THAT TIME OF year is upon us again, it’s like Christmas day all over for football fans. So who’s on the shopping lists of football’s big spenders?
Antoine Griezmann
Atletico Madrid
Chelsea have had their sights set on the Frenchman, hoping he will provide a boost to their misfiring forward line. Chelsea had a bid in the region of £20 million turned down in the summer, and they will have to pay in excess of £40 million if they want to secure Griezmann’s signature.
He is equally comfortable playing out wide or as a central striker, and is already established in the French national side. With 27 goals in 49 games for Atletico he has a decent strike rate and his age will appeal to Chelsea as well at 24. Chelsea may have been reluctant to meet his asking price in the summer but with Diego Costa, Loic Remy and Radamel Falcao all struggling, the Premier League champions will have a new striker on the top of the wishlist.
This Belgian teenager is not yet a household name but he is drawing interest from the likes of Barcelona, Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United. It is yet to be seen whether the 18-year-old is ready to make the step up to a top club.
However, the sides interested in him will spark a bidding war this month as they will fear missing out on him if they wait until the summer. Tielemans made his Champions League debut for Anderlecht at 16, and he has already made 82 senior appearances with 10 goals to his name. He is equally comfortable in a defensive or attacking role and a bid of £15 million might be enough to persuade Anderlecht to sell.
It’s likely the Premier League will be his next destination, with the two Manchester clubs credited as favourites for his signature. We may still have to wait until next season to see him regularly though, as Anderlecht will favour a bidder willing to loan him back for the rest of this season.
This striker needs no introduction. Unfortunately it looks like age and injuries may have finally caught up with the man who terrorised Premier League defenders during his spells at Arsenal and Manchester United.
Few would have predicted Van Persie’s decline would be so swift barely two years after almost single handedly winning United their 20th league title. On top of his nightmare five months with Fenerbache, he scored a calamitous own goal which was the final nail in Netherlands’ miserable Euro 2016 qualifying campaign. Rumors had circulated that Barcelona were to make a shock move for Van Persie but it now looks like his most likely destination is former club Feyenoord .
Manchester United made a late bid for Saido Mané in August and although Ronald Koeman refused all approaches, will Southampton be able to hold out again in January?
With United’s forward line misfiring and Van Gaal under mounting pressure, Ed Woodward could back the manager by giving him a large transfer kitty. Mané could be a shrewd acquisition, although the Saints are likely to demand a fee in excess of £20 million.
It's January sales time again and these players are among Europe's top transfer targets
Updated at 14.10pm
THAT TIME OF year is upon us again, it’s like Christmas day all over for football fans. So who’s on the shopping lists of football’s big spenders?
Antoine Griezmann
Atletico Madrid
Chelsea have had their sights set on the Frenchman, hoping he will provide a boost to their misfiring forward line. Chelsea had a bid in the region of £20 million turned down in the summer, and they will have to pay in excess of £40 million if they want to secure Griezmann’s signature.
He is equally comfortable playing out wide or as a central striker, and is already established in the French national side. With 27 goals in 49 games for Atletico he has a decent strike rate and his age will appeal to Chelsea as well at 24. Chelsea may have been reluctant to meet his asking price in the summer but with Diego Costa, Loic Remy and Radamel Falcao all struggling, the Premier League champions will have a new striker on the top of the wishlist.
Youri Tielemans
Anderlecht
This Belgian teenager is not yet a household name but he is drawing interest from the likes of Barcelona, Arsenal, Manchester City and Manchester United. It is yet to be seen whether the 18-year-old is ready to make the step up to a top club.
However, the sides interested in him will spark a bidding war this month as they will fear missing out on him if they wait until the summer. Tielemans made his Champions League debut for Anderlecht at 16, and he has already made 82 senior appearances with 10 goals to his name. He is equally comfortable in a defensive or attacking role and a bid of £15 million might be enough to persuade Anderlecht to sell.
It’s likely the Premier League will be his next destination, with the two Manchester clubs credited as favourites for his signature. We may still have to wait until next season to see him regularly though, as Anderlecht will favour a bidder willing to loan him back for the rest of this season.
Robin Van Persie
Fenerbache
This striker needs no introduction. Unfortunately it looks like age and injuries may have finally caught up with the man who terrorised Premier League defenders during his spells at Arsenal and Manchester United.
Few would have predicted Van Persie’s decline would be so swift barely two years after almost single handedly winning United their 20th league title. On top of his nightmare five months with Fenerbache, he scored a calamitous own goal which was the final nail in Netherlands’ miserable Euro 2016 qualifying campaign. Rumors had circulated that Barcelona were to make a shock move for Van Persie but it now looks like his most likely destination is former club Feyenoord .
Saido Mané
Southampton
Manchester United made a late bid for Saido Mané in August and although Ronald Koeman refused all approaches, will Southampton be able to hold out again in January?
With United’s forward line misfiring and Van Gaal under mounting pressure, Ed Woodward could back the manager by giving him a large transfer kitty. Mané could be a shrewd acquisition, although the Saints are likely to demand a fee in excess of £20 million.
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anderlecht Antoine Griezmann Atletico Madrid Chelsea Diego Costa January Manchester City Manchester United Mourinho Southampton Transfer Window Youri Tielemans