The January transfer window is a great time to gather reinforcements for a title challenge, or just to claw out of the cellar. Either way, this is the time that can make or break a season, so let’s take a look at some of the transfers that have gone down and might go through.

Done Deals

Adnan Januzaj

Januzaj is cutting his yearlong loan at Dortmund short. He will return to Manchester United, where he hopes to fit into the squad. He didn’t really ever take off at Dortmund, playing limited minutes in only a handful of matches. Januzaj is still one of the most promising young talents in the game, but he has yet to really find his place at any club.

Gedion Zelalem

The young US starlet extended his loan with Rangers to the end of the season. The club sits on top of the Scottish Championship with a 3 point lead and a game in hand. Zelalem has had a lot of playing time with Rangers, whose style emulates his parent club, giving him a great environment to develop his game. It never hurts to experience a promotion battle and have success.

On the Spot: Gedion Zelalem

Alejandro Grimaldo

The Barcelona youngster finally saw the writing on the wall, and made a move away from the giant club. The suitors were Benfica, who grabbed the young left back for 1.5 million euros. His contract was close to being up, so this was a great deal for both sides. Grimaldo gets a reset button on his career, while Benfica get a low risk, high reward player.

Kevin-Prince Boateng

The older half brother of Jerome Boateng is making his way out of the Bundesliga. He has terminated his contract with Schalke 04, and is returning to AC Milan on a free transfer. He had been suspended from Schalke for his behavior, and a move was imminent. He had been training with Milan since being suspended, so the move back to Serie A came with no surprise.

Going Somewhere, but Where?

Jordan Morris

Stanford's Jordan Morris

JIM SHORIN/stanfordphoto.com

The US up-and-comer has made the decision to go pro, letting everyone know via social media. The question is, where? He has a Seattle Sounders homegrown contract on the table, but seems interested in testing himself in Europe. He will go to Werder Bremen for a few weeks and train with the Bundesliga club. His brief international experience has given him enough of a reputation to get a look from multiple clubs. The ball is now in his court.

Pep Guardiola

Now, we know he isn’t a player, but the manager is the hottest thing out on the market. He and Bayern Munich are parting ways at the end of the season, and he is open for business. He has expressed interest in the Premier League, but there aren’t many good jobs open at the moment. Should Pep say he was interested in a particular job, I’d be willing to be that a job would open for him.

Move Seems Possible

Romelu Lukaku

Lukaku is a bonafide star at 22, and has been plugging along at Everton. It doesn’t seem likely that he wants to stay there forever, and Everton might want to sell while he is a hot commodity. The Belgian international has multiple clubs lining up for his services, it is just a matter of lining up the timing and the price. For now though, his ankle injury might scare off clubs for this window.

Eden Hazard/Blockbuster Swap

Hazard is not happy at Stamford Bridge. Perhaps that was because of Jose Mourinho, but the seeds of doubt have been planted. Similar sentiments have been heard at Barcelona and Real Madrid. A super swap might not be that crazy of an idea right now, with some clubs wanting to offload some of their crazy salaries.

Doubtful Moves

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Zlatan has expressed interest in multiple other projects, all the while making some interesting statements about the French league. Now that David Beckham’s Miami MLS franchise is finally getting off the ground, it isn’t crazy to think that Zlatan would come to the US. Then again, the project won’t be ready for at least a year, so it is unlikely that Zlatan moves during this window.

Crazy Train

Neymar/Gareth Bale/ Karim Benzema/Cristiano Ronaldo/Lionel Messi

In the words of Ozzy Osbourne, “I’m goin’ off the rails on a crazy train.” This pretty much describes all of the rumors about these players. Sure, nothing is impossible, but these are some of the most unlikely players in the entire world that will be moving during this window.

 

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