5 World Cup Stars On The Rader Of Premier League Clubs During The January Transfer Window

The FIFA World Cup usually precedes the summer transfer window. However, with the tournament in Qatar taking place in the Northern Hemisphere’s winter, all eyes are on the January transfer window. Several players had impressive campaigns at the month-long tournament, and have been linked with Premier League clubs. We take a look at five players who could find themselves in England this winter.

1. Jude Bellingham (Borussia Dortmund)

It’s hard to get around the fact that Jude Bellingham is 19 years old. The Borussia Dortmund midfielder bossed the midfield in all of England’s games bar one, against the United States. The former Birmingham City player’s athleticism and prowess were on display for the world to see, and there’s no denying he has world-class written all over him. 

Liverpool has been closely linked to Bellingham, with Jurgen Klopp making the England star his primary target. The Dortmund player will come at a considerable cost, and last season’s Champions League finalists may wait until the summer after securing Netherlands’ Cody Gakpo recently from PSV. 

2. Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid)

The Portugal international scored one goal and provided two assists in four appearances at the World Cup last month. João Félix joined Atlético Madrid from Benfica in 2019 for £113m and became the world’s most expensive transfer for a teenager. 

Now in 2022, the 23-year-old is open to a move away from the Metropolitano stadium after a soured relationship with manager Diego Simeone. The attacking midfielder is being closely watched by Manchester United and Arsenal. 

3. Sofyan Amrabat (Fiorentina)

The Moroccan midfielder departed Qatar with a considerably increased value after sterling performances for the Atlas Lions. The 26-year-old has garnered the attention of many clubs including Liverpool.

He helped Morocco become the first African team to advance to the semi-finals of the World Cup. Fiorentina boss Vincenzo Italiano is hoping his star midfielder will remain in Serie A, at least until the summer. 

4. Marcus Thuram (Borussia Monchengladbach)

The son of World Cup winner Lilliam Thuran, Marcus played five times for Les Bleus on their way to the final in Qatar contributing with two assists.

The attacking player is being lined up by Erik Ten Hag, although Manchester United can’t splash out on a massive transfer fee. However, what does play into the English side’s favour is that the 25-year-old is out of contract at the end of the season. 

The German team will be keen to offload the Frenchman in January for a fee rather than see him go for free in the summer. 

5. Enzo Fernandez (Benfica)

The World Cup winner was named the Best Young Player of the tournament and has attracted lots of interest across Europe. Chelsea is said to be the front-runners for the Argentine’s signature, with Benfica only allowing the dynamic midfielder to leave once his release clause of £105 million is activated.

Former Manchester United defender and football pundit Gary Neville gawked at the idea of the diminutive Benfica player being worth that sum of money. The Portuguese club would make a handsome profit from the former River Plate player whom they bought for £12m in 2021.

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