Last winter, clubs across Europe and the English Championship spent a combined £1.2 billion, the highest January total in seven years. Manchester City alone dropped £191 million, second only to Chelsea’s now legendary 2023 shopping spree. Most clubs stayed sensible, some stayed quiet, and a few went all in like it was Black Friday.
That balance feels unlikely this time.
Too many big names are unsettled. Too many contracts are ticking down. Too many clubs think one signing can save a season, or at least buy time. Whether it’s ambition, frustration, ego, or just bad timing, January 2026 has the look of a window that could move fast and get expensive.
Here are 10 players who could headline it.
1️⃣ Mohamed Salah (Liverpool) 🔴🇸🇦
Nine months after signing a new two-year deal, Mohamed Salah looks closer to the exit than anyone expected.
Being benched 3 times in a row did not sit well with the Egyptian, and he made sure everyone knew it. Public comments, a cold relationship with Arne Slot, and then the ultimate message being left out of the squad entirely. That is not normal Salah behaviour.
Now he is back at AFCON scoring goals again, reminding everyone he is still Mohamed Salah. Saudi clubs remain interested, Liverpool knows his resale value will never be higher, and the contract extension suddenly feels like leverage rather than security. If this ends in January, it will not be quiet.2️⃣ Karim Adeyemi (Borussia Dortmund) 🟡👩❤️👨
Karim Adeyemi wants out, and Dortmund knows it. A change of agent, strong media briefings, and reports that his girlfriend wants life in a bigger city. This is modern football in one paragraph.
Adeyemi’s numbers in Germany do not scream £75 million striker, but his profile does. Fast, flexible, dangerous in transition, and still only 23. Arsenal needs attacking depth, Manchester United needs options everywhere, and Inter are always watching; they believe they can unlock him fully. January might be the moment.
3️⃣ Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth) 🔵🇬🇭
At this point, calling Antoine Semenyo one of the most destructive wingers in the Premier League almost feels understated.
He is powerful, quick, direct, comfortable off either foot, and a nightmare to play against. Liverpool explored the idea. Chelsea and Manchester United weighed it up. Tottenham admired from a distance. But it is Manchester City who have moved fastest and smartest.
4️⃣ Elliot Anderson (Nottingham Forest) 🐎🔥
The days of cheap Premier League midfielders are over, and Elliot Anderson is living proof. Forest wants £100 million. That sounds wild until you remember what Rice, Caicedo and Enzo cost. Anderson runs, tackles, passes, presses, and actually enjoys the dirty work. Managers love that.
Manchester United are interested. Liverpool are interested. Forest say they are not selling mid-season, which usually means “call us again with a bigger offer".
5️⃣ Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace) 💪🏆
Guehi was almost a Liverpool player already. The video was filmed. The deal was agreed. Palace changed their mind. Now his contract is running down, the interest has multiplied, and Palace no longer controls the situation the same way. City, Bayern and Atletico are all circling.
Whoever moves first in January might save themselves a summer headache.
6️⃣ Nico Schlotterbeck (Borussia Dortmund) 🇩🇪🪢
Schlotterbeck has reached the stage where everyone is watching, and Dortmund are getting nervous.
Bayern sees him as a future-proof option. Barcelona and Real Madrid like the profile. Liverpool likes the leadership. Dortmund wants a renewal, but they also want control. At £50 million, this is not a gamble. It is a calculated buy for a centre-back entering his prime, and Schlotterbeck looks ready for a bigger stage.
7️⃣ Marc-André ter Stegen (Barcelona) 🇩🇪🪄
Ter Stegen is fit again, but Barcelona have moved on without him. Captaincy stripped. New keepers installed. Doors quietly closed. It has been messy.
Saudi Arabia and Turkey are options, but the Premier League is watching. Aston Villa have already asked questions, even if the Emiliano Martinez situation complicates things. Ter Stegen still has the feet and reflexes for top-level football. He just needs a club that actually wants him.
8️⃣ Kenan Yildiz (Juventus) ⚽🇹🇷
Juventus knows what they have. The problem is agreeing on how much he is worth. Yildiz feels underpaid. Juve are cautious.
Arsenal are curious. Everyone else is alert. At 20, he is already carrying a confused Juventus attack and doing it with personality. £80 million is the price. Someone may decide it is worth paying before that number goes up again.
9️⃣ Conor Gallagher (Atletico Madrid) 🇬🇧🏃♂️
Gallagher ran everywhere in England. He ran everywhere in Spain. Now he is running out of patience. He is no longer a guaranteed starter at Atletico, and the World Cup is not far away. Premier League clubs are watching closely, with United, Spurs and Leeds all mentioned.
At £33 million, Gallagher is reliable, honest, and plug-and-play. January might be the reset he needs.
🔟 Ruben Neves (Al-Hilal) 🔴👹
Ruben Neves has done the Saudi chapter. Now he wants back.
The Premier League never really forgot him, and midfielders who can slow games down are suddenly fashionable again. Manchester United need control. West Ham need leadership. Neves offers both.
At around £18 million, this feels like one of those deals everyone looks back on and says, “how did that happen?”
🤑 Final Words 📰🗞
Too many players want out. Too many clubs feel one signing away. And history says when that happens, logic usually loses.
