Every ‘Big Eight’ team has players who could leave in January, but we have picked out one star at each club who is the most likely to get a move…
Arsenal: Gabriel Jesus
Plenty has changed at Arsenal while Jesus has been unavailable, with the soon-to-be fit-again striker to join a much stronger squad than the one he was part of in January.
Arsenal’s hit rate with their £250m summer signings looks to be far greater than Liverpool has managed with their £400m+ investment, with the Gunners building a near-perfect squad with obscene levels of quality in each position.
Their lack of depth in the striking department has hindered Arsenal in recent seasons, though the returning Jesus will arguably be Mikel Arteta’s third-choice forward when he’s fully fit. Viktor Gyokeres and Kai Havertz will certainly be favoured over the Brazil international, who may also be behind stand-in Mikel Merino in the pecking order.
Naturally, this places the 28-year-old in an incredibly difficult position as Arsenal can certainly afford to get rid of him in January to raise funds. He has said that he intends to stay at the Emirates, but Arteta and co. could easily say differently.
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Aston Villa: Ross Barkley
Did anyone else assume that Barkley left Aston Villa in the summer?
The former England international was a pretty sensible addition for Aston Villa as they bulked their squad ahead of their Champions League return in 2024/25, but it was hardly a surprise that the centre-midfielder was only a bit-part player under Unai Emery after enjoying a resurgence at Luton Town.
It has been a similar story for the 31-year-old this season as he’s only made three substitute appearances for the Villans in the Premier League.
Barkley is certainly a handy asset to have around as Aston Villa juggle several competitions, but he stands out as the most dispensable player in their squad. Therefore, it’s not out of the question that he leaves several months before his contract expires next summer if the right opportunity arises.
Chelsea: Axel Disasi
This was a flip of a coin between Disasi and Raheem Sterling…
The two members of Chelsea’s bomb squad remain cast aside after missing out on an exit in the summer, with their disappointing loan spells at Aston Villa and Arsenal, respectively, limiting their options.
I’ve gone for Disasi as it felt as if Sterling was particularly picky in the summer, as he turned his nose up at the Saudi Pro League and Turkish Super Lig, while his immense wages are another prohibitive factor.
Disasi, meanwhile, also has no future at Chelsea as he’s not even been recalled as head coach Enzo Maresca contended with an injury crisis at centre-back. He could end up in Turkey in the winter, as his lower wages and age make him a more tempting option than Sterling.
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Liverpool: Federico Chiesa
Should Liverpool be looking to offload Chiesa in January? No, he actually deserves a lot more game time as one of their few shining lights during their ongoing crisis.
But it is clear for all to see that the Italy international, who has overcome his injury woes, is not admired by head coach Arne Slot, who seemingly prefers Liverpool’s other attackers.
Chiesa deserves credit for knuckling down and silencing his doubters after looking set to be a pointless signing last season as he took a while to get going, especially considering he had the easy-out of a return transfer to Serie A in the summer.
Still, Chiesa is fighting a losing battle at Anfield and could easily join any of the top teams in Italy from January onwards to show what he’s capable of. Joe Gomez could also head to Serie A in January, but it would be a mindboggling decision from Liverpool, given their defensive woes, to let him leave mid-season if they do not land Marc Guehi in the same month.
Manchester United: Joshua Zirkzee
Right now, it looks like it’ll be Zirkzee, Kobbie Mainoo or both who will be the ones to leave Man Utd in January, provided there are any exits at all.
Zirkzee and Mainoo are in a similar boat in that they need to play more regularly from January onwards if they are to have any hope of playing at the World Cup, while opportunities continue to be difficult to come by at Man Utd under head coach Ruben Amorim.
At the moment, Amorim’s favourites are impressing as the once-sinking Old Trafford ship has been steadied with a three-game winning run, so it is currently hard to see a road to the starting XI for Zirkzee and Mainoo before the end of January.
Unfortunately for Mainoo, Man Utd’s options in attack are far greater than in centre-midfield, so an exit for Zirkzee certainly looks to be more feasible at the moment, and he could follow Chiesa in joining a Serie A giant.
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Manchester City: Mateo Kovacic
Chelsea’s decision to cash in on Kovacic for around £30m in 2023 has not aged well, with the Croatian international going on to shine for Man City in their 2023/24 Premier League triumph.
While he’s been out, Kovacic has been heavily linked with a potential move to Aston Villa and others, with the summer arrival of Tijjani Reijnders likely to limit his opportunities.
Kalvin Phillips is another candidate, though it appears that no one wants him…
Newcastle United: William Osula
The 22-year-old has had quite the ride over the past 18 months, with his story including the near-miss on a surprise summer move to Bundesliga outfit Eintracht Frankfurt.
This failed deal raised eyebrows as Frankfurt were willing to pay £30m for Osula, who looked far below the required level when deputising for Alexander Isak last season.
However, that once-baffling price tag has become more sensible in recent months as Osula has rapidly developed to the point where Newcastle would be within their rights to push for retaining him.
Still, Osula has been massively outshone by summer signing Nick Woltemade, who has been a revelation since joining Newcastle, and his opportunities will be further limited once Yoane Wissa is finally fit.
Tottenham Hotspur: Richarlison
Richarlison starting this season in Tottenham’s first XI was one of the more surprising aspects of the opening to the 2024/25 campaign, but the Brazil international has already contributed to five goal involvements in nine Premier League matches.
With head coach Thomas Frank ‘not fancying’ another Spurs striker, Richarlison has had more opportunities than expected after being heavily linked with a move to the Middle East in the summer.
Despite this, reports of a January exit are gathering steam ahead of the winter window, with a ‘sensational’ return to Everton seemingly on the table if he does not fancy the Saudi Pro League or MLS.
You imagine that the north London side will want another striker through the door before sanctioning Richarlison’s exit, though his recent form should boost their negotiating power in a couple of months.