Serhou Guirassy, Stuttgart
The Guinea striker’s record‑breaking start to the Bundesliga season that brought him 14 goals in his first eight league games has caught the attention of teams across Europe. Manchester United and Newcastle are among a number of English clubs to have expressed interest in signing the player who joined Stuttgart on a permanent basis from Rennes in the summer having initially moved there on loan. His club have made no secret about his release clause of €17.5m (£15.2m) and may be forced to cash in on Guirassy after the 27-year-old’s representatives indicated he would be keen to leave if a Premier League side comes calling. His expected involvement at the Africa Cup of Nations, which starts on 13 January, could complicate things, however.
Kalvin Phillips, Manchester City
Still not fancied by Pep Guardiola after 18 months of watching from the sidelines, Phillips is desperate to get back to playing and was told in October that he was free to leave “if he decides to do it”. With a place in England’s Euro 2024 squad on the line and having featured for 89 minutes in the Premier League this season, the 28-year-old has accepted that leaving the treble winners is the only option after his transfer from Leeds for an initial £42m. Newcastle, Crystal Palace and Juventus are interested in taking him on loan.
Santiago Giménez, Feyenoord
The Mexico forward capped a spectacular 12 months that yielded 31 Eredivisie goals by being named man of the year by the respected Dutch football magazine Voetbal International. Giménez surpassed the record held by Luis Suárez and has been tipped to follow in the footsteps of the Uruguay striker by moving to the Premier League. Tottenham, Chelsea, Arsenal and Fulham have been linked but Feyenoord are likely to demand about £60m, with several La Liga clubs also believed to be interested. Giménez was born in Buenos Aires but grew up in Mexico after his father, Christian – a former El Tri international – moved there to play professionally.
Ivan Toney, Brentford
The England striker has been back in training since mid-September and admitted his enforced absence, as he serves an eight-month ban for gambling offences, was “like being in football prison”. Toney’s ban ends on 16 January and the question is whether he will still be at Brentford by the end of the month, with their technical director, Lee Dykes, admitting last week that “maybe the time comes very shortly that Ivan moves on to another club”. Arsenal, Chelsea and Spurs have discussed a potential move for Toney, who has scored 32 goals in 68 Premier League appearances. How much Brentford demand to sanction the sale of their prized asset remains to be seen, with a reported price tag of £100m in January likely to put off many suitors – especially given that is expected to be significantly reduced by the summer.
Viktor Gyökeres, Sporting
This time last year Gyökeres was helping to fire Coventry into playoff contention in the Championship, but he now finds himself flying high at the top of the Portuguese League having scored 17 times in 20 appearances in all competitions. The 25-year-old Sweden forward was on Brighton’s books for three years but never made a Premier League appearance before moving to the Midlands. Sporting paid a club‑record €20m to sign him in the summer but set his release clause at an eye-watering €100m. That has reportedly not stopped Arsenal, Chelsea and Milan, among others, from considering a move in January.
André, Fluminense
Fulham have stolen a march on others attempting to sign the highly rated Brazil midfielder after holding talks over a potential £30m transfer, although that could change in the next few weeks. André – part of the Fluminense team beaten by Manchester City at the recent Club World Cup – has been heavily scouted by Liverpool and Manchester United in the past and may have his sights set higher up the table. “I watch the Premier League and it’s a big dream to play there,” he said last week. “I’m focused on finishing the season with Fluminense. But my dream is clear: to be a Premier League player.”
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Jadon Sancho, Manchester United
Leaving Old Trafford appears to be Sancho’s only option while Erik ten Hag remains in situ, but finding a suitable destination will be tricky. United are keen to recoup as much as possible of the £73m fee they paid Borussia Dortmund for the England forward two years ago yet know that is out of the question in the January market. A loan until the end of the season could suit all parties, with RB Leipzig, Bayer Leverkusen, Barcelona and Juventus linked with a move for the 23-year-old. Sancho was reportedly offered to clubs in Saudi Arabia during a recent trip there by United’s football director, John Murtough.
Lloyd Kelly, Bournemouth
The Bournemouth defender has impressed many clubs with his composed performances over the past 18 months and has stalled on extending a contract that expires in the summer. Liverpool and Tottenham are believed to have shown interest in the 25-year-old, who is understood to have been offered a bumper new deal to stay. “We will see what the market gives us,” Bournemouth’s manager, Andoni Iraola, said. “As a coach you don’t want to lose him but you never know whenever the market opens, you never know what’s going to happen. I think players have to take their own decisions.” Bournemouth are determined not to allow their top scorer, Dominic Solanke, to depart despite interest from Arsenal and West Ham, after he signed a new deal in September.
Aaron Ramsdale, Arsenal
Job sharing with David Raya has not quite worked out for the England goalkeeper and he may be tempted to knock on Mikel Arteta’s door at the start of January after making five Premier League appearances this season. There would be no shortage of suitors if he did, with Chelsea and Newcastle rumoured to be interested in a loan after injuries to their respective first choices, Robert Sánchez and Nick Pope. Ramsdale was in England’s most recent squad despite being out of favour at his club but it was noticeable that Crystal Palace’s Sam Johnstone got the nod to play against Australia in October. The former Sheffield United goalkeeper will know he cannot take for granted his place at Euro 2024.
Lamine Camara, Metz
The 19-year-old only joined Metz in February but made scouts all over Europe pay attention when he scored from inside his own half against Monaco in October. The latest talent to emerge from the Génération Foot academy in Senegal’s capital, Dakar, that also produced Sadio Mané and Ismaïla Sarr, Camara was crowned this month as CAF’s young African player of the year after 12 months of dizzying progress. Having been voted player of the tournament as Senegal won the African Nations Championship for domestic‑based players in January, he was also named the best player at the African under-20s in March. Compared to Kevin De Bruyne and Toni Kroos, the midfielder is reportedly on the radar of several English clubs including Brighton and Chelsea, who are also expected to sign the Senegal under-17 midfielder Pape Daouda Diong. The Génération Foot winger Amara Diouf – a 15-year-old who won his first senior cap in September – is another emerging star being heavily monitored.
