Five blockbuster deals that could happen in January

With Newcastle and Tottenham currently third and fourth in the table, the likes of Manchester United, Liverpool and Chelsea may look to spend big in an effort to secure Champions League qualification.

Further up the standings, leaders Arsenal and reigning champions Manchester City are both likely to strengthen their squads to aid their title challenges.

With the window soon open for business, here are five blockbuster transfers that may go through.

Manchester United were linked to Cody Gakpo last summer after the arrival of his compatriot Erik ten Hag as boss.

The Dutchman plays on the left for PSV Eindhoven and with the Red Devils already having plenty of options in that position, they ultimately signed Ajax right winger Antony.

Since the start of the 2022-23 season, Gakpo has been in stunning form for PSV with 21 goal contributions in just 14 Eredivisie games.

In addition, the 23-year-old scored three times to help the Netherlands to the quarter-finals of the World Cup.

With Gakpo being used as a striker by the Dutch and the Red Devils in the market for a centre forward, he has once again been linked with a move to Old Trafford.

According to PSV sporting director Marcel Brands, the fee is not one that is likely to put off any interest.

He said: “It must be a record transfer for PSV anyway, so then you know which direction it is going. More than €40million (£35m) in any case.”

A player that has transformed his reputation at the World Cup is Enzo Fernandez.

The Benfica midfielder, 21, joined from River Plate last summer and has managed to force his way into Argentina’s starting line-up during the tournament.

Liverpool were said to be monitoring Fernandez before he moved to Portugal and have retained their interest at a time when they are seeking midfield recruits.

Jude Bellingham is another player that Jurgen Klopp is said to want to add to a new-look engine room but while the England ace is unlikely to be available in January, the Reds might be able to tempt Benfica into a sale.

The Portuguese giants only paid £8.7m for Fernandez, so there is scope for them to make a massive profit without Liverpool having to trigger his £104m buy-out clause.

Chelsea are eighth in the Premier League after only scoring 17 goals from their 14 games before the World Cup — just seven sides in the English top flight have netted fewer.

The West Londoners are clearly in need of fresh firepower with Christopher Nkunku set to join from RB Leipzig next summer and Rafael Leao linked with a January move.

AC Milan are still in the Champions League and fighting to retain their Serie A title, so it would surely take a huge fee to persuade the Italians to part with the winger.

Chelsea are said to have had an £86.5m bid turned down on last summer’s transfer deadline day. Leao, 23, has since scored seven goals in 20 appearances for Milan this season.

It is hardly surprising that the Rossoneri refused that offer with so little time to buy a replacement. If Chelsea make a serious bid in January, they might get luckier this time round.

Arsenal’s title hopes were dealt a big blow during the World Cup when Gabriel Jesus was injured on duty with Brazil.

The Gunners have been linked with a number of strikers that could replace the 25-year-old during his rumoured three-month spell on the sidelines but the solution could be a winger.

Arsenal have been interested in Shakhtar Donetsk’s Mykhaylo Mudryk since last summer and it could make more sense to boost Mikel Arteta’s forward options as a whole, rather than buy a direct replacement for Jesus.

With Mudryk playing on the left, his arrival would allow Gabriel Martinelli to shift to a central position. The Ukrainian possesses quite a goal threat himself, scoring 10 times in 18 appearances this season.

Shakhtar value the 21-year-old at £85m, with Arsenal said to be in negotiations to lower that fee.

While their Premier League rivals flirt with forwards, Manchester City are looking to do some very sensible business at the other end of the pitch.

Etihad chiefs are eager to secure the services of one of the World Cup’s most impressive defenders, Josko Gvardiol.

Still only 20, the RB Leipzig man came into the tournament with an already stellar reputation as one of the best young centre-backs around.

His mature performances helped Croatia reach the semi-finals of the global showpiece and made Gvardiol the most wanted defender in the world.

The rising star is another player that Chelsea failed to land on the last transfer deadline day and City are said to be ready to pay £110m to beat any competition.