January transfer window 2021: The biggest moves that could still happen

Published on: 26 January 2021

Traditionally, January is a difficult month for Premier League clubs to do business but there is still ample time for transfer twists and turns.

There are several big transfers that could still go ahead, so who could yet make a move before the winter window closes?

Here, we pick out the players who could beat the deadline to secure a move...

Jesse Lingard - Man Utd to West Ham

West Ham have approached Manchester United with a view to signing Jesse Lingard on loan until the end of the season.

Lingard has not made a Premier League appearance this season and a move to the Hammers would see the midfielder play under former United manager David Moyes.

United triggered a one-year extension on Lingard's contract, which now runs until the summer of 2022, and are yet to decide whether to allow the 28-year-old to leave before the transfer deadline on February 1.

West Ham already have the maximum two domestic loan signings, in Craig Dawson and Said Benrahma, so would need to make one of them permanent this month under Premier League rules.

Speaking on January 24, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said: "Of course, he wants to play football and we'll have to sit down with Jesse and make a decision.

"He trained this morning with a small group who weren't in the squad. I'm very happy to have Jesse around us but he is the ultimate professional. I know that he was ready to play today and would've played well."

West Bromwich Albion have also made an enquiry about the possibility of a loan deal. Sam Allardyce has been attracted by Lingard's quality, but it looks unlikely at this stage that the finances would work from an Albion perspective. Nice and Sheffield United have previously expressed an interest in the winger.

Sky Sports News' Dharmesh Sheth, previously on The Transfer Show:

"The relationship between United and Lingard and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Lingard is a strong one. They won't just release Lingard to bring in some money because they want to do the best by the player, such is the good relationship they share.

"Now, Lingard had his contract extension triggered last month so that runs until summer of 2022 so there's still a bit of time, if he wasn't to leave in this transfer window, to still get some money for him if they were to sell him permanently.

"It is thought, if United do allow him to leave, they would prefer he moved to a foreign club."

Martin Odegaard - Real Madrid to Arsenal

Arsenal have agreed a deal to sign Real Madrid midfielder Martin Odegaard on loan until the end of the season.

The 22-year-old made it clear he wanted to leave this month in order to play regular first-team football, having played just nine times in all competitions for Real Madrid this season.

Real Sociedad were keen on re-signing Odegaard after his season-long loan stint last year, but it is thought Real Madrid's preference was to send him to a club outside La Liga.

Odegaard registered seven goals and nine assists across 36 appearances on loan at the La Liga side last season, leading Real Madrid to cut short his two-year loan and make him part of their first-team squad.

Sky Sports' Peter Smith:

"What will Odegaard bring to the Premier League? Well, hype, hope and a lot of media attention for starters.

"The attention of the footballing world was centred on him in 2015 when, a month after his 16th birthday, Real Madrid won the race for his signature - and the interest in the now 22-year-old is set to ignite again.

"Already a Norway international when he joined Real, Odegaard - who had drawn excitable comparisons with Lionel Messi - immediately began training with the first team and became the club's youngest-ever player in the final game of that season."

Read the feature in full

Christian Eriksen - Inter Milan to Tottenham

Christian Eriksen is keen on a return to Tottenham in January, and Spurs would be open to a loan move in the right circumstances. There are no formal discussions at this stage, and Inter Milan are believed to be pricing out interested clubs with the loan fee.

Inter are happy for him to go because they think that if he returns to Spurs and plays regularly it would put him in the shop window and they will be able to sell him in the summer.

Separately, Antonio Conte has told Eriksen he needed to show character in this situation, and has told him he wants him to be Inter's playmaker. Eriksen was an unused substitute in the 2-0 win over Juventus on Sunday.

Mina Rzouki, European Football expert:

"When you look at the way Inter play, it looked like they lacked quality through the middle. There wasn't much creativity, so it felt there was a part for Eriksen.

"But his inclusion meant the side was imbalanced - Antonio Conte's side have offensive wingbacks but when you also have a player in the middle who doesn't defend, it all starts to fall apart.

"There was excitement, but Antonio Conte is a rigid man when it comes to tactics. Some blamed him for not being versatile enough to include a player like Eriksen, while others say that Inter need to buy a side that suits Conte. So the feeling is split among Inter fans."

Dele Alli - Tottenham to PSG

Dele Alli has been left out of several matchday squads by Tottenham boss Jose Mourinho this season, including at Bramall Lane in their most recent Premier League outing.

Should the situation remain unresolved any decision to sanction a departure is likely to be made by Daniel Levy. Alli wants to play regular football, and has a contract at Spurs until 2024.

With Euro 2020 on the horizon, the attacking midfielder could agitate for a move away from north London in the remaining days of the window, with the 24-year-old linked with Paris Saint-Germain and a reunion with former manager Mauricio Pochettino.

Sky Sports News' Kaveh Solhekol:

"This is a situation that needs to be resolved. Dele Alli needs to leave Spurs to get game time to get back in the England squad.

"We know PSG are interested in signing him, and we're being told he needs an arm around the shoulder, a manager who believes him, trusts him and encourages him. The person to do that is Mauricio Pochettino.

"We're expecting PSG to make a move to sign Alli on loan. The situation cannot go on the way it's going on at the moment. Dele Alli needs to play."

PSG remain interested, but Spurs have consistently maintained they want him to stay and fight for his place. They have always said they would resist a loan.

French football expert Jonathan Johnson:

"My understanding is there is no agreement at the moment. There is interest from PSG and from Alli. Spurs are reluctant to let him go, and PSG wouldn't be wanting to spend a big fee on him in this window, and would have a choice of more signings in the summer so wouldn't want to be drawn into an obligation to buy either.

"At this moment, any potential deal is a long way off. Absolutely, it could go down to the deadline. When PSG do business it often is quite late in the window.

"It does feel like since Pochettino's arrival, he has been preparing the groundwork to ask PSG for a natural No 10. It does look like something that will be part of his tactical set-up, so Alli is of great interest."

Youssef En-Nesyri - Sevilla to West Ham

West Ham have been told it will cost them at least £35m to prise Youssef En-Nesyri out of Sevilla this month, according to the Daily Star.

Sky Sports News' Kaveh Solhekol said on The Transfer Show on January 19: "We know they've made a bid for Youssef En-Nesyri, that bid was £22m, Sevilla want almost double that."

West Ham are looking for replacement for Sebastien Haller, who moved to Ajax this month, with En-Nesyri only joining Sevilla from Leganes last January. He has scored 18 goals in 51 appearances for the La Liga side.

David Moyes has given an update on West Ham's January search for a striker to add competition - and support - to Michail Antonio after the departure of Sebastien Haller to Ajax last week.

He told BT Sport: "It would be important if the right ones are there, but it's only important if the players available are the right ones and the ones we want. We don't want to bring people in here that we'll regret doing. We'll try to get somebody, and if we can't we'll find solutions within the squad."

Is anyone on the radar? "Not at the moment, no."

Bernard - Everton to Al Nasr

Everton are not expecting to make any signings in January, says sporting director Marcel Brands, with the focus on offloading fringe players.

Dubai-based club Al Nasr are keen to sign Everton winger Bernard on a permanent deal before the January window closes.

To date, no official offer has been received at Goodison. However, Al Nasr are considering a bid of around £10m for Bernard, who has 18 months left on his current contract.

Earlier this month, the former Shakhtar Donetsk winger was linked again with a move to Roma after a move failed to materialise last summer.

Sky Sports reported that boss Paulo Fonseca is urging his club's owners to agree the deal to sign Bernard, with on loan keeper Robin Olsen becoming a permanent signing on Merseyside.

Fonseca has guided Roma to third in Serie A, just four points behind leaders AC Milan and knows the Brazilian well, having coached him at Shakhtar.

A number of options are still under discussion although Everton are understood to prefer a permanent deal rather than a loan for the 28-year old, who earns in excess of £100,000 a week at Goodison.

The player's agent Adriano Spadotto confirmed this month that he had spoken to Fonseca about the efforts being made to bring his former charge to the Stadio Olimpico.

Eric Garcia - Man City to Barcelona

Pep Guardiola has ruled out making additions to the Manchester City attack in the January transfer window, but could there be a high-profile departure? Guardiola accepts defender Eric Garcia could leave City this month.

The 20-year-old, who is in the final year of his contract at the Etihad Stadium, has indicated a desire to move and been heavily linked with a return to boyhood club Barcelona.

The Spaniard is now entitled to speak to other clubs with a view to a summer switch but there have been reports suggesting Barca could even move to complete a deal this month.

Asked if that might happen, City boss Guardiola said: "I hope not but maybe the people from Barcelona know more than me. I don't know what is going to happen but maybe it is going to happen."

Barcelona are trying to push through a deal, according to the Daily Mail.

The La Liga giants have been chasing the 20-year-old for some time after he left the club in 2017 and had a Deadline Day bid for him turned down by City in October.

Garcia remains one of Barcelona's top targets in January alongside Georginio Wijnaldum and Memphis Depay, but he could have to wait until his current deal runs out in the summer to make the move to the Camp Nou on a free transfer.

Danny Rose - Tottenham to Trabzonspor

Tottenham left-back Danny Rose is wanted by Turkish Super Lig club Trabzonspor, report the Daily Mail. The 30-year-old is out of contract in the summer and interested in a move abroad.

Rose is not part of Jose Mourinho's plans this term after returning from a loan spell at Newcastle last season and has been winding down his contract in Spurs' U23s side.

There have been reports the England defender could buy out his contract this month in order to force a move abroad before the end of the month.

According to Turkish broadcaster A Spor, an offer has been made by the club and talks will begin between Tottenham, Rose and Trabzonspor.

Sky Sports News reporter Dharmesh Sheth:

"Rose is without a squad number, isn't in Jose Mourinho's plans and is into the final six months of his contract at Spurs. Having said all that, Mourinho still doesn't know if Rose will leave in this window. There has been talk that his contract will be cancelled and paid up this month, but, for now, he is working with the U23 squad.

"From Rose's perspective, he's 30 years old now and his next move could be the last big one in his career. He hasn't got a squad number at Tottenham, it appears he has no long-term future at Tottenham, and I think moving Rose on would be what's best for both parties."

Morgan Sanson - Marseille to Aston Villa

Aston Villa have agreed a fee with Marseille for midfielder Morgan Sanson. Villa will pay £14m with the fee potentially rising to £15.5m with add-ons. The French midfielder is expected to arrive in Birmingham next week.

Sanson, 26, joined Marseille from Montpellier in January 2017 and has gone on to make 120 appearances for the Ligue 1 club. He has also played 11 times for France U21s.

Villa are not expected to be busy in the January transfer window but do want to bring the 26-year-old to Villa Park.

Sanson helped Marseille finish second in Ligue 1 last season but they are sixth this campaign, 10 points behind leaders Paris St Germain with two games in hand.

Boss Andre Villas-Boas confirmed at the weekend there was Premier League interest in Sanson, who has also been linked with Tottenham and Arsenal.

"We'll see - the transfer window is open, Sanson is a player who is highly rated," Villas-Boas has said. "Officially, we have not received any offers, unless it happened during the match.

"He is a boy who interests English teams because of his characteristics, and it is possible that something could happen."

French Football expert Jonathan Johnson:

"He's a player who Marseille can part with considering the financial difficulties they and Ligue 1 clubs are facing with Covid and the television rights issues.

"This is something I expect to come to fruition in the coming days, and the fee will be around £15m-£20m.

"He's definitely an exciting player on his day, action-packed, and he's better further up the pitch than defensively. He's more end-to-end and has a good shot from range on him. Similar to John McGinn, I would say."

Marcos Rojo - Man Utd to Boca Juniors

Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has confirmed the club are looking to offload defender Marcos Rojo, along with fellow fringe player Sergio Romero.

The two Argentina internationals have fallen out of favour under Solskjaer at United this season, both failing to make any appearances since the start of the campaign, as they enter the final six months of their contracts.

Romero is back in England after spending time with his family in Argentina, Solskjaer confirmed, as discussions about the goalkeeper's future continue, while Rojo remains in his homeland.

The Argentine defender is looking to end his seven-year spell at United to return to his native country after falling down the pecking order at Old Trafford.

"Both of them have contracts until the summer, and they are not going to be extended, so we are looking for them to find clubs," said Solskjaer earlier this month.

"Marcos has been given time to go home, so he is still in Argentina. Sergio has been back home to see his family, but he is back in England now."

Boca Juniors remain in talks to sign Rojo but a deal has still to be agreed, according to the Daily Mail. It is understood Rojo has agreed personal terms with Boca, but negotiations over the fee continue.

South American football expert Tim Vickery on Transfer Talk:

"Marcos Rojo doesn't have a future at Manchester United. He was always a strange buy. For years he hasn't really been fitting in, and it would seem his time at Old Trafford is coming to an end.

"I'm not surprised nobody in the Premier League has come in for - is he a left-back? Is he a centre-back? He also has an injury record, and he hasn't featured for a while, so it doesn't surprise me nobody in the Premier League is willing to invest money in him.

"It looks as if the USA and Inter Miami is the most promising destination for Sergio Romero. He just needs to play, he's been a reserve now for eight years in three different leagues."

Transfer Talk Podcast: Should Spurs cut their losses with Bale, does Odegaard fit at Arsenal?

Pete Graves and Dharmesh Sheth are joined by Spanish football expert Terry Gibson to discuss the future of Tottenham midfielder Dele Alli and whether his path lays away from the club.

They also touch upon the possible return of Christian Eriksen to Spurs and if the club should cut their losses on Gareth Bale.

Arsenal's surprise bid for Martin Odegaard is assessed with analysis from Terry on whether it's the right move for the Real Madrid creative spark.

Terry discusses all things La Liga, including the rising stock of Barcelona's young players and whether that could play a key role in keeping Lionel Messi at the club.

Plus, there's news from Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea, Aston Villa and much more, including Pete's final thought, this week on West Ham and David Moyes.

January transfer window: Each PL club assessed

The winter transfer window opens on January 2 but who needs what and who is most likely to do business in a notoriously tricky market? We assess every Premier League club here.

Follow the January transfer window with Sky Sports

The winter transfer window is open until Monday February 1 at 11pm.

Follow all the news and analysis on Sky Sports News and across Sky Sports' digital platforms, including our dedicated Transfer Centre blog.

Source: m.allfootballapp.com

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