With less than a week to go until the end of the January Transfer Window, we asked the UAE Supporters Clubs from the Premier League’s top teams to share with us the players they want their teams to bring in and those they want to bin.
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Chelsea
Toby Young – UAE Chelsea Supporters Club
Stamford Bridge has been pretty settled so far this season, with the club doing the majority of its business in the summer.
Jose Mourinho has stated that he is not particularly interested in making any moves in this window, although rumours have started to surface.
Unsurprisingly they surround the futures of Andre Schurrle and Mohammed Salah.
Both have been disappointing this season and seemed to have only performed in patches. Salah has not pushed on after being criticised at the end of last season and Schurrle, despite being a World Cup winner, often looks woeful.
Chelsea need someone on the right hand side to compliment Hazard on the left. Although Willian is undoubtedly a good player, we miss the spark that Hazard provides on the opposing wing.
I am a big fan of Lavezzi at PSG. He was excellent against Chelsea in last year’s Champions League, although he may now be too old at 29 to suit Chelsea’s needs. Juan Cuadardo of Fiorentina seems to be the other name that springs to mind and the Colombian’s star is rising rapidly.
Possible INS: Ezequiel Lavezzi (PSG), Juan Cuadrado (Fiorentina), Lionel Messi (Barcelona), Douglas Costa (Shakhtar)
Possible OUTS: Andre Schurrle (Wolfsburg), Mohammed Salah (Roma), Petr Cech (Liverpool)
Manchester City
Darren Ball – Abu Dhabi Blues
City have made a significant signing already this transfer window with Wilfied Bony coming in from Swansea.
His failure to take hold of the number 9 shirt leads me to believe another forward could be on his way in but it’s unlikely to be in January unless someone leaves.
City have so far lagged behind Chelsea in the transfer market and Fernando has not really settled as any sort of replacement for Yaya Toure, whose time at the club looks numbered.
Milner looks to be on his way out with his contract talks seemingly going nowhere and Liverpool lurking.
As for other departures, Scott Sinclair hinted in a recent interview that he will not be around come February, but clubs seem reluctant to pay any fee of substance for City’s forgotten man.
I would like to see another creative midfielder come in to accompany David Silva and Marco Reus could be that guy. I’d also like to see a replacement for Jesus Navas but rather than delve into the transfer market, I would like to see a couple of the EDS team introduced.
We have a great academy that needs to bear fruit sometime soon.
INS: Marco Reus (Dortmund)
OUTS: Scott Sinclair (WBA, Hull), Jesus Navas (Atletico Madrid, Valencia), James Milner (Liverpool)
Southampton
Phil Hughes – Dubai Saints
After a torrid time in the summer window, some stability would be nice, but we’d also love to see permanent deals for Ryan Bertrand and Toby Alderweireld, who are both on season-long loans with an option to buy.
We could also do with some cover for Pelle and Danny Ings seems a target for just about everyone in the Premier League who are after some added firepower.
Saints also may need to bring in a centre-back either permanently or on-loan as cover. A couple of troublesome record signings would also free up some finances.
Jay Rodriguez rumours keep surfacing but it is highly unlikely a club would part with the 20m+ needed to secure his signature when he has been out injured for nearly a year. Morgan Schneiderlin is the other name constantly being banded about but no movement should be expected until the Champions League places are decided in May.
INS: Ryan Bertand (Chelsea), Toby Alderweireld (Atletico Madrid) – both permanent deals, Stephan El Shaarawy (AC Milan – swap deal for Dani Osvaldo), Danny Ings (Burnley), Ron Vlaar (Aston Villa)
OUTS: Gaston Ramirez (AC Milan, Inter), Dani Osvaldo (AC Milan, Juventus), loans for youngsters Harry Gape, Jake Hesketh and Lloyd Isgrove (if injuries improve)
Man Utd
Ziad Al Jamman – Manchester United Supporters Club UAE
Come on adidas, get in on a deal for Lionel Messi…There is no smoke without any fire and we can dream can’t we?
Realistically we need a quality defender and my top target would be Rafael Varane from Real Madrid. The Frenchman has incredible experience for someone so young and is a power house of a defender who can also do a job as an anchorman in midfield.
Realistically, I see us going after Mats Hummels or Diego Godin.
If Kevin Strootman proves his fitness we may go in with a sneaky bid for him as he is top quality, but Roma seem defiant in refusing to sanction his sale.
In terms of players leaving, it’s high time we finally sold Anderson if there are any takers.
I also think Nick Powell will be sold as he doesn’t seem to fit into LVG’s style of play, while loan deals for Tom Cleverly and Nani might be made permanent. With the recent signing of Victor Valdes, surely Anders Lindegaard will be looking for a way out of United.
INS: Mats Hummels (Dortmund), Rafael Varane (Real Madrid), Diego Godin (Atletico Madrid), Kevin Strootman (Roma), Nathaniel Clyne (Southampton), Memphis Depay (PSV)
OUTS: Anders Lindegaard (Hull, Leicester City), Nani (Sporting), Tom Cleverley (Aston Villa, QPR), Nick Powell (Swansea), Darren Fletcher (West Ham)
Arsenal
Richard D’Cruze – Arsenal UAE
For Arsenal fans, this is the period where they hope Arsene Wenger finally addresses the positions he has ignored for what seems an eternity. Centre-half and centre-mid, where we desperately need a couple of enforcers.
West Ham’s Winston Reid has been linked and Villareal’s Gabriel Paulista is a welcome addition.
While Reid has Premier League experience, Dortmund’s Mats Hummels would be a far better, but more expensive, option. Any deal for Hummels seems unlikely, however.
German internationals Sami Khedira and Lars Bender have long been linked to Arsenal and both would be welcome additions. Khedira would be more of a match in terms of style and may be looking for a way out of Real with playing time limited.
The most tantalising talk so far has been of a move for PSG’s Edinson Cavani. And the thought of the Uruguayan playing alongside Santi Cazorla, Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil is mouth-watering.
In terms of exits, the ever-injured Abou Diaby will be looking for a new club, while the likes of Gideon Zelalem, Serge Gnabry, Joel Campbell and Chuba Akpom need more experience and minutes.
Loan deals for those youngsters would work in the favour of both parties but Campbell may well be looking for a permanent move away should the right club come in.
INS: Lars Bender (Leverkusen), Sami Khedira (Real Madrid), Winston Reid (West Ham), Edinson Cavani (PSG), James Milner (Man City)
OUTS: Abou Diaby (Crystal Palace, Fiorentina), Joel Campbell (Everton, Benfica, Villareall), Mikel Arteta (Everton)
Tottenham Hotspur
Raad Jaboori Al-Shaikh – UAE Tottenham Supporters Club
January is a notoriously difficult time for clubs to recruit the right players to help the team. Other clubs do not wish to sell their best players halfway through the season, players prefer to move at the end of the campaign and transfer fees rocket.
Spurs manager Mauricio Pochettino has made it clear on several occasions that he doesn’t expect any transfer activity in the window.
However, given the choice, I would like to see Spurs get rid of some bit-part players and bring in some more potent options in the final-third to ease the burden on Harry Kane.
We certainly wouldn’t mind seeing Poch raid his old club for Schneiderlin but we might have missed that boat.
So far Kyle Naughton has left for Swansea and we may yet see some of our second string players join him in leaving White Hart Lane.
INS: Ron Vlaar (Aston Villa), Yevhen Konoplyanka (Dnipro), Jay Rodriguez (Southampton), Danny Ings (Burnley)
OUTS: Andros Townsend (QPR), Paulinho (Juventus, Inter), Younis Kaboul (Besiktas), Emanuel Adebayor (Free), Aaron Lennon (Hull)
Liverpool
Daniel Watson – Dubai Reds
Once again silly season is upon us and once again every man and his dog is being linked with a move into Liverpool.
The main names doing the rounds are English pair Saido Berahino of WBA and Aston Villa’s Fabian Delph.
Delph’s transfer won’t happen this month after he signed a new deal at Villa but he could well be headed to Anfield in the summer still.
Berahino is an exciting young talent with bags of potential and has similar traits to our very own Daniel Sturridge. The January asking price, including having to pay over the odds for an English passport, may prove too dear for January sales.
Reports have long stated we are trying to offload Mario Ballotelli and Fabio Borini and such deals would be pivotal to whether or not the Reds do any business of note.
A slight concern is despite all the links with different players there is not much mention of a goalkeeper, something we have been in dire need of all season.
INS: Saido Berahino (WBA), Gonzalo Higuain (Napoli), Ezequiel Lavezzi (PSG), James Milner (Man City)
OUTS: Mario Balotelli (Lazio), Fabio Borini (Sunderland), Lucas (Inter Milan, Napoli), Rickie Lambert (Crystal Palace)
