12 Stars of UCL Group Stage Who Could Have Won January Transfer to a Big Club
In this slideshow, we look at 12 players whose performances in the 2014/15 UEFA Champions League group stage could—in theory—get them a January move to a "big" club.
Describing a team as "big" or "small" is often provocative and always up for debate so, for the purposes of this slideshow we are classifying big clubs as those who are one or all of the following:
- Regular contenders in the final stages of the Champions League
- Have won one of Europe's "Big Five" leagues in recent years (Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, Bundesliga or Ligue 1)
- Have significant financial muscle and rarely part ways with their best players each year
Clubs such as Benfica, Porto and Shakhtar Donetsk—although major players in their own leagues—do not fall in the big-club bracket here.
Please note that, in all likelihood, these players will not move in January. However, their performances in the Champions League would warrant attention from Europe's top clubs.
These players have been subjectively ranked according to the impact they have had in the Champions League this season.
All market values and statistics come from Transfermarkt and UEFA.com, unless stated otherwise.
12. Arthur Masuaku, Olympiakos
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Market value: €1.5 million/£1.32 million
Contract until: 2018
Arthur Masuaku put pen to paper with Olympiakos during the last summer transfer window, after one term as a senior professional at Valenciennes.
Less than two months later, the recently-turned 21-year-old was making his debut in the Champions League against Atletico Madrid at the Karaiskakis Stadium. After just 13 minutes, the left-back opened the scoring and Olympiakos won 3-2 against last season's finalists.
Described by Andy Brassell on ESPNFC.com as "one of the revelations of the competition so far," Masuaku will look to recover from the 4-0 away defeat suffered at the hands of Atletico when Olympiakos square up to Malmo in their final Group A tie on December 9.
According to Sky Italia (h/t ForzaItalianFootball.com) Masuaku's stay in Greece may be short, with Inter Milan said to be keen on securing his services in January.
Did you know? Masuaku signed for Olympiakos for a fee of just €300,000/£264,000 in July.
11. Kaan Ayhan, Schalke
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Market value: €5 million/£4.4 million
Contract until: 2017
Ahead of the 2014/15 season, Kaan Ayhan had appeared in just one Champions League game—last year's 3-1 defeat in the final-16 tie against eventual winners Real Madrid.
"It all went very well for me," the centre-back said of his step up to the first team last season, per Schalke's official website.
This term, the youngster has had further opportunity to show what he can do in three Group G performances against Chelsea (1-1), Maribor (1-1) and Sporting Clube de Portugal (4-3), with Ayhan grabbing an assist in the latter. With the 20-year-old on the sidelines in subsequent outings against Sporting and Chelsea, Schalke conceded nine goals in two games.
One of many young players to come from the Schalke talent factory in recent years, one of Ayhan's strengths is his versatility—he has played in all defensive positions for his side.
Did you know? Born in Gelsenkirchen, Ayhan has represented both Germany and Turkey at youth level. He is currently a member of the Turkey under-21 side.
10. Derlis Gonzalez, FC Basel
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Market value: €1.5 million/£1.32 million
Contract until: 2019
Paraguay international Derlis Gonzalez has enjoyed a strong start to life with Basel where, in 20 games for his new club, he has notched four goals and four assists in all competitions.
The 20-year-old joined Paulo Sousa's side in July, after spending two years on the books at Benfica. He did not make any appearances for the Portuguese side, where he was farmed out on loan to Club Guarani and Club Olimpia (both in Paraguay).
This season, Gonzalez has impressed in the Champions League. The winger made his debut against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu where, despite his side being on the wrong end of a 5-1 scoreline, he scored to open his account in the competition.
This was followed by another strike against Ludogorets Razgrad on November 4, in a 4-0 win.
We will get to see more of the young talent on the European stage when Basel take on Liverpool at Anfield on December 9.
Did you know? In 2012, when Gonzalez signed a six-year contract with Benfica, his release clause was set at €30 million (h/t Nick Dorrington at ESPNFC.com).
9. Anderson Talisca, Benfica
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Market value: €4 million/£3.52 million
Contract until: 2019
Anderson Talisca swapped Bahia for Benfica less than six months ago, yet already there are rumours linking the Brazilian with a January move away from Estadio da Luz.
As suggested by Paul Brown in the Daily Star, Arsenal, Manchester United and Chelsea are all interested, with Benfica said to have attached a £35 million release clause to the player they picked up for £3.1 million over the summer.
With eight goals in his first 11 games in the Portuguese Primeira Liga, Talisca has made an immediate impact. On the Champions League front, it was a goal from the attacking midfielder that got Benfica their only victory in Group C so far, in a 1-0 win against Monaco.
Following the game, SkySports.com's Adam Bate wrote:
"It’s easy to see why Talisca has captured the imagination. He’s an unusual player. Operating off the striker, he’s not a typical No.10. At 6’2” he’s uncharacteristically tall for someone playing in the hole and superficially resembles a target man. But when the ball arrives, he’s a very different proposition
"
Did you know? The 20-year-old recently received his first senior call up for Brazil as a replacement for the injured Lucas Moura in friendlies against Turkey and Austria. He remained on the bench for both ties.
8. Luka Zahovic, Maribor
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Market value: €750,000/£660,000
Contract until: Unknown
Named as a contender for this year's Golden Boy award—a prize for Europe's best young player—Maribor's Luka Zahovic is having an excellent breakthrough season.
The 19-year-old made his debut in the Champions League this term, marking the occasion with a last-minute equalizer against Sporting Clube de Portugal in Maribor's 1-1 opener. He has appeared in all but one Group G game since.
Zahovic has also netted nine goals in 14 games in the Slovenian Premier League this season, and, according to Pete O'Rourke at SkySports.com, the young striker is being tracked by "a host of Premier League clubs."
Did you know? Luka is the son of former Partizan Belgrade, Vitoria Guimaraes, Porto, Olympiakos, Valencia and Benfica midfielder and Slovenia international Zlatko Zahovic. Zlatko is now Maribor's sporting director.
7. Layvin Kurzawa, Monaco
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Market value: €7.5 million/£6.6 million
Contract until: 2018
Needing only a draw to get through to the next round, AS Monaco have conceded just one goal in the group stage of the 2014/15 Champions League—currently the best of any other club competing in this round.
One player's influence cannot be underestimated, that of Layvin Kurzawa.
The 22-year-old made the left-back position his own at Stade Louis II last season, helping Monaco to a second-place finish in Ligue 1 and registering five goals and three assists along the way.
Outstanding going forward and strong in defence, he has continued to flourish this term—playing every minute of Champions League football, until a thigh strain ruled him out of action for Monaco's 1-0 win against Bayer Leverkusen on Matchday 5.
In the last year, Kurzawa has made his debut in both the Champions League and for France—after being called up to represent Les Bleus in international friendlies against Albania and Sweden.
According to Le Parisien (h/t Liam Prenderville in the Mirror), Manchester City and Manchester United would both like to sign the Frenchman in January.
Did you know? Former France manager Raymond Domenech said, "Kurzawa is a moron. You've got to wonder where his brain is" on FIFA.com. Kurzawa had celebrated a goal for France's under-21 side with a mocking salute, thinking that the late strike was enough to qualify France for the under-21 European Championship. Sweden pulled one back just minutes later and France were eliminated.
Cue a very embarrassed Kurzawa.
6. Fabian Schar, FC Basel
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Market value: €8 million/£7.04 million
Contract until: 2015
In the 2014/15 Champions League group stage, Basel's Fabian Schar has continued to show the impressive form that he displayed in last year's competition.
Last term it was against Chelsea that the Switzerland defender stood out, with the Premier League side beaten both home and away—Schar registering an assist in his side's 1-0 victory at St. Jakob-Park.
This season, the 22-year-old has played every minute of every game in Group B and has again provided an assist in a defeat of Premier League opposition, in a 1-0 home win against Liverpool on October 1.
According to Tuttosport (h/t Liam Prenderville in the Mirror), both Arsenal and Juventus are keen on signing the centre-back.
There will be more to come from Schar on December 9 when Basel take on Liverpool at Anfield—a draw will be enough to see the Swiss side go through to the knockout round.
Did you know? One of Swiss football's most recent big discoveries, Schar was signed by Basel in 2012. Before that, he was working as a bank intern and playing for FC Wil—a club in the Swiss Challenge League (h/t Paul Doyle in the Guardian).
5. Chancel Mbemba, Anderlecht
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Market value: €4 million/£3.52 million
Contract until: 2017
Nominated for the Jupiler Pro League's Young Player of the Year award in May, Chancel Mbemba's Group D performances for Anderlecht might be making a number of other clubs sit up and take notice.
Mbemba's breakthrough came in 2013/14, the centre-back taking in 40 games (in all competitions) as Anderlecht won the Belgian title.
This season—apart from a second-half substitution against Arsenal—coach Besnik Hasi has fielded Mbemba in every minute of every Champions League game in the group stage of the competition.
In his last outing, the Democratic Republic of Congo international scored twice, in a 2-0 win against Galatasaray at the Constant Vanden Stock Stadium.
A central defender who can also play at right-back, Mbemba has pace and an eye for goal.
Did you know? Mbemba was the subject of a FIFA investigation in 2013, as the player's age was unknown. The (we think) 20-year-old was said to have four different birthdays, as seen on CNN.com.
4. Dennis Praet, Anderlecht
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Market value: €8 million/£7.04 million
Contract until: 2017
Anderlecht's Dennis Praet has been attracting admiring glances for some time with his impressive performances in the Jupiler Pro League and in Europe.
In this season's five outings for Besnik Hasi's side in the Champions League group stage, the 20-year-old attacking midfielder has started each game, scoring once in a 1-1 draw against Galatasaray at the Turk Telekom Arena and registering two assists against Arsenal and Galatasaray, respectively.
Praet's performances in 2014/15 have seen him receive a call up to Marc Wilmots' Belgium team, his first for the senior side.
No stranger to transfer gossip, rumours reported by Aaron Flanagan in the Mirror have seen Praet linked with Arsenal, while Goal.com's Stefan Coerts suggests Juventus as a possible destination—despite a contract with Anderlecht that runs until 2017.
Did you know? In 2012, Praet's former Anderlecht team-mate Tom De Sutter told FIFA.com, "Dennis plays like Iniesta. He's got good technique, he's solid, holds onto the ball well, keeps things simple and doesn't panic."
3. Hakan Calhanoglu, Bayer Leverkusen
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Market value: €15 million/£13.2 million
Contract until: 2019
Hakan Calhanoglu's summer move from Hamburg to Bayer Leverkusen could turn into one of the signings of the season.
It's very unlikely that the attacking midfielder will be on the move away from Roger Schmidt's side any time soon but, come January, there will be a number of top sides wishing they could prise the 20-year-old away from BayArena.
Calhanoglu has adapted to life at his new club in no time at all. During a two-legged tie against FC Copenhagen for Champions League qualification, he bagged two assists on his debut in the competition and followed it up with a goal in the second leg.
In Group C, the Turkey international has continued to cause problems for opposition defences, with one goal notched against Benfica on Matchday 2 followed by two assists against FC Zenit St. Petersburg on Matchday 3.
In the top seven for attempts on goal in this season's group stage, Calhanoglu is in good company, with the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Eden Hazard, Luiz Adriano, Lionel Messi, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and team-mate Son Heung-Min heading up the list.
Calhanoglu has started every game in every competition for Leverkusen this season.
Did you know? Hakan Calhanoglu has scored five goals from outside box in all competitions in 14/15—the most of all players in the Bundesliga (h/t @OptaFranz).
2. Hector Herrera, FC Porto
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Market value: €10 million/£8.8 million
Contract until: 2018
After an excellent showing for Mexico at the 2014 World Cup, Hector Herrera scored his first Champions League goal in August in a qualifier against Lille. The 24-year-old then followed it up with a second in Group H, in a 2-1 win against Athletic Bilbao on October 21.
Porto's last outing came against BATE Borisov on Belarusian soil, in which the box-to-box midfielder stole the show—scoring this outrageous strike and bagging two assists in a 3-0 victory.
With four wins out of their first five games in Group H, Porto have already sealed their passage through to the knockout stage of this season's Champions League.
Herrera has only been with the Portuguese club since July 2013, since switching from Mexican side Pachuca. According to UEFA.com, his release fee is €40 million.
Did you know? Herrera won gold at the 2012 Olympics with Mexico.
1. Luiz Adriano, Shakhtar Donetsk
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Market value: €7 million/£6.16 million
Contract until: 2015
Shakhtar Donetsk's Luiz Adriano is one of the undisputed stars of the 2014/15 Champions League so far and the reason for this is clear—the Brazilian has scored nine goals in five Group H games.
Adriano became the first player to score a hat-trick in successive matches in the Champions League when he struck three times against BATE Borisov on Matchday 4—following on from the five goals he netted against the same opponents on Matchday 3.
Adriano has been with the Ukrainian side since 2007, scoring 20 goals in 39 Champions League appearances in that time.
According to Jack Gaughan in the Daily Mail, the 27-year-old is already attracting interest from the likes of Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool.
With a current deal that will soon be entering its final six months, Adriano will be free to arrange a pre-contract agreement with another club in January.
Did you know? The Porto Alegre-born player recently received his first call up to the Brazil national team, for friendlies against Turkey and Austria on November 12 and 18.
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