Aleksandar Kolarov (Manchester City to Juventus)
A rumour that doesn’t seem to be dying down is that linking Aleksandar Kolarov to Juventus. The Serbian left-back has impressed in fits and starts for Manchester City, but seems unable to establish himself as the regular starter for the team in competition with Gael Clichy. Despite his deadly accuracy from crosses and set-pieces, Kolarov leaves a little to be desired in his defensive duties and the former Lazio man may be better suited to the slower pace of the game in Serie A. Kolarov has denied wanting to leave the Etihad Stadium, but it’ll be interesting to see if the club are happy to let him go if Juventus come calling again this January. 5/10.
Hernanes (Lazio to Bayern Munich)
One of the best midfielders in Serie A, Hernanes has been attracting some serious attention for some time now, with the likes of Manchester City and PSG thought to be keen on signing him during the summer. The 28-year-old is now stalling on a new contract with Lazio, and this has caught the attention of last season’s treble winners Bayern Munich. Although Pep Guardiola’s side aren’t in desperate need of new additions, particularly in midfield, there’s no doubt Hernanes could add something a little different and put himself into contention for a starting spot at the Allianz Arena.
Atletico Madrid are also being linked with the talented Brazilian, so where he ends up is still somewhat up in the air, though a move to Bayern would no doubt be the most attractive prospect. 5.5/10.
Luke Shaw (Southampton to Manchester United)
With Patrice Evra seemingly not convincing David Moyes as Manchester United’s first-choice left-back, Luke Shaw is the latest player being linked with the club in that position. The Southampton youngster has been in superb form over the last couple of seasons, and could be a great long-term addition for the club. However, with the likes of Chelsea and Tottenham also interested, the 18-year-old wonderkid certainly won’t come cheap, and the latest rumours suggest that United may be willing to pay as much as £25m to land him from the Saints this January. It’s a lot of money for an unproven player, but United have often been keen to spend big on the best up-and-coming talent. 6/10.
Tom Ince (Blackpool to Newcastle)
One of the best young players in the country, and certainly one of the best players not currently playing in the Premier League, it is no surprise to see Tom Ince being heavily courted ahead of the January transfer window. The 21-year-old, who started his career at Liverpool, has shown tremendous ability as a goal-scoring winger, and this has seen the likes of Everton and Aston Villa linked with him over the last few months.
However, Newcastle seem to be the favourites to land him at the moment, and are perhaps most in need of new players in the wide positions. With Ince surely too good to be playing in the Championship for much longer, this seems a pretty likely move for the next transfer window. 7/10.
Lewis Holtby (Tottenham to Schalke)
Although Lewis Holtby looked like a great signing when he joined Tottenham in the last January transfer window, the German midfielder has failed to live up to his true potential at White Hart Lane so far. Although it’s only early days so far, he already looks like facing a struggle for regular first-team football at Spurs with the arrival of so many new faces over the summer. The 23-year-old is now being linked with a quick return to his old club Schalke, who may be able to activate a buy-back clause in his contract. Inter Milan and Roma are also interested in the young midfielder, but a return to the Bundesliga makes the most sense for Holtby, so he can pick up where he left off at Schalke. 6/10.