The January transfer window is about to close (surely it cannot do so with the same melodrama as its summer counterpart) and, as always, certain parties are getting a little twitchy as the deadline looms. A fine example is Raheem Sterling, who has not kicked a competitive football in eight months yet somehow finds himself on more wishlists than a Tamagotchi in the late 90s.
Seven “Champions League level” clubs are said to be keen on Sterling – now a free agent after he and Chelsea went their separate ways – most notably Tottenham, where Thomas Frank is “on board” with the idea of signing the 31-year-old. Heaven knows Frank needs a boost from somewhere. Having represented Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea and Arsenal in a frankly remarkable career to date, a move to Spurs would leave Raheem with just one more to complete the big six set. Old Trafford in 2028, here we come. Napoli, Juventus and Bayern are also linked with Sterling, Champions League level clubs all.
Speaking of Spurs and Serie A sides, Radu Dragusin is wanted by a cohort of Italian clubs with Napoli leading that particular race, while Randal Kolo Muani – he of no Premier League goals this season – is coveted by Juventus despite being on loan at Tottenham from Paris Saint-Germain.
Talk of Manchester United signing a midfielder has gone unnervingly quiet in the past few days, with Rúben Neves likely to remain with Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League. Wolves metronome João Gomes is the latest name to be mentioned in dispatches but it is looking increasing like United will wait until the summer before overhauling their engine room.
As Oleksandr Zinchenko bids farewell to the Emirates to join Ajax, the former Arsenal youngster Brooke Norton-Cuffy is on the verge of a surprise move from Genoa to Inter. The Nerazzurri’s preference had been to re-sign Ivan Perisic, but PSV said no. The next logical step, having missed out on a player who turns 37 on deadline day, is naturally to get a 22-year-old former Lincoln loanee.
Barnsley winger Reyes Cleary is on the radar of many Championship clubs after a breakout season in League One (he was in the National League just last year) and Sheffield United are now favourites for his signature. Their city rivals Sheffield Wednesday, meanwhile, are braced to land Jerry Yates on loan from Luton.
Plenty of clubs have seemingly given up the ghost on the notoriously tricky January window and are already plotting their summer swoops. In totally feasible transfer news, Chelsea want Jude Bellingham, Arsenal and Liverpool are chasing Eduardo Camavinga and Real Madrid, in this scenario having been gutted and stripped of their best assets, are targeting … Diogo Dalot.
