T2 PICKS THE TOP PLAYERS WHO COULD MAKE A MOVE THIS TRANSFER SEASON
The January transfer window is in full swing, with Barcelona breaking the bank for the capture of Philippe Coutinho for a mind-boggling £142 million and Alexis Sanchez all but set to join Manchester United. Don’t be surprised if some of these players have already switched by the time you’re reading this!
JEAN MICHAEL SERI
MIDFIELDER
Age: 26
Current club: Nice
Wanted by: Manchester United, Manchester City, Liverpool, Chelsea
Possible fee: £35 million
Appearances/goals/assists: 25/1/4
A stand-out performer for Nice last season, Seri continues to attract interest from all over the world, including the front-runners Manchester United. The Ivory Coast international is an intelligent technician who cuts through defences like a knife in hot butter. Barcelona had a bid rejected for him last summer, as Nice were keen to keep him. Expect to see him in England soon.
JONNY EVANS
CENTRE BACK
Age: 30
Current club: West Bromwich Albion
Wanted by: Manchester City, Arsenal, Leicester City
Possible fee: £23.5 million
Appearances/goals/assists: 20/2/1
After a troubled start, the Irishman’s career has flourished during his time at West Brom. This is a defender who likes to play out from the back — no wonder Pep Guardiola wants him to join his City revolution. Despite his age, he’s wanted by most top teams who need a mature defender to help plug their leaky defences.
PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG
FORWARD
Age: 28
Current club: Borussia Dortmund
Wanted by: Arsenal, AC Milan, Guangzhou Evergrande
Possible fee: £55 million
Appearances/goals/assists: 23/21/3
After missing out on the Gabonese international back in 2013, it looks like Arsene Wenger is finally going to get his man. The top scorer in last season’s Bundesliga had come close to leaving for China and also returning to former club AC Milan in the summer of 2017.
FRED
CENTRAL MIDFIELDER
Age: 24
Current club: Shakhtar Donetsk
Wanted by: Manchester City, Manchester United, Juventus
Possible fee: £40 million
Appearances/goals/assists: 24/2/1
Fred is being lined up with a move to England. Pep Guardiola sees him as a long-term replacement for the ageing Fernandinho, with Yaya Toure set to leave this summer. The Premier League leaders have started talks with the Ukrainian outfit with a view to the 24-year-old agreeing to a summer switch. That would suit both parties as Shakhtar are still in the Champions League and Fred would be ineligible if he moved to the Etihad this month.
LEON GORETZKA
MIDFIELDER
Age: 22
Current club: Schalke 04
Wanted by: Bayern Munich, Liverpool, Barcelona, Juventus
Possible fee: £25 million
Appearances/goals/assists: 12/4/0
Germany’s hottest prospect is catching the eye of big clubs around the world. The 22-year-old midfielder can walk away free of charge this summer but Schalke could cash in now. After his stunning backheel goal for his country against Azerbaijan last year, you can see why they want to keep him.
THE ONES WITH A POINT TO PROVE
With the World Cup coming up, a few of these players need some time away from their clubs to cement a seat on that plane to Moscow this summer.
Marouane Fellaini and Henrikh Mkhitaryan (right) are at opposite ends of the United spectrum. The latter is being forced out as part of the Alexis Sanchez deal, whereas the big-haired Belgian wants to stay but wants more money. With a midfield brimming with talent, it’s hard to see how these two fit into Jose Mourinho’s plans.
Unfinished business awaits Edin Dzeko in England after his time with Man City. Chelsea manager Antonio Conte wants a big forward and could get the Bosnian in a cash-plus-player deal that would see Michy Batshuayi going the other way.
Javier Pastore is the longest-serving player currently at PSG, and is going to have to leave. PSG need money to avoid Financial Fair Play sanctions and a spot in Argentina’s World Cup squad is also at stake. Pastore could easily fit into any top Premier League team. Inter Milan are the front-runners but watch out for a possible bid from Chelsea sometime soon.
For Daniel Sturridge, the form of the 2013-14 season is a distant memory. The once ‘next-best thing’ in England now faces being chucked out of Liverpool. Possible suitors include Newcastle, Stoke and Inter Milan. Any deal could falter on his fee — £30 million.
Benjamin Wodecki
(A journalism graduate from University of Gloucestershire, currently interning with t2)
