Inside the Window: Dele Alli and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in Focus
The January transfer window is open for business, and the rumour mill is in full swing.
Inside the Window is the column in which B/R Football Insider Dean Jones will stay on top of the all deals to break stories, report the latest information on rumoured moves and provide fresh insight on the biggest names in the game.
Can anyone top the £60 million deal that saw Chelsea's Oscar join Chinese Super League side Shanghai SIPG?
Will any of the elite clubs make a signing who will have an impact on the second half of the season?
Let us guide you as we take a look into January's market movement.
Tom Cleverley Set for North-West Switch?
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It's a difficult time for the midfielder, who has played just two minutes of football in the past month.
He does not want to leave Goodison Park but is growing fearful of how much he will feature under Ronald Koeman.
Newcastle United have already made an enquiry about signing him on loan, according to Peter O'Rourke of ESPN FC, and that is likely to encourage the Clarets to make an official move of their own.
Burnley boss Sean Dyche is on the lookout for January signings, and Cleverley would be a useful addition to the Turf Moor ranks.
Scott Hogan Eyed by Premier League Duo
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West Ham United have a big decision to make over Brentford striker Scott Hogan—is he worth £12 million?
Finding a new forward is at the top of Slaven Bilic's agenda in January. Jermain Defoe is the Hammers' No. 1 target, but Sunderland rebuffed their initial approach, according to John Cross of the Mirror.
West Ham are likely to return with another bid for Defoe but have also been looking into alternative options.
And after making contact with Brentford, they have learned that a deal for Hogan, 24, will cost twice as much as expected.
Hogan, who has scored 14 goals in the Championship this season, is open to a move to the Premier League, but Watford have also declared their interest in signing him.
A deal is only likely if West Ham can find a way to structure the proposed £12 million fee depending on his success at the club.
Focus is needed at London Stadium. Officials used a scattergun approach to sounding out potential signings last summer, and it backfired as a host of big names failed to arrive.
Dele Alli Has Eyes on Foreign Shores
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Tottenham Hotspur's Dele Alli is being linked with a switch to Real Madrid by James Nursey of the Mirror, and while the transfer is not going to happen anytime soon, the prospect is not as outlandish as it sounds.
I am told Alli plans to play abroad at some stage in his career and that Spain is his preferred destination.
That time is not likely to come for a few more years—he's loving his role at Spurs—but Alli is determined to fulfil his potential and feels a move to the Santiago Bernabeu is not an impossible dream.
John Cross of the Mirror recently linked the 20-year-old with a switch to PSG, but that does not have the same appeal, as Ligue 1 would not prove testing enough.
Patrick Bamford Targets Career Revival
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Wolverhampton Wanderers are planning an attempt to sign Patrick Bamford.
He was one of the most sought-after young players in English football not so long ago, but since Burnley brought the the forward in last summer, he has fallen off the radar.
Bamford has played just 33 minutes of Premier League football this season, and parent club Chelsea are preparing to cancel his loan spell.
Ideally, the 23-year-old Bamford wants to prove himself in the Premier League, but after failing to score in 19 combined games for Crystal Palace, Norwich City and Burnley, it seems a Championship move is most likely.
Wolves head coach Paul Lambert will be given backing in January, and a move for Bamford would make sense for both parties.
Carl Jenkinson in Big Sam's Gaze
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Carl Jenkinson will be offered the chance to join up with Sam Allardyce at Crystal Palace.
A move away from the Emirates Stadium in January is important as the full-back attempts to rebuild confidence and recapture form.
Jenkinson is already being pursued by Aston Villa and West Ham, per the Birmingham Mail and the Evening Standard respectively, and he is planning to make a decision on his next destination soon.
But the option of joining Palace would prove tempting as Allardyce, who took Jenkinson on loan to West Ham in 2014, bulks his squad for the second half of the season.
The Eagles will be one of the most active clubs in the January transfer window, and Jenkinson could be brought in to provide competition for Martin Kelly and Joel Ward.
In other Arsenal full-back news, Watford made an inquiry over Kieran Gibbs—but did not get an encouraging response.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain in Limbo
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Jurgen Klopp dismissed Liverpool's interest in Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain as "nonsense," but this story is not over just yet.
I understand that Liverpool did target him with the hope of doing a deal in January, but it became clear Arsenal had no interest in doing business—and the player wants to see what happens over the course of the season in north London.
He has 18 months remaining on his Arsenal contract, but with no talks taking place over an extension, Oxlade-Chamberlain is unsure what the future holds.
Watch how the rest of this season pans out, but if no new deal emerges by the summer, it is probable that the Liverpool link will rise again.
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