19 Players Who May Be Looking for a New Start in the January Window

The game can be a fickle mistress.

Often, players who show great promise and skill initially experience unexpected downfalls, be they through constant injury, fallings-out with management or simply getting shuffled down the pecking order in favor of newer, shinier talent.

Today's list looks at 19 players liked with January transfers who are in need of a fresh start and may get the first-team play or redemption they need with a new club. As always, if there's someone we forgot or a move you'd particularly love to see, tell us in the comments.

Carlos Tévez (Manchester City)

Let's start with the most obvious one first. 

Carlos Tévez is a gutsy, technically gifted striker when he has his good days. But lately, he hasn't had too many of those.

He's been upstaged in the lineup by new talent, and his stormy relationship with Manchester City management has been making headlines all season, culminating in the stormy Champions League match against Bayern Munich when he refused to come on as a substitute. 

It's clear Tévez will be better off at another club, and despite all efforts to make it work, including moving his family from Argentina, a January move for him is looking all the more likely. Clubs rumored to be interested include the Dubai-based Al-Wasl, Inter Milan, his former club West Ham United and according to some sources, Real Madrid. His future is up in the air, but hopefully, he can get a fresh start wherever he goes.

Wayne Bridge (Manchester City)

Having recently completed a loan spell at West Ham United, veteran Manchester City left-back Wayne Bridge is still having trouble breaking into the first team behind Gaël Clichy and Aleksandar Kolarov, who made a resurgence back in September with an equalizing goal that rescued City from a Champions League group stage loss to Napoli.

Roberto Mancini has suggested a stint for a Championship side for Bridge, which would likely see him making more of an impact, certainly more than he would right now at City. He rejected a loan bid from Celtic back in August, and West Ham manager Sam Allardyce turned down a return, saying he didn't need to make any more additions.

But now, as West Ham sits in fourth in the Championship and fights to return to the Premier League, Allardyce may be more keen to make some moves. 

Yoann Gourcuff (Lyon)

Initially linked with possible moves to Manchester United and Arsenal, Yoann Gourcuff has been praised in the past for his playmaking ability and skilled passing game.

But recent injury problems and a decline in form have spelled difficulties for Gourcuff since his arrival at Lyon. Although the Ligue 1 side is off to a good start this year, looking poised to advance in the Champions League and in a respectable third domestically, expect Gourcuff to make a move, especially if he wants to keep in standing with the French national team before Euro. 

Raúl Albiol (Real Madrid)

Albiol has fallen down the centre-back pecking order at the Bernabéu in favor of Ricardo Carvalho, Pepe and even 18-year-old newcomer Raphaël Varane, who impressed in his initial handful of La Liga appearances and scored in Real's 6-2 victory over Rayo Vallecano. 

Although his time at Real Madrid has largely been spent on the bench, he has shown flashes of brilliance, including an epic save on a Luís Fabiano shot in a match earlier this year against Sevilla. 

A number of clubs have reportedly expressed interest in bringing on the defender in January, including Liverpool, Manchester City, Málaga and Chelsea. And with Albiol wanting to return to Vicente del Bosque's Spain squad, especially with Euro 2012 on the horizon, he'll need to have more opportunities for first-team play, and a move could certainly give that to him. 

Giovani Dos Santos (Tottenham Hotspur)

Dos Santos may be on the move in January if he still can't break into the Tottenham Hotspur first team; it's just a question of where.

The versatile attacker has spent much of his time with Tottenham Hotspur on a series of loan spells at Ipswich Town, Galatasaray and Racing Santander, respectively. He has made some great moves for Spurs in preseason and international matches, but has yet to fully make his mark in the Premiership, let alone in Spurs' first team.

He did score for Tottenham in their recent Europa League victory over Shamrock Rovers, but if he continues to be left out of the first team, he may want to seek a move to somewhere he can make an impact and get a fresh start.

Esteban Granero (Real Madrid)

In Spanish, 'Granero' translates to "fruitful country," and the midfielder's nickname may be "El Pirata," but lately he hasn't seemed to reap any sort of bounty at Real Madrid, especially when he has to compete with the likes of Mesut Özil, Sami Khedira and Xabi Alonso for playing time.

A breakout player at Getafe praised for his passing game, Granero has caught the eye of a few clubs eyeing new talent for January, including Arsenal and Málaga. He says he wants to stay at the Bernabéu for now, but perhaps a change of scenery will help Granero have the same kind of impact he did while at Getafe. 

Heurelho Gomes (Tottenham Hotspur)

Following more than 90 appearances for Tottenham Hotspur since he signed with them in 2008, Brazilian goalkeeper Heurelho Gomes has found his role at White Hart Lane diminishing after a few late-season flubs at the end of last season and the arrival of veteran American keeper Brad Friedel, who was brought over on a free transfer from Aston Villa.

Although manager Harry Redknapp has said he still has plans for his backup keeper, a January departure for Gomes seems likely. One club reportedly interested in bringing him on is Brazilian side Corinthians, along with his former club, PSV Eindhoven.

Tottenham may be wise to hold on to him, though, as it's uncertain how many seasons the soon-to-be 41-year-old Friedel has left.

Amauri (Juventus)

After being shuffled down the first-team priority list thanks to new striker acquisitions, including the on-fire Montenegrin Mirko Vučinić, Amauri may be looking for greener pastures and more goal-scoring prospects elsewhere.

The 31-year-old spent the second half of last season on a loan spell at Parma F.C., where he returned to form in a big way, scoring seven goals in 11 appearances and helping the club remain in Serie A.

His agents have said he is likely to leave the Bianconeri in the January window in the hopes of repeating his success at Parma, with another Serie A club or a move to the Premiership both possibilities. There were reports last month about Fiorentina lining up a bid to bring him on, and more dubious reports have linked him with Newcastle United and Totttenham Hotspur. 

Dimitar Berbatov (Manchester United)

Will he or won't he? That seems to be the question at Old Trafford. 

A top-flight goalscorer at his peak, Manchester United star Dimitar Berbatov now struggles to break into the first team on the regular with the likes of Wayne Rooney, Chicharito and Danny Welbeck ahead of him in the pecking order. Perhaps his finest moment for United so far this season came when he was playing as a defender in a libero-style role in the Red Devils' 3-0 Carling Cup victory over Leeds United. 

Still an incredibly gifted technical player, Berbatov may shape up to be a hot prospect for January for clubs in search of an impact striker. Cash-flush Paris Saint-Germain, Valencia and Anzhi Makhachkala are among the clubs reported to be interested in making bids for Berbatov in January.

But Berba claims he still isn't ready to leave Old Trafford, and he may decide to proceed to extend his contract through when he hits age 34. As he told MUTV last week: 

"

“My family is together in Manchester. I hear people complain about the weather, there’s nothing to do and the food. But, for me, it’s not like that. I play for a club I love, the biggest club, and everything else doesn’t matter.”

"

Adam Johnson (Manchester City)

Another long-running transfer saga, Adam Johnson is one of those rare and frustrating examples of a great player who, alongside other headliners, just can't seem to break into the first team.

The Manchester City winger has emerged as one of the buzziest prospects for a January move, with Liverpool and Arsenal reportedly among the clubs interested in signing him. Johnson gave a cracking performance, complete with a headliner goal, in City's recent 4-0 victory over Blackburn Rovers, perhaps an indicator that his first-team fortunes may be changing.

And Johnson himself has said he's happy at Eastlands, but if he begins to get left out of the starting XI and his England career is jeopardized by a lack of first-team play, a move across the Premiership may prove beneficial.

Sami Khedira (Real Madrid)

The German defensive midfielder has had a rocky relationship with manager José Mourinho as of late, culminating in Mourinho placing the blame on Real's loss to Levante largely on the defensive midfielder. 

Since then, Khedira has been linked to a series of moves, mostly to the Premiership and Serie A. Bayern Munich and AC Milan have reportedly expressed interest in signing Khedira, and he has also been linked to a player swap deal with Manchester City for Carlos Tévez.

Rio Ferdinand (Manchester United)

Ferdinand was recently linked to a bid from Tottenham Hotspur and a move to America to join the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer, but he denies that this is happening and says he wants to stay at Old Trafford for another two years and help the club win its 20th Premiership title. 

But with Nemanja Vidic (when he's healthy) still Sir Alex's first choice of centre-back and promising upstarts Phil Jones and Chris Smalling moving their way up the ranks, Ferdinand is having trouble breaking into the first team, and it looks as though his prospects for continuing his international career are diminishing. His loyalties may be with the Red Devils, but if he wants to spend time in the first-team, he may be better off with a new start elsewhere.

Nicolas Anelka (Chelsea)

Anelka has recently been linked to a move to the club where he got his start, Paris Saint-Germain.

With Didier Drogba, a recovering Fernando Torres and a promising Daniel Sturridge ahead of him in the striker rotation at Chelsea, not to mention other formidable figures like Juan Mata bolstering the Blues' attack, Anelka's role in the Chelsea first team has decreased as of late. But the striker has proved he still has some power left, scoring the Blues' first goal of the season back in August. 

Other clubs reportedly gunning for Anelka in January include MLS side New York Red Bulls and Russian clubs Terek Grozny and (surprise, surprise) Anzhi Makhachkala.

Salomon Kalou (Chelsea)

Another veteran Chelsea striker on the outs, Salomon Kalou may seek another Premiership home as a means of rejuvenating his career. Arsenal and Liverpool are two possible options, with Arsene Wenger (reportedly a fan of Kalou) potentially using the versatile forward, who also has experience as a winger, to bolster the Gunners' attacking options, and Kalou said back in 2009 he'd love to play for Arsenal and for Wenger.

Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish is also reportedly looking at Kalou as an addition to the striking rotation.

Patrick Agyemang (Queens Park Rangers)

Out of favor and out on loan, Queens Park Rangers striker Patrick Agyemang has already began making moves to try to get the fresh start he is seeking, first with a loan spell at Bristol City through the middle of last season and now with a month-long stint at Championship side Millwall. 

It's been a rough start to the season for the Lions, who have only scored one goal so far this season and are sitting just above the bottom of the Championship. Maybe this could be the beginning of a redeeming relationship for both Millwall and Agyemang.

Nenad Milijas (Wolverhampton Wanderers)

The former Zemun and Red Star Belgrade star was a hot prospect when he arrived at Wolverhampton Wanderers in 2009. Now slipping down the order of favor at Wolves, the midfielder has said he will make his exit in December if he has not regained his place in the first team. 

As he told the Wolverhampton Express and Star:

"

"I want to be here but, if I can't play, then it's better for me to go somewhere else. But we'll see. There are many games before I need to do anything like that. We will have another look in December."

 

"

Ibrahim Afellay (Barcelona)

We haven't seen much of him this season, as he will be out for six months following knee surgery, but prior to his injury, the footballing world was abuzz with rumors about the talented but often overlooked Barcelona attacker.

An energetic presence and a regular in European competition, Afellay had been linked with possible bids from Juventus (although they went with his Netherlands teammate Eljero Elia), Liverpool and Juventus. Time will tell what the long-term injury will mean for Afellay's career and whether or not teams will continue to seek him out considering his state, but when he's recovered, he may be looking for somewhere new to start over.

Sébastien Bassong (Tottenham Hotspur)

Sébastien Bassong is a strong, dutiful centre-back who won the favor of Newcastle United supporters even as the club sunk into relegation. Now, Bassong still has trouble breaking into the first team at White Hart Lane, having to compete with the linkes of Younès Kaboul and captain Ledley King.

He seems focused on getting into the first team at Spurs after a move to Queens Park Rangers never materialized, but if he still can't seem to make his way into the league play starting XI before January, a move for the defender may be a possibility. 

David Beckham (Los Angeles Galaxy)

OK, so maybe Becks doesn't need a fresh start, but with his career winding down and his reputation not exactly favorable amongst the L.A. Galaxy faithful, maybe a move back to Europe to finish out his career wouldn't be such a bad thing.

Rumors about him moving to Queens Park Rangers and Paris Saint-Germain aside, Becks' move to America was met with a lot of fanfare, but not a whole lot of delivery on the pitch. The midfielder returned to Europe twice on loan spells to AC Milan and drew criticism from fans who called him a "part-time player." With Beckham rumored to make the 2012 London Olympics his swan song, a move back to Europe in anticipation isn't entirely out of the question.