
Transfer Scout: 20 Players from World Cup Qualifying Who Should Move in January
Here are 20 players from FIFA World Cup qualifying who should move in the January transfer window.
The key word being "should," so the point of this slideshow is to pinpoint players who would benefit from a January transfer.
There is only one prerequisite for a footballer to be considered for this list: He has to have played at least one 2014 World Cup qualification match.ย ย
Antonio Valencia (Ecuador/Manchester United)
1 of 20
Theย Antonio Valencia who reigned supreme overย Bayer Leverkusen's ungainly left-backย Sebastian Boenisch is what Manchester United management, players and supporters expect every game.ย
However,ย Valencia's discrepant displays is hinderingย Robin van Persie andย Wayne Rooney from receiving more goalscoring opportunities.ย
| LEAGUE ONLY | Valencia '13-14 | Valencia '09-10 |
| Crossing % | 15.0 | 33.8 |
| Key Passes Per Game | 1.0 | 2.6 |
| Dribbles Per Game | 1.7 | 1.5 |
Valencia's crossing has deteriorated drastically, so this is why at times he's essentially a second right-back.ย United management in recent memory have tried playing him at right-back to mixed results. ย
He has the work ethic and he's quick and selfless, but he is past his expiry date likeย Ashley Young.
This is why 18-year-old phenomย Adnan Januzaj, who scored twice against Sunderland, received so much adulation.ย Januzajย did more on the left wing in one game thanย Young had done the entire season.ย
Fortunately forย Valencia, the player challenging his starting position isย Nani, whose career is also on a downward spiral.ย
Ifย Valencia moves to a club in January willing to make him their main weapon, then the transfer will work to his benefit.ย
Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting (Cameroon/Mainz)
2 of 20
Mainz vs.ย Hoffenheim. Twenty-five minutes into the game, Roberto Firmino andย Kevin Volland have putย Hoffenheim 2-0 up.ย
Mainz are in strife:ย Niki Zimling is losing out toย Hoffenheim'sย David Abraham, yet when Zimling dinks past the defender and is tripped over, refereeย Wolfgang Stark waves play on.ย Shinji Okazaki isย anonymousย (as usual).ย Elkin Soto hasn't gone on one of his trademark runs. Nicolai Muller is off the pace.
To make matters worse for Mainz managerย Thomas Tuchel,ย Eric Maxim Choupo-Motingโthe club's most dangerous playerโis warming the bench.
Onceย Choupo-Moting is subbed on, he changed the game.ย
He didn't just score, but he routinely caused havoc to theย Hoffenheim defence.ย
Whenย refereeย Stark ended the game, it was 2-2.ย
Choupo-Moting is 6'3", a superb dribbler,ย technicallyย brilliant but hot and cold.ย
Should a major club take a calculated gamble on him and give him the freedomย Gareth Bale enjoyed underย Andre Villas-Boas,ย Choupo-Moting will turn into aย superstar.ย
Felipe Gutierrez (Chile/Twente)
3 of 20
Felipe Gutierrez isย Twente's sparkplug in midfield.ย
He's made 33 tackles in nine games, coordinatesย Twente's attacks by averaging 69 passes per game and leads by example.ย
Kyle Ebecilio, the formerย Arsenal footballer and the 2011 UEFA.com Golden Player, needs to play with a sense of urgency like his teammateย Gutierrez.ย
Ebecilio's fellow 19-year-old, Shadrach Eghan of Ghana, is also too nonchalant.
Sometimes, the only Twenteย midfielder looking to win the ball isย Gutierrez; hence why he leads the club in tackles and interceptions per game.ย
Ebecilio andย Eghan are gifted in possession, but they need to improve their game without the ball.ย
Gutierrez could be a star forย Chile at the FIFA World Cup, which would inflate his transfer fee and why signing him in January would be an intelligent investment. ย
Gaston Ramirez (Uruguay/Southampton)
4 of 20
Oh, howย Bologna would love to haveย Gaston Ramirez back.ย The Italian club are languishing in the Serie A relegation zone with three points from seven games.
Meanwhile,ย Ramirez is frustrated and unhappy with his current situation.
Southampton managerย Mauricio Pochettino prefers a strike partnership ofย Pablo Osvaldo andย Rickie Lambert.ย This meansย Ramirez can't be the deep-lying forward.ย While he's a technically better player than left attacking midfielderย Steven Davis,ย Ramirez prefers playing centrally.ย
Ramirez is already plotting his exit.
"Napoli is a possibility," said his agent Pablo Betancourt, fromย Napoli Calcio Live via ESPN FC. "Gaston really likes the [Southampton]ย chairman, Nicola Cortese, but not the coach, Pochettino."
Isย Napoli really a possibility? No.ย
Marek Hamsik, who's scored five times in six Serie A games this season, plays inย Ramirez's position.ย
Ivica Olic (Croatia/Wolfsburg)
5 of 20
At 34 years of age,ย Ivica Olic is still running around hacking opposing defenders for Wolfsburg.ย
He's the definition of trying hard and running till the final whistle.ย
Olic has scored four league goals, including one against third-placedย Bayer Leverkusen, so he still has what it takes to beย serviceableย at the highest level.
Even though he'sย contemplated about playing in the MLS or theย UAE Arabian Gulf League, perย Munchener Merkur via Thomas Zocher atย Sky Sports,ย Olic can do a job for a Premier League club trying to stayย afloat.
Ji Dong-Won (South Korea/Sunderland)
6 of 20
Ji Dong-Won was fodder for then-Sunderland manager Paolo Di Canio.
"When you have the ball three yards from the opponent's goalline, and my player [Ji], rather than push his neck out to score a goal, retreats his neck because he is worried," saidย Di Canio, from PA Sport via Eurosport. "What can you do?"
Aside from getting away with an offside stoppage-time winner against Manchester City last January,ย Ji hasn't enjoyed his time withย Sunderland.
He had some bright moments on loan atย Augsburg last season, specifically a standout display against Eintracht Frankfurt when he combined brilliantly withย Jan Moravek toย registerย a brace.ย
Here's a suggested loan destination:ย Eintracht Braunschweig.
No player has scored more than one league goal for Braunschweig, soย Ji is more likely to win a starting position there than at Sunderland.ย
Juan Manuel Vargas (Peru/Fiorentina)
7 of 20
Juan Manuel Vargas hasn't been the same player since a cruciate knee ligament injury last April.ย It was his second knee ligament injury in recent years.ย
He can't sustain his aggressive and uptempo playing style, which is why it's unlikely he'll be an integral member ofย Fiorentina this season.ย
Vargas needs a fresh start.ย
Karim Benzema (France/Real Madrid)
8 of 20
Karim Benzema out; Alvaro Morata in.
Morata's wages account for fraction of whatย Benzema is earning at Real Madrid; however the 20-year-old Spaniard is outperforming the Frenchman off the bench.
| LEAGUE ONLY | Benzemaย | Morata |
| Minutes Played Last 2 Games | 160 | 37 |
| Goals/Assists | 0/1 | 1/1 |
It isย Morata's time to shine in the starting XI.ย
Benzema, 25, is down on confidence yet scored twice in five days for France, showing he's more at ease withย Les Bleus than Real Madrid.ย
Ifย Benzema cannot perform every match for Real, club presidentย Florentino Perez will look to sell.
Mesut Ozil was sold with no clear replacement, soย Benzemaย could be on the trading block withย Morata a logical successor.ย
Keisuke Honda (Japan/CSKA Moscow)
9 of 20
Keisuke Honda will be one of the mostย sought-after free agents when his contract atย CSKA Moscow runs out.
"I have now decided I will leave my club," saidย Honda,ย via FourFourTwo. "When the time comes, I will make a decision."
When asked about AC Milan,ย Honda said: "They are an option, but not the only option."
Milan have givenย Slovenian internationalย Valter Birsa a go in theย trequartista role.ย He's been OK but is moreย dangerous slipping out wide and sending in crosses. ย
Honda, a player with vision and a set-piece specialist, would be a natural fit atย Milan especially whenย Birsa is just a squad player andย Kaka can't stay healthy for an extended period of time.
Kossi Agassa (Togo/Stade Reims)
10 of 20
Kossi Agassa's relationship with theย Togolese Football Association is complicated, which is why even a seemingly mundane process of selecting him becomes an issue.ย
It took a call fromย Togolese presidentย Faure Gnassingbe to convinceย Agassa to turn up at the 2013 Africa Cup of Nations.
Agassa's performance againstย Bordeaux, where he made eight saves and claimed four crosses, was world-class.
France Football, the magazine that created theย Ballon d'Or, currently ranksย Agassa as Ligue 1's best goalkeeper.ย
Lamine Sane (Senegal/Bordeaux)
11 of 20
Lamine Sane has made significant improvements since being involved in a 5-1 loss to aย Morgan Amalfitano- andย Kevin Gameiro-inspired Lorient in 2011.ย
Sane, a late bloomer, made his Ligue 1 debut at 22 years of age under the management ofย Laurent Blanc, one of France's greatest-ever defenders.ย
Sane has been a rock at the back, winning back possession 42 times while only committing two fouls, and is putting forward a case for prospective buyers.ย
Nicklas Bendtner (Denmark/Arsenal)
12 of 20
Nicklas Bendtner has scored eight of his last 10 goals from either headers or penalties.ย He's wasted a large portion of his career being unprofessional, petulant and lazy.ย
A brace of headers against Italy and Portugal whilst not even playing regular football makes you wonder how great he'd be if he was dedicated to the game.ย
A loan away fromย Arsenal in January will depend how long it takesย Bendtner to irkย Arsene Wenger.
Nosa (Nigeria/Real Betis)
13 of 20
Real Betis have three valuable young assets: 19-year-old wide attacking midfielder Alvaro Vadillo, 21-year-old wide attacking midfielderย Cedric and 22-year-old box-to-box midfielderย Nosa, who's also played on the left flank.ย
Vadillo, the most hyped of the three, has yet to score in league play and doesn't do much.ย
Cedric had one great game against Real Madrid and has been missing in action since.ย
Nosa is the player whose performances are saying: "Look at me."
He's a strong presence in midfield, keeps it simple in possession and has got himself into several good goalscoring positions.ย
Ola Toivonen (Sweden/PSV)
14 of 20
Ola Toivonen's career is panning out likeย Artem Milevskiy, as "tantalising" is the ideal word to describe both players.ย They can trap the ball instantly, swivel past an opposing defender and thread a through ball for their teammates.ย
But neither have turned out to be out-and-out goalscorers or world-class No. 10s.ย
Focusing onย Toivonen, his future at PSV is bleak because management are focusing on the young.ย
PSV'sย future front three is 17-year-old wing sensationย Zakaria Bakkali (yes, another Belgian), 19-year-old goal-poacherย Jurgen Locadia and 19-year-old highlight-reel dribblerย Memphis Depay.
Oscar Cardozo (Paraguay/Benfica)
15 of 20
Oscar Cardozo is one of those players who defy the eye test.
He looks clumsy, has no pace, heavily reliant on his teammates and is a volume shooter.ย With 33, 28, 23 and 38 goals in his last four completed seasons,ย Cardozo is one of the most prolific No. 9s in Europe.ย
According to his agent, he could be aย Barcelona player.ย
Guess the agent forgot aboutย Zlatan Ibrahimovic's time at Barca.ย
Ifย Cardozo signs with a Premier League club, he'd be instantly transferred into any serious fantasy Premier League player's team.ย
Perparim Hetemaj (Finland/Chievo)
16 of 20
Since last November,ย Perparim Hetemaj has served three suspensions for yellow card accumulation.
You're probably thinkingย Hetemaj is just another rugged midfield enforcer.ย
That's partly correct, but he's good enough with the ball to surge past opposing players, keep control of the ball and create shots for his teammates.ย This year, he'sย registeredย assists againstย Napoli andย Juventus.
He'd be a good addition for a mid-tier Premier League team.
Saber Khalifa (Tunisia/Marseille)
17 of 20
Premier League clubs should be targeting Saber Khalifa, who isย anย immenselyย gifted forward but aย fringe player atย Marseille.
Marseille haveย Andre-Pierre Gignac andย Jordan Ayew vying for the centre-forward role.ย
Mathieu Valbuena is the No. 10, which further limitsย Khalifa, who can play behind the No. 9, from starting.ย
Last season for Evian, Khalifaย scored 13 times in only 21 starts and was on pace to reach 20 goals if not for an injury.ย
Sofiane Feghouli (Algeria/Valencia)
18 of 20
If there was a list of the worst La Liga players right now,ย Sofiane Feghouli would be on it.ย
When Feghouli doesn't press, you know something is wrong.ย He has yet to score in La Liga or create a goal this season.ย
From a subjective standpoint, he's played with no passion, hasn't shown any desire to get stuck in and floats around the pitch.ย
What happened to theย Feghouli who once scored against Bayern Munich?
He responded well to former managerย Mauricio Pellegrino, who always started Feghouliโsomething current managerย Miroslav Djukic hasn't been doing.ย
With the emergence ofย Fede, it might be time forย Feghouli to return to Ligue 1, where he played for Grenoble.
Toby Alderweireld (Belgium/Atletico Madrid)
19 of 20
Toby Alderweireld has been a nonfactor inย Atletico Madrid's campaign thus far.ย
He's essentially a squad filler forย Martin Demichelis, who jumped ship after signing forย Atleti and is now on the books of Manchester City.ย
Ifย Atletico managerย Diego Simeone continues to not useย Alderweireld, then clubs needing either a right-back or centre-back should be queuing up for the Belgian's signature.ย
Zvjezdan Misimovic (Bosnia and Herzegovina/Guizhou Renhe)
20 of 20
How much areย Guizhou Renhe payingย Zvjezdan Misimovic?
Whenย Edin Dzeko andย Grafite combined for 54 league goals during Wolfsburg's triumphant 2008-09ย Bundesliga campaign, Misimovic's 20 assists is often consigned to trivia questions.ย
Theย Grafite-Dzeko partnership netted four ofย Wolfsburg's five goals in their memorable 5-1 win over Bayern Munich, yet it wasย Misimovic who orchestrated play.ย
People forget that because the most vivid memory of that match wasย Grafite weaving his way past two Bayern players, evading goalkeeperย Michael Rensing and then scoring with a backheel.
Misimovic has always hadย Matt Le Tissier-like sloth speed, so don't worry about the Bosnian'sย unaesthetic build.ย
Misimovic still can conjure up moments of magic, which is why he's played an important part inย Bosnia and Herzegovina reaching their first-ever FIFA World Cup.ย
It will be aย coup if a Premier League club signsย Misimovic.
Statistics viaย WhoScored,ย FFTย Stats Zone,ย Squawkaย andย Transfermarktย
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Twitter:ย @allanjiangLIVE





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