Hottest January Transfer Rumours for Every EPL Club
Here is a rough guide to the hottest English Premier League January transfer rumours for every club.
If there is not a new transfer rumour, then the slide will talk about a relevant transfer scenario for the club or suggest a transfer target.
Don't hesitate to comment below with a transfer rumour you feel should be included in this slideshow.
Arsenal
1 of 20
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Real Betis winger Alvaro Vadillo prefers a transfer to Arsenal, according to his agent Jose Maria Sanchez de Puerta, per Jamie Sanderson at The Metro.
"Arsenal have not contacted me yet, but of course Alvaro would like to play for Arsenal," De Puerta said. "He is a player that is going to cost a lot of money in the future, and links with a club like Arsenal is totally normal."
Punto Pelota pundit Pipi Estrada said, per @MessiMinutes, Vadillo "is well on his way to being an Arsenal player. Only the signature is missing."
Estrada, are you sure about that? Or, is this another Punto Pelota publicity stunt?
Would Vadillo Be A Good Signing?
No.
His attacking output, no goals and one assist in 10 La Liga games this season, does not justify the Gunners meeting his €20 (£16.6) million release clause, per Tom Conn at Inside Spanish Football.
Going by the eye test, Vadillo is not even the liveliest player on his team because Cedric, a pint-sized real-life version of Speedy Gonzales, is one of the fastest players in Europe's top leagues.
What About Jon Toral?
Forget about Santi Cazorla, Lukas Podolski and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain standing in Vadillo's way—Toral has been a bright spark for Steve Gatting's young Gunners in the UEFA Youth League.
Toral scored and set up another in a 2-2 draw against Borussia Dortmund.
Jeorge Bird, who covers the Arsenal academy, wrote on his blog that Toral was "impressive" against NextGen Series champions Aston Villa.
Buying Vadillo would further block Toral, a player Arsene Wenger signed amid the sanctimonious and hypocritical whining from Barcelona, from breaking into the first team.
Aston Villa
2 of 20
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PSV Eindhoven centre forward Jurgen Locadia is the designated replacement for Christian Benteke should he leave Aston Villa, according to Alan Nixon at The Mirror.
"Lambert made a hush-hush trip to Holland to see the big and bustling 20-year-old hitman in action for the Dutch giants last weekend," Nixon wrote, referring to PSV's 1-1 draw against Heerenveen on November 23.
Paul Lambert would not have been impressed with Locadia's finishing. Locadia seemed to be competing with teammate Ola Toivonen to see who can squander the most chances.
The two combined for 10 shots in return for no goals.
An acrobatic stoppage-time equaliser from impact sub Florian Jozefzoon saved a point for PSV in a game they should have won convincingly as they took 25 shots and had a one-man advantage for 78 minutes.
Heerenveen goalkeeper Kristoffer Nordfeldt, who made eight saves, would have been the name Lambert jotted down on his notepad rather than Locadia.
Why Would A Major Club Buy Benteke In January?
His transfer stock has diminished because he is on a seven-game goalless run in the Premier League.
Benteke withdrew a transfer request and extended his contract to 2017 in July, so Aston Villa have the upper hand should a suitor come to the negotiating table.
Buying an out-of-form striker in the January transfer window at an inflated fee is only asking for trouble as the Fernando Torres-to-Chelsea and Andy Carroll-to-Liverpool signings serve as cautionary tales.
Cardiff City
3 of 20
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Cardiff City have asked Manchester United if signing Wilfried Zaha on loan is possible, per Gordon Tynan at The Independent.
Zaha, a £10 million signing from Crystal Palace, has yet to make a single league start this season.
A breakout star in the Championship, he's found chances hard to come by at Old Trafford.
"I just don't think we have had the right opportunity to get him on as much as would have liked," United manager David Moyes said, via Tynan. "It's not that Wilf has done anything wrong, it's just that we have big competition."
Moyes admitted loaning Zaha out again (when United signed him, he was loaned back to Palace for the remainder of last season) is an option management will assess.
Zaha's Competition
| Right Wing | Left Wing |
| Antonio Valencia | Adnan Januzaj |
| Nani | Shinji Kagawa |
| Ashley Young | |
| Danny Welbeck |
Zaha Coming Home?
His former teammate Yannick Bolaise believes Palace should be in the running.
"I think Wilf would probably love to come back down here and be back at home," Bolaise said, via Dom Bryant of talkSPORT. "Also not forgetting the fact we're playing in the Premier League which is a bonus. If he could come back that would be legendary."
Chelsea
4 of 20
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Chelsea will sell David Luiz to Barcelona in the January transfer window if the Catalonian club meet the Blues' valuation of the Brazilian international, according to Nick Lustig at The Daily Star.
Not One Gerard Pique But Two Gerard Piques
For the people who say Pique has improved from last season, well, the only way was up—he had hit rock-bottom after 4-0 and 3-0 defeats to Bayern Munich.
Barca, a club prone to making flawed defensive signings (i.e. Dmytro Chygrynskiy and Philippe Christanval), will be adding another Pique to their back-line should they buy Luiz.
Did you know that Lionel Messi is statistically a better tackler than Luiz right now?
| League Only | Luiz | Messi |
| Total Tackles | 3 | 10 |
| Tackles Per Game | 0.6 | 0.9 |
| Tackle Success % | 23 | 90 |
Stubborn Negotiating By Chelsea Is Mandatory
Luiz, who isn't an archetypal defensively sound, Jose Mourinho-type defender, must not be sold at a discount.
Chelsea should sell him for €30 (£24.9) million minimum since Shakhtar Donetsk sold Dmytro Chygrynskiy to Barca for €25 million and then signed him back for €15 million a year later.
Blues management should take advantage of Barca's administrative incompetency when they are negotiating a fee for Luiz's potential transfer there.
Crystal Palace
5 of 20
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Crystal Palace manager Tony Pulis wants to sign Cardiff City's Mark Hudson, according to Sami Mokbel at The Daily Mail.
Spectator At Cardiff
Last season, Hudson was the supporters' club's player of the season and one of two Cardiff players to be voted into the 2013 Championship Team of the Year, per PFA.com: "Hudson, who led the time out at Wembley for last year’s League Cup Final against Liverpool, has been a rock at the back for promotion-chasing City."
This season, Hudson is the backup to Ben Turner and the £8 million-valued Steven Caulker, with the duo starting every single Premier League game thus far.
Everton
6 of 20
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LA Galaxy's Landon Donovan is open to a third loan stint with Everton, according to David Maddock at The Mirror.
"I would absolutely love to go back," Donovan said, via Maddock. "I miss the people. I miss the players a lot, and I miss just the positive energy of the fans walking into the stadium and how much they care about that club and the team."
Country vs. Club
LA Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena insists Donovan will not be loaned out.
"Our players aren't going anywhere," Arena said, from LAGalaxy.com via MLSsoccer.com. "They've had a full 11 months of play and they need some time off."
Donovan playing in the Premier League would be in line with United States national team manager Jurgen Klinsmann's demands in preparation for the 2014 FIFA World Cup, but it would clash with Arena's wishes.
"Our priorities are set so that the first one is if you get a chance to go on loan to Europe, do it. Compete there with good players overseas," Klinsmann said, via USSoccer.com. "Whoever won't be on loan in January or February overseas is going to be part of our mandatory January camp."
Fulham
7 of 20
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Trabzonspor president Ibrahim Haciosmanoglu confirmed Fulham deep-lying forward Dimitar Berbatov is a transfer target.
"Bulgarian striker Dimitar Berbatov has been on our agenda," Haciosmanoglu said, from Hurriyet via FOX Sports. "We are pleased with our team, but there are weaknesses and we will supplement with whatever we need to do."
Lazy Berbatov
Can you imagine how frustrating it would be having Berbatov as your captain in your fantasy Premier League team only to watch him mess about in midfield?
Yes, he's always loved being on the ball, but he has been dropping deeper into midfield, perhaps frustrated at the club accumulating less than 50 percent of possession per game (44.3).
It's had a crippling affect on his shooting to the extent that he averages fewer shots per game (1.3) than Manchester City left-back Aleksandar Kolarov (2.3).
This is why Berbatov has only scored one goal from 11 league games.
He's probably still telling his teammates: "Keep calm and pass me the ball."
If Berbatov continues playing in such a disinterested manner, Fulham won't hesitate in selling him to Trabzonspor.
Hull City
8 of 20
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Hull City manager Steve Bruce acknowledged the club is tracking in-form Nantes centre forward Filip Djordjevic.
"He's someone on our list," Bruce said, via the Hull Daily Mail. "It's not just about spending money, you need to find somebody who can make a difference."
How Much For Djordjevic?
Djordjevic has scored eight goals in 15 Ligue 1 games and reached 20 league goals last season in Ligue 2.
Nantes are known for their resolute negotiating because their last two most valuable assets, Eric Carriere and Mario Yepes, were sold for €10 million plus.
The aforementioned transfers occurred in 2001 and 2004, respectively, so Nantes will see Hull City owner Assem Allam as an easy target to extract money from.
Liverpool
9 of 20
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Liverpool have began discussions with Barcelona to sign their full-back Martin Montoya, according to Chris Bascombe and Luke Edwards at The Telegraph.
Wait ... Is This Really Happening?
Spanish football expert Guillem Balague revealed talks between the clubs have yet to start, in a Bleacher Report guest column:
"Barcelona deny they have met anybody with regards to selling Montoya.
Barcelona do not want to sell Montoya, least of all in January. The team are struggling with injuries, and they view him as the successor to Alves.
The right-back [Montoya], who can become Spain's first choice in that position if he plays regularly for a big club, has a decision to make.
Does he sit tight and wait for his chance at Barcelona, or head for a new challenge?
"
Why Montoya To Liverpool Can Happen
If Barcelona ask Montoya if he wants to leave and he says yes, the club will have their hand forced.
Why?
"Montoya is in the final year of his contract and is unsure of his position at the club," per Balague, meaning Barca risk losing Montoya on a free transfer in the summer if they do not sell him in January.
Manchester City
10 of 20
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Manchester City defender Micah Richards will consider leaving the club if he is not guaranteed more playing time.
"My contract is up at the end of next season and, although I've already spoken to City and know that they are happy to extend my deal, I've told them I want to see how many games I play this season," Richards said, via Simon Mullock at The Mirror. "I could sign a contract tomorrow and it would make me very rich, but it's not about money—it's about football."
The latter quote is rich coming from Richards, who is already rich.
Though, it is always pleasant to see a high-level footballer take the initiative to improve his career as opposed to being on auto-pilot mode.
Back To Centre-Back?
It seems eons ago when Richards shrugged his shoulders and accepted being shifted from centre-back to right-back.
"While I am still young and fresh, I don't mind playing right-back," he said, via FourFourTwo in 2007. "It is a bit different but you get used to it."
Now general footballing fans only know him as a right-back, but he's naturally a centre-back.
When asked what his ideal position was in the future, Richards said, via Chris Bevan at BBC Sport: "Right-back means I can get forward more but as my career goes on I think I will become a centre-half."
Since he's lagging behind City's first-choice right-back, Pablo Zabaleta, a switch back to centre-back at a new club could reinvigorate Richards' career.
Manchester United
11 of 20Tell Me The Rumour
Manchester United are moving in to sign Dundee United's Ryan Gauld, according to Steve Bates at The Mirror.
"It is thought champions [Manchester] United have offered an initial payment of £3 million to the SPL side," Bates wrote. "However, United's bid falls well below the Tannadice club's £6 million valuation of the 17-year-old Scotland Under-21 midfielder, who is also on the radar of Real Madrid."
Let Him Play
Why ruin Gauld's development?
Nick Powell would have been better off staying at Crewe Alexandra rather than joining Manchester United, not playing and being loaned out to Wigan Athletic.
Signing with Manchester United, sucking in the Old Trafford atmosphere and receiving big pay checks compared to his time at Dundee United will wear off on Gauld once he is languishing in reserve football or warming the benches.
Newcastle United
12 of 20
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Borussia Monchengladbach's Luuk de Jong is set for a January loan move which may interest Newcastle United, according to Sky Tyne and Wear.
"Our head coach Lucien Favre has said from the start he didn't have 100 percent confidence in De Jong filling the striker position," Gladbach board member Hans Meyer said, via Sky Tyne and Wear. "We will possibly loan Luuk at Christmas but definitely not to a competitor."
What Happened To De Jong?
Gladbach manager Favre uses a 4-4-2 formation, which does not incorporate a pure No. 9.
The "2" of 4-4-2 are deep-lying forwards in Max Kruse and Raffael, both dropping into midfield to create.
Kruse and Raffael have eight league assists between them and average 96.6 passes per game.
Who is the big loser of Favre's system? De Jong.
Loan Destinations For De Jong
If Gladbach want to develop De Jong, he will be loaned to a struggling Bundesliga club such as Eintracht Braunschweig or Freiburg.
Should Gladbach management want to cut their losses with De Jong, loaning him to a Premier League club with an option to buy is a viable method.
Norwich City
13 of 20
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Norwich City's fourth-choice centre forward Luciano Becchio wants out.
"When you're not happy in your job you sometimes take the problems home. Your family can feel you are not happy and they suffer too," Becchio said, via Phil Hay at The Yorkshire Post. "If the club don't want me, what was the point of signing me?"
Why Becchio Is Unhappy
| League Only | Ricky van Wolfswinkel | Johan Elmander | Gary Hooper | Luciano Becchio |
| Minutes Played | 601 | 526 | 518 | 9 |
| Goals | 1 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
Becchio isn't behind Sergio Aguero or Luis Suarez, so you can understand why he feels aggrieved by his lack of chances, especially with Elmander going 526 minutes without a league goal.
Southampton
14 of 20
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Southampton are in talks with Werder Bremen midfielder Aaron Hunt, according to Alan Nixon at Mirror Football.
"The Saints have jumped to the front of the queue for the Werder Bremen star, who can sign a pre-contract with them next month," Nixon wrote. "Hunt, whose mother is English, turned down approaches from the FA to play for the Three Lions when he was younger."
Does Aaron Hunt Really Want To Leave?
After playing 253 matches for former Werder manager Thomas Schaaf, there isn't any indication that Hunt has problems with new Werder manager Robin Dutt.
"Aaron can do what he likes up front," Dutt said, via Michael Reis at Bundesliga.com. "He's the captain of our forward line and has a license to roam."
The speculation surrounding Hunt's exit originates from an interview when he said, from Bild per Thomas Zocher at Sky Sports: "There is always a special charm to move to a foreign-based club and this is an issue on my mind. But Werder Bremen remains my first partner of conversation regarding my future."
Stoke City
15 of 20
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Stoke City is in the running to sign Seattle Sounders' Clint Dempsey on loan, according to The Stoke Sentinel.
Why would Dempsey want to go on loan? United States national team manager Jurgen Klinsmann wants all MLS-based players to be playing in Europe throughout the American offseason.
Would Dempsey Go To Stoke?
During his Premier League career (2007-13), he has been with two clubs, Fulham and Tottenham Hotspur, both based in London. Therefore, he's likely to prefer a team in London rather than going to Stoke.
Sunderland
16 of 20
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Sunderland's Ji Dong-Won is a transfer target for Borussia Monchengladbach, Freiburg, Hamburg and Stuttgart, according to Clive Hetherington at The Mirror.
Evaluating Ji's Options
Borussia Monchengladbach: from one bench to another. The Max Kruse and Raffael strike partnership is one of the best in Germany, so unless one of the two suffer a long-term injury, it makes no sense for Ji to go to Gladbach.
Freiburg: realistic destination because Admir Mehmedi and Sebastian Freis have yet to reach seven league goals this season.
Hamburg: Pierre-Michel Lasogga is playing the most consistent football of his career, and the club will give emerging talent Hakan Calhanoglu freedom in the attacking half. If Artjoms Rudnevs cannot even get successive starts, Hamburg is not the place for Ji.
Stuttgart: No. 9 Vedad Ibisevic leads the club in league goals this season, and No. 10 Alexandru Maxim has the most assists. If Maxim gets injured, Timo Werner will be moved from the left to a central position.
Ji, pack your bags for Freiburg.
Swansea City
17 of 20
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Swansea City manager Michael Laudrup will target Hamburg defender Michael Mancienne, according to Mark Brus at Sports Direct News.
In the last four league games, Hamburg manager Bert van Marwijk has left Mancienne on the bench.
Mancienne has been viewed as a defensive liability during his spell with Hamburg, which is why his Kicker magazine player ratings are historically bad.
Mancienne One Of The Worst Rated Players By Kicker Magazine
| Season | Kicker Player Ranking |
| 2012-13 | 209/210 |
| 2011-12 | 210/212 |
Tottenham Hotspur
18 of 20
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Tottenham Hotspur will spend £30 million on Fiorentina centre forward Giuseppe Rossi, according to Alan Nixon at The Mirror.
Reaction
What? Either Spurs chairman Daniel Levy is losing his marbles, or Nixon is pulling something out of thin air.
Put Rossi into the same situation as Roberto Soldado, and the Italian international will struggle.
The two players leading Fiorentina in shots per game are strikers (Mario Gomez and Rossi), as it should be.
Whereas at Spurs, it's a right winger (Andros Townsend with 4.1) and a box-to-box midfielder in Paulinho (2.9).
West Bromwich Albion
19 of 20
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West Bromwich Albion midfielder Youssouf Mulumbu believes he is ready for a transfer to a club playing in Europe.
"I owe West Brom a lot but now I would only go elsewhere to play in the Europa League or Champions League," Mulumbu said, from France Football via talkSPORT. "I think it is the right time. I have progressed in my game, my game management, mentally, tactically, physically and I am ready to go to a top-four club."
Could Mulumbu Emulate Blaise Matuidi?
Matuidi was an under-the-radar player who came from a small club from Troyes.
His stepping stone was Saint-Etienne, and when Paris Saint-Germain came calling, he took the chance and has not looked back since.
Mulumbu can power past opposing players, he keeps play ticking over, and he is a world-class ball-winner (29 tackles and 48 interceptions in 13 league games this season).
Under the right circumstances, Mulumbu can emulate Matuidi's success.
West Ham United
20 of 20
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Vice-chairwoman Karren Brady has confirmed what everyone suspected: West Ham United will sign a centre forward in the January transfer window.
"After a chat with David Sullivan today they should also know that he is making plans to ensure we will not be left short up front again," Brady said, from The Sun via Sky Sports. "David is looking to add at least one more quality striker in January."
Suggestion For West Ham
Andre-Pierre Gignac (per The Daily Mail), Demba Ba (per The Mirror) and Diego Forlan (per talkSPORT) are rumoured transfer targets, but what about Michael Higdon of NEC Nijmegen?
While Higdon was toothless in defeats to Ajax and PSV Eindhoven, his playing style is the same as Andy Carroll's.
He wins headers, flicks the ball on and provides a physical presence.
Prior to joining NEC, Higdon scored 27 goals for Scottish club Motherwell in the 2012-13 season.
Higdon would be a cheap stop-gap signing.
Statistics via WhoScored, FFT Stats Zone, Squawka and Transfermarkt.
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Twitter: @allanjiangLIVE
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