This year is unlikely to see anyone breaking the bank, but it could well see some significant changes being made at clubs across the continent.
One player definitely on the move is Lucas Moura, the Sao Paulo forward who is on his way to Paris St Germain. The big spending Parisians have pledged previously to invest heavily year on year despite the restrictions of financial fair play, and so the big question must be whether or not they will make further moves in this transfer window.
If they do, AC Milan could be targeted once again, with Alexandre Pato having been linked with the Parisians in the past. Carlos Tevez is another who has been targeted by the club, as has Mario Balotelli, and the Qatari owners of the club could be tempted to bring in another player to ease their reliance for goals on Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
In England, there are a number of teams looking to bring in forwards. Liverpool are likely to bring in Daniel Sturridge from Chelsea to bolster their options with Luis Suarez their only fit senior forward at present. That would though only weaken Chelsea’s attack further, and they are likely to move for goalscoring power in the transfer window. A prime target will be Falcao, who ripped them to pieces in the European Super Cup, but the Colombian may not want to leave mid-season, and he may also want to hold out for a move to boyhood idols Real Madrid. Other forwards Chelsea could try to bring in include Edinson Cavani, although he is likely to stay at Napoli, and Klaas Jan Huntelaar. He is a player who could also be targeted by Liverpool, whilst Arsenal are reportedly interested in his services as well.
Arsenal are the other side keen on a forward acquisition. Adrian Lopez is on their wishlist and they may make an effort to bring him to the club, whilst Pepe Reina, Kevin Strootman and Wilfried Zaha are also on their wishlist. Thierry Henry is likely to join on loan again, but Zaha is wanted by a number of teams and Strootman is also being monitored sides including Manchester United.
Fernando Llorente is another who has been linked with the Gunners, but he is more likely to join Juventus, the Italian giants who were keen on him during the summer. Athletic Bilbao refused to sell then, but he has made clear he won’t extend the contract which ends this season and has been frozen out of the first team since. It may be the right time for him to make the move in this transfer window, with Bilbao’s season faltering, and Juventus keen to sign a striker too. The other player they may bring in is Didier Drogba, the Ivorian who left Chelsea in the summer but who has been in Shanghai playing for Shenhua in recent months. He could follow Nicolas Anelka out of the exit door in Shanghai however. It is not inconceivable that he could make a return to Chelsea still, whilst Anelka may also be back in west London before long, albeit with Queens Park Rangers, who are apparently keen on signing the Frenchman.
It makes for an intriguing transfer window ahead, as clubs across the continent get ready to bolster their squads for an end of season charge towards glory. Signings made in January could be the difference between success and failure for those in the market, and so the weeks to come will be as intriguing as ever across the continent.
