Leicester City finally winning after two losses, Chelsea getting just one point in two games and Manchester United crashing lately are all making the race for the top for all the more exciting and difficult to predict. However, with teams having until the end of the month to make moves in the transfer market, January could well have a significant impact upon the standings come the end of the season. With qualifying for next season’s Champions League now being the goal for a number of teams in the remaining months of the campaign, we could well see some major transfer deals over the coming weeks.
January Window Could Be Critical in the Battle for the Top Four
Targets
While the January window is notoriously difficult to do business in, with clubs across Europe often being unwilling to part with their prized assets halfway through the season, we have already seen that deals can be made. Champions elect Liverpool added to their squad with the arrival of Takumi Minamino from RB Salzburg, while any number of loan deals have been completed, including Gedson Fernandes’ switch from Benfica to Tottenham Hotspur and Pepe Reina’s move to Aston Villa.
Chelsea currently occupy fourth spot in the English top-flight, six points clear of both Manchester United and Wolves. Frank Lampard was unable to sign new players over the summer due to the clubs transfer ban, with the former fan favourite having made it clear that he is hoping to bring in fresh faces this month. The likes of Moussa Dembele, Nathan Ake and Boubakary Soumare have all been linked with moves to Stamford Bridge, players which would undoubtedly give Lampard additional options when it comes to picking his starting 11. The Blues are 2/5 with many of the new sports betting sites to finish inside the top four, however, with matches against Manchester United, Leicester City and Tottenham all coming up, it would come as little surprise if Chelsea were active in the transfer window sooner rather than later.
Elsewhere, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer saw his Manchester United side lose for the eighth time in the Premier League this season, with injuries to Paul Pogba, Scott McTominay and now Marcus Rashford having severely impacted their chances of finishing inside the top four. Sporting midfielder Bruno Fernandes remains a viable option for the club, however, the Portuguese club are seemingly demanding a huge fee for the 25-year-old. Solskjaer stated that United may look at some short term deals following their defeat at Liverpool, with PSG’s forgotten man Edison Cavani reportedly being an option. The Red Devils are priced at around 5/2 to overcome their rivals and finish inside the top four or at least take a few good points from this season.
Potential Outgoings
Meanwhile, some of the biggest names have had a shaky season from almost the start and might leave, including Christian Eriksen and Chelsea’s Pedro. The former looks set to be the latest big name to join Inter Milan, a move that would see him team up with former Premier League players including Romelu Lukaku, Alexis Sanchez and Ashley Young. Spurs need to work fast and would like to cash in on the Dane before his contract expires this summer, with the arrival of Gedson Fernandes now making the move even more likely.
It remains to be seen as to just how many deals are completed in the remaining weeks of the transfer window, however, managers at top clubs are likely to be pushing hard as they bid to achieve their objectives.
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