da spicy bet： We are in that time of year once again when the busy festive period of fixtures rears its wonderful head. With so many games in such a short space of time, it only takes a couple of good or bad results for a club to completely change the complexion of the Premier League table.
da dobrowin： But it’s January these 20 top flight clubs will look to the most as they attempt to delve into the transfer market and make the necessary additions to their squads. After all couple of new faces could be the difference between the title and disappointment, European action or midtable mediocrity, or survival instead of going down at the other end of the division.
Therefore, we are now going to look at what all the Premier League clubs will be asking for over the holidays (in order of Premier League table at the time of writing)…
20th – 17th…
Crystal Palace – After sacking Alan Pardew just a matter of days before Christmas, Palace will certainly be on the lookout for reinforcements in January. The full-back positions have been the Eagles’ weakest area over the last few campaigns, but a new manager could well mean wholesale changes to the squad as the South London club look to avoid a relegation battle. A backup striker to Christian Benteke is also in order – the Belgian target man can’t do it all himself.
Sunderland – David Moyes is going to have to look down the back of the sofa for the money to get some new faces in next month. The Black Cats’ season has finally started and there is more optimism on Wearside now but they still face an uphill struggle to stay up. A decent wide midfielder could help to supply Jermain Defoe with chances, while at right-back there is a clear lack of class.
Swansea – Bob Bradley’s already much-maligned tenure at the Liberty Stadium is in danger of being a very short one if results do not pick up. With a squad that has been in managed decline for a couple of seasons, he needs some reinforcements in pretty much every area to give them a chance of beating the drop. A commanding centre-back to fill the Ashley Williams void would be most desirable, while a central midfielder able to offer some creativity to support Gylfi Sigurdsson would be nice. Maybe Bob can sign his son, Michael, from Toronto…
Hull – The Tigers need a plumber for that leaky defence of theirs. 36 goals in just 17 matches sees them consigned to the bottom of the table and they need at least half a dozen new names to enter The KCOM Stadium. The question is will Mike Phelan be given the funds with which to do so amid the takeover debacle on Humberside.
13th – 16th…
West Ham – The Irons have moved into their new home and now they need to make it a fortress. Slaven Bilic needs at least three or four new faces to make sure the east London side aren’t involved in a relegation scrap in the final few months of the season, with at least one striker a must. A new right-back is also a necessity.
Middlesbrough – Aitor Karanka needs a bit more from Alvaro Negredo. The Spaniard is earning a big wage and right now it’s probably the easiest money he will ever make. Just four goals this season from the former Man City striker is not the best return on investment, but some added quality in midfield could get him the service needed.
Leicester – An A-Z Road Map of England would be a start, then with that they may be able to work out how to win away from home. On a transfer note, a quality right-sided midfielder and a proper replacement for N’Golo Kante would be desirable, with the latter set to be addressed by the arrival of Wilfred Ndidi.
Burnley – The same applies to Burnley as above. Sean Dyche’s men have turned Turf Moor into somewhat of a fortress, but without that the picture could have been a lot more bleak. Goals are somewhat of an issue for the Clarets, so maybe some quality from attacking midfield could help to get more from Sam Vokes and Andre Gray.
12th – 9th…
Everton – Everton have a fantastic striker in Romelu Lukaku and him possibly signing a new contract is great news, but a lack of service is a huge issue right now. The Toffees need a couple of additions in the wide areas to bring the best out of the Belgian.
Bournemouth – Eddie Howe will be happy with the midtable place they are in right now and a finish of tenth would be an improvement on last season. Many felt that the Cherries would succumb to ‘second season syndrome’, but they seem to have found the cure. There are no obvious areas of weakness in the squad, but if a quality central midfielder becomes available, the Dorset side should move.
Stoke – The Potters need to sign Lee Grant on a permanent deal, it’s as simple as that. The difference in first quarters of the season has been night and day since the arrival of Grant from Derby County. Whatever the fee is required for the 33-year-old then it’s worth paying. On top of that, a new forward may be needed if loanee Wilfried Bony is tempted by the cash on offer in China.
Watford – A goal from Troy Deeney would be nice – the Hornets forward hasn’t found the net in his last ten Premier League outings. Thankfully there doesn’t seem to be an over-reliance on their captain but the goal drought is a concern right now. All-in-all Watford have looked impressive, but there is a lack of quality beyond Deeney and the out-of-form Odion Ighalo.
8th – 4th….
Tottenham – Spurs will hope that injuries to their star players are not a feature in the second half of the season, as like they were the first. If Mauricio Pochettino can keep this squad fit and healthy they will still have a big say on who finishes in those all-important top four places. The Argentine may look to get another striker in given Vincent Janssen’s woes, while a wide attacker with pace would add another dimension to the Lilywhites’ XI.
Manchester United – Jose Mourinho perhaps needs a manual on game management. On too many occasions they have they dropped points when being in control, and that situation that leaves them in sixth. A new defender, Victor Lindelof is believed to be closing in on a move from Benfica, may be their only addition of the window.
Southampton – Once again the Saints look capable of gaining a European place, but they may need a helping hand when it comes to the domestic cup winners to ensure seventh place does the trick. To stay there though they are going to need some goals, making a new striker a must, while keeping hold of Virgil van Dijk at the other end is crucial.
West Brom – It’s been remarkable first half of the season for the Baggies. Tony Pulis was one of the favourites to win (or lose) the sack race at the start of the campaign, and the task now will be to make sure that form continues in the New Year. Maybe another creative player to support Nacer Chadli would make sense if they do any business at all.
The top four…
Chelsea – Quite simply, how do you fix something that is not broken? The honest answer is just to leave it alone. This unstoppable blue juggernaut doesn’t show any signs of slowing down anytime soon. If Antonio Conte needs one extra present it would perhaps an additional centre-back but right now this is a squad firing on all cylinders.
Liverpool – The question now is whether or not Jurgen Klopp feels he needs to add to his squad to help them seriously challenge for the title or whether or not he is happy with what he is got. For all the issues in goal, we don’t think another ‘keeper will be going to Anfield next month.
Manchester City – Pep Guardiola could probably do with knowing the opening times of Sports Direct on Boxing Day and what their returns policy is. After John Stones’ move from Everton for £50m, Guardiola will be hoping that he has kept hold of the receipt, so he may be looking at another central defender, and perhaps a couple of full-backs
Arsenal – Arsene Wenger would love a new contract for Christmas but whether that is a popular decision with the whole Arsenal fanbase remains to be seen. Once again it looks like the race for fourth place is now in full flow, and he may look to add another attacking midfielder to his ranks, albeit only if the right player becomes available.