Five transfers that could happen before deadline, and the desperate clubs behind them | OneFootball

The January transfer window is into its final week, with time running out for Premier League clubs to get deals over the line. The Premier League deadline is Monday 3 February, at 11pm GMT, with Manchester United, Chelsea and Arsenal all looking to complete business.

The Gunners want a striker and Mikel Arteta is open to new recruits to help the club catch Liverpool in the title race, while Chelsea are hoping to be opportunistic in the market.

And how about Tottenham Hotspur? Ange Postecoglou made it crystal clear that injury-hit Spurs needed “help” this month but so far only goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky has joined the club, who sit 15th in the table.

Manchester City have been the busiest club so far and Pep Guardiola kick-started his rebuild at the Etihad with the signings of Omar Marmoush, Abdukodir Khusanov and Vitor Reis, at the cost of some £122m.

But how about everyone else? Here’s five transfers that could still happen before Monday’s 11pm deadline.

Marcus Rashford to… anywhere

If Marcus Rashfordthought he could get back into Manchester United’s team under Ruben Amorim, his new manager clearly thinks otherwise. Rashford’s future at United appears to be over after Amorim states that he would prefer to select his 63-year-old goalkeeping coach Jorge Vital on the bench than Rashford.

The former England international desperately needs a move to revitalise his career, and it’s getting to the point where the 27-year-old should not be ruling out any options. AC Milan, Juventus, Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund have all been linked at points this month, but interest has cooled with Rashford’s salary proving to be a stumbling block in talks - even if he is only up for a loan.

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Rashford has not played in Manchester United’s last 11 games (REUTERS)

So where does Rashford end up? A compromise has to be made and United may end up paying a significant part of Rashford’s £300,000 weekly wage. Of the big European clubs, it’s Juventus and Barcelona who look more likely. They will use the deadline and Rashford’s exile as leverage to get United to pay a greater share of his salary. United, meanwhile, are hoping to complete the signing of left back Patrick Dorgu in the first signing of the Amorim era.

Alejandro Garnacho to Chelsea

This would be a deeply unpopular move around Old Trafford, but United need to sell for PSR reasons. A series of failed transfers, such as the expensive, disastrous purchase of Antony, have left United vulnerable in the market and Chelsea are looking to be opportunistic by targeting Alejandro Garnacho. The 20-year-old is classed as a homegrown player as he came through the United academy and can therefore be sold as “pure profit” under PSR.

Napoli have also been interested in Garnacho but Chelsea appear to be closer to meeting United’s £60m valuation for the winger. Enzo Maresca has not ruled out a move for Garnacho but the Blues may need to off-load other players first. Christopher Nkunku has been linked with a return to the Bundesliga with Bayern Munich and Joao Felix, who has struggled for minutes in the Premier League, could be available on loan.

While Chelsea have also held talks with Bayern Munich over winger Mathys Tel, Garnacho would be their preference and they can test the resolve of their Premier League rivals by waiting until closer to the deadline. Renato Veiga looks set to depart Stamford Bridge and join Juventus on a six-month loan, while Ben Chilwell surely has to move on too to get his career back on track.

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Alejandro Garnacho has been linked with a switch from Manchester United to Chelsea (PA Wire)

Matheus Cunha to Arsenal

Arsenal are desperate for attacking reinforcements but a move for one of their top targets looks unlikely this month. Benjamin Sesko will remain at RB Leipzig, who face a battle to qualify for the Champions League this season, while Viktor Gyokeres is set to stay put at Sporting until the summer. Arsenal will have to revisit interest in Athletic and Spain winger Nico Williamsat the end of the season, too.

Patience around the Emirates is wearing thin, however, with Arsenal facing a make-or-break season as they look to challenge Liverpool for the Premier League title. One player who could be available this month is the Wolves striker Matheus Cunha. One of the standout forwards in the Premier League, despite Wolves’ position in the relegation zone, the Brazilian is in high-demand this month and has not signed a new contract at Molineux despite an offer being on the table.

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Matheus Cunha has attracted interest from other clubs this month (Joe Giddens/PA) (PA Wire)

Wolves are determined to keep Cunha at the club and the 25-year-old, who has scored 10 goals and registered four assists, could be the difference to keeping them up, and they are not desperate to sell either having made £90 through the sales of Pedro Neto and Max Kilman last summer. But Arsenal are monitoring the situation after Cunha was left upset by criticism from his own manager, Vitor Pereira, following defeat to Chelsea.

Meanwhile, the Gunners are leading the race to sign Norway Under-21 international Sverre Nypan, in a deal that could be completed this week. Oleksandr Zinchenko may also be on the move, with Borussia Dortmund linked to a £20m deal.

Tyler Dibling to Tottenham

Ange Postecoglou has said Tottenham’s injury-hit squad needs “help” in the transfer market, and time is running out to bring in new recruits. So far, only goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky has been signed, and Spurs surely need much more if they are to challenge in the cup competitions this season and save Postecoglou's job. With Tottenham 15th in the table, a relegation battle cannot be ruled out, either.

Southampton winger Tyler Dibling, 18, has been linked but the Saints would not consider any offer under £55m for the winger this month, even as the club circles towards an immediate return to the Championship. Dibling has been a bright spark in Southampton’s difficult season and the electric right-winger would fit the profile of signing Tottenham have targeted recently.

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Southampton winger Tyler Dibling is being tracked by the biggest clubs in the Premier League (Mike Egerton/PA) (PA Wire)

There is an argument they need much more, however, but Spurs have found the market difficult. But the pressure on Daniel Levy will only grow if Tottenham fail to make any moves.

Evan Ferguson to West Ham

Brighton striker Evan Ferguson is likely to leave the Seagulls before the deadline and there are no shortage of Premier League clubs interested in signing the Republic of Ireland star on loan. It wasn’t too long ago that Ferguson was being talked about as Brighton’s next big-money sale, but the 20-year-old has had a difficult year of injuries and needs a run of games to get his form back.

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(Getty Images)

West Ham have been strongly linked, with new boss Graham Potter knowing Ferguson from his days at the Amex. The Hammers are in need of a striker, too, but they may face competition from Everton and Bournemouth. There could be big moves in the striker market before Monday’s deadline, with West Ham also having a £57m bid turned down for Aston Villa’s Jhon Duran, while Brentford have rejected a £22m offer from Nottingham Forest for Yoane Wissa.