Why Roma's Kevin Strootman Will Be Most Wanted Player in January Transfer Window

January and all the transfer hopes and rumours that come with it are just weeks away, with speculation continuing to mount over AS Roma's Dutch midfielder Kevin Strootman.

The central player has been out injured since the final months of last season, but after making a recovery and taking his first steps back on the pitch with his club, transfer interest has gathered momentum once more with Manchester United remaining the favourites to sign him, per Mark Ogden of the Daily Telegraph.

It's not hard to see why Roma's key man is in such demand given the nature of the January market, Strootman's own talents and the individual situation that both Roma and their player are in.

Traits and Talents

A creative and technical talent who works extremely hard, Strootman is an all-round midfielder who can boss a game from the centre of the park and affect it positively in attack for his team, too.

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I expect the Strootman rumours to explode now that he's back. And for good reason. He is one of LVG's fav players, the perfect midfielder

— Elko Born (@Elko_B) December 11, 2014"

Alessandra Tarantino/Associated Press

Left-footed, assured on the ball and strong in the challenge, Strootman offers a great blend of dominance and the ability to dissect an opponent, giving his manager the chance to hold a tactical advantage in tight games or else go for the throat and release him further forward, without actually changing personnel.

A complete player who would have starred for the Dutch at the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, Strootman's absence enforced a complete change of tactics for Louis van Gaal's Netherlands side to make up for the dynamism, tenacity and technique that Strootman would have supplied.

Midfield Demand

Two summers back, there was plenty of movement surrounding powerful, athletic, (mostly) technically proficient central midfielders. Josuha Guilavogui, Giannelli Imbula, Marouane Fellaini, Fernandinho, Paulinho, Asier Illarramendi and more—it seemed to be a theme for 2013 that many clubs beefed up their potential at the heart of the team that summer.

Alex Livesey/Getty Images

This past summer wasn't quite along the same lines, particularly in the Premier League where much of the interest in Strootman seems to stem from, partly because there were less available in the market.

A top-class central midfielder can make a world of difference to the structure of any team, of course, and they carry the premium price to reflect that. Are there many international-calibre starting players around this January—ones which are known to have a big interest from potential buyers? Any at all who have indicated a preference to leave or at least not signalled an absolute intent to stay?

Strootman is as close to available as you can find in his position and certainly with his level of performance.

Paolo Bruno/Getty Images

United might not be the only ones after him; Chelsea are in the hunt, too, according to Chisanga Malata of the Daily Star.

Fee and Lure

Roma owner James Pallotta is adamant that Strootman is staying put. Per Barry Glendenning of The Guardian, Pallotta was, in fact, unequivocal about the midfielder's future:

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It is just not happening, I have told the papers that they should stop wasting paper. We don’t have any interest in selling Kevin. Obviously as business people when people call us and say ‘we want your player’ you are going to listen to them. You have to do that, that is the business side. That doesn’t mean you are going to make a decision that £75m, bang you hit the bid. That is not the way it is going to work, it is not the way it does work with us.

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That was back in October though, and now, Roma are out of the Champions League. Yes, they have a Serie A title to fight for, but the loss of revenue and prestige of the continent's top competition is a big blow to take nonetheless. Strootman hasn't yet played a significant part in domestic play, as Roma still sit second behind only Juventus.

Would a huge offer tempt the Italian side to part with him in January? Perhaps the real question is whether Strootman himself would want to leave so soon after recovering from injury. He may want to see out the season in Rome before departing at the end of the campaign.

Come the end of 2014-15, Strootman will be 25 and still with three years on his contract; Roma hold him in a perfect position right now to maximise his fee or his potential.

Either way, his suitors are not going anywhere fast, and his valuation will only continue to rise if he hits peak form after regaining fitness. The assumption has to be that Roma will at least double their initial £15 million outlay when he does move on.

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