play1:49Why Nicol believes Semenyo could start at Manchester CitySteve Nicol explains why Antoine Semenyo should move to Manchester City over local rivals Manchester United.
play2:34Did Aston Villa deserve to beat Manchester United?Janusz Michallik and Rob Dawson both believe Aston Villa were lucky beat Manchester United 2-1 at Villa Park.
play1:01Nicol impressed as Chelsea ‘dominate’ for second half comebackSteve Nicol praises Chelsea’s second half performance to draw 2-2 vs. Newcastle in the Premier League.
play1:36Burley: Man United have massive midfield issuesCraig Burley believes Manchester United’s midfield is a key issue Ruben Amorim must address.
play1:45Michalik: Romero should be stripped of Spurs captaincyJanusz Michalik believes Tottenham should consider stripping Cristian Romero of the captaincy after his late red card vs. Liverpool.
play1:50Who has the edge in the LaLiga title race?The ‘ESPN FC’ crew react to Barcelona beating Villarreal 2-0 in LaLiga.
play2:09Was 2025 PSG’s best year ever?Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens discuss all of PSG’s achievements this year after their win in the Intercontinental Cup final.
Could Manchester United make a January move for Antoine Semenyo? (2:04)Rob Dawson explains why Manchester United could be tempted to try to sign Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo in the January transfer window. (2:04)
Why Nicol believes Semenyo could start at Manchester CitySteve Nicol explains why Antoine Semenyo should move to Manchester City over local rivals Manchester United.
Steve Nicol explains why Antoine Semenyo should move to Manchester City over local rivals Manchester United.
Did Aston Villa deserve to beat Manchester United?Janusz Michallik and Rob Dawson both believe Aston Villa were lucky beat Manchester United 2-1 at Villa Park.
Janusz Michallik and Rob Dawson both believe Aston Villa were lucky beat Manchester United 2-1 at Villa Park.
Nicol impressed as Chelsea ‘dominate’ for second half comebackSteve Nicol praises Chelsea’s second half performance to draw 2-2 vs. Newcastle in the Premier League.
Steve Nicol praises Chelsea’s second half performance to draw 2-2 vs. Newcastle in the Premier League.
Burley: Man United have massive midfield issuesCraig Burley believes Manchester United’s midfield is a key issue Ruben Amorim must address.
Michalik: Romero should be stripped of Spurs captaincyJanusz Michalik believes Tottenham should consider stripping Cristian Romero of the captaincy after his late red card vs. Liverpool.
Janusz Michalik believes Tottenham should consider stripping Cristian Romero of the captaincy after his late red card vs. Liverpool.
Who has the edge in the LaLiga title race?The ‘ESPN FC’ crew react to Barcelona beating Villarreal 2-0 in LaLiga.
Was 2025 PSG’s best year ever?Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens discuss all of PSG’s achievements this year after their win in the Intercontinental Cup final.
Gab Marcotti and Julien Laurens discuss all of PSG’s achievements this year after their win in the Intercontinental Cup final.
The transfer window opens in early January across the Premier League, German Bundesliga, French Ligue 1, Spanish LaLiga and Italian Serie A. But clubs have been busy planning their business for months. There were plenty of big moves last summer, so can we expect a repeat?
What does the team need? Not much. Arsenal’s summer spend was so comprehensive that they arguably now have the best squad depth in England. There certainly aren’t any glaring weaknesses, but whether they will be tempted to add one more attacking player to give them something extra for the second half of the season remains to be seen.
Who are the major targets? Elche midfielder Rodrigo Mendoza is a target as Arsenal have one eye on the future. The 20-year-old has a €20 million release clause in his contract and is also wanted by multiple teams across Europe. The club have looked at Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo, and while a formal move couldn’t be ruled out, other clubs have shown a stronger interest. Eintracht Frankfurt’s Jean-Mattéo Bahoya is a longer-term possibility.
Any new contracts? Talks are ongoing over new deals for Timber and winger Bukayo Saka, with positive conclusions expected soon. Negotiations are expected to begin in the near future with midfielder Declan Rice. Arteta himself has 18 months left on his deal but earlier this month claimed he had to “earn” a new contract with the club. — James Olley
Why Nicol believes Semenyo could start at Manchester City
Budget: Despite a £150 million spree last January, and another £170 million in the summer, City have no PSR (Profitability and Sustainability Rules) concerns and can spend what they want.
Who are the major targets? There’s interest in Bournemouth winger Antoine Semenyo, as there’s a feeling with a lot of clubs that £65 million for a player of his quality is too good an opportunity to pass up. You can see the attraction. Guardiola’s squad is well-stocked with attackers, but he has hinted that players like Jérémy Doku, Rayan Cherki, Omar Marmoush and Savinho need to score more to take the responsibility off striker Erling Haaland. Semenyo would offer that goal-scoring threat.
Who could be leaving? If Semenyo arrives, there’s a possibility that one of City’s attacking players might have to leave to make room. It won’t be Doku, Marmoush or Cherki, so that leaves Savinho and Oscar Bobb. Bobb currently is injured, but if he recovers in time it might be an opportunity for him to go out on loan and get games. City will also be looking to offload midfielder Kalvin Phillips and find another loan option for Claudio Echeverri after his spell at Bayer Leverkusen was cut shot.
Any new contracts? Midfielder Bernardo Silva is likely to leave on a free at the end of the season, but a decision will have to be made on defender John Stones, who also has six months left. The two big contracts City need to sort are Rodri and Phil Foden, who both have deals set to expire in 2027. — Rob Dawson
Who are the major targets? Villa have a long-standing interest in Brentford forward Igor Thiago, but without a significant departure from Villa Park next month, the club is unlikely to have the funds to pursue a deal. Villa will attempt to identify players who could be available on loan during the transfer window following the success of short-term deals for Marcus Rashford (Manchester United) and Marco Asensio (PSG) last season.
Who could be leaving? Harvey Elliott arrived on a season-long loan from Liverpool in August, but the England U21 midfielder has been frozen out of the team by Emery and, despite Liverpool having no recall option for the 22-year-old, he is expected to return to Anfield next month. Indeed, Emery confirmed that Villa will not trigger an option to sign him permanently for £35 million in the summer.
Any new contracts? Villa secured star midfielder Morgan Rogers to a new six-year contract in November, so they have already ticked off their priority piece of business. Defender Matty Cash and midfielder John McGinn have also signed new deals in recent months. Meanwhile, Belgium midfielder Youri Tielemans is likely to be next on the list due to his contract expiring in June 2027. — Mark Ogden
Nicol impressed as Chelsea ‘dominate’ for second half comeback
Budget: Chelsea must maintain a positive transfer balance for this season and next to comply with UEFA punishments. Money is available, but their spending power would be increased significantly by player outgoings.
What does the team need? It depends who you ask. Manager Enzo Maresca wanted a center back at the end of the summer window due to injuries elsewhere, but Chelsea decided against entering the market. They also looked at a deal for AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan but walked away from a deal due to the finances involved. Objectively, they probably need a goalkeeper, a center back and a top-class striker to compete for the Premier League title.
Who could be leaving? There are several members of the so-called “Bomb Squad” — players training away from the first team after being deemed surplus to requirements — who will look to revive their careers next month. Raheem Sterling and Axel Disasi are two, while young winger Tyrique George was on the brink of joining Fulham in the summer before Chelsea pulled the plug late due to Liam Delap’s injury.
Will Liverpool need to sign a replacement for Isak in January?
Budget: Having spent close to £450 million in the summer, Liverpool will not have planned to break the bank in what is a notoriously difficult transfer window. But, with more reinforcements needed following a turbulent start to the season, Arne Slot’s side may be forced into a rethink, and they are still compliant with PSR and UEFA’s Financial Fair Play rules after generating more than £200 million from outgoing player transfers in the summer.
Any new contracts? Ibrahima Konaté’s contract is set to expire in the summer, and sources told ESPN that Liverpool have not yet given up hope of agreeing to a new deal with the France international. Left back Andy Robertson, 31, is also out of contract at the end of the campaign. — Beth Lindop
Craig Burley believes Manchester United’s midfield is a key issue Ruben Amorim must address.
Budget: Not massive, but they could stretch to the £65 million required to pay Semenyo’s release clause.
Any new contracts? United have a decision to make on center back Harry Maguire and midfielder Casemiro, who are both out of contract at the end of the season but have an option that could be triggered to keep them both until 2027. If they stay, they likely will have to agree to a significant pay cut as United are trying to reduce the wage bill. — Dawson
Michalik: Romero should be stripped of Spurs captaincy
What does the team need? More firepower and creativity. Spurs are missing James Maddison, Dejan Kulusevski and Dominic Solanke — although the latter is due back soon — and missed out on signing Eberechi Eze, Savinho and Morgan Gibbs-White in the summer. Although Xavi Simons and Randal Kolo Muani were signed late, Spurs look short in attack. They may also look for cover at center back.