25 Summer Transfer Rumours That Won't Happen in January
Here are 25 transfer rumours which circulated in the past summer window that are unlikely to come to fruition in the upcoming January transfer window.
This slideshow also serves to see how hit-and-miss the media was with their transfer reporting last summer.
Will any of these 25 transfer rumours that were meant to occur in summer happen in January?
25. Luke Brattan
1 of 25
Brisbane Roar → Brighton and Hove Albion, per Marco Monteverde at The Courier-Mail.
Australian central midfielder Luke Brattan, 24, is one of the A-League's best players.
He would be playing in the Championship right now if not for injury.
"I left on pretty good terms [with Brighton]. They were understanding about the whole thing," Brattan said, per Marco Monteverde at The Courier-Mail. "Every player's dream is to play in Europe and play at the highest level possible, and if you're not playing football to do that, I don’t think you should be playing."
What Brattan will do is play out the upcoming A-League season and then move abroad, which nullifies a potential January transfer move.
He is a technically excellent midfielder, who controls midfield proceedings and is a scoring threat.
24. Zakaria Bakkali
2 of 25
PSV Eindhoven → Atletico Madrid, per De Telegraaf (h/t EFE).
The hype surrounding PSV right-forward Zakaria Bakkali, 18, has dissipated.
The Belgian international failed to score a goal in the Eredivisie after his hat-trick against NEC Nijmegen.
If Alessio Cerci is not guaranteed a starting position at Atleti, it seems lavish to sign Bakkali, who has been frozen out of the PSV set-up for running down his contract, per Football Oranje.
Rather than signing for a major club to play reserve football, Bakkali should consider signing for a Belgian Pro League side.
23. Martin Odegaard
3 of 25Stromsgodset → Manchester United, per Mark Ogden at The Telegraph.
Norwegian central attacking midfielder Martin Odegaard, 15, is one of the most sought after teenagers in world football.
Odegaard needs to ask himself which level of football is better for his maturation: playing Professional U21 Development League football for a major Premier League team, or senior football for Stromsgodset?
Should be an easy choice for him: stay at Stromsgodset.
Over the next five years, he could play 100-150 league games in Norway and be a veteran at 20 years of age.
22. Yannick Bolasie
4 of 25
Crystal Palace → Everton, per Soriebah Kajue at the Mirror.
Congolese left-winger Yannick Bolasie, 25, is lethal in one-on-one situations (ask Glen Johnson).
Everton are loaded with wide options: Aiden McGeady, Christian Atsu, Kevin Mirallas and Steven Pienaar.
While Bolasie was a summer transfer target for Everton, it seems implausible that he would move to the Toffees in the January transfer window.
21. Emmanuel Emenike
5 of 25
Fenerbahce → Chelsea, per Charles Reynolds at The Independent.
Once a €19.1/£15 million summer transfer window target for Chelsea, it is implausible that Nigerian centre-forward Emmanuel Emenike, 27, would move to Stamford Bridge in the January transfer window.
Even if backup centre-forward Loic Remy suffers a season-ending injury, why target Emenike?
Why not go for Sevilla centre-forward Carlos Bacca?
He is in-form with four goals from four La Liga games, whereas Emenike has only scored once for Fenerbahce this season.
20. Islam Slimani
6 of 25
Sporting Lisbon → Leicester City, per Simon Jones at the Daily Mail.
Targeted by Leicester in the summer transfer window, Algerian centre-forward Islam Slimani, 26, could have been scoring goals against Manchester United.
An aerial threat, he was impressive at the FIFA World Cup, scoring twice and registering an assist.
Leonardo Ulloa is Leicester's undisputed No. 9, so Slimani is unlikely to be moving to the Foxes in the January transfer window.
19. Ki Sung-Yueng
7 of 25
Swansea City → Aston Villa, per John Percy at The Telegraph.
Having signed a contract extension until 2018, Ki Sung-Yueng, 25, is unlikely to leave Swansea in the January transfer window.
It depends on Swansea's view of the South Korean international.
If they wanted to maximise Ki's transfer stock, then persuading him to extend his contract is part of the process to garner a large transfer fee.
But if Swansea see Ki as a vital midfield cog, selling him is not an option.
He keeps play ticking over for Swansea completing 90.9 percent of his 50.6 passes per game in the Premier League this season.
18. Yevhen Konoplyanka
8 of 25
Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk → West Ham United, per Richard Jolly at ESPN FC.
West Ham's refusal to heed to Dnipro's demands for Ukrainian left attacking midfielder Yevhen Konoplyanka, 24, means it's doubtful a January transfer move could happen.
The attacking triumvirate of Enner Valencia, Stewart Downing and Diafra Sakho were lively against Liverpool.
If Konoplyanka is to move, West Ham might not be the final destination.
17. William Carvalho
9 of 25
Sporting Lisbon → Chelsea, per A Bola (h/t Metro).
The idea of signing an unproven William Carvalho, 22, was far-fetched in the summer transfer window and even more of a leap of faith in January.
The Portuguese international has world-class upside, but Chelsea will stagnate his development and he could find himself on the outside looking in, a la Marco van Ginkel.
Described as an elite defensive midfielder, William looked box-to-box in Sporting's 1-1 UEFA Champions League draw against Maribor.
He attempted three shots, created two scoring chances and was always looking to make incisive plays, as opposed to the safe play.
It would be more beneficial to his career if he played out this season and then evaluate his options next summer.
16. Alexandre Lacazette
10 of 25
Lyon → Newcastle United, per Neil Cameron at the Evening Chronicle.
Newcastle were dissuaded by the €20/£15.7 million price tag of French centre-forward Alexandre Lacazette, 23, who spearheads Lyon's attacks.
This season, he has scored three times in Ligue 1.
There is a significant quality gap between Lacazette and Lyon's other unproven centre-forwards: Clinton N'Jie, Mohamed Yattara and Nabil Fekir.
Having signed a contract extension, Lacazette probably won't leave in January.
15. Nacho Monreal
11 of 25
Arsenal → Atletico Madrid, per Simon Jones at the Daily Mail.
Arsenal's maligned Spanish left-back Nacho Monreal, 28, would be a bizarre option for Atleti.
Having signed Cristian Ansaldi and Guilherme Siqueira, it seems improbable that Atleti would continue targeting Monreal after he was a mooted summer transfer window target.
Despite solid seasons for Malaga and Osasuna, Monreal has not replicated his consistency in the Premier League.
14. David Marshall
12 of 25
Cardiff City → Southampton, per the Mirror.
A Southampton summer transfer window target, the chances of the Saints signing Scottish goalkeeper David Marshall, 29, in the January transfer window are low.
Why?
They have a goalkeeper on the brink of world-class status in Fraser Forster.
13. Paulinho
13 of 25
Tottenham Hotspur → Juventus, per Jason Burt at The Telegraph.
Brazilian central midfielder Paulinho, 26, does not fit into Juventus' transfer policy. Juve have thrived on free transfers, such as Paul Pogba and Kingsley Coman—two wunderkinds.
Whereas, Paulinho is struggling to replicate his 2013 Confederations Cup to the Premier League.
Paulinho has yet to start in the Premier League this season.
12. Lucas Leiva
14 of 25
Liverpool → Inter Milan, per Simon Jones at the Daily Mail.
Brazilian defensive midfielder Lucas Leiva, 27, is losing out 67 percent of the time he attempts a tackle, per Squawka.
Statistically, he is woeful and going by the eye-test, he is a liability on the field.
He is past his expiration date and while moving to Serie A would be a smart career decision, Inter have already taken gambles on Gary Medel and Yann M'Vila in the summer transfer window.
11. Mateo Musacchio
15 of 25
Villarreal → Tottenham Hotspur, per Matt Law at The Telegraph.
Argentine international centre-back Mateo Musacchio, 24, is one of the best ball-winning defenders in La Liga.
During the 2011-12 season, Musacchio intercepted 151 passes. Last season, he made 76 tackles. This season, he wins back the ball 5.4 times per game (2.7 tackles and interceptions per game).
Spurs' decision to sign Federico Fazio suggests Musacchio is not going to be an option.
10. Fabio Borini
16 of 25
Liverpool → Sunderland, per James Hunter at The Chronicle.
Amid the criticism Liverpool centre-forward Fabio Borini, 23, has received for staying at the Reds, why give up in the January transfer window by moving away?
Sure, the Italian international appreciates the praise and the encouraging tweets, but he also favourites the haters, presumably as motivation to prove his doubters wrong.
"Every player has that chance every single day. And then when they get that opportunity to play, they have to take it," Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers said, per Mike Whalley at ESPN FC. "I know Fabio very well from our days working together when he was a youth team player at Chelsea. I know a lot about his qualities."
Borini is more likely to leave in the summer transfer window, rather than in January.
9. Marquinhos
17 of 25
Paris Saint-Germain → Barcelona, per Globo Esporte (h/t Amanda Salles at Marca).
Marquinhos, 20, is the future of PSG's defence.
It would be inexplicable to let the Brazilian international leave for Barcelona when he has already made 13 tackles and intercepted 16 passes in six Ligue 1 games.
Considering how indifferent Barca management were towards fixing their defence when it was at sixes and sevens, they probably won't submit a substantial bid in January after starting the season with four successive clean sheets in La Liga.
8. Giuseppe Rossi
18 of 25
Fiorentina → Liverpool, per Simon Jones at the Daily Mail.
Italian centre-forward Giuseppe Rossi, 27, was a rumoured summer transfer target for Liverpool, but his degenerative knees make him a ticking time bomb.
It is so sad because Rossi is one of the most natural scoring No. 9s in world football.
He would be too much of a risk for Liverpool.
7. Marouane Fellaini
19 of 25
Manchester United → Fiorentina, per Corriere dello Sport (h/t Football Italia).
Belgian central midfielder Marouane Fellaini, 26, embodies the expression: The grass isn't always greener on the other side.
He went from a solid Premier League footballer, who could play as a deep-lying forward or a midfield destroyer at Everton, to being singled out as a reason for United's decline.
Fiorentina signing Milan Badelj all but ends any possibility of Fellaini making a January transfer move to Florence.
6. Miranda
20 of 25
Atletico Madrid → Chelsea, per David Medina at Marca.
Miranda, 30, is one of Atleti's most important players.
The Brazilian centre-back is integral to Atleti's hopes of retaining La Liga, especially amid Barcelona's perfect start to the campaign.
"Some important players have left the club," Miranda said, per Football Espana. "It is normal that when the software on the computer has changed, it takes time for [the computer] to react."
He would not have said something like that, if he harboured intentions of leaving in the January transfer window.
5. Victor Valdes
21 of 25
Free Agent → Bayern Munich, per Sport (h/t Football Espana).
Bayern signed Pepe Reina, 32, as a backup, so Victor Valdes—once a summer transfer window target for Bayern—is unlikely to sign for the Bundesliga champions in the January transfer window.
Especially with Valdes primed to sign with Liverpool, per Neil Jones at the Liverpool Echo.
Valdes would be a calculated risk for Liverpool.
He has fitness issues, but he has the quality to usurp No. 1 Simon Mignolet, who is going through a confidence crisis.
4. Memphis Depay
22 of 25
PSV Eindhoven → Manchester United, per the Metro.
United went from targeting a future world-class footballer in Dutch left-forward Memphis Depay, 20, to buying a bona fide world-class footballer in Angel Di Maria for €76.4/£60 million.
Depay has scored five goals in five Eredivisie games for PSV this season.
In theory, the Dutch international could join United given the Louis van Gaal link, but Depay should consider another notable club that is willing to build the team around him.
3. Roberto Soldado
23 of 25
Tottenham Hotspur → Inter Milan, per talkSPORT.
Spanish centre-forward Roberto Soldado, 29, has been a disappointment at Spurs.
He scored six times in the Premier League last season and has yet to find the back of the net this season.
Inter were reportedly interested in his services in the summer transfer window, but Nerazzurri No. 9s Mauro Icardi and Pablo Osvaldo are reasons why the club signing Soldado in the January transfer window is improbable.
2. Marco Reus
24 of 25
Borussia Dortmund → Liverpool, per Ben Jefferson at the Express.
Linked in the summer transfer window, German deep-lying forward/left attacking midfielder Marco Reus, 25, shouldn't be Liverpool's marquee January transfer signing since the Reds opted for Mario Balotelli.
Reus' quality is undoubted, but his inability to play out an entire season due to injuries is a big red flag.
When fit, Reus is one of the most dangerous attacking players in the world.
1. Iker Casillas
25 of 25
Real Madrid → Arsenal, per Jamie Anderson at the Express.
Struggling Spanish goalkeeper Iker Casillas, 33, not only stayed at Real, but was handed back the No. 1 position.
It was a decision which proved sentiment rather than form ran high in Real management.
Casillas' transfer stock has plummeted.
During the summer transfer window, Arsenal added David Ospina to compete with Wojciech Szczesny.
Statistics via WhoScored
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