7 Clubs in the Most Need of a Big January Transfer Window
January’s transfer window cannot come sooner for some clubs who wish they could restart the season.
Unfortunately, that’s not possible, but they get the chance to improve their squads in under two months’ time. January’s window is the ultimate risk-reward scenario—buy well and a season can be saved; buy poorly and matters only become worse.
This ranked list takes into consideration each team’s performance in relation to their pre-season expectations, paying close attention to their current standings.
Is Newcastle United’s Steve McClaren yearning for January’s transfer window more than Juventus’ Massimiliano Allegri?
7. Monaco
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The Ligue 1 title may be beyond their reach, but Monaco can still qualify for the Champions League with a strong second half to the campaign.
The French outfit currently sit sixth in Ligue 1, 12 points behind runaway leaders Paris Saint-Germain but two points behind second-placed Lyon.
Monaco have been forced to sell several stars in recent years, including striker Radamel Falcao to Manchester United, James Rodriguez to Real Madrid in 2014 and Anthony Martial to United in September. Backed by billionaire owner Dmitry Rybolovlev, the club can still attract talent in January as they pursue a third successive season of European football.
They’ve been linked with Chelsea youngster Charly Musonda, per the Daily Mail, but manager Leonardo Jardim will have a few defenders on his list of January targets.
Of the top seven clubs in Ligue 1, Monaco have conceded the highest number of goals. Last season they boasted the best defence in the division, conceding only 26 times, but the departures of Layvin Kurzawa to PSG and Aymen Abdennour to Valencia spoiled that stingy defence.
6. Manchester United
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Manchester United’s struggles in front of goal have been well documented.
United went 404 minutes without scoring before Wayne Rooney headed the winner against CSKA Moscow on Tuesday night.
Only Stoke City have attempted fewer shots on goal than United’s 110, per Squawka’s Liam Canning.
So it’s no surprise manager Louis van Gaal sent scouts to watch Riyad Mahrez, the Premier League’s second-highest goalscorer, in Leicester’s 3-2 win against West Brom, per the Daily Mail’s Simon Jones.
Should Van Gaal entice Mahrez away from Leicester City, he will be adding a dynamic weapon to United’s lacklustre attack.
According to WhoScored, Mahrez has been the Premier League’s best player this season, achieving an 8.29 rating. The Algeria international has scored eight goals and assisted five in all competitions for Leicester.
Signing Mahrez presents a concern for Van Gaal, though. Where will he fit in United’s lineup?
Despite several substandard performances, Wayne Rooney is a lock to start each game. Anthony Martial and Juan Mata lead the team in league goals scored. Though he’s stalled in recent weeks, Memphis Depay deserves more games to showcase his talent.
If they fail to bolster their attack, United will not be able to keep pace with Arsenal’s attack, least of all Manchester City’s.
5. Sevilla
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In terms of points, Sevilla are closer to the relegation zone than they are to fifth-placed Villarreal.
They can point to a slow start for the current 11th-placed standing, failing to win any of their first five league games.
The Spanish outfit have recorded some impressive wins though, beating Barcelona 2-1 and Getafe 5-0. Lest we forget they are the reigning Europa League winners.
The win against Russian club Dnipro in May didn’t go unnoticed by the biggest clubs, and Sevilla sold two of last season’s stars, striker Carlos Bacca and right-sided player Aleix Vidal, in the summer.
To see Manchester City outclass his side must have been a wake-up call for Sevilla boss Unai Emery, who watched as City scored three goals without Sergio Aguero and with Kevin de Bruyne making a substitute appearance when City were 3-1 ahead.
The depth of City’s squad may have inspired Emery ahead of January’s window. Sevilla are lacking offensive talent behind Kevin Gameiro, with on-loan striker Ciro Immobile failing to rediscover the form that inspired a £12.95 million move to Borussia Dortmund in 2014.
4. AZ Alkmaar
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Sitting 11th in the Eredivise and bottom of Europa League Group L, 2015-16 has been a disaster for AZ Alkmaar.
Their top three scorers in the league last season—striker Aron Johannsson, midfielder Nemanja Gudelj and winger Steven Berghuis—are no longer at the club, and manager John van der Brom is in desperate need of January’s transfer window so he can improve a squad that hasn’t won in the league since Oct. 4.
Markus Henriksen, the attacking midfielder who has scored eight goals in all competitions, is the team’s sole threat. Joris van Overeem has scored just once while Dabney dos Santos is yet to get off the mark this season.
Van der Brom would be wise to target experienced players in January. Henriksen is 23, van Overeem is 21 and Dos Santos is 19. Striker Vincent Janssen, scorer of three league goals, is 21.
Alkmaar can teach English clubs something about playing young, homegrown talent (of those four players only Henriksen isn’t Dutch), but Van der Brom must add some wisdom to his attack.
3. Hoffenheim
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A 1-0 defeat at home to Hamburger SV, their sixth defeat of the season, was enough to see Markus Gisdol sacked as Hoffenheim manager on Oct. 26.
The Bundesliga club are 17th in the league and have won just once all season. They are out of the DFB-Pokal after suffering an embarrassing first-round loss to 2. Bundesliga club 1860 Munich.
Hoffenheim have appointed 28-year-old Julian Nagelsmann as manager for next season, with 61-year-old Huub Stevens in charge until the end of the current one. Stevens is tasked with bringing in suitable additions in the transfer window to ensure Nagelsmann takes over a Bundesliga club next season and not a 2. Bundesliga one.
Aside from Kevin Volland, who has scored five goals this season, Hoffenheim haven’t received the necessary production from their other attackers. Eduardo Vargas was signed to replace Roberto Firmino, their best player last season who departed for Liverpool in the summer, but the Chilean has scored just once in nine games for his new club.
Backed by billionaire Dietmar Hopp, Stevens has the funds available to improve an attack that has scored more than one goal in just three games.
2. Newcastle United
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Newcastle United are enduring yet another uninspiring season, sitting 18th in the Premier League as pessimism continues to fill the Tyneside air.
Owner Mike Ashley will be forced to splash the cash in January or his side could be set for a second relegation in eight seasons.
There are countless on-pitch problems, but the standout one is the lack of goals. The Magpies have scored 12 league goals, six of those coming in one game. Their top scorer is midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum and right-back Daryl Janmaat has scored as many goals as strikers Aleksandar Mitrovic and Ayoze Perez.
Manager Steve McClaren is interested in Ajax winger Anwar El Ghazi, according to Luke Edwards of the Telegraph. The 20-year-old started in both of Holland’s Euro 2016 qualifiers last month and has netted eight times in 10 Eredivisie games while operating from the wing.
El Ghazi would certainly improve the mood around St. James Park and could provide the spark they need to climb the table.
1. Juventus
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From Serie A winners and Champions League finalists to 10th in the Italian league, 2015-16 has been an uncharacteristic season for Juventus.
The transfer of Carlos Tevez to Boca Juniors in the summer was a significant loss for a club who relied on Tevez’s 29 goals last season to fire them to a 31st Serie A title and the Champions League final.
Paulo Dybala has netted four league goals since joining from Palermo in June, but beyond the Argentine the production of Juve’s forwards has been disappointing. Alvaro Morata and Mario Mandzukic have combined for just five goals in all competitions as the triumvirate continue to trade minutes.
Juve are interested in Everton striker Romelu Lukaku, according to Sami Mokbel of the Daily Mail, while Football Italia report Bayern Munich defender Medhi Benatia is on Juve’s radar.
Lukaku would cost Juventus a hefty £45 million, but the Italian giants would be acquiring a striker who has already scored more than 100 club goals, an incredible achievement for a 22-year-old with the potential to become one of the best strikers in the world.
Benatia’s stellar performances for Roma in the 2013-14 season warranted a €26 million move to Bayern Munich, but the Moroccan has made only two league appearances all season. The Juventus defence hasn’t been a problem—only three teams have conceded fewer goals than Juve in the league—and manager Massimiliano Allegri should focus his intentions on signing a top striker in January.
