than Bale's. Madrid does feel like a likely destination for the Welsh winger but once he gets there Mourinho is likely to have departed, so any deal this January is unlikely, especially as Spurs have no financial pressure to sell and are having a successful season. As for next summer though...

Fact or Fiction? FICTION!

David Villa to Manchester City

The Rumour: Manchester City will sign David Villa to replace Mario Balotelli, reckons The Daily Mail. 

The Verdict: Increasingly, Manchester City is trying to act with greater financial caution, so would they spend big on a 31-year old? The bulk of their signings have been younger players who are easier to unload if the move goes wrong.

Fact or Fiction? FICTION!

Nani to Roma

The Rumour: The Daily Express thinks that Roma will try to take Nani to Serie A in January.

The Verdict: Nani has long been linked with a move away from Old Trafford and unsurprisingly (in light of recent events) the talk of him joining Zenit St Petersburg has died down somewhat. There are no obvious Premier League destinations, so some sort of move to Rome could be a possibility.

Fact or Fiction? FACT!

David Beckham to Paris St-Germain

The Rumour: David Beckham will join PSG until the end of the season, writes The Mirror.

The Verdict: Beckham has always said that he does not have much interest in playing for any other Premier League club since leaving Manchester United. It is hard to imagine him wanting to move his family to Australia for a short stay, while there is not much to recommend Monaco other than money. 

At PSG he gets good football, big bucks and a great city that is conveniently located to England. In return PSG get a player who still has something to offer and a new poster boy.

Fact or Fiction: FACT!

Marouane Fellaini to Chelsea

The Rumour: With the Daily Mail reporting that Monaco is interested in Frank Lampard, The Mirror thinks that Chelsea will replace him with Marouane Fellaini.

The Verdict: Fellaini has excelled this season playing in an advanced attacking role, with the opportunities at Chelsea seem limited to deeper midfield positions. Chelsea would also have to pay a fortune to get him while Everton are chasing the Champions League and considering that I have already told you that Falcao is definitively moving to Stamford Bridge, the figures might add up to too much, even for Roman.

Fact or Fiction? FICTION! 

Mario Balotelli to AC Milan

The Rumour: The Sun says that AC Milan are ready to rescue Mario Balotelli from Manchester City.

The Verdict: No one can deny that Manchester City have shown some patience with Mario Balotelli but it seems to have finally snapped. They want him out and we all know that Mario likes wearing a Milan shirt.

Fact or Fiction? FACT!

Giuseppe Rossi to Inter Milan

The Rumour: The agent of Giuseppe Rossi is quoted by ESPN as claiming that his player could join Inter Milan in January.

The Verdict: Having suffered a series of injuries Villarreal could be forgiven for trying to move Rossi on. That said, when fit Rossi is a world class player. It is a gamble, but surely one worth taking.

Fact or Fiction? FACT!

Joao Moutinho to Spurs

The Rumour: John Cross of The Mirror has claimed that Spurs will rekindle their efforts to sign Joao Moutinho, having failed with their bid in January.

The Verdict: With Porto through to the knockout stages of the Champions League they will be reluctant to sell Moutinho and may prove even tougher negotiators than usual.

Fact or Fiction? FICTION!

Christian Eriksen to Spurs

The Rumour: The Independent's Tom Collomosse has speculated that Spurs are ready to make a January bid for Ajax's Christian Eriksen. 

The Verdict: This one would make more sense. With Moutinho out of the picture, Eriksen is a more affordable option. The Dane puts great stock in getting playing time and Spurs could offer that more readily than some more glamorous alternatives.

Fact or Fiction? FACT!

Fernando Llorente to Liverpool

The Rumour: Talksport have reported that Fernando Llorente is ready to come to the Premier League, with Liverpool keen to sign him.

The Verdict: As Liverpool look likely to nab Daniel Strurridge, Brendan Rodgers might feel that he has enough firepower. Rodgers has already cast aside one long-haired hulk of a striker in Andy Carroll and though Llorente is a class above, it seems that this Liverpool side will be built on pace rather than power.

Fact or Fiction? FICTION!

Pepe Reina to Arsenal

The Rumour: Arsenal will make a January move for Pepe Reina according to The Sun.

The Verdict: Reina's has not been in his best form for Liverpool this season and they might be tempted to sell but it would be a brave call to sell him in January, knowing that they had only a limited amount of time to sign a replacement.

Fact or Fiction? FICTION!

Wesley Sneijder to Manchester United

The Rumour: The Mirror reports that Wesley Sneijder has been sent home early for his Christmas break ahead of schedule, fuelling talk of a move to Manchester United.

The Verdict: Although United have been trying to sign Sneijder for some time, that time might now have passed. They are well stocked with attacking midfield players and Sneijder is no longer Europe's most wanted player.

Fact or Fiction? FICTION!

Mamadou Sakho to Manchester City

The Rumour: Simon Jones of The Daily Mail reports that Manchester City are interested in Mamadou Sakho from PSG, as they look to offload Joleon Lescott.

The Verdict: Roberto Mancini is a known admirer of Sakho, who is unsettled in the French capital. Having failed to find a convincing partner for Vincent Kompany this season, it would be no surprise if a central defender was City's top priority this window.

Fact or Fiction? FACT!

Kevin Prince-Boateng to Bayern Munich

The Rumour: According to the German newspaper TZ, Bayern Munich will make a January move for AC Milan's Kevin-Prince Boateng.

The Verdict: Boateng has fallen out of favour at the San Siro and this move could see him make a return to Germany to play alongside his brother Jerome. All the pieces seem to fit but does it make a perfect picture?

Fact or Fiction? FACT!

Wilfried Zaha to Arsenal

The Rumour: Tony Banks of The Express claims that Arsenal have won the £12 million race to sign the Crystal Palace and England youngster Wilfried Zaha.

The Verdict: Arsene Wenger does have a penchant for signing wide forwards when he really should be addressing more pressing issues at the club. With Theo Walcott possibly on his way then there could be some truth in this.

Fact or Fiction? FACT!

Gary Hooper to Juventus

The Rumour: The Daily Mail reports that Gary Hooper has turned down a new contract with Celtic and that Juventus are ready to take a chance on the Englishman.

The Verdict: While it does seem likely that Hooper will eventually get a move, a transfer to the Premier League looks likelier. It would be a fairytale if Hooper, who started his career at non-league Grays Athletic, joined Juventus, but like a fairytale it sounds like fantasy to us.

Fact or Fiction? FICTION!

Paolo Guerrero to Juventus

The Rumour: Tuttosport of Italy report that Juventus are looking to Paolo Guerrero from Corinthians to solve their striker problems.

The Verdict: The Peruvian certainly impressed at the Club World Cup and may fancy another crack at Europe after a lengthy spell in Germany. This one could have more legs than those Gary Hooper rumours.

Fact or Fiction? FACT!

Javier Hernandez to Barcelona

The Rumour: The Express expect Barcelona to pounce for the Manchester United poacher Javier Hernandez in January.

The Verdict: Hernandez is a goal-poacher supreme but he doesn't fit into my idea of the Barcelona ethos. He would certainly give them a different option but do you really need a pure goalscorer when you already have Lionel Messi doing that job and more?

Fact or Fiction? FICTION!

Kevin Strootman to Manchester United

The Rumour: Rob Beasley of The Sun claims that Manchester United will make a £17 million move for 'the new Mark van Bommel.

The Verdict: United certainly should be in the market for a deep-lying midfielder having failed to address this issue over several transfer windows. If Strootman becomes available, surely Sir Alex Ferguson won't let another top class midfielder pass him by?

Fact or Fiction? FACT!