One area where 5 major teams in Europe need to strengthen

We are past the halfway mark of the season and teams will be looking to take advantage of the January transfer window. The top teams across Europe will use the first half to analyze and understand the strengths and weaknesses of their squads. Injuries, suspensions and several other factors contribute to the decision to strengthen a squad.The January window can be tricky as price tags are inflated and availability of the right player is scarce. Teams have to also take into consideration the qualities each player will bring and whether they will adapt to a different style of play.Some consider the January window to be unfair and unnecessary, but past windows have proven to be the catalyst for success to several teams. With the title race in Europe’s major leagues hotting up, the big guns will look to invest in top quality players that can plug any weaknesses a squad might have. Here are five of Europe’s powerhouses that need to strengthen to maintain their title push.

#1 Real Madrid Defensive Midlfield

Will Zidane find the missing piece to the puzzle

Madrid is definitely one of the top 3 teams across Europe in terms of firepower. But despite the arrival of Zidane their defensive problems seem to persist. This is mainly due to an absence of a genuine defensive midfielder. Since selling Xabi Alonso to Bayern Munich they have failed to fill the void left by him which has cost them points in crucial matches. Although they boast the likes of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric, they fulfill the central play maker role rather than the defensive minded player they need.

A player they do possess who is a natural fit for the position is Casemiro, who has impressed but is probably too inexperienced to feature regularly at Los Blancos. Mateo Kovacic was also signed from Inter in the summer but he seems to be a box-to-box midfielder with versatility rather than a holding specialist.

After back to back wins Real dropped points at Betis while watching arch-rivals Barca go top of La Liga. In order to sustain their title challenge, buying a powerful and strong holding midfielder is a must in the January transfer window or they face the possibility of losing out on the title once again.

#2 FC Barcelona - Centre Back

Mascherano has been accused of tax evasion

Barcelona overcame a tough test at Malaga to reclaim the La Liga summit. The new leaders needed a Messi goal to defeat Malaga 2-1 after Munir’s early goal had been canceled out by Acosta. While Barca’s MSN trio is the most feared in the world they haven’t had a set centre-back pairing this season.

This fragility was once again outlined against Malaga where Mascherano and Vermaelen had to compensate for the suspended Pique. Luis Enrique took Vermaelen off for Mathieu after he had a torrid first forty-five minutes.

That first half clearly outlined the need for backup in defence as Barca limped over the line in Pique’s absence. Mascherano's off-field tax problems haven’t helped the club in any way and the Argentinian doesn’t seem his old reliable self. Barcelona have been marked as favorites for the title as well as being tipped to be the first team to retain the Champions League, but they will need to bring in reinforcements in order to ensure they reach their objectives without any hiccups.

#3 Manchester United - Striker

Will Rooney rediscover his goal scoring touch?

United and Louis Van Gaal have several problems to address after their latest defeat to Southampton in the Premier League. They have now gone 11 league games without scoring a first half goal and are the team with the fewest shots on target at home(35) all season. United have won only twice in their last ten outings scoring only 10 times in the process, not a stat associated with past Manchester United teams.

It is quite clear they are lacking in the prolific goal scorer department with Wayne Rooney’s form wavering every game and Martial having lost the goal scoring touch he showed in the early stages of the season. But blame cannot be placed on the two as the former is not the same type of player anymore and the latter being very young and still developing as a footballer.

Although United haven’t been creating as many chances either there seems to be a lack of a genuine goalscorer ever since Robin Van Persie’s first goal-laden season. There currently doesn't seem to be too many options in the market and United will have to wait until the summer to find a target man.

#4 Manchester City - Centre Back

Vincent Kompany - Irreplaceable?

At the start of the season, Manchester City looked to be running away with the title. They won their first five league games scoring eleven goals and conceding none. But after losing Vincent Kompany through injury, Manchester City have been a leaking faucet at the back. Without their captain, they have conceded twenty-one goals as compared to letting in only two when he was playing.

It shows what an important player Kompany has been for City over the years and the struggle they have had to replace him when injured. The likes of Mangala, Otamendi and Demichelis don’t seem to have the same commanding presence as the skipper. The combined cost of Otamendi and Mangala reads to about 70 Million pounds but they haven’t backed up their transfer fees on the pitch.

Demichelis seems past his best with his age having caught up with him. In a topsy-turvy Premier League full of surprises Manchester City are still strong contenders for the title but it seems they will have to dip into their transfer kitty once again in an attempt to fix their defensive frailties.

#5 Arsenal - Defensive Midfield

Will Wenger splash the cash?

With Chelsea having a shocking defense to their crown, and United and City’s inconsistencies, Arsenal will never have a better chance to win the title. Injuries have been a major hindrance in the past for them to mount a serious title challenge but this season they have coped well without their first choice pairing of Coquelin and Cazorla.

But as observed in matches against Southampton and Liverpool they still seem to struggle from time to time without their regulars. Arsene Wenger moved quickly in addressing the issue with the purchase of Mohamed Elneny. But the Egyptian International’s strengths seem to resemble that of Aaron Ramsey who is a box-to-box midfielder.

Flamini and Arteta, are currently not very dependable and will move on in the summer. At the start of the season, a striker looked like the priority but with Giroud finding form, Arsenal will have to find a replacement in the holding midfield department to adequately fill the void when Coquelin is injured.