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2014 is drawing to a close, but the January transfer window is just starting to heat up. Here are our predictions for the star players most likely to be on the move in the new year.
Marco Reus
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The crown jewel of this transfer window is Marco Reus. It is unlikely he’ll leave in January, but stranger things have happened. Reus is an outstanding player by any metric, but his 2014-15 season has been marred by injury and Borussia Dortmund’s relegation-zone form.
Still, in these dark days, Reus is Dortmund’s ray of hope. Reus is their best attacking player by far, and they will command a high price from anyone wishing to secure his transfer. In a sense this is good news, but when the richest clubs in the world want a player in the way they want Reus, the price of a transfer is rendered superfluous.
Bayern Munich, Manchester United, and Chelsea could all make a bid for Reus, but if we had to bet, it would be Chelsea. Reus would create a balanced front three that, right now, is currently weighted to whatever side Eden Hazard is on. Reus also fits perfectly into Jose Mourinho’s counter-attacking philosophy.
If he doesn’t leave for Chelsea in January, we expect him to go in the summer.
Xherdan Shaqiri
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Xherdan Shaqiri has immense skill and athleticism, there is no doubting that; but on a team like Bayern Munich, you need more than that to routinely be feature in the starting line-up. When Shaqiri has played for the German giants or for Switzerland, he has played well:
Whether or not Shaqiri leaves next month or in the summer remains to be seen, but there are plenty of teams with the funds and the need in order to sign a player like him.
Juventus could be a likely destination. Carlos Tevez and Fernando Llorente play well together, but adding another degree of dynamism in Shaqiri could give the Old Lady a quality attacking burst that simply cannot be matched by the man he would most likely replace: Sebastian Giovinco.
Fernando Torres
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The career of Fernando Torres has turned into one of the most unfortunate stories of this generation. In his days at Liverpool, he was arguably the best striker in the world. As we all know, however, he left for Chelsea for a staggering sum of money. “Sold his soul,” as Liverpool faithful would have you believe, and honestly, Torres’ play since leaving Liverpool could make you believe in demonic possession.
In his time at Chelsea, and during his current loan spell at AC Milan, Torres hasn’t been able to finish a Hershey’s kiss. That is why AC Milan are sending him back to Chelsea in January, and Chelsea are reportedly willing to sell him for the price of his wages. Or, as it’s known today, give him away for free.
Stoke City could be a good destination for him. He would be able to team up with Bojan, a forward who also had seemingly lost his way, but is now finding a good vein of form. Who knows? Maybe the hard-knock attitude at Stoke is just what Torres’ needs.
Lucas Silva
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The closest thing to a defensive player on this entire list, Silva currently plays for the Brazilian side Cruzeiro. He just may be the next Xabi Alonso, and that is why Real Madrid are so keen on signing him. Arsene Wenger, however, has reportedly outbid the Spanish giants for the time beeing and, while Real is always favored in a bidding war, Arsenal have undoubtedly thrown down the gauntlet.
It feels wrong to say that a team that has won 20 games in a row has any needs, but Silva is more defensively sound than current young Madrid central midfielder, Asier Illaramendi. He may even have better passing range.
Arsenal, of course, have needed a defensive midfielder for years and securing Silva would be the toast of North London for weeks on end.
Still though, as much as it pains this Arsenal fan, if Real want him, Real will get him.
Edinson Cavani
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Cavani is an interesting case. Having proved his class at Napoli, he has had to play second fiddle to Zlatan Ibrahimovic after moving to Paris Staint-Germain. That is not a knock on Cavani, you can count the forwards that would usurp Zlatan on one hand, but it could mean that Cavani longs for the featured role in which he excelled back in Italy.
Teams always want strikers, so the list of possible destinations for Cavani is quite long, but we would guess that Arsenal would be the best fit. Olivier Giroud and Danny Welbeck are good, but Cavani is great. He can finish better than both of them and he has the large frame that Arsene Wenger loves to have in his forwards.
Kevin Strootman
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Manchester United wants Kevin Strootman. Manchester United needs Kevin Strootman. If Louis van Gaal had his way, Manchester United would already have Kevin Strootmant. He is exactly what they need: a central midfielder with steel and poise to go with technical ability.
The problem is his current team, AS Roma, really don’t want to give him up. They realize what a talent he is, and do not want to make the same mistake United made with Paul Pogba and let a world class midfielder go, especially if they have a choice in the matter.
Still, Strootman could force his way out and, with Roma out of the Champion’s League, he may be starting to lose belief that he can win everything he wants to win in Rome.
If this transfer goes through in January, it will be a an expected surprise. As much of a paradox as that is, bare with us. It will make sense when, in the wake of Strootman’s transfer, members of the media act like they knew Manchester United would get their man while being simultaneously shocked that Roma gave him up.
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