Football
January transfer window predictions
We have reached the halfway point in the season and with the turn of the year comes the January transfer window.
Clubs who find themselves in title races, fights for European places, or relegation battles may all be tempted to strengthen their squads over the next month, while players catching the eye could be seeking a big move before the end of the season.
We take a look at some interesting potential January moves below.
Bet on Football at William Hill
Marcus Rashford
Having scored three goals in his first two appearances under new Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim, it looked as though Marcus Rashford may be finding his feet once again at his boyhood club.
However, things have turned sour rather quickly and Rashford now finds himself out of the squad and out of the Portuguese coach’s future plans. Rashford himself has come out and said he is ‘ready for a new challenge’, but what exactly could that look like for the former United Player of the Year?
Rumours have already begun to circulate with a move to Paris Saint-Germain potentially on the cards, as the Parisians look to fill the Kylian Mbappe-sized hole on their left wing. Arsenal have also been rumoured to be interested, but if Rashford is to leave United there’s every chance he’ll want to escape the limelight of the Premier League altogether.
Ben Chilwell
Ben Chilwell is another Englishman who has fallen out of favour following the arrival of a new manager. Enzo Maresca set his stall out early, attempting to move Chilwell on in the summer before being forced to reintroduce him to the squad. That reintroduction hasn’t spelled any joy for Chilwell, however, who has just 45 Carabao Cup minutes to his name this season.
A one-time Champions League winner with the Blues – and a crucial part of that success nonetheless – Chilwell’s demise largely comes down to his unsuitably with Maresca’s system, as well as the resurgence of Marc Cucurella, who has done more than enough to assert himself as one of the Premier League’s best in the left-back position.
So, where could the Englishman end up? Manchester United is one option as they continue to try and fix their issues on the left side of defence, with both Luke Shaw and Tyrell Malacia proving hard to keep on the pitch. Having excelled as a wing-back under Thomas Tuchel at Chelsea, Chilwell could be well-suited to Amorim’s similar system.
Bryan Mbeumo
Bryan Mbeumo finds himself in a totally different situation to the two players above, having been one of the Premier League’s standout players this season. The Brentford forward is his side’s top scorer with 10 league goals to his name already this season.
His flying form is attracting interest from those clubs towards the top of the table, as well as across Europe. While Brentford fans will not want to see their star man leave, the reality of the situation is that this January window will be their best chance to cash in.
The Bees almost left it too late to ship out Ivan Toney before Al-Ahli came calling with £40 million, but they won’t want to cut it that fine with Mbeumo who has just a year and a half left on his current contract.
Waiting until summer may tempt other clubs to hold out until they can negotiate a free transfer with the winger in January 2026, something which would be a disaster for the West London club. With high figures being banded around, it’d be no surprise to see Brentford cash in on their main man whilst his value is still sky high.
