With the Premier League in full swing, and indeed the matches more than a third of the way through, attention of many – particularly, supporters of contenders – is turning toward the upcoming transfer window. As always, the in-season transfer window will open on December 31st and remain open for one month. It’s always an exciting time of year, so with just a few weeks to go, let’s take a look at some of the noisier transfer rumours floating about, and how they could help relevant clubs.
- Hakan Calhanoglu – The Daily Mail reports that multiple Premier League sides will likely have it out over Calhanoglu in January. A young midfielder showing immense promise for Hamburg in Bundesliga, Calhanoglu seems to have specifically drawn the attention of Arsenal and Liverpool, and with both in strong competition atop the League standings, his addition could be significant.
- Luuk de Jong – A stand-out for the Netherlands in Euro 2012, de Jong should be a heavily coveted striker for the upcoming transfer window, and it appears that Stoke City have the early inside track. Sitting in the middle of the standings, Stoke can’t hope to make a major move this season, but adding de Jong would be a welcome boost to a team that’s managed just 15 goals through as many games
- Marco Reus – The talented Borussia Dortmund midfielder is the top target for Manchester United boss David Moyes, and may be the most important target of this Premier League season. One of the betting favourites heading into league play, Man U have been a bitter disappointment, and are sitting at 9th in the standings. In fact, popular sports betting site Betfair shows that Man U’s odds to win it all have fallen beneath those of Liverpool (in addition to Chelsea, Arsenal and Man City), and are barely ahead of Everton. These odds are constantly updated based on performance, and if Moyes and co. don’t want to see them slip further, they’ll put in a hefty bid for Reus, who could seriously bolster the midfield.
- Bruno Zuculini – According to a brief blurb on BBC, Man City are in the lead for the services of Zuculini, who is currently playing midfield for a club in his home nation of Argentina. City have played just okay to date, and could use a boost to reach the top of the standings – where most, including the betting oddsmakers had them projected – though it’s unlikely Zuculini would contribute immediately at any rate.
These are some of the biggest names and story lines at this point as far as potential incoming transfers go. It’s also worth noting that certain significant League players are also being targeted by teams outside of the UK. Man City’s Vincent Kompany is being pursued by Moncao, for example, and David Luiz of Chelsea could be on the move to Barcelona for a rumoured £29 million. But, as always, we’ll simply have to wait and see who goes and who stays, and debate the odds until then!
