Premier League clubs set to splash out in January sales

London (AFP) – The Premier League’s January sales are open for business as clubs rush to snap up new year bargains in the one-month transfer window.

Liverpool are running away with the title race and have already signed Japanese star Takumi Minamino, so the Reds are likely to sit out the frenzy while the chasing pack try to make the additions that could help them close the gap.

Here, AFP Sport looks at the key transfer issues to address for the teams hoping to hang onto Liverpool’s coat-tails:

Chelsea

Chelsea boss Frank Lampard is expected to make a big splash after being unable to sign players in the summer window due to the club’s transfer ban.

With that two-window suspension halved by the Court of Arbitration for Sport, Lampard needs several new recruits to help accelerate the development of his promising young team.

Armed with a reported £150 million transfer war-chest, Lampard will look to improve at left-back, where Emerson and Marcos Alonso have been too inconsistent.

The Blues have already been linked with Leicester’s Ben Chilwell to fill that role, but Lampard might not be satisfied with only one signing.

Having constantly bemoaned Chelsea’s lack of cutting edge against defensive opponents, the Chelsea boss needs pace on the flanks, a clinical finisher to dove-tail with Tammy Abraham and, ideally, a creative midfielder.

Crystal Palace forward Wilfried Zaha, Leipzig striker Timo Werner and Lyon forward Moussa Dembele are among Lampard’s mooted targets.

Manchester United

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has revealed Manchester United are “looking at one or two” players after learning Paul Pogba will be absent for the next month.

France midfielder Pogba has been advised to undergo surgery on his ankle and that is a problem for United manager Solskjaer, who is already without Scott McTominay due to a knee injury.

“Of course it is playing on our decision making when we have two players out – Paul for a month and Scott for two,” Solskjaer said.

“If it’s available and if it’s possible we will do something, definitely.”

Solskjaer missed out on promising striker Erling Braut Haaland, who has signed for Borussia Dortmund from Red Bull Salzburg.

Aston Villa midfielder Jack Grealish, Leicester duo Ricardo Pereira and James Maddison, as well as Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho have all seen their names connected to Old Trafford.

Arsenal

Mikel Arteta admits Arsenal could be more active than expected after Calum Chambers had surgery on a knee injury that will rule him out for a lengthy period.

from World Soccer Talk https://ift.tt/39AotoL