At the halfway point in the season, plenty of out-of-favour or unsettled players will be considering their futures
A new year is upon us, bringing with it renewal, rejuvenation and the chance for a fresh start. In the football world, the January transfer window has been flung open, giving those in dire need of a change of scenery the chance to seek pastures new.
For Premier League clubs, there was unprecedented spending in January 2023, thanks in no small part to Chelsea's eye-watering outlay, and there will no doubt be a flurry of activity once again this time around.
With the window now open, there are plenty of players who will want to put themselves in the shop window. GOAL runs through the 21 Premier League stars who most need a move this month…
(C)GettyImagesKalvin Phillips (Man City)
Phillips' arrival at Manchester City from Leeds is already certain to rank among Pep Guardiola's worst-ever transfer decisions. The midfielder has never really been given a fair chance, and the manager has suggested that he doesn't see where he fits – which raises the question of why he was signed in the first place.
The England international is nailed on to leave in January, the only question is 'where?', with a number of Premier League and European clubs supposedly interested in bringing him in, including Newcastle and Juventus.
Advertisement(C)GettyImagesJadon Sancho (Man Utd)
Things have gone horribly wrong for £73 million ($93m) man Sancho at Manchester United, and it would be a huge surprise if he is still at Old Trafford beyond January.
Amid a torrid spell at the club, he remains exiled and at an impasse with manager Erik ten Hag since a social media outburst in September – with no sign of either side backing down. It has been suggested that the winger is hoping for a reprieve should Ten Hag be sacked, but that seems unlikely for the time being.
Getty ImagesAaron Ramsdale (Arsenal)
It's been an astonishing fall from grace for Ramsdale this season, who has gone from being Arsenal's dependable No.1 and pushing Jordan Pickford for his starting place in the England set-up, to a bench-warming role in north London behind David Raya.
Suggestions of a role-share have proven unfounded, so Ramsdale now finds himself with a big decision on his hands as Euro 2024 approaches. Raya hasn't exactly set the world alight, so perhaps the Englishman could wait him out, but that would be a risk.
GettyAnthony Martial (Man Utd)
Will January finally, bring a long-overdue end to Martial's unhappy Manchester United spell? The goal-shy striker's contract is due to expire in the summer, and it seems United have no intention of triggering an extension despite some conflicting reports.
Martial is certainly in need of a fresh start after a torrid eight years, but it remains to be seen who will be willing to role the dice on a forward who has endured both injury problems and regular goal droughts.