20. Demba Ba – Chelsea to Arsenal
A move that could, and perhaps should, have gone through in the summer as Ba is wasting away at Chelsea this term and Arsenal need bodies up front. Wenger clearly has a plan of how best to utilise the former Newcastle man and was salivating at the prospect of pairing him up with Mesut Ozil. A move would cost the Gunners around £15m.
19. Juan Iturbe – Porto to Liverpool
A player dubbed as ‘the new Messi’ is surely going to be a sought after signature, but so far Liverpool have been given a clear path to his future as the only other sides to register an interest in him have been in Italy. It is thought that Brendan Rodgers is hoping to link him up with Suarez and Sturridge and will prepare a move for the new year.
18. Jackson Martinez – Porto to Chelsea
Every few years Porto produce a crop of players that are harvested at the end of a particularly successful season. This year Martinez is that bright star and has been linked with half of Europe. Somehow the Portuguese giants have managed to keep hold of him, but that isn’t likely to last for much longer after he dropped a hint that he could be ready to move on.
17. Koke – Atletico Madrid to Manchester United
United’s creative players have all gone into hibernation this season with the likes of Nani, Ashley Young and Anderson all failing to make an impact, and Moyes has been looking to Spain for players who can fill the void and get the side back up to where they belong at the top of the table. The United boss is set to test Atletico’s resolve with a £16m bid in the new year.
16. Fabio Coentrao – Real Madrid to Tottenham Hotspur
The Portuguese international has spent the bulk of the season on the fringes of the Real squad after seeing his deadline day move to north London collapse at the last minute. However, the late disappointment has not deterred Andre Villas-Boas, who will return with a another offer in the new year to tempt the player away from the Bernabeu.
15. Adam Lallana – Southampton to Liverpool
It’s always inevitable that when a player from a ‘smaller’ club starts to play well they attract the attentions of the division’s bigger sides. With Lallana’s recent inclusion into the England squad, Liverpool have sat up and taken notice and will now look to see if they can begin the ritual break up of yet another talented squad before they can make a serious challenge for something.
14. Leighton Baines – Everton to Manchester United
United boss David Moyes still wants to bring the England man with him having failed to do so over the summer, but just because their initial advances were rejected doesn’t mean this deal is dead in the water. Baines has not let the constant speculation bother affect his performances, but he has remained quiet throughout. Surely, if he wanted to stay he would say so.
13. John Terry – Chelsea to Galatasaray
With his old age, the Chelsea skipper’s powers have waned considerably and he is still very much reviled across the country. However, Roberto Mancini wants to bring him to Turkey where they still welcome even the most obscure footballers as demi-gods, just ask Darius Vassell and Kenny Miller.
12. Ilkay Gundogan – Borussia Dortmund to Manchester United
United and fellow suitors Arsenal were handed a boost last week as the player’s father revealed that there was no deal in place to take him to Real Madrid. He is someone that has been on the tip of the tongues of Premier League fans for a long time and United are now favourites to make a move as their season continues to stutter and having a classy German international in the ranks always helps you propel things in the right direction.
11. Ross Barkley – Everton to Tottenham Hotspur
The Toffees youngster has burst onto the scene and into the national team set up this season and his progress doesn’t look as though it will slow down anytime soon. However, he should be wary of seeing his career go the same way as Jack Rodwell and Scott Sinclair as Spurs continue to circle.