10 transfers that will decide the Champions League

The 2024/25 UEFA Champions League has now concluded it's first League Phase.

After 144 games between 36 teams, the inaugural League Phase has finally come to an end. Liverpool have finished top of the table, with Barcelona close behind in second.

With the Munich final just over the horizon, the remaining teams are now gearing up for the second-half of the season proper, where they will all make a run for glory.

READ MORE: Watkins to Arsenal: A dream transfer or Arteta's desperate gamble?

Part of this, for some sides, will include strengthening their squads in the transfer market. Some big January moves have already happened and some are shaping to take place in the final days of the January transfer window.

FootballTransfers has rounded up 10 transfers that could have a massive impact on the way this season's Champions League goes in the knockout rounds.

Omar Marmoush to Man City

The Egyptian Prince joined Man City this January in a mammoth €70 million deal, and while he didn't score on his debut he showed plenty of promise. With 20 goals in just 26 games for Eintracht Frankfurt he joins Pep Guardiola's men in superb form and adding that kind of goal power to an admittedly sputtering City attack could be transformative.

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia to PSG

After many matches looking absolutely terrible, PSG finally came together in the last two League Phase matches, whupping Man City and VfB Stuttgart to secure their place in the knockout rounds.

However, the chemistry they developed with Desiree Doue on the right, Ousmane Dembele as a false nine and Bradley Barcola on the left is about to be disrupted by the arrival of €70 million worth of Georgian superstar.

READ MORE: Real Madrid demand €1 BILLION as PSG plot Mbappe revenge

Kvaratskhelia joined PSG in January and is very much a left-winger. How he fits into PSG's delicate attacking ecosystem will be interesting. He could slot in superbly and help transform PSG into one of the continent's elite sides, or it could be a disaster that ruins Barcola's form and the harmony of their Francophonic front-line.

Kyle Walker to AC Milan

Kyle Walker is old, real old. But he's a very experienced player and proven winner. He's also AC Milan's best right-back despite his age. And right-back has been a problem for Milan too, so signing Walker could be a big boost to them. His age may be a concern but we've seen MilanLab work miracles with veterans before, so why not Walker?

Emi Buendia to Bayer Leverkusen

With the exception of Florian Wirtz, Jonathan Tah and Jeremie Frimpong, the Bayer Leverkusen squad is mostly made up of talented players who were underrated or neglected elsewhere maximising their abilities under Xabi Alonso.

To that end, the signing of Emi Buendia is huge for Leverkusen. Everyone remembers how good he was at Aston Villa prior to his injury.

READ MORE: Premier League January transfers 2025: All the Done Deals

But here's the thing, he's now 18 months removed from that injury so it's around now that his ligaments will be close to healing fully. Meaning Leverkusen picked him up on loan (with a cheap buy option) just as he could be about to turn back into the pre-injury Buendia. That could be a huge boost to an already talented squad.

Donyell Malen to Aston Villa

Speaking of Aston Villa, they signed the prepetually frustrating Donyell Malen in January. The Dutch forward is someone with a sensational skill-set who has never really put it all together.

But under Unai Emery he has a great chance to do just that. Able to play out wide or up-front, Malen could become a key impact player for Villa as they look to take the Champions League knockout rounds on with the same aplomb they did the League Phase.

Jhon Duran (to Al-Nassr?)

One reason why Malen is so important is because Jhon Duran is about to secure generational wealth for his family. Despite being a hotshot 21 year-old striker in great form, Duran appears close to an Aston Villa exit.

Al-Nassr are trying to taken Duran and his goalscoring to the Saudi Pro League, and that's a huge loss for Villa given the Colombian's rugged physical skill-set and absurd ability to impact games coming off the bench. Just ask Bayern Munich if they're glad he's going to Saudi!

The fee (rumoured to be €77 million) is too much to turn down, but Villa will surely miss him!

Ollie Watkins (to Arsenal?)

Duran's exit could be even more damaging to Villa's attempts to impact the Champions League knockout rounds because Arsenal are making a late play for their star striker Ollie Watkins.

The move would be massive for both sides. Villa would lose their line-leader and the man who sets the tone for them up-front, while Arsenal would be gaining the kind of penalty box poacher that would take their squad of centre-backs and defensive midfielders to the next level in terms of offensive output.

This could be scary.

Andrea Cambiaso (to Man City?)

Speaking of scary, have you seen Man City's defending? Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis were signed in January too but given their age one doubts they'll be starters this season. Not like Andrea Cambiaso, though, if he joined he's straight in the XI.

Cambiaso would be an upgrade for City. Capable of playing right-back and left-back, this Italian is a multifaceted footballer who would excel under Pep Guardiola and help return the kind of defensive solidity that won them the Champions League back in 2023.

Marcus Rashford (to Barcelona?)

Man Utd aren't in the Champions League but they could still impact it massively. First by letting Marcus Rashford leave peacefully to join Barcelona on loan.

The Blaugrana are keen on bringing Rashford to Catalunya but their financial situation is delaying things. United could (and should) assume much of the financial burden in order to let Rashford go and thrive where he's wanted.

And Rashford would assuredly thrive. Barcelona own most of the ball and the Englishman is a natural fit for that left-wing position with his movement and power shooting, allowing the club to rest and rotate the devastatingly dynamic Lamine Yamal and Raphinha.

Mathys Tel (leaving Bayern Munich?)

Man Utd's other avenue to impact the Champions League is to sign Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich (presumably on loan at first).

Man Utd are one of many clubs being linked with Tel, including Chelsea who also aren't in the Champions League. Tel's direct style of play fits both those clubs, but Bayern would certainly feel his absence.

It's true Vincent Kompany has been reticent to use the French winger, but when the heat of the knockout rounds is upon him, having a mercurial goalscoring talent like Tel to call on would be an ace up his sleeve. If he lets Tel leave, he doesn't have that ace and could well end up suffering for it.