20 Biggest Names Linked to January Transfer Window Moves
If the next January transfer window sticks to the script, we should witness more speculation than actual shopping over the winter period.
Plenty of top players, including Marco Reus, Edinson Cavani and Sami Khedira have already been linked with a switch away from their current clubs, but who else is mooted to be on the move in early 2015?
Over the following slides, we look at 20 of the biggest names in football who are currently being linked with January transfers, be it through credible reports or imaginative gossip.
Subjectively ranked according to name recognition, you will find the "biggest" player coming in at No. 1.
20. Ron Vlaar
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In possession of a contract with an expiration date of June 2015, Ron Vlaar will find himself the subject of much transfer chatter this January.
The Aston Villa defender is already being strongly linked with Manchester United and—as reported by John Richardson in the Express—he could join the Old Trafford side for a cut-price £4 million.
In the Daily Star, where Tottenham Hotspur, Everton and Roma are also credited with interest, Dave Armitage reckons that the Netherlands international is demanding an increase in wages to convince him to stay at Villa Park.
One of the surprise defensive stars of the Brazil World Cup, Vlaar has chalked up 68 appearances for Paul Lambert's side, since signing from Feyenoord in 2012.
19. Roberto Soldado
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Roberto Soldado is currently being linked with a move away from White Hart Lane, with Inter Milan and Atletico Madrid said to be interested, according to Simon Johnson in the London Evening Standard.
The Tottenham Hotspur striker came to the Premier League with a £26 million pricetag, on the back of an excellent season with Valencia, where he notched 24 goals in 35 La Liga games—with a further four coming in the Champions League and two in the Copa del Rey.
Last term, the 29-year-old managed just 11 goals in 36 appearances (in all competitions) and this season, although still early days, Soldado has played just 41 minutes of Premier League football.
According to Simon Johnson in The Independent, "The Spain international will have to accept a pay cut to trigger a move, but will consider offers in order to secure first team football elsewhere."
18. Ezequiel Lavezzi
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Paris Saint-Germain's Ezequiel Lavezzi is rumoured to be on his way out of the Parc des Princes in January, according to Italian broadcaster Sport Mediaset (h/t Aaron Flanagan in the Mirror).
The 29-year-old has started just two games in Ligue 1 this season, has not completed a full 90 minutes and has not even made Laurent Blanc's squad on four occasions. All of which has seen him linked with Liverpool, Inter Milan, Napoli and Atletico Madrid.
As Flanagan writes, "With the players' contract due to run out in 2016, PSG may try to cash in on their exciting playmaker sooner rather than later."
Lavezzi swapped Napoli for PSG in 2012. He has made 98 appearances for the French side and has won two consecutive Ligue 1 titles.
17. James Milner
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Out of contract in 2015, James Milner could be available for a bargain fee in January, if he decides his long-term future is not with Manchester City.
Over the summer, the 28-year-old was linked with Arsenal after telling City that he wanted to leave due to a lack of first-team action, as reported by Daniel Taylor in The Guardian.
Milner started just 12 Premier League games last term and so far this season, he has started (and completed) four of a potential seven.
Neil McLeman, of the Mirror, reckons that Napoli are interested in securing Milner's services in January.
Meanwhile, in the Daily Star, Paul Hetherington names Everton, Arsenal and Liverpool as potential destinations for the England international.
16. Julian Draxler
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These days, no transfer window is complete without a raft of rumours suggesting that Julian Draxler is about to leave Schalke.
The 21-year-old has long been linked with Arsenal and in January, he will be again. Already, in Metro (h/t Aaron Flanagan in the Mirror) it's said that the Gunners "will sign Julian Draxler when they meet the £37 million release clause."
In January 2014, the Mirror's John Cross suggested that the winger was a £35 million target for Arsene Wenger, who wanted to make him "the new Robin van Persie."
Elsewhere, talkSPORT are reporting (from stories originating in Germany) that new Schalke boss Roberto Di Matteo will have a tough job of keeping Draxler at the Veltins-Arena.
15. Juan Cuadrado
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One of the stars of Colombia's 2014 World Cup campaign, the interest shown in Juan Cuadrado over the summer will be rekindled in January.
The Fiorentina winger has already been linked with Manchester United, as reported by Jamie Anderson in the Express. Anderson claims that the 26-year-old's high wage demands may see him leave Vincenzo Montella's side.
Elsewhere, the Daily Mail's Luke Augustus suggests that La Viola are hopeful of keeping Cuadrado at the Stadio Artemio Franchi, with an extended contract in the offing.
14. Kevin Strootman
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It should not come as too much of a surprise to hear that Kevin Strootman is on Manchester United's transfer wishlist. The 24-year-old has, after all, been singled out as a January target since the summer.
As The Guardian's Jamie Jackson wrote, ahead of the 2014 World Cup:
"Louis van Gaal has made Kevin Strootman a £30m January target for Manchester United – and the midfielder would be open to the move should Roma consider it, although there is yet to be any official contact between the clubs.
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More recently, Anthony Chapman suggested in the Express (from an interview originating on NikeFootball.com) that Strootman was not ruling out a move to Old Trafford, albeit by the most tenuous of quotes.
The Dutch international is still making his way back to full fitness, following a cruciate ligament injury sustained last season.
13. Klaas-Jan Huntelaar
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Long on the radar of Premier League clubs, Klaas-Jan Huntelaar is being tipped with a January move to Tottenham Hotspur, according to John Cross in the Mirror.
The striker will be out of contract at the end of the 2014/15 season, which is prompting rumours that Schalke may sell him during the next window.
Cross writes that, "[Huntelaar] wants to leave the German club, who have not been able to tie him down to a new deal. So Schalke will cut their losses and sell in January rather than lose him for nothing."
The 31-year-old has been in good form so far this season—scoring four goals and registering two assists in nine games (in all competitions) for Schalke.
He has scored 95 goals in total for the German club, over the course of 148 games.
12. Xherdan Shaqiri
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Xherdan Shaqiri would make a welcome addition to a number of top sides in Europe, if he could be prised away from Bayern Munich.
A return visitor to the rumour mill, the Switzerland international is a long-term target for Liverpool and has also been linked with Galatasaray, according to Alex Richards in the Mirror.
Shaqiri recently told Swiss newspaper Neue Zuricher Zeitung (h/t Skysports.com):
"I was looking for more first team action this season, everyone knows that.
We had a sit down and discussed things with Bayern Munich. I received a clear message: I have to stay. I accepted that.
We will have a look at things again in the winter. We will have to figure things out. I have a long-term deal at Bayern Munich so it is the club that will decide.
If the club does not want to sell me or let me go, then that is positive news for me.
"
11. Frank Lampard
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Frank Lampard, released by Chelsea at the end of the 2013/14 season, still has it.
In fact, his four goals and two assists (in all competitions) for Manchester City this term, prove that the 36-year-old has "it" in abundance.
On loan at the Etihad, Lampard is set to move to sister club and new Major League Soccer franchise New York City FC when his deal ends in January. However, there are already rumours that the midfielder may stay longer with City. As reported by Ian Ladyman in the Daily Mail, manager Manuel Pellegrini is not ruling it out.
Lampard told James Robson in the Manchester Evening News:
"I am contracted here until January. I am enjoying every minute of training at this level and being able to get game time. That is as far as it goes at the moment."
10. Victor Valdes
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Victor Valdes will present a very attractive prospect for many sides when January rolls around.
The 32-year-old, who has spent his entire professional career with Barcelona, is currently a free agent and when he returns from injury, he will have a lengthy list of suitors.
Liverpool are one such side who have already been linked with the Spaniard. A move to Brendan Rodgers' outfit was said to have collapsed after the goalkeeper was offered a trial in recent weeks, as reported by Neil Moxley in the Sunday People.
However, Valdes' agent Gines Carvajal has denied that his client turned down the move in Sport (h/t Skysports.com), which leaves the door to Anfield open.
The stopper—who has won six La Liga titles, three Champions Leagues and the 2010 World Cup, to name a few—is currently in recovery from a ruptured cruciate ligament.
Transfermarkt states that Valdes will be ready for a return to action on November 1.
9. Juan Mata
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It's hard not to feel sorry for Juan Mata. The 26-year-old has gone from being Chelsea's Player of the Year for two consecutive seasons, to a Stamford Bridge outcast, to Manchester United—where he has had varying degrees of success.
The Spaniard, who has started five of United's seven Premier League ties this season—scoring two and setting up one—is currently being linked with a move away from Old Trafford, despite only signing for the side in January 2014.
According to Italian newspaper Tuttosport (h/t Ashley Clements in the Daily Mail), United are willing to sell Mata to Juventus for £24 million.
Elsewhere, in a Daily Star report best taken with a sizable pinch of salt, Nick Lustig reckons that Mata will go to Juve as part of a makeweight in a deal to bring Arturo Vidal to United.
On Goal.com (h/t Simon Rice in The Independent), it is suggested that Mata could be tempted into joining former side Valencia, who are considering a £30 million bid for the midfielder.
8. Mats Hummels
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It doesn't matter how many times Mats Hummels denies a move to the Premier League, the rumours refuse to go away.
When asked about interest from Manchester United in September, the Borussia Dortmund man was quoted in Bundesliga Magazin International (h/t The Telegraph) as saying:
"It's nice to hear that big clubs like that are interested in you. I take that as a compliment. But it doesn't influence me in any way, otherwise. We earn enough here in Dortmund.
There will always be someone who can pay more than BVB. But Dortmund have made a lot of progress during my time here. In any case: I believe that it's enough for me. If one day I start thinking about playing abroad, money won't be the reason. But I don't even think about that at the moment. We still have so much further to go here.
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Fast forward to October and Arsenal are said to be beating the Old Trafford side to Hummels' signature, as reported by Anthony Chapman in the Express.
With top central defenders currently the most in-demand players on the transfer market, the 25-year-old will be involved in a lot more gossip between now and February 1.
7. Yaya Toure
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According to Rob Shepherd in the Daily Mail, Manchester City will be considering Yaya Toure's future at the club in January.
Despite being an ever-present in central midfield for City in all-but-one game (against Arsenal) in the Premier League this season, Toure has come in for some criticism due to a perceived lack of effort.
This, when coupled with the disagreement that followed Toure's much publicized "birthday cake snub," (as reported by Chris Wheeler in the Daily Mail over the summer) has added up to rumours linking him with a move away from the Etihad.
Paris Saint-Germain have been mentioned as a potential destination for the Ivorian, as seen in Shepherd's Mail report.
6. Petr Cech
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After 10 successful and trophy-filled years at Stamford Bridge, Petr Cech can no longer be considered Chelsea's No. 1.
The 32-year-old's spot in Jose Mourinho's team has been replaced by Thibaut Courtois. Ten years younger than Cech, the Belgian goalkeeper returned this season after spending three campaigns on loan with Atletico Madrid.
Cech won't have a problem finding a new club.
In the Daily Star, Tony Stenson reckons that Atletico Madrid would like to sign the Czech international, whereas Italian newspaper ll Tempo (h/t Vaishali Bhardwaj in Metro) claims that the stopper is on his way to Serie A to join up with AS Roma.
Elsewhere, the Express' Anthony Chapman suggests that Real Madrid and Chelsea may do a swap deal, involving Cech and Sami Khedira.
5. Arturo Vidal
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It's a mere six weeks since the summer transfer window closed and you may think that you've seen the back of rumours linking Arturo Vidal with a move to Manchester United.
Not so lucky.
The Juventus man is already being mooted to be on his way to Old Trafford in January, with Juan Mata mentioned as a makeweight in a potential deal with the Serie A side, as reported by Ben Jefferson in the Express.
According to Jefferson, Juve see the 27-year-old as a "ticking time bomb," due to recurring knee injury and he writes that:
"While Juve were once thought to want up to £60m for Vidal, reports now suggest that value him at less than half that amount and could even let him go in a straight swap deal involving United's Spanish midfielder Juan Mata.
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4. Mesut Ozil
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As reported by Rob Shepherd in the Daily Mail, Mesut Ozil is being linked with a January move to Bayern Munich.
The midfielder has "grown increasingly unhappy at Arsenal and wants to leave," according to Shepherd, with the Bundesliga club said to be readying a £30 million bid to bring Ozil to the Allianz Arena.
If there is any truth to these rumours, the 25-year-old could have already played his last game for the Gunners. Recently, the midfielder was deemed unlikely to play again until 2015 after tearing ligaments in his left knee, per David Hytner in The Guardian.
3. Edinson Cavani
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Edinson Cavani is "unsettled" at Paris Saint-Germain, or so the story goes...
He made the switch from Napoli in summer 2013 and the Uruguayan has been reported to be unhappy at the Parc des Princes at various points since then. This is mostly due to the fact that he has been played out of position, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic PSG's first choice as striker, as reported by John Edwards in the Daily Mail last January.
As Ben Jefferson recently wrote in the Express, "Cavani continues to struggle with playing second fiddle to Ibrahimovic" and could move on to Arsenal or Liverpool this winter.
The 27-year-old has played 12 times (in all competitions) for Laurent Blanc's side this term, scoring four goals while playing on the wing. In five games as a centre-forward, Cavani is yet to score this season.
2. Marco Reus
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Rumours of stalled contract talks, coupled with Borussia Dortmund's poor start to the Bundesliga season (they are currently 13th) have fanned the flames on Marco Reus transfer speculation.
Now a regular name in transfer-gossip circles, Marco Reus is being linked to a wealth of top European clubs. On Tuttomercatoweb (h/t Anthony Chapman in the Express) it's suggested that the 25-year-old could be on his way to either Manchester United, Liverpool or Arsenal, with Jurgen Klopp said to be keen on bringing in Paris Saint-Germain's Javier Pastore as a replacement.
Manchester City are also linked with the Dortmund-born player by Chapman, who claims that, "The winger has no intention of renewing his current deal, and has instructed his agent to find him the best offer available from the Premier League."
Reus has made just two league appearances for Klopp's side this season and is currently on the sidelines, recovering from ruptured ankle ligaments.
1. Sami Khedira
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Sami Khedira promises to be one of the most-talked about players in the upcoming transfer window and the World Cup winner is certainly one of the biggest names who could be on the move.
The 27-year-old has a contract which is set to expire at the end of the season, he plays for one of the biggest clubs in the world and, if reports are to be believed, he has already turned down the offer of a new deal with Real Madrid, as reported by The Guardian.
Currently, it seems that there is no shortage of interested parties. In The Independent, Simon Johnson suggests that Chelsea are ready to offer the Germany international a pre-contract agreement in January, with Arsenal and Manchester United also said to be keen.
In August, Khedira was being tipped with a move to Bayern Munich, with the Express' Jamie Anderson reporting that the Bundesliga club had "surged ahead in the race for his signature."
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