Marcus Rashford, Martin Zubimendi and six more players who could be on the move this January | OneFootball

The winter transfer window begins on 1 January, with clubs across Europe looking for value in a difficult market this month.

Injury crises, title challenges and relegation battles will force plenty of clubs into the market in early 2025, with plenty of eyes on the Premier League as clubs such as Arsenal and Manchester City look primed to make signings.

Some high-profile players could be leaving England too this winter, with Marcus Rashford and Trent Alexander-Arnold being tipped to negotiate moves away from their clubs.

And across the continent, plenty of Europe’s in-form players are also being linked with moves, from Real Sociedad’s Martin Zubimendi to Sporting striker Viktor Gyokeres.

But who are the major players being tipped for moves, and where could they end up?

Marcus Rashford

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Rashford is being tipped for a move to Barcelona or PSG (Getty Images)

The 27-year-old has been in the news almost every day in recent weeks, having essentially announced that he is ready to leave his boyhood club. Rumours persist that he is not in the plans of new United manager Ruben Amorim, and he has not been in a matchday squad since the club’s 2-1 in over Viktoria Plzen in the Europa League on 12 December.

It looks almost certain that Rashford will leave by the summer at the latest, but with United reportedly demanding around £40m for the winger, it remains to be seen whether any major clubs will have the money to do a deal this month.

Among the clubs rumoured to be interested are Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain, while several Saudi Arabian clubs have also been linked.

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Zubimendi was a long-term target for Liverpool in the summer (Getty Images)

Spanish central midfielder Zubimendi was the subject of a drawn-out pursuit from Liverpool in the summer, with the Real Sociedad man eventually telling the Reds that he wanted to stay at his boyhood club.

This time round, Liverpool will likely not believe that they need the Euro 2024 winner, though he has been linked with moves to Manchester City and Barcelona in recent weeks.

City seems the most fitting destination for him considering the injury to Rodri, with the 25-year-old having notably slotted into the Spain side in Rodri’s place in the final of Euro 2024 as La Roja won 2-1.

Though he has also been linked with Barça, a move across Spain seems unlikely at the moment considering the Catalan side’s struggle to register summer signing Dani Olmo. Nevertheless, some reports suggest that Zubimendi is still not keen on a move to England.

Trent Alexander-Arnold

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Alexander-Arnold has been tipped to join Real Madrid in the summer (Getty Images)

Alexander-Arnold won’t literally move this month, but he could well agree a move away from Liverpool as he enters the lasts months of his contract.

The full-back is among a trio of Liverpool players who are waiting on an offer from the club, and he has been widely tipped to agree a move to Real Madrid for the summer.

It seems like a 50/50 between agreeing a new deal and moving to Los Blancos, so this month could prove key to the 26-year-old’s future if Liverpool continue to stall.

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Gyokeres continues to be linked with a reunion with Ruben Amorim (Getty Images)

Gyokeres has been one of the in-form strikers on the continent since the beginning of the season, and his time under now-Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim means that he is continuously linked to United.

As it stands this season, the striker has 23 goals in 22 games across the Primera Liga and Champions League, and with United having struggled upfront after signing Rasmus Hojlund and Joshua Zirkzee in recent windows, Amorim could well look to his old club to reinforce a struggling United attack.

Though te Swedish striker has proved himself as prolific in front of goal during his spell in Portugal, it is unlikely that United will try to make a move this month, with the club reportedly struggling under PSR regulations and Sporting reportedly setting an asking price around £60m.

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Mendes played under Amorim for Sporting between 2020 and 2022 (Getty Images)

Mendes is another ex-Sporting player who is now being linked to United, partly because of his spell under Amorim but also due to his ability to play wing-back.

The 22-year-old currently plays for PSG, but reports from France suggest that he has been unable to agree a new deal with his club and now wants to leave. His current deal runs out in the summer of 2026.

His ability to play wing-back means that United will continue to be linked, though a deal wouldn’t be cheap. Reports suggest that United have made an offer for Mendes, but there are not yet any details regarding the amount offered of any terms.

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Chilwell was removed from the main Chelsea squad earlier this season (Getty Images)

Chilwell is another Chelsea player who was quickly moved onto the fringes of the squad when Enzo Maresca took over, and he has made just one appearance so far this season – against Barrow in the Carabao Cup.

Maresca has admitted that the former England international is free to leave during this window, though it is not known how much the club would demand for the 28-year-old.

The left-back has been linked to a range of sides including Manchester United, Juventus, West Ham and Brentford.

Omar Marmoush

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Marmoush has been impressing for Frankfurt this season (Getty Images)

Marmoush has attracted plenty of attention from teams across the continent after producing 18 goals and 12 assists across 24 appearances so far this season.

The winger has been at the forefront of Frankfurts push to the top end of the Bundesliga table, but he has failed to agree a new contract with the club and is reportedly a target for Arsenal after the injury to Bukayo Saka.

Chelsea and Liverpool are also reportedly in the hunt for the 25-year-old, who is valued around £50m this winter.

Liam Delap

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Delap was part of the Manchester City academy during his youth (Getty Images)

The Ipswich Town striker has only scored six goals so far this term, but his performances have impressed a range of top-flight teams, including Chelsea and former club Manchester City (who have included a buy-back clause for the 21-year-old).

Reports suggest that Delap could be available for £30m this window, though it remains to be seen if Ipswich would be that willing to sell a key player as they look to avoid relegation.