(Clockwise from top left) Micky van de Ven, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Jérémy Jacquet, Oscar Bobb and Tammy Abraham
(Clockwise from top left) Micky van de Ven, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Jérémy Jacquet, Oscar Bobb and Tammy Abraham. Composite: EPA, Alamy, Reuters, Getty
Fulham, Chelsea, Aston Villa, Nottingham Forest and Liverpool could be making moves before the window closes
By WhoScored
Jérémy Jacquet to Chelsea
Shock: Chelsea have been linked with another young player. This time it is the Rennes centre-back Jérémy Jacquet, who would offer something the team is lacking.
Chelsea rank 10th in the Premier League for expected goals against (28.8); they have made the third-most errors leading to shots, with 21; and they have only won 48.2% of their aerial duels, the fifth lowest in the league. Jacquet is comfortable on the ball, has won 71.4% of his aerial duels in Ligue 1 this season, and he ranks 11th for successful passes into the final third made by centre-backs in France’s top flight.
With the ball-playing centre-back Levi Colwill injured, Jacquet might be an expensive but logical solution to their problems at the back.
Oscar Bobb to Fulham
The Manchester City talent factory has produced another player who seems to be on his way out of the club, with Fulham keen to sign 22-year-old midfielder Oscar Bobb. City have made around £400m from selling academy players in the last decade, nearly half of their total income from transfers.
When the Norwegian broke into the team in the 2023-24 season, it looked as if he might stay there. His injury-time winner in a 3–2 victory at St James’ Park proved pivotal in a Premier League title race decided by two points. Pep Guardiola was not shy about his admiration. “I have a lot, a lot, of incredible, good opinions about him,” said the manager.
But City rarely stand still. Even when young talents break through, they continue to raid the market. They signed Antoine Semenyo from Bournemouth for £62.5m, giving Bobb another direct rival for the spot on the left wing. If opportunities were scarce when he was only competing with Jérémy Doku and Savinho, they are scarcer now. Fulham might offer a route to showcase his immense talent on a regular basis.
Oscar Bobb celebrates scoring Manchester City’s winner against Newcastle in January 2024
Oscar Bobb celebrates scoring Manchester City’s winner against Newcastle in January 2024. Photograph: Simon Stacpoole/Offside/Getty Images
Jean-Phillipe Mateta to Villa or Juventus
Spare a thought for Crystal Palace fans. After selling Eberechi Eze to Arsenal in the summer and losing captain Marc Guéhi to Manchester City for £20m this January, Oliver Glasner has said he is leaving and that the bosses at the club have “abandoned” the team.
The misery doesn’t stop there. Now Jean-Philippe Mateta has said he wants to leave amid interest from Aston Villa and Juventus. Since Glasner joined Palace in February 2024, only Alexander Isak, Erling Haaland and Mohamed Salah have scored more Premier League goals than Mateta (35).
With 56 goals in 185 appearances, Mateta has been essential to Palace’s recent success. But, having won the FA Cup and then watched Palace go backwards, he wants Champions League football and a chance to impress the France manager, Didier Deschamps, before the World Cup.
Tammy Abraham to Aston Villa
An unlikely saviour for Crystal Palace could yet emerge in the shape of the former Chelsea striker Tammy Abraham, who may divert Villa’s attention away from Mateta. The English forward is currently on loan at Besiktas, where he has scored 13 goals in 26 appearances this season.
Speaking after Villa’s 1-0 defeat to Everton at the weekend, Unai Emery hinted that he needed reinforcements, saying: “We are still not being contenders – there are other teams with more potential than us.” Emery knows the importance of the January window. Marcus Rashford, Marco Asensio, Axel Disasi, Andrés García and Donyell Malen joined last January and Villa rose from ninth on New Year’s Day to sixth at the end of the season, earning a place in the Europa League.
If Abraham’s previous stint at Villa is anything to go by, he could be a big success. During his loan spell from Chelsea in 2018-19, he scored 26 goals in 40 appearances in the Championship, helping the club win promotion back to the Premier League.
Tammy Abraham celebrates after Aston Villa win promotion from the Championship
Tammy Abraham celebrates after Aston Villa win promotion from the Championship. Photograph: Rogan/JMP/Rex/Shutterstock
Lorenzo Lucca to Nottingham Forest
Long throws and set-pieces are back in fashion, not that Sean Dyche needs an excuse to sign a big striker. Nottingham Forest are reportedly close to bringing in Lorenzo Lucca on loan from Serie A.
Udinese sent him on loan to Napoli in the summer but he has not exactly been prolific for Antonio Conte’s team, scoring just two goals in 23 appearances. Dig a little deeper, though, and he might just be what Forest need to stay up. With Chris Wood injured and Taiwo Awoniyi out of favour, Dyche needs a target man. Forest excelled last season by playing direct, counterattacking football. Lucca would offer an outlet for creative players such as Gibbs-White and Callum Hudson-Odoi to play off.
Then there is the obvious advantage: he is massive. At 6ft 7in, he would rival Dan Burn as the tallest outfield player in the league. And it wouldn’t be wasted either; Forest are crossing the ball from open play more than any other team in the league, but they have the third worst accuracy (18.31%) in the division, meaning most of their deliveries are floating hopelessly into the void.
Lucca could provide an answer to that: only Duván Zapata (10) has scored more headed goals in Serie A than Lucca (eight) since the start of the 2023-24 campaign – and 38.1% of his goals in that time have been with his head. He is not the flashiest of signings but Forest did not appoint Dyche to play attractive football. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
Micky van de Ven to Liverpool
Liverpool thought they had signed Guéhi in the summer before Palace slammed the door shut at the last moment. Now he is wearing sky blue and calling Manchester City “the best club in England” – a gut punch for Arne Slot.
Liverpool are relying heavily on the fitness of Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté, both of whom have started all 22 Premier League matches this season. Joe Gomez, who has been out for 482 days with injury since the 2020-21 season, is the only senior centre-back in reserve, with long-term injuries to Giovanni Leoni and Conor Bradley further stretching their defence.
It is easy to see why they would target Micky van de Ven. The Spurs defender possesses the on-the-ball assurance that has become a trademark of Liverpool centre-backs. His lung-busting solo goal against Copenhagen summed up what can be seen in the data: he ranks very highly for pass accuracy, forward passes, dribbles and ball recoveries. And then there is his electric pace. Van de Ven’s 37.38 km/h sprint speed – the fastest recorded in the Premier League – would be very helpful in a Liverpool side that asks centre-backs to cover oceans of space behind full-backs.
With murmurs that he is reluctant to extend his stay at Tottenham, Liverpool’s interest makes sense. A Dutch head coach, four fellow Netherlands internationals in their side, and a tactical fit – it could be the logical destination.