High Profile Transfer Rumours Ahead of January Window

This summer, most people expected two truly expensive players – Leo Messi and Kylian Mbappé – to switch teams. Only one of the transfers ultimately happened: Messi left Barcelona silently upon the expiry of his contract, joining PSG on a free agency, with Mbappé deciding to stay with the Parisian team until his contract expires in 2022. Ronaldo did join Manchester United again – a high-profile transfer when it comes to star power but not when it comes to the price, as the once most expensive footballer of the world was reportedly let go by Juventus for £12.85.

Now, in turn, every media outlet and soccer betting app is speculating on the upcoming January transfer season. This is a time when the clubs have already tried their existing squads and know where they need to improve on them in order to achieve their goals, which can be avoiding relegation or a better position in their respective leagues. Here are some of the most interesting transfers we’re expecting to see in the January of 2022.

Sven Botman

Sven Botman is a bit old to be called a “wunderkind” but he pretty much has every quality of one: he is tall, strong, well-built, who can dominate air encounters and pass precisely to players in any position on the pitch.

Botman is under contract with Ligue 1 club Lille but the team would part ways with him – for the right amount, that is. The price tag attached to the 21-year-old player is reported to be around £40 million (up from £35 million a few months ago), and the list of contenders rumoured to want him in their squads is said to include Premier League club Newcastle (that recently received a big cash infusion) and Serie A club Atalanta.

Hugo Ekitike

Ligue 1 winger Hugo Ekitike has been likened to French wunderkind Kylian Mbappé who became the most expensive teenage football player a few years ago. The comparison is not without merit, considering that he has become the top goalscorer for his age group in Europe’s top five leagues.

While nobody knows anything specific about him leaving Reims for the moment, several media outlets are linking him with Liverpool. And as we all know, there’s no smoke without fire – he could be a surprisingly high-profile transfer next January.

João Félix

Finally, let us mention a player who made waves a few years ago when he left Benfica for Atlético Madrid in a club-record transfer worth £113 million, 22-year-old forward João Félix.

Félix is a valuable addition to Atlético’s squad, even if his temper sometimes gets him in trouble – this September, he received a two-match ban for calling a referee “crazy”. Still, this October, he received the “Atlético Madrid Player of the Month” award from the team’s fans.

Félix is reportedly in the crosshair of Pep Guardiola, who hopes to snag him from Atlético in the upcoming year. But this is not certain, not by far: Man City’s list of replacements for Ferran Torres, expected to leave for Barca, contains several other high-profile targets.

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