10 Ligue 1 players who could move in January

Stuart Telford

• Updated: 23 May 2023 09:00 CDT
• 5 min read

Lionel Messi is far from the only Ligue 1-based player whose future is far from certain. Which other players from the French top flight might move in January?

Messi is now a world champion with Argentina and could perhaps be forgiven for focusing his attentions on the competition in Qatar this winter rather than his current contract.

But the fact remains that his PSG deal expires this summer and he refused to discuss terms before leaving for the Finals. Football Transfers looks at 10 potential January movers…

READ: 10 players who could join PSG in January

Keylor Navas

Messi's Paris Saint-Germain teammate Keylor Navas has cut a frustrated figure at the Parc des Princes since Christophe Galtier was installed as coach, relegated to the bench with Gigio Donnarumma installed as No.1. West Ham and Napoli were among those linked in the summer, and the three-time Champions League winner with Real Madrid could be picked up for less than €10 million.

Azzedine Ounahi

Azzedine Ounahi starred for Morocco at the World Cup, helping the Atlas Lions become the first African nation ever to make it into the semi-finals of the tournament. Plies his trade at club level for relegation-threatened Angers, but unlikely for much longer. Leicester want the 22-year-old midfielder as Youri Tieleman's long-term replacement.

Lionel Messi

Messi won past his PSG teammate Kylian Mbappe and France in last month's final and they 35-year-old could yet see out the season and beyond with Paris, but David Beckham's Inter Miami and Messi's former club Barcelona are among those lurking, and a January bid to skip the queue for him can't be ruled out.

READ: How much does Lionel Messi earn and what is the football legend’s net worth?

Houssem Aouar

Houssem Aouar is another who is out of contract at the end of the season, and Lyon face the very real prospect of losing a player who was a jewel from their fabled academy for free in the summer. They'd rather cash in - to the tune of around €25m - and there are a host of Premier League clubs who would bite.

Youssouf Fofana

Youssouf Fofana wasn't on many transfer radars last summer, but played his way into Didier Deschamps' World Cup squad and did himself justice in Qatar. Monaco are a selling club, and Fofana's stock has never been so high. Liverpool are interested in acquiring the midfielder ranked at €27.3m by Football Transfers' in-house algorithm, though it worth remembering Monaco squeezed €100m out of Real Madrid for Aurelien Tchoumeni just six months ago.

Fares Chaibi

Fares Chaibi has impressed for promoted Toulouse this season, with two goals and four assists from 13 games before the winter break, and Arsenal are interested in bringing the 20-year-old winger to the Emirates. Gabriel Jesus is injured, Gabriel Martinelli might have to play up front, and Shakhtar Donetsk want silly money for their primary solution on the left flank, Mykhailo Mudryk. Chaibi could prove a shrewd alternative.

Moussa Dembele

Moussa Dembele has enjoyed a second wind at Lyon since Laurent Blanc was installed as manager in October, but the fact remains that he is out of contract in the summer and there are a pair of Premier League clubs in Manchester United and Chelsea in the market for a genuine No.9.

Lovro Majer

Unfortunately for Lovro Majer, he plays in exactly the same position as Croatia's best ever player, Luka Modric. Fortunately for the Rennes midfielder, he has 12 years on his Real Madrid-owned compatriot. Majer boasts a similarly impressive ability to orchestrate a game, has been underutilised by the Bretons this season, and Arsenal and Atletico Madrid retain an interest.

Folarin Balogun

Folarin Balogun hit the ground running on loan at Reims from Arsenal this season, plundering eight goals and two assists at a rate of one every 108 minutes he has played. The Gunners would rather he continued his development in France, but could potentially recall him with fellow forward Jesus out for the majority of the second half of the campaign.

Vanderson

Vanderson only joined Monaco in an €11m deal from Gremio in January, but his performances have already caught the eye of Barcelona, who have a long-standing problem at right-back post-Dani Alves. As with Fofana, Monaco won't stand in the player's way if significant bid representing a transfer profit were to be presented.