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The January 2022-23 transfer window is turning out to be quite an eventful one. Many teams in the top five European leagues have actively tried to improve their squad, either by permanently signing top players or getting noteworthy players on loan. Joao Felix, Mykhailo Mudryk, and Cody Gakpo are three of the big names that have swapped shirts this January, and we may not have seen the end of it.
Today, we will take a look at a few top players who could switch clubs before the end of the January transfer window. Here are five big transfers that could still be completed in the next couple of weeks:
#5 Noni Madueke to Chelsea
Days after signing Mykhailo Mudryk from Shakhtar Donetsk for an £88.5 million fee, Chelsea has been linked with PSV attacker Noni Madueke.
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According to reports from the Netherlands (via Metro), Chelsea lodged an initial £26.6 million bid for the 20-year-old forward. The bid, however, was reportedly turned down, as PSV felt the bid was far too low for Madueke. Having already lost Cody Gakpo to Liverpool, PSV is not looking to sell unless an astonishing offer comes along.
Chelsea has been on a spending spree under Todd Boehly this season, signing all the players they deem worthy. If they have any legitimate interest in signing Madueke, it would not be surprising to see them lodge a much-improved bid in the coming days.
The right-winger has played only nine games this season due to an ankle injury, scoring twice. Overall, the England U21 international has played 80 games for PSV across competitions, recording 20 goals and 14 assists.
#4 Leandro Trossard to Arsenal/Tottenham Hotspur
North London rivals Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur have been told of the price they will have to pay to sign Brighton & Hove Albion winger Leandro Trossard, TalkSPORT has reported (via Football London).
Trossard, banished from Brighton training due to poor attitude, missed the Seagulls’ 3-0 win over Liverpool on 14 January. His agent has asked the club to grant him an exit, and Brighton has set the price they want for their player. It has been reported that Brighton wants £25 million for the 28-year-old.
As per Metro, Tottenham had verbally offered a £12 million fee, which was outright rejected. Arsenal has also emerged as a possible destination, but they, too, do not see him as a £25 million player.
Belgium winger Trossard has featured in 17 games for the Seagulls across competitions this season, scoring seven goals and claiming three assists.
#3 Raphinha to Arsenal
Premier League leaders Arsenal are keeping a close eye on Barcelona winger Raphinha after losing one of their top transfer targets Mykhailo Mudryk to Chelsea, Sky Sports has reported. The north Londoners reportedly wanted to sign Raphinha last summer itself but were outbid by Barcelona. They are now looking to get their man in the January window.
Raphinha was expected to take Barcelona by storm but has not had much success under Xavi this season. The Brazilian winger has featured in 23 games for Barcelona in the 2022-23 season, starting only 11 of them. He has thus far pitched in with three goals and five assists across competitions.
Signing Raphinha in the January transfer window might be difficult for Arsenal, as Barcelona are likely to be reluctant to lose an important player mid-season. However, for the right offer, Arsenal could beat the odds to get their man in January itself.
#2 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to Barcelona
Chelsea signed Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang under former coach Thomas Tuchel in the summer of 2022. The Gabon international joined the Blues as a free agent after Barcelona graciously terminated his contract, paving the way for a smoother departure.
Aubamyeng has found it difficult to thrive under new manager Graham Potter, with the former Brighton & Hove Albion boss primarily opting to keep his faith in Kai Havertz. According to The Telegraph, Barcelona has kept tabs on Aubameyang’s situation at Stamford Bridge and wishes to re-sign him in the January transfer window.
However, there are fears that the former Arsenal man would not be able to play for Barcelona this season if signed in January. According to the La Liga rulebook, a player whose contract was terminated cannot receive a new contract from the same club during the same season. It will be interesting to see if the Blaugrana manages to find a way around it and bring him back to Camp Nou.
Aubameyang has featured in 16 games for Chelsea this season, netting thrice.
#1 Memphis Depay to Newcastle United/Tottenham Hotspur
Barcelona signed Memphis Depay as a free agent in July 2021, right after he ran down his contract with Olympique Lyon. The Dutchman has not managed to live up to his billing at Old Trafford and it has been claimed that the Blaugrana are looking to offload him in January itself.
According to the Daily Star, Premier League outfits Newcastle United and Tottenham Hotspur have been offered the opportunity to sign the former Manchester United star. According to the source, the Catalans want as much money as possible for the forward and are determined not to lose him as a free agent in June.
The player’s representatives have reportedly earmarked a January move to Premier League top-four aspirant Newcastle. La Liga giants Atletico Madrid are also reportedly interested in signing Depay, but Xavi’s side reportedly prefers to sell outside of Spain.
Depay has featured in four games for Barca in the 2022-23 season, scoring only once.
