The winter transfer window for the ongoing Premier League 2020-21 season opens on January 2 and will run until February 1. The casement brings along a perfect opportunity for a few fringe players to revive their career which has rather been at a standstill for quite a while.
As we approach the second transfer window of the season, we look at five players who should push for a move next month.
Daniel James - Manchester United
After an exhilarating start to his Manchester United career, winger Daniel James has fallen out of favour in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s plans. As of Thursday, December 17, the 23-year-old has played just over 200 minutes this season and it is unlikely to change anytime soon. Truth be told, United should have gone ahead with Leeds United’s approach for the winger in the summer transfer window. And now with Amad Diallo arriving too, James’ chances of making it to the starting XI are seemingly thinner than ever. It is said that Leeds manager Marcelo Bielsa still remains an admirer of the young talent and the Peacocks may look to launch a new bid in January.
William Saliba - Arsenal
Defender William Saliba has had his difficulties in acclimatising to the new environment since returning from his loan spell in former side St Etienne. Yet to make an appearance this season, the 19-year-old was left out of Arsenal's squad in October and has since been playing for Arsenal U21s in the EFL Trophy. As the January transfer window reckons, it would be in best of interest for all the parties to finally part ways, and if the rumours are to be believed, the Gunners are actually willing to let him leave on loan in order to get regular first-team football.
Read: Five players who exceeded expectations in the Premier League 2020-21 season
Emerson Palmieri - Chelsea
“Chelsea wants to possibly monetise his sale. Not having liquidity is a problem,” said Emerson Palmieri’s agent Fernando Garcia of his client.
“Some teams have already made soundings, but I won’t reveal which ones. How much would he [Emerson] cost? We haven’t talked about it,” he added.
Ben Chilwell’s arrival in the Chelsea setup has pushed Emerson Palmieri further down the pecking order, and it is quite difficult to see the situation changing. The 26-year-old has been a part of four Champions League games for the Blues this season, but his presence in the Premier League has been limited to a mere eight minutes. Slender game time means the chances of him getting a national team call-up from Italy hangs on the edge, and thus, a move looks imminent.
Danny Rose - Tottenham Hotspur
If there’s one player from the Tottenham Hotspur squad who SHOULD be leaving the Lillywhites in January, it has to be Danny Rose. The 30-year-old full-back was not included in Spurs' Premier League and Europa League squads and has since been making appearances for the club’s Under-23s. It is bitter to see how the association between the left-back and the club, which he joined 13 years ago for £1 million, could come to an unfortunate end, but that’s what it is. At 30, it is safe to say that his glory years are well past him and there’s not much left in his tank.
Phil Jones - Manchester United
It’s hard to even remember when was the last time we saw Phil Jones in action. In a recent pre-match conference, his manager, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer did say that he ‘should be ready by January’, but in all fairness, it is high time for United to cash on him. Reports are doing the rounds over a possible loan move to Newcastle United in January, but Magpies have no intention of signing the England international on a permanent deal. Newcastle manager Steve Bruce is on the lookout for a central defender and did try acquiring Rob Holding from Arsenal, but the Gunners were reluctant on having any deal in place. This has forced the former United defender to consider Jones as an alternative, and United should pounce on the given opportunity.
Feature image courtesy: AFP / Martin Rickett, Andrej Isakovic
