Top 5 January transfer targets: Rashford, Salah, Osimhen, Alexander-Arnold

The January transportation model opens successful Europe arsenic soon arsenic the clocks deed midnight astir the satellite to usher america each into 2025.

With it comes the accustomed mid-season scramble for clubs attempting to hole their woes – usually short-term issues desperately needing speedy fixes arsenic opposed to semipermanent strategical moves.

Al Jazeera Sport picks the apical 5 names that are being heavy linked with moves on with which clubs are vying for their signatures and why:

Marcus Rashford (Manchester United). Interested: Paris Saint-Germain, Real Madrid, Saudi Pro League

Marcus Rashford has been near retired of the past 4 Manchester United squads by caller manager Ruben Amorim [Alex Livesey/Getty Images]

There is lone 1 sanction to statesman with and that is, adjacent contempt his drop-off successful form, Rashford and what could arguably beryllium 1 of the biggest January transportation moves successful history.

Rashford has been the darling of Old Trafford since the section lad made his debut successful 2016. The present 27-year-old has deed the roughest spot of a vocation that has had him linked to Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain among different European elite clubs implicit the years.

At his peak, helium was regarded arsenic an evident Galactico for Los Blancos to people successful Spain – successful immoderate regards, a semipermanent successor for Madrid’s erstwhile United forward, Cristiano Ronaldo. More recently, with Kylian Mbappe’s protracted determination to the Bernabeu, Rashford has besides been linked with filling the spread the Frenchman has near successful Paris.

Now, the aboriginal is wholly unclear. Rashford mislaid his spot successful the England squad past twelvemonth and missed retired connected Euro 2024 – a hammer stroke for a subordinate who had been 1 of the archetypal connected the squad expanse for his state for truthful galore years and, successful presumption of age, is reaching the highest of his career. New Manchester United coach, Ruben Amorim, has been brutal and rather wide successful his handling of Rashford since helium replaced Erik 10 Hag astatine Old Trafford. The Portuguese says United are a amended nine with Rashford but 4 matchday squads person passed without the inclusion of the forward, who has clearly suggested his clip with the nine is coming to an end.

Victor Osimhen (Napoli). Interested: Manchester United, Chelsea, PSG.

Victor Osimhen was Serie A’s starring scorer erstwhile Napoli won the league 2 seasons agone [Ahmad Mora/Getty Images]

The protracted merchantability of the Nigerian striker by Napoli is dragging implicit into different transportation window, and determination is inactive nary wide extremity successful sight. Osimhen was linked to each of Europe’s elite – including providing an alternate to Kylian Mbappe for Real Madrid – after firing the Italian nine to the league rubric successful 2021-22 with 26 goals. Ultimately Osimhen has ended up missing retired connected a determination to the continent’s apical array due to the fact that of Napoli’s valuation of the forward, who turns 26 connected Sunday. Galatasaray, where Nigeria’s grounds goalscorer is presently connected loan, is and ever has been a short-term solution to a bitter standoff betwixt the subordinate and his genitor club, which began past play erstwhile a determination distant from Napoli was mooted.

With doubts surrounding Rashford’s Old Trafford future, United could beryllium near susceptible successful an already poorly resourced country of the pitch. Osimhen’s enactment complaint would surely suit Ruben Amorim’s doctrine arsenic the caller Red Devils manager attempts to alteration the civilization astatine Old Trafford. Chelsea were likewise semipermanent suitors for Osimhen, but presently boast an already burgeoning squad. One nine that whitethorn person heavy capable pockets to extremity Osimhen’s Turkish exile are PSG, who person inactive to regenerate Mbappe successful attack.

Viktor Gyokeres (Sporting Lisbon). Interested: Manchester United, Manchester City, Arsenal

Head manager Pep Guardiola, right, of Manchester City congratulates Viktor Gyokeres, centre, of Sporting Lisbon astatine the extremity of the UEFA Champions League lucifer successful November [Gualter Fatia/Getty Images]

Another enactment for Manchester United successful their effort to adhd much goals to their profligate guardant enactment is Swedish international, Gyokeres. The 26-year-old has already had a stint successful the Premier League with Brighton and Hove Albion, but excelled nether Amorim earlier pursuing his determination to Sporting Lisbon successful 2023. The striker ne'er made the archetypal squad for Brighton successful a three-year spell connected England’s southbound seashore but did bask beardown indebtedness spells with erstwhile Premier League clubs Swansea City and Coventry City. The second made Gyokeres’s determination permanent, which is wherever helium caught Sporting’s eye. Now, astir of the apical Premier League clubs person each been linked with a determination backmost from Sporting, with a fig of clubs acceptable to unafraid what could beryllium regarded arsenic 1 of the better, oregon for privation of a amended word, cheaper returns for their investment.

Manchester City request an understudy for Erling Haaland successful starring the onslaught – and Gyokeres scored a hat-trick successful Lisbon’s 4-1 triumph against City successful the Champions League successful November. The anticipation of reuniting the tried and tested link-up with Amorim, however, could beryllium excessively overmuch to defy for United, portion Arsenal person besides been heavy linked with a move. The wounded sustained by Bukayo Saka, which has added to Mikel Arteta’s concerns for the Gunners, whitethorn unit the Spaniard’s manus successful January if helium wants to spell 1 measurement further than past season’s second-place finish. PSG could besides travel calling, but would Gyokeres acceptable the measure arsenic the pb antheral successful a guardant enactment that erstwhile boasted Mbappe, Lionel Messi and Neymar?

Nico Williams (Atletic Bilbao). Interested: Barcelona, Manchester United, PSG

Nico Williams, right, celebrates scoring his team’s archetypal extremity with teammate Lamine Yamal during the UEFA Euro 2024 last against England [Richard Pelham/Getty Images]

Another transportation that is much apt a lawsuit of when, alternatively than if, is Spanish wonderkid Williams, who has scored 4 times successful 21 planetary appearances. The 22-year-old was a shining airy for the aboriginal of Spain’s planetary squad alongside Lamine Yamal during the palmy Euro 2024 campaign and determination was immoderate astonishment that nary of Europe’s powerhouses stepped successful rapidly astatine that clip to unafraid 1 of the hottest properties connected the continent.

Instead, the Pamplona-born guardant has continued to excel astatine 1 of Spain’s much humble clubs. Bilbao are presently 4th successful LaLiga, and lone 5 points disconnected the leaders Atletico Madrid, who are undoubtedly 1 of the frontrunners to enlistee Williams. Whether Barcelona would let a nine and state link-up with Yamal to gaffe done their fingers remains to beryllium seen – and is hard to judge – portion the fig of large clubs hunting youthful, skilful, consenting runners successful onslaught is overwhelming.

The top predicament for the Barca switch, however, is the existent entreaty the Catalan nine person submitted to widen their registration of their playmaker Dani Olmo, fixed LaLiga’s spending limitations. Both Olmo and Williams could beryllium connected the determination successful January with neither ending up astatine the Bernabeu. Barcelona volition effort to determination mountains to forestall this happening. Williams has lone provided 2 goals this season, truthful possibly January volition beryllium a infinitesimal for Bilbao to currency successful connected a subordinate that volition bid a immense fee, portion not severely weakening the existent output successful different awesome play connected the field.

Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool). Interested: Real Madrid, PSG

Trent Alexander-Arnold made his Liverpool debut successful 2106 [Jan Kruger/Getty Images]

Another constituent to see successful the database of imaginable January income is the expiring declaration saga astatine Liverpool. Three large names are each up for grabs connected escaped transfers successful the summer: Mohamed Salah, Virgil van Dijk and Alexander-Arnold. The suspicion is that the erstwhile 2 volition motion extensions arsenic the Anfield nine question their 2nd rubric since the English apical formation was rebranded arsenic the Premier League. Both Salah and van Dijk person suitors crossed Europe and, portion massive paycheques are apt to beryllium offered successful the Saudi Pro League, the brace besides look to person a burning tendency to proceed to situation astatine the highest level of European shot astatine the ages of 32 and 33 respectively.

The likelihood is that some volition stay with the Reds and their existent trophy challenges, which sees them sitting apical of the home and Champions League tables. The deficiency of the transportation fees that they would command, owed to their ages, are a lesser contented for Liverpool successful examination to their on-field presence. Both considerations volition beryllium a immense concern, however, erstwhile it comes to Alexander-Arnold.

The imaginable of losing a player, that immoderate nine successful the satellite could physique a squad around, is simply a monumental concern. Real Madrid are the wide favourites – and person a wont of sweeping up elite endowment connected escaped transfers, specified arsenic Mbappe – should the Reds neglect to person Alexander-Arnold to motion a caller contract. Whether the nine chopped their losses and instrumentality a atrocious woody for the playmaking defender successful January is simply a imaginable nary 1 astatine Liverpool volition privation to consider. Especially fixed the imaginable it could upset what has been an incredibly beardown play truthful far. Letting a subordinate that would bid 1 of the biggest transportation fees successful satellite shot marque a lonely locomotion distant from Anfield for escaped successful the summer, however, is simply a imaginable the nine and its fans volition hope, successful each their hearts, does not travel to pass.