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Chelsea shattered the January transfer window record in 2011 when they prised Fernando Torres away from Liverpool for a fee of £50 million. Manchester United came close last year when they bought Juan Mata from Chelsea for a reported £38 million.And with football transfer fees undergoing staggering inflation in the last couple of years, this three year old record seems in jeopardy come this January transfer window. We look at some potential moves which could surpass Torres’ transfer record.Disclaimer: The views expressed here are those of the author and do not reflect those of the site
#5 Jackson Martinez
Martinez is another striker who could kickstart a potential bidding war between several big European clubs. The forward has been in sensational form for Portuguese club Porto this season, having netted 14 goals in 18 appearances so far, including five in five in the Champions League. The Colombian has been in prolific form ever since he flew across the Atlantic three seasons ago to play in Europe. He has scored 74 goals in 109 appearances for Porto with an average of 2 goals in every 3 games.
Tottenham have been his most active suitoras Mauricio Pochettino looks to bring in a world class striker to replace the floundering Roberto Soldado and the inconsistent Adebayor and stake a genuine claim for a Champions League berth for next season.
Although Martinez is currently rated at 35 million, but with his agent announcing his unavailability and with the likes of Tottenham, Arsenal and Liverpool in desperate need of a proven goalscrorer, his asking price might have already shot up by atleast 10-15 million, and Porto might be tempted to cash in on the striker of the price is right.
#4 Mats Hummels
If Mats Hummels long-awaited move away from Dortmund was to become a reality in January 2015, his reported price tag would easily surpass not only the January transfer record but will also make him the most expensive defender of all time. The German centre-back, fresh from a fantastic World Cup triumph that reaffirmed his status as one of the top defenders in world football, will look to move on to finer pastures sooner or later.
With both Arsenal and Manchester United looking to shore up their shaky defence, Hummels will have plenty of big names to choose from. Some reports have suggestedthat Arsenal have already withdrawn from the race since Dortmunds asking price is believed to be upwards of 45 million. With both Louis van Gaal and BrendanRodgers looking to reinforce a fragile back-line, Manchester United and Liverpool are lining up a big-money deal to allure Hummels to England.
If interviews and news reports are anything to go by, Hummels couldbepoised to become the most expensive defender of all time this January, overtaking David Luizs 50 million record transfer from Chelsea to PSG last summer.
#3 Isco
The man, who lit up Malagas debut Champions League campaign in 2012/13, has been on the radar of several big European clubs ever since he made hisbig-money move to Real Madrid last season.
With the relentless influx of top players like Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez, Isco has failed to cement a place in Madrids starting eleven. Most of his appearances have come off the bench and with a first team that boasts of names like Ronaldo, Benzema, Modric andKroos among others, Iscos hopes of carving a space for himself are ambitious at best.
This season, Ancelotti has drafted the 22-year old into a more withdrawn role in the center of midfield alongside Modric or Kroos and the Spaniard has responded well, but both Isco and his huge legion of fans know that his favourite position is that of an attacking midfielder becausehe revelsplaying off ofthe striker.
These developments have emboldened the spirits of several clubs including the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool and managers of both clubs are ready to come in with big offers in January to lure Isco to their respective clubs. As far as the asking price is concerned, big European media houses have reported varying figures that have gone up to as much as a whopping 65 million pounds.
#2 Edinson Cavani
The Uruguayan is reportedly unhappy at Parc des Princes and is looking for a move away from the French champions, whom he joined for a stellar 55 million fee from Napoli in the summer of 2013. Cavani has often been deployed in a wider position to accommodate Zlatan Ibrahimovic in the central role and the Uruguayan might bethe next name in a long list of players whove fallen victim to Ibrahimovics supercilious and high-handed ways.
Laurent Blanc has stated his desire to resolve all differences and convince the striker to stay put but with the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool in desperate need of a worldclass goalscorer, the January transfer window might witness one of its biggest evertransfers in the form of Cavani.
Both Arsene Wenger and Brendan Rodgers have been plagued by inconsistency upfront and in Cavani they see the perfect panacea to all their ills. The 27-year old scored 104 goals in 138 games for Napoli and has given a good return of 37 goals in 64 appearances for PSG.
If PSG decide to let Cavani leave in January, they would command a fee in the region of 50-60 million pounds which is sure to surpass the three-year-old record set by Fernando Torres. Infact, he might become the first player in the history of association football to be involved in two 50 million plustransfer deals.
#1 Marco Reus
No transfer gossip is complete without a reference to Marco Reus. The German international, who was unlucky to miss out on his countrys 2014 FIFA World Cup triumph due to injury, has been linked with a move away from Dortmund for a terribly long time. Be it Barcelona, Real Madrid, Manchester United or Manchester City, all major clubs across Europe have been keeping an eye on this magical winger for the last few years.
But with Dortmund facing a dreadful run of results that has seen them drop down to the bottom of the Bundesliga table and with the future looking far from cheerful, Reus might finally be weighing up his options. The Dortmund bred-and-born Reus, who has in the past dismissed speculation of a move away from his hometown, will have no shortage of possible destinations as Arsenal, Chelsea,Manchester City and Manchester United all have been reportedly pursuing his signature..
Reus is believed to have a 20 million release clause in his contract but if this speculation is just a rumour, then a full-blown bidding war can be expected from all of his suitors. There is little doubt that thetransfer, if it goes ahead, will easily shatter Torres record and may even come close to Kaka or Di Marias number.
