Wide forwards are in high demand in the January 2026 transfer window, and plenty could be on the move.
With the winter window now officially open, it’s time to get excited and rank the best players available to sign.
Here are the 10 best wide forwards we can see moving clubs in January…
10) Savinho (Man City)
The impending arrival of Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth makes a January exit all the more likely for Savinho, and also means the Ghanaian does not feature any higher here, with a transfer as good as done.
9) Takefusa Kubo (Real Sociedad)
Kubo seems destined for a move to the Premier League, but we’ve been saying that for three or four years now. He’s still at Real Sociedad, bubbling away and producing fairly underwhelming statistics, yet you get the feeling he could explode in a different, bigger environment.
8) Malick Fofana (Lyon)
Fofana was extremely close to leaving Lyon in the summer, but he didn’t fancy departing for a Nottingham Forest-level club when sides like Bayern Munich and Arsenal were being linked.
The 20-year-old believes he’s destined for bigger and better things, just as Rayan Cherki did when he rejected Fulham in 2024, a year before joining Manchester City.
7) Gabriel Martinelli (Arsenal)
The caveat with Martinelli’s ‘availability’ is that it hinges on Arsenal’s interest in signing an upgrade. They won’t sell without making a statement signing on the left wing.
It feels like Arsenal are open to selling the Brazilian, which is enough for us. £45-50m should do the trick.
6) Maghnes Akliouche (Monaco)
Akliouche is a very talented young man, and five caps for France is enough to tell us just how good he is. Yes, only five caps, but France’s attack is absolutely stacked.
Tottenham Hotspur are among the clubs linked with the 23-year-old, with plenty of players on their radar.
5) Yan Diomande (Leipzig)
This young man is on the lips of many, with a Premier League move seemingly just around the corner.
Liverpool, Spurs and Manchester United are among the clubs interested in the 19-year-old Ivory Coast international, but there is also competition from Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain. The calibre of clubs involved tells you exactly how good Diomande is.
4) Mason Greenwood (Marseille)
The former Manchester United youngster has been excellent for Marseille, registering 37 goals and 10 assists in 58 matches since the start of last season.
United will receive 50 per cent of any future sale, which could represent a significant cash windfall as they pursue multiple targets in the transfer market.
3) Nico Williams (Athletic Club)
Now we’re getting to the serious business.
Williams signed a new 10-year extension last July, but it doesn’t mean too much when there’s a £78.4m release clause in the contract. That’s a lot of money, significantly more than the previous £50m terms, but it’s the sort of fee you’re expected to pay for a player of his calibre.
Williams’ Euro 2024 performances were enough to justify breaking the bank that summer, but it didn’t happen. It’s surely only a matter of time before he leaves Bilbao, though Barcelona, rather than the Premier League, feels like the most likely destination.
2) Rafael Leao (Milan)
Is Leao available? Milan would say no, but we think they’d sell for the right price. To be honest, that feels like the case with most Italian clubs.
The Portugal international has six goals and one assist in 12 matches this season and we believe he is the second-best wide forward available to sign in the January 2026 transfer window.
1) Rodrygo (Real Madrid)
Rodrygo has started only seven times under Xabi Alonso this season, so Real Madrid may be open to selling him this month.
It would reportedly take around £80m to prise Rodrygo away from the Spanish capital, but his lack of minutes – combined with Alonso’s ridiculous attacking depth – suggests there could be room for negotiation.
He could take Arsenal to another level, while Liverpool and Manchester United are also potential landing spots. The thought of Rodrygo in England is pretty exciting.
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