Six stars who could make big January transfers
Carlo Garganese
- Updated: 23 May 2023 08:54 CDT
It only seemed like yesterday that we were witnessing some of the biggest deals in football history during the summer transfer window.
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Jack Grealish and Romelu Lukaku both moved to the Premier League for over €100 million, while the likes of Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Gigi Donnarumma, Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane all made blockbuster transfers.
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And soon we will do it all over again as the opening of the winter transfer window on January 1 is creeping ever closer.
Here are six big players who could realistically make big transfers in January.
Dusan Vlahovic (Fiorentina)
Dusan Vlahovic will certainly leave Fiorentina before the start of next season after his club’s president Rocco Commisso confirmed this week that the striker won’t be signing a new contract.
Vlahovic’s current deal expires in 2023 and Fiorentina have desperately tried to get the attacker to extend his contract.
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However, excessive demands from the player’s agent means Fiorentina will be forced to sell in order to prevent losing him for nothing a year later.
Selling in January will result in a higher fee for Fiorentina, who rejected €70m bids from Tottenham and Atletico Madrid this past summer.
Both clubs are still interested, as are Arsenal, Liverpool, Man City and PSG, but Juventus are considered favourites for his signature.
Vlahovic has exploded in 2021 as one of the best young strikers in Europe, with only Robert Lewandowski, Lionel Messi and Erling Haaland scoring more goals this calendar year.
Raheem Sterling (Man City)
Something has clearly gone very wrong for Raheem Sterling at Man City. Once one of the first names on Pep Guardiola’s team-sheet, the Englishman now is regularly a bench player.
Sterling has been considering his future at Man City this year and there is little sign of him signing a new contract.
With his current deal expiring in 2023, and Sterling set to turn 27, a transfer in 2022 is very possible.
Arsenal are very interested in Sterling but there is plenty of interest from clubs at home and abroad, with PSG looking for a replacement for PSG. And, of course, don’t rule out Newcastle following their well-documented Saudi takeover.
Aaron Ramsey (Juventus)
Juventus are desperate to sell Aaron Ramsey as they look to lower their wage bill and make space in their squad for new players.
Ramsey is one of Juve’s highest-paid players on €7m per season, but he has done little to justify it since arriving in Turin on a free transfer in 2019.
The Welshman is well down the central midfield pecking order and has regularly been injured, something that won’t surprise fans of former club Arsenal.
The 30-year-old rejected moves to the Premier League this past summer, but Newcastle are said to be preparing a bid in January. This is something that will suit Juventus and may suit Ramsey too as they could match his current salary.
Edinson Cavani (Man Utd)
Just a few months ago, as we moved into the final weeks of the 2020-21 season, Edinson Cavani wanted to leave Manchester United.
He had impressed on the pitch – eventually scoring 17 goals in 39 games – since initially signing for Man Utd on a one-year contract as a free agent in the summer of 2020.
In the end, Cavani agreed to stay on for another year after being virtually begged to by everyone associated with Man Utd, including coach Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
But then, United since Cristiano Ronaldo in the final days of the transfer window.
Cavani has unsurprisingly played little since and a January transfer makes sense for both parties. Newcastle have been linked, as have Barcelona. But a return to South America, possibly with Boca Juniors, could be the most likely destination.
Bernd Leno (Arsenal)
Arsenal put Bernd Leno up for sale this past summer and the German himself was eager to leave the club in order to start a new challenge.
However, the Gunners were unable to find an adequate buyer and Leno stayed to see out the final year of his contract (although unofficially there have been some murmurings his deal could run until 2023).
Either way, Leno could leave in January as the north Londoners will try again to find a buyer. Inter are interested but will prefer to wait until next summer.
Arsenal signed Leno’s successor in Aaron Ramsdale for £30 million from Sheffield United and the young Englishman has already established himself as Mikel Arteta’s number one.
Franck Kessie (Milan)
AC Milan are at grave risk of losing yet another key first-team player for nothing in 2022.
This past summer, the Rossoneri had to watch on as Gianluigi Donnarumma and Hakan Calhanoglu joined PSG and Inter, respectively, on Bosman transfers.
Kessie, an excellent player in central midfield for Milan, had stressed that he wanted to sign a new contract but talks are close to collapsing indefinitely.
Milan are understood to have offered him a new deal worth €6-6.5m a year which they will not go higher than. Kessie is demanding at least €8m.
It is now very possible that Milan will sell Kessie in January, especially following the emergence of young star Sandro Tonali in the same position.
There is no shortage of suitors for Kessie as every top Premier League club is interested, as is PSG.
