10 Ligue 1 players that Premier League clubs should target in January | OneFootball

The January transfer window is fast approaching, and Premier League clubs will already be setting their sights on potential recruits in order to strengthen their chances to achieve their season goals. Ligue 1 is always brimming with talent just waiting to make the switch to the English top flight, and the winter transfer window should be no different.

Players such as Didier Drogba, Dimitri Payet, and N'Golo Kante are just some of the examples of players to have made the move from France to England, to then become top stars in the world of football. Both divisions are of high quality, but the Premier League is seen by many as the best league in the world with the most eyes on it.

There are several clubs that will be in search of new players in January, with the African Cup of Nations needing to be taken into consideration as teams will lose several of their top players for several games while the tournament is ongoing.

With this, and other factors such as injuries, there are bound to be Ligue 1 players under consideration, and GIVEMESPORT have decided to take a look at 10 players Premier League clubs should be targeting from the French league.

Kevin Danso - RC Lens

Plenty of English clubs will be on the hunt for a reliable centre-back option, and Kevin Danso provides more than that. Having once spent a season on loan at Southampton, the Austrian has already had experience in the Premier League. RC Lens defied all the odds in the 2022/23 campaign with a second-place finish to secure Champions League football and Danso was a vital part of that success after making 37 appearances in the league.

Arsenal fans will have had a closer look at the 25-year-old in recent times as the defender played in Lens' Champions League win over the Gunners. Tottenham could be in the market for another centre-back option due to the injury sustained by Micky van de Ven, and the lack of quality options beyond the first-choice defensive pairing in Ange Postecoglou's team. Newcastle United could also be in the hunt with Sven Botman struggling for fitness in the first half of the 2023/24 season.

Maxence Caqueret - Lyon

Potential Premier League clubs: Liverpool and Brighton.

The Lyon academy has produced a potentially elite player here in the form of Maxence Caqueret. The holding midfielder is very composed in tight spaces, while very rarely losing possession of the ball. A pass completion of 79.9% in Ligue 1 so far in the 2023/24 campaign shows that Caqueret is very intelligent with his pass selection as he dictates play from the middle of the park.

While it may take a significant chunk of money to prise the midfielder away from his boyhood club, Liverpool are a team that have experimented with a different type of defensive midfielder after allowing Fabinho to leave. Alexis Mac Allister isn't a natural holding midfielder, but shares many of the ball-playing qualities of Caqueret, although the Lyon man is a much more natural fit for the role. I News commissioned Analytics FC to use their data tools to scout Liverpool's most realistic and suitable midfield target and Caqueret was one of the names to come from the research. With Brighton playing Europa League football and being a very attractive project for any player, Caqueret could be a very clever signing for the Seagulls' engine room, although on the more expensive side.

Amine Gouiri - Rennes

Potential Premier League clubs: Arsenal and Brentford.

Another man to have graduated from the Lyon academy, Gouiri is now playing football for Rennes after a fruitful two-year spell with OGC Nice. 22 Ligue 1 goals over his two seasons with Nice earned a move to Rennes, where the winger scored a further 15 league goals in his debut season for his current employers. At 23 years old, the forward is likely to make the step up to the next level in the near future and several English clubs could benefit from securing his services.

Arsenal previously liked the Algerian according to CalcioMercato and Mikel Arteta's side could revisit their reported interest due to the injury issues of Gabriel Martinelli and Gabriel Jesus in recent times. Gouiri is capable of filling both the left-wing and striker roles, so he could be a shrewd signing for the North London outfit. With the other top clubs being stacked in these positions for the most part, Brentford could be a team to swoop in under everyone's noses and wrap up a deal for the forward. The Bees have been without Ivan Toney for the first half of the season, and there is a lot of speculation surrounding a January exit for the English striker. Gouiri is a versatile option that could replace Toney, should the striker move on.

Elye Wahi - RC Lens

Potential Premier League clubs: Chelsea and West Ham.

RC Lens faced the tough task of replacing Lois Openda over the summer after the Belgian striker departed to join RB Leipzig after an impressive 2022/23 season that saw him bag 21 Ligue 1 goals from 38 appearances. Elye Wahi was deemed the right man to be brought in to add some much-needed firepower to the French side's ranks. The 20-year-old had already been linked with two different Premier League clubs, and both teams could still do with a striker in the near future.

It was initially reported by The Daily Mail that Chelsea were close to agreeing a deal for the forward in the summer before Wahi ended up staying in France. This makes sense as the Blues have had struggles in the number nine department for several years now and the youngster could have been an ideal project for Mauricio Pochettino to work with. That potential deal came under threat when Foot Mercato reported that Wahi preferred a move to West Ham. The Hammers are still in need of a long-term successor for Michail Antonio. Both clubs could return to the table for the Frenchman, although a January deal will be difficult to negotiate.

Youssouf Fofana - AS Monaco

Potential Premier League clubs: Manchester United and Liverpool

The summer of 2023 had looked like the time for Youssouf Fofana to make the move from the French league to the Premier League after the midfielder had put in some admirable shifts when called upon during the 2022 World Cup and became an important part of the Monaco team. According to The Sun, Manchester United have previously held an interest in the midfielder and he even turned down Nottingham Forest and Fulham's proposals for a summer switch.

As previously mentioned, Liverpool are expected to be in the market for a defensive-minded midfield player and Jurgen Klopp's team could go head-to-head with their fierce rivals for the French midfielder should he become available. United's need for a player to fill this role is perhaps greater, as Casemiro has struggled to get onto the pitch consistently in the first third of the 2023/24 season. Fofana is an extremely talented player that is on the precipice of breaking into a regular starting berth for the national team and would be a great pick-up for a top English side.

Arthur Theate - Rennes

Potential Premier League clubs: Liverpool and Tottenham.

It was claimed by Goal during the 2023 summer transfer window that Liverpool were targeting Arthur Theate of Rennes to play alongside Virgil van Dijk. Jurgen Klopp's side were very busy in terms of transfer business as already seen on this list with many holes to fill in the squad. The reason a deal for the Belgian defender would make a lot of sense is that while the Reds need cover for their injury-prone centre-backs - Joe Gomez, Ibrahima Konate and Joel Matip - they could also do with a left-back. Theate can play both positions and could provide extra defensive cover on the left-hand side when Trent Alexander-Arnold inverts on the other side.

While the Merseyside outfit are expected to be on the hunt for a defender in the near future due to the ACL injury suffered by Matip in December, another 'top six' club could be in the market for a similar player. Tottenham started the season in sensational form under Ange Postecoglou, but injuries ravaged the first-team squad and their form fell off a cliff. Micky van de Ven was one of the biggest losses as the left-footed Dutchman was a revelation early on in his Spurs career. A lack of quality depth in the centre-back positions has been highlighted massively and Theate may be the solution.

Jonathan David - LOSC Lille

Potential Premier League clubs: Chelsea and Tottenham.

While there may been a lack of credible links to specific Premier League clubs when it comes to Jonathan David, it was still claimed by Get French Football News that the Lille forward was desperate for a move to England in the summer transfer window. A mover failed to materialise but as we approach the halfway point in the campaign, there are a few clubs in search of someone to lead the line and get consistent goals. The most notable example is Chelsea as Pochettino's men have struggled to find a regular goalscorer as previously mentioned.

The Argentine manager's former club - Tottenham - will also be in the market for a new number nine to replace the significant loss of Harry Kane, who joined Bayern Munich in the summer. Richarlison has failed to set the world on fire since his move to North London in 2022 and, while Heung-min Son has done an admirable job, the South Korean is better operating from the left flank. David's pace and power could fit the mould perfectly for Postecoglou's playstyle. The Candian fired in 24 Ligue 1 goals in the 2022/23 campaign, and would add some much-needed firepower to the Spurs attack.

Jean-Clair Todibo - OGC Nice

Potential Premier League clubs: Manchester United, Tottenham and Newcastle.

The club that looks most likely to make the move for Jean-Clair Todibo are Manchester United. The Red Devils are now tied with OGC Nice through Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who is set to buy a stake in the English giants. The billionaire already owns Ligue 1 side, Nice, and this could boost the chances of Todibo being brought in to become an instant starter for United. Erik ten Hag has appeared to fall out with Raphael Varane as the Frenchman has not started many games despite being available. A fellow French defender that has similar pace and technical qualities - but has age on his side - could be a shrewd move.

Tottenham and Newcastle's defensive issues have already been highlighted, with many injuries hampering the fortunes of the top four hopeful sides. The 23-year-old has grown tremendously in confidence since his early days at Barcelona and has become one of the top centre-backs in the French top-flight. Nice are embroiled in a title race with PSG currently and this could throw a spanner in the works for any club hoping to make a January move.

Khephren Thuram - OGC Nice

Potential Premier League clubs: Manchester United, Liverpool and Aston Villa.

Unai Emery's Aston Villa have been one of the standout performing sides in Europe in the first half of the 2023/24 season, with the Villans looking on course to battle for Champions League qualification at the very least. The owners of the club have been more than willing to dip into their transfer funds in the previous two years with big money being laid out to sign Moussa Diaby, Pau Torres and Leon Bailey among others. Often operating with four recognised central midfielders that are all tasked with defensive responsibilities as well as attacking, Kephren Thuram could be a star at Villa Park.

The French midfielder could fulfil the role played by John McGinn and go box-to-box with his incredible engine, and can also play the same way as Boubacar Kamara and play in a more reserved role. Strength in depth could be the key to Emery's squad finishing the season on a high note. Manchester United have a clear opening in their midfield as already discussed, and the link to Nice could be a great bargaining tool, as with Todibo. Liverpool have previously been mentioned in discussions surrounding the explosive midfielder but it is yet to be seen whether Ryan Gravenberch's arrival has put that interest to bed.

Rayan Cherki - Lyon

Potential Premier League clubs: West Ham and Chelsea.

FootMercato have reported that Lyon are willing to part ways with French attacker - Rayan Cherki - with West Ham and Chelsea both interested in making a move. Lyon are sitting at the bottom of the Ligue 1 table remarkably and this could spark a mass exodus of the top stars in the struggling squad. Cherki is seen as a future star with the tricky dribbling ability and explosive speed being two key attributes in his game.

West Ham are now quite well stacked in wide areas, but there is a potential opening in an attacking midfielder role set to come up soon as Lucas Paqueta awaits the outcome of the gambling-related charges. Chelsea are forever being linked with the best young talents in the world and the youngster could certainly fit into that bracket. Raheem Sterling, Noni Madueke, Christopher Nkunku and Mykhailo Mudryk have all failed to produce massive things to date.