There are only a few days to go before the January transfer window shuts on Monday but there are still plenty of deals to be done involving Premier League clubs.
It has been a quieter window than most owing to the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic, with top-flight teams having spent under £50million this January compared to well over £200m shelled out at this stage last season.
But with every team facing a Covid-impacted schedule, the potential for injuries to key players and teams competing on various fronts, a new signing midway through the season could tip the balance more than ever before.
West Ham are looking to reinvest after Sebastien Haller’s £20m move to Ajax, West Brom need forwards who can fire them to safety – Christian Benteke, anyone? – and Newcastle are just looking for inspiration wherever they can find it.
Here, Sportsmail looks at some of the transfers that could still go through before the close of play next Monday.
Kaide Gordon – Derby to Liverpool
16-year-old Kaide Gordon (right) looks set to join Liverpool after bursting through at Derby
Jurgen Klopp’s side are not short of quality attackers, but a 16-year-old winger who has already broken into Derby’s first-team squad was always likely to attract admiring glances from higher up.
Now it seems to be a matter of when, not if, Kaide Gordon moves to Liverpool, with Derby holding out for a £1m deal and add-ons worth £3m having already agreed terms with the Premier League champions.
Gordon hasn’t signed a professional contract at Pride Park but has been touted as the next big thing after becoming the fourth-youngest player in Derby’s history in December.
Klopp’s men are struggling for goals at present and have just one win in their last seven games – the 4-1 FA Cup win against Aston Villa’s youngsters – but the England U16 international looks to be one for the future.
Hamza Choudhury – Leicester to Newcastle or West Brom
Aside from appearing in all six of Leicester’s Europa League group games, Choudhury has barely featured for Brendan Rodgers’ side this season.
The England U21 international has played just 70 minutes in the Premier League and could move to either Newcastle or West Brom on loan in search of more playing time.
Leicester midfielder Hamza Choudhury could move on loan to Newcastle or West Brom
Sam Allardyce has already spoken about the importance of the January transfer window in West Brom achieving survival, and their 5-0 drubbing against Manchester City means they are still second-bottom and six points from safety.
The outlook is similarly bleak for Steve Bruce after Newcastle’s 2-1 defeat by Leeds – their sixth loss in a row – and both sides could do with further steel in midfield.
Jonjoe Kenny – Everton to Burnley
Kenny is another England U21 player who has found his playing time limited this season and could move in the next week.
The right-back enjoyed a fruitful spell on loan at Schalke last season, providing two goals and three assists in 31 Bundesliga appearances, but has only started four games this campaign.
Sean Dyche already showed interest in Kenny last year but the Burnley manager now has the backing of a new ownership and knows the defender is out of favour under Carlo Ancelotti.
The 23-year-old would provide fresh competition at right-back for Matthew Lowton and Phil Bardsley, Burnley’s only two recognised defenders in that position.
Marcos Rojo – Man United to Boca Juniors
It seems like a lifetime ago that Rojo signed for Manchester United for £16m after helping Argentina to the 2014 World Cup final.
The defender signed by Louis van Gaal has experienced peaks and troughs since then but appears to be coming to the end of his seven-year spell at Old Trafford.
Marcos Rojo could move back to Argentina having not played for United since November 2019
Rojo has not played for United since November 2019 owing to injuries which also hampered a loan spell back at boyhood club Estudiantes.
Now the 30-year-old looks set to return to Argentina, but this time with Boca Juniors, who have reportedly agreed personal terms with Rojo.
The only sticking point appears to be whether there will be a fee involved – Boca were hoping to sign the defender for free given he has entered the last six months of his contract, but United could still extend his deal.
Bernard – Everton to Al-Nasr
Bernard is one of a host of players Everton are looking to trim from their wage budget before the window shuts.
The Toffees are reportedly looking for £9m for the Brazilian winger, who has found himself on the fringes this season having made just 11 appearances for Ancelotti’s side.
UAE Pro League side Al-Nasr would appear to be the most likely destination for the 28-year-old who Everton signed on a free transfer from Shakhtar Donetsk back in 2018.
That would free up space on the wage bill for other potential signings as the Toffees look to build on their flying start to the season.
Jesse Lingard – Man United to West Ham
Like Rojo, Lingard has fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford and has played just three times for United this season – all in cup competitions.
West Ham look set to offer Lingard the chance to kickstart his career again but would first need to sign either Craig Dawson or Said Benrahma permanently to add another domestic loan.
West Ham look set to offer Jesse Lingard the chance to revive his career on loan
And Sportsmail reported that West Ham would sign Benrahma from Brentford in a deal worth £20m plus £5m in add-ons to bring forward Lingard’s arrival.
David Moyes is known to be keen on the winger, even if Lingard had not broken through into the first team yet when the Scotsman was in charge at United.
His West Ham outfit have defied all expectations this season by rising to fourth with the midweek 3-2 win over Crystal Palace, and Lingard could strengthen their attack following Haller’s departure.
Ahmed Musa – free to West Brom
A free agent who previously struggled for goals in the Premier League may not appear to be the solution to West Brom’s woes, but Allardyce desperately needs any attacking reinforcements he can get.
The Baggies have scored just 15 times this season, the joint second-lowest in the Premier League along with Fulham.
Musa has been without a club since leaving Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr in October and is eager to make up for lost time after his record £16.6m move to Leicester yielded just five goals in 33 appearances.
Allardyce will look to sign the Nigeria captain to a short-term deal until the end of the season in a bid to clinch survival.
Christian Benteke – Crystal Palace to West Brom
Another less than obvious saviour in attack for West Brom could be Benteke, although there are doubts as to whether the Belgian is even up for sale.
Allardyce himself has admitted he is not sure what Benteke’s situation at Crystal Palace is but would be open to signing him if he was available.
Christian Benteke (left) looked set to leave Crystal Palace but may sign a new deal
The loan signing of striker Jean-Philippe Mateta from Mainz appeared to open the door to Benteke’s exit, with his Palace deal set to run out in the summer.
But Benteke has started five of Palace’s last six Premier League games and may be tied down to a new contract soon in a bid to keep him at Selhurst Park.
If that is the case then it is unclear where Allardyce will turn to next with his team sinking fast.
Demarai Gray – Leicester to Bayer Leverkusen
Gray was attracting interest from Crystal Palace but the 24-year-old winger has now agreed personal terms with Bayer Leverkusen, with Marseille also circling.
Gray is highly rated at the King Power Stadium but has played more Premier League 2 than top-flight football this year, where his playing time has been limited to an 18-minute cameo against Palace.
The winger has made nearly 170 appearances for Leicester but now looks set to leave, having been left out of Rodgers’s squad entirely for Sunday’s FA Cup win against Brentford.
Joshua King – Bournemouth to West Ham
King would have expected to find another Premier League club promptly when Bournemouth were relegated last season after providing six goals and four assists for the Cherries.
Joshua King (right) is being targeted by West Ham after his 10 goal involvements last season
Instead the Norway international and Man United youth product stayed on under Eddie Howe’s successor Jason Tindall but has yet to score in 11 Championship appearances this season.
Hammers chief Moyes has been left with a Haller-shaped hole in attack since the Frenchman’s departure and he is targeting King as a potential replacement.
The striker has already proved himself in the Premier League, so links to West Ham, Everton and Burnley this window should come as no surprise.
Danny Rose – Spurs to Trabzonspor
Rose could be the next out-of-favour Premier League player to up sticks to the Turkish Super Lig after Mesut Ozil’s free transfer to Fenerbahce and Danny Drinkwater’s surprise loan to Kasimpasa.
Left-back Rose has not featured under Jose Mourinho this season since returning from his loan spell at Newcastle and Trabzonspor are said to be interested.
Rose is out of contract in the summer and is open to a move abroad after spending the vast majority of his senior career at Spurs.
Trabzonspor could be an interesting next step after Daniel Sturridge’s year-long spell there and with Benik Afobe and Lewis Baker also on the books at the side who sit sixth in the Super Lig.