Ten sensible player exchanges that could benefit several clubs this January.
With more and more players likely to be on the move this January, we look at how Europe’s top clubs could kill two birds with one stone in landing their top targets on the cheap whilst offloading players they don’t need, who may be an attractive prospect elsewhere. Here are ten ideas for sensible swap deals that managers should look into pursuing when the transfer window re-opens.
10. Javier Hernandez for Koke
With Manchester United desperate to sign a new playmaker and reportedly willing to offer £16m to activate the release clause of highly-rated Atletico Madrid youngster Koke, perhaps there could be a cheaper option if David Moyes takes advantage of the fact that Atletico are still likely to be on the lookout for a new striker.
Having lost Colombian hot-shot Radamel Falcao to Monaco during the summer, Diego Simeone moved to replace him with David Villa from Barcelona, though he could still ideally do with a more long-term option upfront, and out-of-favour United striker Javier Hernandez had been mentioned as one of the targets for the Spanish club during the summer.
Currently looking unlikely to get the regular first-team football he wants at Old Trafford, Hernandez is reportedly considering an exit from the club in January and would surely be open to a switch to the high-flying La Liga side, who in turn would surely be more willing to part with their prized asset Koke if there was the promise of a quality player coming in return.
With United currently short of options in midfield and overloaded in attack, this is certainly a move that would make sense for Moyes when January comes around.
9. Marco Verratti for Hernanes
Lazio star Hernanes has attracted a great deal of interest for some time now after his highly impressive displays in Serie A for Lazio, and big-spending French giants PSG are said to be one of many clubs hoping to snap him up as he stalls on a new contract this January.
However, the Italian giants are unlikely to part company with their talented Brazilian midfielder on the cheap, and rumours suggest he could command a fee of around £25m. Although PSG can certainly afford that, they could also use this opportunity to offload young Italian playmaker Marco Verratti, who has not quite lived up to his potential at the club since his move from Serie B side Pescara last summer.
With PSG likely to continue bringing in big-name players, Verratti may find it is best for him to continue his development elsewhere, and he has already been linked with returns to Italy with the likes of Fiorentina and Inter Milan. Lazio would surely be another move that could appeal to him, and given his playing style, he has the potential to be a direct replacement for Hernanes.
This clearly benefits both clubs as PSG will get an immediate upgrade on the young and inexperienced Verratti, while the player himself can return to his home country and get more of a chance to play regularly for Lazio, who in turn will be gaining a highly promising youngster after losing one of their key players.
8. Wilfried Zaha for Yohan Cabaye
Although this would not be an out-and-out swap deal, the promise of exciting young winger Wilfried Zaha on loan to Newcastle for the rest of the season could tempt the Magpies into selling their French midfield maestro Yohan Cabaye to Manchester United this January.
As United continue to monitor several options to add some creativity to their midfield, Cabaye could be another good option worth looking at, and given his flirtation with Arsenal over the summer, the 27-year-old would surely jump at the chance to move to Old Trafford if they wanted him. Likewise, Zaha is currently frustrated at a lack of first-team opportunities with the Premier League champions and is said to be a loan target for Newcastle.
It may be an ambitious move, as Newcastle would surely prefer a more permanent option in return for Cabaye, but the addition of Zaha even for half a season could be a great signing for them and help ease the loss of Cabaye, who would certainly be a great fit at United.
7. Ramires for Karim Benzema
Recent reports suggest that Real Madrid manager Carlo Ancelotti is keen on a reunion with his former Chelsea player Ramires, and has made him a £15m target for the January transfer window this season.
However, as the Brazilian has become such a key player for the Blues, they are unlikely to even consider a bid that low, though Real Madrid may have more luck in landing the former Benfica man if they offer their own unwanted striker Karim Benzema in return, a player who has been linked with Chelsea and several other clubs recently as his days at the Bernabeu seem numbered.
Chelsea have been known to be on the lookout for a new striker for some time, having missed out on Wayne Rooney during the summer, and Benzema is certainly one who would be an upgrade on the likes of Fernando Torres, Demba Ba and Samuel Eto’o at the moment. Whilst the Blues won’t want to lose Ramires, the prospect of improving their strikeforce may be one that is too good to turn down, as they are certainly more well stocked in midfield at the moment anyway.
6. Ashley Young for Christian Benteke
Manchester United are clearly keen on offloading Ashley Young this January, with the England winger being linked with the likes of Newcastle and West Ham, though they could arguably do better to offer him a return to his old club Aston Villa, where he showed some of the best form of his career, the kind that he has been unable to replicate since moving to Old Trafford in 2011.
Given his poor recent displays, it is unclear if Villa would necessarily take him back, but there’s no doubt the 28-year-old remains a player with some potential who may be better suited to playing for a mid-table side rather than a team of United’s calibre. Could David Moyes then tempt Villa into selling their current star Christian Benteke in return for Young this January?
Benteke had a superb first season in the Premier League last year and has started this campaign in fine form as well, as he continues to attract interest from several top clubs. With Wayne Rooney’s future still slightly up in the air, Moyes is reportedly keeping an eye on Benteke this January as he looks to bring in a replacement, and there’s no doubt the Belgian powerhouse would make a great addition for his side.
It may be somewhat ambitious, but Moyes would certainly earn the respect of the United fans if he could somehow manage to lose Young and gain Benteke in one go!
5. Xabi Alonso for Luis Suarez
Real Madrid’s interest in signing Luis Suarez from Liverpool is no secret, and the Spanish giants are widely expected to come back in for the Uruguayan forward this January, with rumours suggesting that they could be willing to pay up to £50m for his services and make him their latest ‘Galactico’ signing.
Liverpool won’t be keen to lose such a top player for any price, though given their interest in re-signing former hero Xabi Alonso, Brendan Rodgers could be brave and ask for the Spanish midfielder to be included as part of the deal. The midfield metronome was a great servant for the Anfield side in his first spell at the club and no longer looks to be first choice at the Bernabeu, meaning Real could be willing to use him as part of the deal to land Suarez.
The Reds could do with a playmaker of his kind in the middle of the park, and while the money brought in from Suarez’s sale would no doubt suffice in terms of rebuilding the squad, it is worth trying for Alonso as he remains one of their top targets anyway.
4. Juan Mata for Diego Costa
Chelsea star Juan Mata continues to attract a great deal of interest as we head towards January after early indications this season that he is not going to be a regular for the Blues under new manager Jose Mourinho.
Although Chelsea fans would be sad to see such a top player leave, the club are well placed to replace him, and Mourinho clearly seems to rate the likes of Oscar, Eden Hazard, Willian and Andre Schurrle higher at the moment. With so many options in that position and a lack of quality firepower upfront, it could make perfect sense for Chelsea to offer Mata to one of his many admirers Atletico Madrid in pursuit of their in-form striker Diego Costa.
The Atletico front-man has an excellent record of 10 goals in 10 games so far this season and could be the man to solve Chelsea’s problems upfront. Diego Simeone will clearly not want to lose the talented 25-year-old, but the prospect of one of the finest playmakers in the world coming in return could certainly sweeten the deal.
3. Kevin De Bruyne for Julian Draxler
Another player looking somewhat surplus to requirements at Chelsea at the moment is Belgian youngster Kevin De Bruyne. The 22-year-old is clearly a talent, and showed some great performances on loan at Werder Bremen last season, though there simply looks to be far too much competition for a place in that spot in the Blues’ attacking midfield at the moment.
This has led to speculation that several Bundesliga sides would be interested in taking him on loan in January, with Werder Bremen particularly keen to have him back. Chelsea though, could use the availability of De Bruyne to their advantage as they seek the signing of highly-rated Schalke star Julian Draxler.
The 20-year-old German international is rated as one of the best young players in the world and is also wanted by the likes of Arsenal and Manchester United, but Schalke have insisted he would cost around £40m or more to sign. But perhaps with the arrival of De Bruyne in return, they could be willing to lower their asking price for him as they would be gaining a like-for-like replacement with plenty of potential himself.
Chelsea arguably don’t need to make Draxler a priority, but he could be an excellent addition if both Mata and De Bruyne leave the club, and would offer something a little different to their current crop of attacking players.
2. Daniele De Rossi for Demba Ba
With Demba Ba’s future at Chelsea looking uncertain this summer, Roma were reportedly one of several clubs interested in signing him this season, though in the end he was denied an exit from Stamford Bridge after Romelu Lukaku’s loan switch to Everton on deadline day.
Still, Roma need a new striker after the summer departures of Erik Lamela and Pablo Osvaldo, and are likely to be back in for Ba this January as he continues to struggle to impress for the Blues. With Chelsea and Jose Mourinho known to be admirers of Roma midfielder Daniele De Rossi, Rudi Garcia could certainly have some luck in offering the Italian international in exchange for the Senegalese striker.
De Rossi was linked with Chelsea and other clubs during the summer and, having spent his entire career with Roma so far, is supposedly keen on taking on a new challenge elsewhere. The Serie A giants could do well to rid themselves of an unsettled player whilst strengthening in a position they are currently lacking in. De Rossi could also be particularly useful to Chelsea if Ramires does indeed leave for Real Madrid.
1. Javier Pastore for Wayne Rooney
With Wayne Rooney still to commit his future to Manchester United by signing a new contract, it is possible that, despite rejecting Chelsea during the summer, he could still be on his way out of the club this January.
PSG are known to be fans of his, and the likes of Thiago Silva and Zlatan Ibrahimovic have welcomed the possibility of the club signing him, and the French giants could certainly be boosted in their pursuit of the England international if they offered United the possibility of taking Javier Pastore in return.
United have been linked with several midfield playmakers of this type, and the Liverpool target could be an ideal player to add some creativity to their side, and may be their easiest option of bringing a player in if PSG look to offload him. The 24-year-old has been a key player for the side but no longer looks like being a regular in the starting lineup under new manager Laurent Blanc.
Although it would be a blow to lose Rooney, it seems likely that it could happen sooner or later, and United could arguably benefit more from having a player like Pastore in their side given their midfield problems at the moment.