25 Footballers Playing for a January Transfer
Here are 25 footballers playing for European clubs hoping for a transfer in the January window.
Players that are either frozen out of the first team, warming the benches, approaching the expiration of their contract, or needing a fresh start, were included on this list.
These 25 players will be subjectively ranked via name recognition.
25. Mustafa Amini
1 of 25
Borussia Dortmund's Australian central midfielder Mustafa Amini, 21, has spent three seasons grafting in the 3. Liga (German third division) for Borussia Dortmund II.
He spoke about the difficulties of being an undisputed starter for the second team, never mind the first team.
"Even our second team is strong [so] it's not so simple to just walk in there," Amini said, per David Lewis at SBS. "Playing matters, of course, but learning and training with world-class players can only benefit me, and hopefully the game time will come."
Amini is one of Australia's brightest prospects and he should mull over moving to the Eredivisie in the January transfer window.
The Dutch league is attacking, open and technical, which would enable Amini to flourish.
24. Vladlen Yurchenko
2 of 25
Bayer Leverkusen's Ukrainian central attacking midfielder Vladlen Yurchenko, 20, looked overwhelmed on his Bundesliga debut against Augsburg.
He played 45 minutes and gave away possession 72 percent of the time he passed.
Leverkusen No. 10 Hakan Calhanoglu is the same age as Yurchenko and has a sizeable advantage having been raised in German football.
What will help Yurchenko's development is being loaned out in the January transfer window, rather than sitting on the bench watching Calhanoglu.
23. Lucas Evangelista
3 of 25
Udinese's Brazilian central midfielder Lucas Evangelista, 19, will only claim a regular starting position due to injury.
Four wins from five Serie A games reaffirm Udinese's standing as one of Italy's top clubs.
The likes of Allan Marques, Emmanuel Badu, Guilherme and Panagiotis Kone all stand in Lucas' way of making an impression at Udinese.
If Lucas is still a bystander by January, expect him to move to one of Udinese's sister clubs (Granada or Watford).
One precedent is Lucas' compatriot Douglas Santos moving from Granada to Udinese and then loaned out to Atletico Mineiro.
22. Rene Krhin
4 of 25
Inter Milan's Slovenian central midfielder Rene Krhin, 24, has endured a stop-start career.
He started one of five Serie A games for Inter during the 2009-10 season.
After moving to Bologna, he failed to achieve anything substantial in four seasons. He never played 30 Serie A games or more in a season, let alone an entire 38-game campaign.
He was not an incisive passer (0.5 key passes per game over his career thus far) and lacks impact on the field.
Why did Inter sign back Krhin?
For the sake of comparison, Empoli central midfielder Mirko Valdifiori is an assertive passer and is always looking to be involved in play.
Sometimes you don't even notice Krhin.
He is wasting his career warming the benches at Inter, so he may have to drop down a level when he looks at his options in the January transfer window.
21. Jose Pozo
5 of 25
Manchester City's Spanish centre-forward Jose Pozo, 18, needs to be playing first-team football.
When City U19s defeated Bayern Munich U19s 4-1, Pozo was a step above everyone.
He has quick acceleration, he possesses excellent control and is technically outstanding. City loaned Marcos Lopes to Lille because he is too good to be playing in the Professional Development League, yet is not ready for City's first team.
The same standard should apply to Pozo.
Rather than have Pozo be a bit-part player/bench warmer for City, he needs to be loaned out in the January transfer window.
20. Mario Lemina
6 of 25
Marseille's French central midfielder Mario Lemina, 21, is not an integral option for manager Marcelo Bielsa.
In hindsight, Lemina moving from Lorient has not worked out as he planned. He wants to be in the same position as Giannelli Imbula, who is on course for a breakout season at Marseille.
Imbula has started eight Ligue 1 games, while Lemina has only made three substitute appearances.
Has he considered a loan back to Lorient?
19. Antonio Sanabria
7 of 25
Roma's Paraguayan centre-forward Antonio Sanabria, 18, has yet to make a Serie A start this season under manager Rudi Garcia.
Involved in a complicated transfer from Barcelona which involved Sassuolo, Sanabria is still an enigma.
The consensus view is he has world-class potential.
Yet the FIFA technical study group omitted him from the key players' list at the U20 World Cup.
Instead, the FIFA TSG chose centre-forward Derlis Gonzalez, goalkeeper Diego Morel and right-winger Jorge Rojas as more impressive players for Paraguay than Sanabria.
Sanabria needs regular playing time, thus a loan in January would be a logical move.
18. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg
8 of 25
The development of Bayern Munich's Danish central midfielder Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, 19, has been confusing.
Despite his close bond to Bayern manager Pep Guardiola, who was there for Hojbjerg as his late father battled cancer, the Dane's future is obscured.
The signing of Xabi Alonso plus the elevation of Gianluca Gaudino into the first team hinders the development of Hojbjerg.
When he has played, he has looked unconvincing.
Kicker rank players on a scale of one-six; one being world-class, six being not Bundesliga standard.
With a rating of 4.50, Hojbjerg is the worst-ranked player at Bayern.
Perhaps the problem with Hojbjerg isn't his talent, it is his state of mind in attempting to pick up the pieces after his father passed away.
Four months ago, Hojbjerg said, per Bayern's official website: "I'm not there yet mentally."
If Hojbjerg is not a regular under Guardiola entering the January transfer window, a loan away should be considered.
17. Tobias Sana
9 of 25
Ajax's Swedish right/left-forward Tobias Sana, 25, had the greatest week of his career two years ago.
He scored three goals and registered one assist in matches against NAC Breda and NEC Nijmegen. Since then, he has spent the majority of his time at Jong Ajax.
Considering the rise of Anwar El Ghazi, Sana is on his way out.
16. Zakaria Bakkali
10 of 25
PSV Eindhoven's Belgian right-forward Zakaria Bakkali, 18, scored a hat-trick against NEC Nijmegen last August.
Since then, he has spent more time watching football than playing.
In the past, PSV prodigies like Claudio Oliveira Pereira, Genero Zeefuik, Johan Vonlanthen, Zakaria Labyad, et al. have all flattered to deceive.
It would be in the best interest of Bakkali's career to seek a new home because his career is in-limbo.
15. Mateusz Klich
11 of 25
Wolfsburg's Polish deep-lying playmaker Mateusz Klich, 24, is viewed by the club as a squad player.
He has either warmed the bench or been left out of the first-team squad this season. What was the point of bringing him back from PEC Zwolle when he is not going to be given a fair run?
Last season for Zwolle, Klich created seven goals and averaged 47 passes per game.
14. Emmanuel Mayuka
12 of 25
There is no comparison between Southampton's Zambian centre-forward Emmanuel Mayuka, 23, and Saints' No. 9 Graziano Pelle.
A favourite of Southampton manager Ronald Koeman (the duo worked together at Feyenoord), Pelle has scored 54 goals in 63 league games since August 2012, per a tweet via OptaJoe.
Meanwhile, Mayuka has yet to score a Premier League goal and only netted four times on loan at Sochaux last season.
13. Joel Campbell
13 of 25
Arsenal's Costa Rican centre-forward/right attacking midfielder Joel Campbell, 22, is not rated by manager Arsene Wenger.
Even the hapless Yaya Sanogo has started more games (two) than Campbell (zero) in the Premier League this season.
Either Campbell is a terrible trainer, or Wenger has no intentions of giving the Costa Rican a fair go.
If the latter is the case, Campbell should aim to emulate Carlos Vela, who made a name for himself post-Arsenal.
12. Koen Casteels
14 of 25
Hoffenheim's Belgian goalkeeper Koen Casteels, 22, is third-choice.
He is behind No. 1 Oliver Baumann and backup Jens Grahl, who had impressive moments during his extended run last season.
Casteels has struggled with consistency and injuries.
He was excluded from Belgium's FIFA World Cup squad "after failing to fully recover from a fractured tibia," per the Bundesliga's official website.
Growing up, Casteels was a better prospect than Chelsea goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois, per Kristof Terreur at The Observer (h/t The Guardian):
"Thibaut was clearly a talented prospect but he also had a problem at his club: Koen Casteels was the same age as him, played in the same position and was just as talented.
In addition, he [Casteels] was physically more mature.
"Thibaut was always competing with him," says [Genk goalkeeping coach Gilbert] Gitte. "Koen was selected for the national teams, and Thibaut wasn't."
"
Casteels is at the crossroads of his career.
Perhaps a loan away to a 2. Bundesliga club in the January transfer window can help him regain his confidence.
11. Artjoms Rudnevs
15 of 25
Hamburg's Latvian centre-forward Artjoms Rudnevs, 26, has spent most of this season watching Pierre-Michel Lasogga teach everyone how NOT to shoot.
Lasogga is 0-19 in goals-shots taken in the Bundesliga this season.
If Hamburg persist with Lasogga up front and Lewis Holtby just behind, then Rudnevs needs to consider another career detour (he joined Hannover 96 on loan last January).
Four years ago, Rudnevs scored a hat-trick against Juventus for Lech Poznan in the UEFA Europa League, so his career has not panned out the way he had hoped.
10. Joao Pereira
16 of 25
Valencia's Portuguese right-back Joao Pereira, 30, faces an uphill task to regain his starting spot.
Not only does he need to displace Antonio Barragan, there is also promising Benfica loanee Joao Cancelo, who is hopeful of receiving extended playing time.
Six games into the La Liga season, Valencia management have given minutes to 10 players aged 21 years or younger.
The writing is on the wall for seasoned veteran Pereira.
9. Mohamed Salah
17 of 25
Chelsea's Egyptian right attacking midfielder Mohamed Salah, 22, has been more of an onlooker than a footballer.
It took Thibaut Courtois, a world-class goalkeeper, three seasons on loan at Atletico Madrid, to be granted leeway.
Therefore, Salah was always going to struggle for minutes.
Since signing for Chelsea, Salah has played 11 Premier League games in eight months.
A loan move in the January transfer window should be on the horizon.
8. Adrien Rabiot
18 of 25
Paris Saint-Germain's French central midfielder Adrien Rabiot, 19, is destined to leave on a free transfer at the end of the season.
He declined a €250,000/£195,017-a-month extension from PSG, per France Football (h/t Ian Holyman at ESPN FC).
If PSG cannot get Rabiot to change his mind, the game plan is to sell him in January.
But Rabiot has the final say, which is why he is in the power position.
In theory, he can help out a future suitor by holding out and signing on a free transfer next summer, rather than have his prospective employer pay a nominal fee for his services in January.
7. Adel Taarabt
19 of 25
The career of Queens Park Rangers' Moroccan central/left-attacking midfielder Adel Taarabt, 25, is once again at a standstill.
Management use to turn a blind eye to his attitude issues because he was a productive talent.
Well, he was a star in the Championship, but not at a higher level. He has scored seven goals in his last three Premier League seasons.
He had lively moments on loan at AC Milan last season, but he was playing for a contract. Back at QPR, it seems a divorce is imminent.
6. Cristian Rodriguez
20 of 25
Atletico Madrid's Uruguayan left-winger Cristian Rodriguez, 28, has played a minor part in Los Rojiblancos.
In the last three La Liga seasons, Rodriguez has only started 14 games.
After attaining a plethora of trophies at Porto and Atleti, if he wants more playing time, he needs to lower his expectations and sign with a smaller club.
5. Lucas Leiva
21 of 25
Liverpool's Brazilian defensive midfielder Lucas Leiva, 27, is in decline.
Entering this season, he had always averaged 3.3 tackles per game or more in the Premier League since the 2009-10 campaign.
He currently averages 2.0 tackles per game.
His lack of pace, his inability to make incisive passes and his injury history are reasons for Liverpool to let him leave in January.
4. Sebastian Giovinco
22 of 25
Despite the vast talent of Juventus' Italian deep-lying forward Sebastian Giovinco, 27, he is not the successor to Alessandro Del Piero.
Expected to replicate his productivity at Parma—22 goals and 14 assists in two Serie A seasons—to Juve, Giovinco has often come up short.
He has yet to score 10 goals or register 10 assists in a Serie A season for Juve.
Carlos Tevez, Fernando Llorente, Alvaro Morata and Kingsley Coman ensure Giovinco's future lies somewhere else.
3. Anderson
23 of 25
Manchester United's Brazilian central midfielder Anderson, 26, is going through the motions.
The two words—central midfielder—is a factor in him being a wasted talent.
He was a No. 10 with world-class upside, yet was converted into a central midfielder. Not only did he have to learn a new position, but his progress was further stunted by his injury issues.
From a pragmatic perspective, it makes sense if he ran down his contract (expires in 2015), because this is the last time he will be earning substantial wages.
No European club will give him big wages given his injuries, his inconsistency and his questionable work ethic.
Looking at it from United's point of view, they need to get rid of Anderson, so him being sold cheaply in the January transfer window is a possibility.
2. Pedro
24 of 25
Barcelona's Spanish right-forward Pedro, 27, finds himself in a vexing situation.
He has only scored a goal from his first five La Liga games this season, so he is struggling for form.
Then there is the rise of Munir El Haddadi, who has broken into the Barca first team as a 19-year-old, and has a higher upside than Pedro.
Unable to assert himself in a Luis Suarez-less team, Pedro needs to consider a move away from Barca in the January transfer window, or accept the "Ibrahim Afellay" role.
1. Sami Khedira
25 of 25
Real Madrid's German central midfielder Sami Khedira, 27, is an expendable piece to club president Florentino Perez's project.
- Khedira is perpetually injured.
- He is blocking the path of Asier Illarramendi. Unfortunately for Real Madrid, the only person in the world outside of Real Sociedad who valued Illarra at €32.19/£25.13 million was Perez.
In order to validate Illarra, Perez is given a golden chance to cut bait with Khedira.
Instead of playing for his Real Madrid future, Khedira will essentially be auditioning for a new suitor when he is inserted back into the first team.
Statistics via WhoScored
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