rewrite this title 6 transfers to watch out for in final week of January window

The 2025 January transfer window is heading towards its conclusion, and there is still plenty to sort out across Europe.

The winter window will not shut on 31 January this time around, with deadlines pushd to 3 February.

We all know that January is a notoriously hard month to conduct business, with players not particularly keen on relocating midway through the season and clubs even less interested in parting ways with their most prized assets. Typically, though, much of the winter chaos arrives during the window’s final few days as once stoic negotiators teeter towards desperation.

Big deals are in the works, and here are six players to keep an eye on during the final week of the January transfer window.

Ruben Amorim has cast Rashford aside and there’s surely no way back for the Englishman. The new Manchester United manager most recently said he’d rather name his 63-year-old goalkeeper coach on the bench over a player who wasn’t prepared to give “the maximum”.

Rashford seemingly has to find a new home before the deadline, with a loan move likely given the winger’s reported salary at Old Trafford.

Interest has arrived from overseas, but financing any deal will prove tricky. Barcelona have seemingly pulled ahead in the race, but their monetary issues, despite improving, have been well-documented for years. Can they really afford to bring Rashford in even on loan?

Borussia Dortmund and Milan have also been linked, but more could come in as the deadline approaches.

Mikel Arteta continues to put pressure on the board in press conferences, with Arsenal’s needs in the transfer market clear. With Bukayo Saka out until March (at the earliest) and Gabriel Jesus kicking off 2025 by tearing his ACL, the Premier League title hopefuls are bereft of attacking depth.

The Gunners are particularly striker-needy, but their priority targets are unlikely to move this month. Newcastle would laugh off any attempts at an Alexander Isak purchase, while RB Leipzig do not want to let Benjamin Sesko go.

Arsenal tried to sign Sesko last summer before he penned a new deal in Saxony, and he appears to have re-emerged as their leading striker option in the market this winter. However, with Leipzig digging their heels in, any potential deal seems much more likely in the summer.

A major injury in year one didn’t help Nkunku settle at Chelsea, with the talented French forward enduring a rather indifferent time of it in west London.

Nkunku has almost exclusively been used as a starter in the cup competitions for Enzo Maresca this term, with Nicolas Jackson’s minutes failing to decline in the Premier League despite his scoring drought.

The former Leipzig star has grown frustrated with his role at Stamford Bridge, and Bayern Munich are weighing up a late move in the window. Nkunku has enjoyed great success in the Bundesliga, but Bayern will only pursue if Mathys Tel departs on loan.

Manchester United are desperate for superior quality at wing-back, and Amorim has identified the versatile but raw Patrick Dorgu as the man to enliven the Red Devils’ work out wide.

United aren’t keen on paying over the odds for the Danish international, though, and have had a couple of bids rejected by Lecce. The two clubs are currently €10m apart in their valuations with the Italian club holding out for €40m.

United are expected to return with another bid, but Napoli are also keeping a close eye on the situation. Benfica’s Alvaro Carreras is being considered as an alternative.

We heard earlier in the window that INEOS were open to listening to offers for Alejandro Garnacho and Kobbie Mainoo, with the idea of banking ‘pure profit’ from the sale of academy graduates seemingly too irresistible for Sir Jim Ratcliffe to ignore.

Mainoo won’t be going anywhere this month, but Garnacho, who’s working his way back into Amorim’s good books, could be on the move.

Amorim refused to rule out the Argentine’s exit despite including him in his starting XI at Fulham on Sunday. Napoli have identified the spritely winger as a replacement for Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, while Chelsea are seemingly intent on spending another £60m on a wide player.

The Blues could entertain a swap deal involving Nkunku.

It seems like every Premier League club are keeping a watchful eye on Matheus Cunha’s situation at Molineux. So much so that it wouldn’t be too much of a surprise if Southampton checked in with Wolves to gauge the craic.

The Brazilian has enjoyed an excellent season up to this point, but he’s cut a frustrated figure in recent defeats to Chelsea and Arsenal with talk surrounding his future rife. Manager Vitor Pereira has insisted Cunha is focused on the task at hand in the west midlands, with Wolves intent on retaining their most prized asset amid a relegation battle.

Worryingly for Wolves, the maverick forward hasn’t yet put pen to paper on a contract extension, opening the door for potential buyers in the final days of the window. Desperation could force one of the interested parties to overpay for Cunha in a bid to bolster their frontline.

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