13 Defenders and Defensive Midfielders Who Could Be on the Move in January

It's tough being a defender. You work extremely hard on the pitch, are at constant risk of injury and, all too often, the glory goes to the striker or another high-volume goal-scorer.

But it looks as though in this upcoming transfer window, a legion of top defenders in football may be seeking new homes. 

Here are a baker's dozen ace defenders and defensive midfielders who may be on the move in the January transfer window. If there are any others worth noting or anywhere in particular you'd like to see the gentlemen on this list, please tell us in the comments.

Gary Cahill (Bolton Wanderers)

It's the transfer gossip thread that just never seems to end.

With Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and now apparently Barcelona already in hot pursuit of Bolton's star centre back, Gary Cahill has become one of the most heavily discussed transfer prospects for the January window.

The 25-year-old started the season strong with some solid performances for Owen Coyle's otherwise-struggling side and, after an impressive showing during the Euro qualifiers, he has remained in the favor of Fabio Capello for this weekend's round.

And, with Bolton in a precarious position after losing six straight matches including last weekend's 5-1 thumping from Chelsea, a move may look all the more appealing for their star defender.

Leighton Baines

A departure from Everton for Leighton Baines would be a (very, very) long shot, especially as his profile continues to rise at Goodison Park. Fabio Capello has made the left-back an England regular and he's lauded at Everton for his dead-ball skills.

But Baines may be tempted—if not in January, then possibly down the road—by the opportunity to play in Europe. He has been previously linked with moves to Liverpool (which he says was 'never an option’) and to defensive powerhouse Bayern Munich over the summer. 

Baines was quoted in a Goal.com report as saying he would like to stay in the Premiership, but he does find the prospect of Champions League play appealing:

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"It wouldn't be ideal leaving this league, but I do have ambitions to get to the Champions League level and hopefully the tide will turn at some point and enable us to do that here."

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Don't expect a move just yet for Baines—he's still got a part to play at Everton. But in the long run, the opportunity to give Europe a try could prove tempting.

Sami Khedira

The Real Madrid defensive midfielder, whose relationship with manager José Mourinho has grown rather tense this season, has been linked to a series of moves, mostly to the Premiership.

Bayern Munich and AC Milan have reportedly come knocking, Chelsea has been linked to a rather hefty bid and a rather suspect report from TribalFootball says Real Madrid are planning to offer Khedira to Manchester City in exchange for striker Carlos Tévez.

After impressing last season, Khedira has struggled to find his place in the squad, partially due to injury and partially because of his performance in their early-season loss to Levante. A January move may rejuvenate the German international.

Aleksandar Kolarov

Kolarov is starting to find his footing at Manchester City and his favor has risen since his defensive heroics against Napoli. With Roberto Mancini planning to reject Juventus' bid for the fullback, it's clear that City want to hold on to their strong attacker after all.

But it's a long way to go until January, and if summer addition Gaël Clichy reemerges as Roberto Mancini's favorite to play in left-back, Kolarov could make a move to Serie A (AC Milan and Inter showed interest in the previous window). 

Wayne Bridge

The Manchester City man, who spent the end of last season on loan at West Ham United, could be looking at another loan spell, this time in the Championship.

With Gaël Clichy and Aleksandar Kolarov ahead of him in the pecking order for left-back, Bridge will be hard-pressed to see first-team action at the Etihad, and Roberto Mancini thinks he could make more of an impact one division down. 

Bridge rejected an August loan request from Celtic and, although there was some reported interest from West Ham in bringing him back, Sam Allardyce says he feels he doesn't need to make any more additions.

Perhaps another Championship side will show some interest.

Liam Ridgewell

The Birmingham City defender tried to leave his club in August after they were relegated to the Championship, but his transfer request was ultimately denied.

Some reports indicate Birmingham's longtime centre-half will try to leave again in January, as Newcastle United, Stoke City and Queens Park Rangers are among the clubs reported to show interest in bringing him on. 

But Ridgewell's contract goes until 2013 and Birmingham City boss Chris Hughton will likely pull out the stops again to keep him, especially as he has proved to be an asset in the Blues' Europa League campaign, most recently with a strong performance in their win over NK Maribor.

Jan Vertonghen

The Ajax star was recently linked with moves to Liverpool and Arsenal, as both clubs are looking to shore up their defense.

With Daniel Agger constantly struggling with injury and Sebastián Coates needing time to develop, Vertonghen could fit in nicely as a centre-back for the Reds and he could link up well with former teammate Thomas Vermaelen at Arsenal.

The versatile defender, who plays mostly as a centre-back but can also deliver as a defensive midfielder, has been impressing clubs all over Europe with cracking performances in the Eredivisie and the Champions League.

Ajax has a tough draw in this year's league competition alongside Real Madrid, Lyon and Dinamo Zagreb, so their performance in this group stage may indicate whether or not Vertonghen will stay with the Amsterdammers.

Raúl Albiol

Having to compete for first-team play with the likes of Pepe, Ricardo Carvalho, promising newcomer Raphaël Varane and the versatile Sergio Ramos, Real Madrid centre-back Raúl Albiol may be seeking a new club this January.

The experienced Albiol reportedly has a number of clubs knocking on his door, including recently cash-flush Málaga, Manchester City, Liverpool and Chelsea, the latter in search for another player to add to their centre-back rotation to ensure a shared burden and limit injury risks.

Albiol could be swayed with a move as more first-team play will mean he becomes a more likely candidate for international play.

Danilo Pereira

The Portuguese defensive midfielder was one of the earliest targets to emerge for both Liverpool and Arsenal for January.

The 19-year-old, who impressed while on loan at Greek club Aris F.C. and is waiting to get his big break at Parma, could be an ideal compliment or successor to Lucas Leiva at Liverpool and has been compared to Patrick Vieira, which will certainly hold appeal for the Gunners. But Pereira, who has been out with an injury, has yet to show his potential in Serie A.

Alex

The veteran centre-back was rumored for a deadline day departure in August, and he's been in the transfer headlines nearly every deadline day. 

Arsenal, Juventus and Bayern Munich were among the clubs reported to make moves for the Brazilian international back in August, so a move is always a possibility, particularly a one-year loan.

But Andre Villas-Boas is keen on having a centre-back rotation in place in case of injuries, and Alex is still a strong defender, which indicates the more likely place for Alex will be remaining at Stamford Bridge.

Rhodolfo

The São Paulo centre-back is beginning to find his stride at the club and has caught the eye of Juventus, who are looking to shore up their defensive options as they make a run for the Serie A title and possible Champions League inclusion for next season.

Club boss Giuseppe Marotta reportedly wants to bring on the Brazilian international before the January transfer deadline as the Campeonato season is drawing to a close. 

Also on Juve's radar is Arsenal de Sarandí centre-back Lisandro López (not to be confused with the Lyon winger by the same name), who impressed the club with his recent performance at the Copa Sudamericana and recent caps for the national team. 

Younes Kaboul

Kaboul still has a role to play at White Hart Lane, and says he enjoys the "stability" offered to him at Tottenham Hotspur. He has been a regular starter for the club so far this season. 

But Kaboul may be a candidate for a move down the road.

The Spurs defender recently expressed a desire to play for Paris Saint-Germain, the club he supported as a kid. PSG reportedly offered him a bid over the summer, but he chose to stay with Tottenham. Don't count him in for a move this winter, but depending on how Spurs fare throughout the rest of the season, Kaboul may make a stride for Ligue 1. 

Horacio Benincasa

The 17-year-old Peruvian left-back has yet to play at the senior level, but has impressed with performances for the U-17 national team and his youth side, Esther Grande de Bentín.

His performance at the U-17 South American championships caught the eye of Tottenham Hotspur scouts, who have reportedly been working to bring Benincasa to White Hart Lane, potentially ahead of other clubs who have shown interest, including Werder Bremen.

According to some reports, the Spurs flew the young star to the UK to play in a secret trial match. Make of that what you will, but Benincasa will certainly be one to watch either way.