Transfer guide: From Arsenal to West Ham - what does your club need in the January transfer window?
Most Premier League clubs are after a striker, but here's a full run down of the ins and outs that could happen over the next month
Sign up to the Independent's betting newsletter for the latest tips and offers
Sign up to the Independent's betting newsletter
With the January transfer window around the corner, we take an in-depth look at the biggest names that could arrive or leave your club before the 2 February deadline.
Arsenal
What they need: Requirements are pretty much the same as usual (which does not reflect well on the manager): a centre-half and someone in front of him for added protection to prevent a team like Stoke scoring three by half-time. But please, no more ball-playing midfielders.
Top targets: Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund), Nabil Fekir (Lyon), Christoph Kramer (Bayer Leverkusen).
On the way out? Yaya Sanogo.
Aston Villa
What they need: Above all, to keep their most important players through this window, if not the next. The much-coveted Fabian Delph and Ron Vlaar are out of contract this summer, when Christian Benteke will be an obvious target for bigger clubs. Tom Cleverley’s loan from Manchester United could be made permanent.
Top target: Ikechi Anya (Watford).
On the way out? Darren Bent (currently on loan at Brighton).
Burnley
What they need: Sam Vokes back to fitness to join up again with the increasingly impressive Danny Ings (who is likely to leave in the summer) in contributing the goals that could conceivably keep them in the Premier League. Troy Deeney, known to manager Sean Dyche from his time in charge at Watford, would fit the bill in the meantime.
Top target: Troy Deeney (Watford).
On the way out: None.
Chelsea
What they need: The hope that John Terry, Eden Hazard and Diego Costa stay fit, but other than that what else do you give a manager who has everything – there is cover in every position and another whole squad of players out on loan across Europe?
Top targets: Can wait until the summer.
On the way out?
Mohamed Salah. Loans for Andreas Christensen or Lewis Baker?
Crystal Palace
What they need Although the manager has changed, the priorities haven’t. They want a left-back and are one of many clubs who need a striker – the midfielder, Mile Jedinak, is the leading scorer, and more than half his goals have come from penalties. Too much good wing play is going to waste.
Top targets: Bafetimbi Gomis (Swansea), Pape Souare (Lille).
On the way out? Jerome Thomas.
Everton
What they need: An extra central defender would be useful to improve one of the Premier League’s worst defensive records. Equally, a forward to help Romelu Lukaku, who has begun to look seriously over-priced and clever business by Chelsea after they sold him for £28m in the summer.
Top targets: Veli Kavlak (midfielder with Besiktas), Adnan Januzaj (Manchester United, loan).
On the way out? Bryan Oviedo.
Hull City
What they need: A new assistant manager after Steve Agnew left. On the pitch, anyone who could help prevent the fight against relegation, but above all someone to put the ball in the net and a defensive midfielder. If not the Ghana international Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu, how about Steve Bruce’s old Sunderland midfielder Lee Cattermole?
Top targets: Emmanuel Agyemang-Badu (Udinese). An assistant manager.
On the way out? Paul McShane.
Leicester
What they need: The cerebral Nigel Pearson has remained loyal to most of his Championship winners – probably too much so – and is still talking about the danger of destabilising the regulars by bringing in replacements. But with Jamie Vardy and David Nugent misfiring, a goalscorer is the most urgent needed.
Top targets: Danny Ings, Jermain Defoe, Curtis Davies.
On the way out? Nick Powell. Zoumana Bakayogo.
Liverpool
What they need: Can they afford to wait for Daniel Sturridge to regain fitness without adding another striker? Brendan Rodgers will also have to sign a goalkeeper eventually and could do with proper wing-backs.
Top targets: Petr Cech (Chelsea), Sergio Romero (Sampdoria), Fabio Coentrao (Real Madrid).
On the way out?
Mario Balotelli (although Rodgers insists not. We shall see).
Manchester City
What they need: Not a lot, when you can play without three injured strikers, use James Milner as a faux centre-forward, and still score three in successive game (admittedly against Crystal Palace and West Bromwich). Getting long-term target Paul Pogba back to Manchester would put one over United.
Top targets: Frank Lampard (New York City, extended loan), Paul Pogba (Juventus).
On the way out: Matija Nastasic.
Manchester United
What they need: Louis van Gaal has been less than impressed with the existing defenders, young and older. Such is the need, a return for Nemanja Vidic has even been suggested. Signing Gareth Bale would be a particular coup.
Top targets: Mats Hummels (Dortmund), Gareth Bale (Real Madrid), Kevin Strootman (Roma).
On the way out? Tom Cleverley, Darren Fletcher, Tyler Blackett (loan), Adnan Januzaj (loan).
Newcastle
What they need: Losing midfielder Yohan Cabaye to Paris Saint-Germain last January without signing a replacement should have taught Mike Ashley a lesson, though there is no guarantee, so the same thing could happen with Moussa Sissoko. Despite Ayoze Perez making great strides, they look a striker light.
Top target: Aleksandar Mitrovic (Anderlecht).
On the way out? Hatem Ben Arfa (due to end his troubled loan at Hull and return to France.)
QPR
What they need: “You’ve got to have four or five strikers in the Premier League” – Harry Redknapp, 6 December. They don’t, so that is an obvious priority. However, any signing looks set to be on loan.
Top targets: Jermain Defoe, Peter Crouch, Robbie Keane, Andros Townsend, Ravel Morrison (all loans).
On the way out? Shaun Wright-Phillips, Adel Taarabt.
Southampton
What they need: Firstly, to resist Tottenham’s attempts to prise away Morgan Schneiderlin and Jay Rodriguez, for the downsizing of last summer cannot continue indefinitely, however well they have fared so far. A winger to improve the service to Graziano Pelle would be useful.
Top target: Eljero Elia (Werder Bremen).
On the way out? Florin Gardos, Paulo Gazzaniga.
Stoke City
What they need: Always desirous of wingers to supply Peter Crouch, Stoke have lost Victor Moses and Peter Odemwingie to injury and could use a loanee in that position. Mark Hughes has stressed that he won’t be spending lots.
Top targets: “I wouldn’t say there is anyone we are focusing on” – Hughes.
On the way out? Ryan Shotton, Andy Wilkinson.
Sunderland
What they need: There appears to be insufficient money to sign Liverpool striker Fabio Borini, who declined to return there in the summer after a successful loan, but it would be worth trying again for goalscoring back-up to Steven Fletcher and the less-potent Connor Wickham.
Top target: Fabio Borini (Liverpool).
On the way out? Danny Graham.
Swansea
What they need: Losing Wilfried Bony, their one regular scorer, to the African Nations Cup for most of next month, may severely hamper prospects of a European place. With little attacking back-up, and Palace keen on Bafetimbi Gomis, a loan striker at the very least is desirable.
Top targets: Nelson Oliveira (Benfica), Leo Baptistao (Atletico Madrid).
On the way out? Alan Tate.
Tottenham
What they need: One weakness has already been addressed, with right-back DeAndre Yedlin due to arrive from Seattle Sounders. Mauricio Pocchetino still covets his former Southampton midfielder Schneiderlin and has players to offer in part-exchange.
Top target: Morgan Schneiderlin (Southampton).
On the way out? Paulinho, Andros Townsend.
WBA
What they need: After a brief autumnal flurry of goals, mainly from Saido Berahino, Albion dried up, so they must either fix the disenchanted England Under-21 international, get £10m Brown Ideye firing (he did score on Friday) or find someone else.
Top target: Stuart Armstrong (Dundee United).
On the way out? Chris Baird, Saido Berahino.
West Ham
What they need: Central defence has already been identified for strengthening, with a work-permit application in for Canadian international Doneil Henry. Midfield will look thin when the African Nations Cup adds to current injuries.
Top target: Doneil Henry.
On the way out? Ravel Morrison, Carlton Cole, Matt Jarvis.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies