Including Marcus Rashford, eight Premier League stars face a prolonged wait until the summer for a transfer with a January exit increasingly unlikely…
Casemiro (Manchester United)
For Man Utd, this January window promised plenty of outgoings and potentially a couple of additions as Ruben Amorim attempts to shape his squad.
Unfortunately for Amorim, there’s been lots of talk but not much action as the ‘frustrated’ head coach has joined the fanbase in getting irritated by INEOS’ ineptitude.
Casemiro’s demotion to fifth-choice central midfielder below Toby Collyer suggests Amorim wants to get rid of the former world-class midfielder, though pleas for interest appear to be falling on deaf ears.
While a switch to Al-Nassr to reunite with Cristiano Ronaldo has consistently been touted as a likely next move, there have been no credible reports of a transfer being close. This is a kick in the teeth for United as a sale to the Saudi Pro League is the only way they could get a decent chunk of that £60m fee back after the previous regime’s braindead decision to invest in the 32-year-old.
Barring the Saudi Pro League and the MLS, Casemiro’s options are limited; his massive salary and dire slump since his debut season means United’s struggle to offload their pricey flop – under contract until 2026 – is set to drag on to the summer, at least.
READ: Amorim has 10-man transfer list and Arsenal fans have lost their minds over Michael Oliver
Matheus Cunha
The Wolves standout has been nudged out of our Premier League team of the season so far, but he’s far too good for the relegation strugglers and a transfer elsewhere is inevitable this year.
Rival Premier League sides are queueing up to sign the Brazil international, who has a stunning tally of 14 goal involvements in his 22 Premier League appearances this season.
Given that Wolves dropped into the Premier League bottom three over the weekend, it’s hardly surprising that the 25-year-old has no intention of penning a contract extension amid interest from Arsenal, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest.
A £60m fee has been touted as an acceptable figure. This sounds right for a player of Cunha’s ability, though you’d be hard-pressed to find a Premier League team willing to pay such a fee this month.
Regardless of whether Wolves stay up, Cunha’s price tag will likely dip in the summer. It would also spark further conflict between the board and supporters if a player capable of firing them to safety (nearly on his own) is sold in the final days of this window.
Tyler Dibling
Wolves have been bad this season, but at least they have not been Southampton levels of bad as their supporters lean on a flourishing 18-year-old for any resemblance of positivity from this disastrous season.
The Saints have been hopeless as they threaten to break Derby County’s record-low points tally, but they still have one of the Premier League’s best academies and Dibling is the latest graduate to make waves in the first team.
Southampton’s fresh-faced star boy is attracting admiring glances from the Premier League elite and sides in Europe, so he’ll likely have a raft of tempting offers to choose from when his time to leave comes.
But with Southampton reportedly demanding £55m this month, Dibling will need to add a relegation to his CV before moving on with RB Leipzig a great option as an alternative to the Big Six mob.
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Jack Grealish
Man City are comfortably the biggest spender in Europe this window as their end-of-2024 woes forced Pep Guardiola and co. to bring forward their transfer plans.
Past-it Kyle Walker has been the first victim of Man City’s ongoing radical rebuild and more of their spent trophy-hoarders are facing the axe in the summer.
Departures for Kevin De Bruyne, Ilkay Gundogan and Ederson feel increasingly inevitable; the same can be said for Grealish with the arrival of Omar Marmoush hammering another nail in his coffin.
Grealish has evolved at Man City, but a combination of Pep Guardiola-enforced shackles, injuries and the arrival of exciting upgrades make his situation look quite bleak.
Marmoush’s impressive debut against Chelsea leaves Grealish – who was already behind Savinho and Jeremy Doku – further cut adrift with a move to Newcastle United, Tottenham Hotspur or a Serie A giant (AC Milan, possibly) in his future.
Marc Guehi
Off-field matters have impacted Guehi this season after he was England’s star at Euro 2024. His performances have dipped, but he remains on the radar of the Premier League elite in the market for a new centre-back.
The 24-year-old is still one of the Premier League’s leading centre-backs and a tempting market opportunity for the Big Six will be on the table in the summer as he enters the final year of his contract.
In the summer, Newcastle United suffered disappointment in their pursuit of Guehi and the door is currently open for rivals to swoop; Chelsea look primed to take advantage.
Chelsea had their eye on Guehi before Trevoh Chalobah returned from his loan at Crystal Palace. This timely boost reduced their need for a centre-back this month, but the addition of a top-tier upgrade on their current crop will be a necessity in the summer. The England international could return to his boyhood club to play in front of whoever replaces struggling Robert Sanchez.
READ: The 20 biggest transfers in the world in the 2025 January transfer window
Darwin Nunez
Some Liverpool supporters have called on FSG to be busy this month as they look to solidify their position atop the Premier League table, but they are yet to make a signing and this is unlikely to change before the window closes.
There has been much more noise regarding potential outgoings, though. Much of this speculation has surrounded Nunez, who has been the subject of interest from the Middle East.
Nunez justified Liverpool’s bold decision to reportedly snub a £70m offer for the underperforming forward with his match-winning brace against Brentford, but this will not be enough to secure his future at Anfield beyond this season.
A £70m sale would have been brilliant business for Liverpool, though you can understand why they felt this potential exit was not a risk worth taking as they pursue several trophies in Arne Slot’s first season.
Fortunately for Liverpool, suitors from the Saudi Pro League are unlikely to go anywhere. A move in the summer (albeit for a lower fee) should still be on the cards when the sun comes out as they cut their losses on Jurgen Klopp’s expensive mistake.
Marcus Rashford
Despite doing very little actual business, Man Utd have dominated this window. This is largely thanks to Marcus Rashford’s bombshell exit statement.
Rashford may have expected elite clubs from across Europe to fall over themselves to sign him this month, but he’s f***ed himself with his poor performances and attitude over the past 18-plus months as interest has waned.
He’s garnered some interest due to his clear natural ability, but his huge salary is another testing obstacle to overcome as AC Milan and Borussia Dortmund have exited the race.
He wants Barcelona, but it’s hard to imagine him improving Hansi Flick’s first XI (at all) or squad (enough) to warrant the massive investment required to land him.
Reports in recent days indicate the chances of Rashford staying are increasing. This gives Amorim another headache unless the forward’s stinking attitude suddenly improves. Otherwise, he’s at risk of a few months of training with the kids before leaving for a non-elite club in the summer.
Kieran Tierney
Injury-impacted Tierney has been left behind as Arsenal have rapidly ascended under head coach Mikel Arteta.
Like Emile Smith Rowe last summer, Tierney desperately needs a fresh start and opportunity to play regular football as his chances of playing consistently for Arsenal are over.
With the emergence of Myles Lewis-Skelly and the summer signing of Riccardo Calafiori, Arsenal have nailed down the left-back position for a fair few years.
Tierney is out of contract in the summer (but is not among the 20 best footballers set to become free agents) and will be waiting until then to get a move, with Celtic holding off on signing their former player on a free transfer instead of for a small fee this month.
