🧨 Transfer market: what top clubs need in January, Zirkzee, Mainoo and more | OneFootball

The November international break, the last one of 2025, is a perfect moment for taking stock, not only for journalists but also—and above all—for club executives.

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With the winter transfer window just around the corner, clubs are beginning to plan the moves to make during a period that is always extremely challenging but, in many cases, necessary to complete a squad or address both qualitative and numerical shortcomings.

Below, we’ll take a look at the situations of Juventus, Milan, Inter, Napoli, Roma, and Lazio to understand which additions they will need to make in the first month of 2026.

Juventus, priority to defense

Gleison Bremer’s injury has brought attention to two issues: at the heart of the defense, the Bianconeri are short-staffed and, even in the future, the Brazilian cannot immediately be considered 100% reliable from a physical standpoint. If Luciano Spalletti wants, as it seems, to switch to a back four, then finding a true left-back becomes even more urgent.

Andrea Cambiaso has amply demonstrated that he performs better when playing on the right, but using him in his natural position becomes difficult due to the void on the other flank. There’s also the question of whether Teun Koopmeiners will continue to play at the back or return to midfield, depending on a potential midfield signing.

Two names that have emerged as potential center-back targets are Tiago Gabriel, whom Lecce values at a staggering 30 million, and Chelsea outcast Axel Disasi. As for the left-back, it seems evaluations are still in the early stages. Raphael Guerreiro is being mentioned, but he seems more like a profile to pick up on a free transfer in the summer.

Milan, at least two signings

The zero goals scored in the league by the only center forward Santiago Gimenez and by the second striker most adaptable to that role, Christopher Nkunku, are a clear warning sign: to be competitive for the Scudetto, you can’t do without a striker who consistently finds the net.

Despite the obvious priority, Max Allegri will also push for another reinforcement. Until the last minute of the past summer, the club was working on a more ready-made profile than Odogu as a center-back, and now the Rossoneri management may return to the fray to sign him.

The club is once again considering German striker Niclas Fullkrug, already a target in previous windows and now clearly struggling at West Ham and eager for a fresh start. Another name emerging today is Joshua Zirkzee, who is set to leave Manchester United, but Roma will be fierce competition. In defense, Joe Gomez of Liverpool is back in vogue, after being pursued for a long time in the summer.

Inter, two tweaks or smooth sailing?

In recent transfer windows, we’ve learned that Inter is surgical: they act sparingly, target very specific profiles, and tend to change only what’s strictly necessary. The first part of the season has shown that Cristian Chivu’s squad is deep and certainly better balanced than the competition.

Nevertheless, there is room for possible improvements. Luis Henrique hasn’t convinced and could leave, but the gap on the right already exists since he rarely features in the rotation. At the heart of defense, Yann Bisseck has often been used in recent matches, but it’s not his natural role, and rumors have long circulated that the German is considering requesting a transfer.

Given this double scenario, Inter may look around for a defender and a right wing-back. Some names have already emerged for the first role, above all Mario Gila of Lazio. The Nerazzurri club would go as high as a €20 million offer. The Plan B is Joel Ordonez of Bruges, already targeted in the summer and now back in fashion.

Napoli, the emergency forces action

Romelu Lukaku’s injury and the subsequent arrival of Rasmus Hojlund had already put Napoli in a position where they needed to act in January to complete the signings missed due to the arrival of the new striker. With a string of serious injuries and the poor performance of some squad members, an injection of new energy now seems even more inevitable.

It will be impossible to do without a midfielder due to the serious injuries to Frank Anguissa and Kevin De Bruyne—perhaps even two. Captain Giovanni Di Lorenzo also appears exhausted. This is the right window to sign a replacement, something that has been missing for many years on the right flank.

The most certain name is that of Kobbie Mainoo, the young Manchester United midfielder who has been on the club’s radar for some time. The idea of a second midfield addition ranges from Frendrup to Pellegrini, but nothing is certain yet. As for right-back, there are two options: rekindling interest in Juanlu or making a move for Norton-Cuffy of Genoa.

Roma, a striker (or maybe two)

The stay of Artem Dovbyk in the final days of the transfer window prevented Roma from making the signing strongly requested by Gian Piero Gasperini. Both in the attacking midfield and as a center forward, the coach has experimented a lot, without ever finding a solution that fully convinced him.

Dovbyk and Ferguson have been disappointing, so Paulo Dybala has often had to play as a center forward, but his fragility makes him an unsustainable solution in the long run. Moreover, apart from Mati Soulé, none of the attacking midfielders fully convince Gasperini.

For this reason, in addition to Joshua Zirkzee as an offensive reference point, there is frequent talk of a second striker. The most obvious suggestion is Ademola Lookman, the coach’s protégé. Keep an eye on Frendrup and Mainoo for the midfield, even though that area is not currently the priority.

Lazio, Insigne and then?

Maurizio Sarri is currently experiencing a very frustrating second spell at Lazio due to the transfer ban imposed by FIFA in the summer. The winter window will be the right opportunity to adapt the objectively thin squad to the coach’s demands.

The arrival of Lorenzo Insigne on a free transfer seems very plausible; he waited as a free agent throughout the first part of the season just to reunite with the Commander who made him shine at Napoli in the Biancoceleste shirt. Then, a left-back and a midfield reinforcement will need to be found.

Sarri is not convinced by Nuno Tavares, which is why Emerson Palmieri, Aaron Martin, and Faitout Maouassa of Strasbourg are being tracked. The club is also very interested in Jens Hjertø-Dahl, born in 2005, from Tromso, for the midfield. However, this is still a developing window for the capital club.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇮🇹 here.

📸 OLI SCARFF - AFP or licensors