Ricardo Pepi, Weston McKennie lead possible transfer window moves
By Doug McIntyre
FOX Sports Soccer Writer
Barring a spectacular shift in their current clubs’ plans, the most coveted transfer targets in Europe — Erling Haaland of Borussia Dortmund and Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappe — won’t hit the market until this summer.
But that doesn’t mean plenty of other well-known names won’t be switching teams when January’s month-long, midseason transfer window swings opens on New Year’s Day in England and across the rest of the continent on Jan. 3.
Here are 10 players who could be on the move next month and the latest on where some might land.
The 25-year-old midfielder helped Spurs reach the Champions League final in 2019 under then-manager Mauricio Pochettino, but he soon fell out of favor after Jose Mourinho replaced Pochettino the following season.
Alli is working his way back under new boss Antonio Conte, producing a standout performance in last week’s thrilling 1-1 tie against Liverpool. But he was less effective in a disappointing 1-1 draw Tuesday at Southampton.
A January move is still possible — even after Newcastle coach Eddie Howe turned down the chance to add the English World Cup veteran.
Dest chose Barca over Bayern Munich before the start of last season. Not only was it the Dutch-born U.S national teamer’s dream to join the squad Johan Cruyff and so many other fellow Ajax products left for, but he also got to work under former Netherlands manager Ronaldo Koeman and line up alongside Lionel Messi.
Now Messi and Koeman are both long gone. And with former Barca great Xavi now at the helm and seeming to prefer Ronald Araújo and Frenkie de Jong on the right flank, Dest could soon follow. Bayern and current Champions League holders Chelsea — who are unlikely to re-sign 30-something vets Marcos Alonso and Cesar Azpilicueta at season’s end — both reportedly are interested.
Just weeks after verbally agreeing to a new contract through 2026, the Argentine playmaker could soon be on the way out of Juve.
According to Italian soccer bible La Gazzetta dello Sport, the club reneged on its initial offer because of Dybala’s penchant for getting injured and instead proposed a shorter, bonus-laden deal.
Dybala’s current pact expires in the summer, meaning he can sign a pre-contract with another club as soon as next weekend. Juventus can’t afford to let the 28-year-old leave for free. If he refuses to accept the revised terms, the club must move him, pronto.
Nothing has gone right for Belgium's captain since he left Chelsea for the Spanish capital in 2019. Injuries and poor form have limited the 30-year-old winger to just 42 La Liga appearances and a measly four goals, and he doesn’t appear to be in manager Marco Ancelotti’s long- or short-term plans.
Where could Hazard end up? Earlier this month, Olivier Letang, the president of French club Lille, said that a return to the team with which Hazard made his professional debut is "not impossible."
Per a report from Spanish outlet El Nacional, Real is willing to return Hazard to Chelsea as part of a swap that would send coveted young England national team right back Reece James and $68 million — almost $100 million less than Real paid for Hazard — to Madrid.
Anthony Martial (Manchester United)
After more than six years at Old Trafford, Martial wants out. New United manager Ralph Rangnick confirmed the news on Boxing Day, following what he called a "long conversation" with the French international forward, who has scored 56 goals in 174 Premier League games since joining the Red Devils from Monaco in 2015.
But Martial’s rich salary is an obstacle; per the latest reports, no club has expressed interest in a permanent transfer so far. That could change when the calendar flips and teams across the continent begin making moves. If not, a loan is possible, though Manchester have already rejected an offer from Spain.
Weston McKennie (Juventus)
McKennie has been a key cog in the Juventus midfield since his arrival in Turin from Schalke before the 2020-21 campaign. Yet the whispers that Juve are willing to move the American for the right price persist.
McKennie, who is still only 23, could command a fee almost double the roughly $23 million Juve paid for him. That asking price limits where he could land, though, with the big Premier League clubs best positioned financially to tender an acceptable offer.
Indeed, the latest credible report from Italy has Tottenham willing to spend up to $40 million to secure McKennie’s services. Spurs’ managing director, Fabio Paratici, clearly knows the hard-running Texan’s worth, having inked McKennie when he held the same role with Juve.
While Pepi has made no secret of his desire to move to Europe as soon as possible, Dallas hoped to keep the 18-year-old USMNT striker in Texas until after the 2022 World Cup. But now, after months of little to no progress, a deal with Germany's Wolfsburg appears near, according to Fabrizio Romano, one of Europe’s leading transaction reporters.
As Romano notes, though, nothing has been agreed to yet. That leaves the door open for other suitors, including Bayern, which has a longstanding developmental partnership with the MLS club, to swoop in at the 11th hour.
Raheem Sterling (Manchester City)
Although he scored twice in the Sky Blues’ 6-3 rout of Leicester City on Sunday, Sterling has been open about wanting more playing time with the Premier League champs.
The 27-year-old has also never been shy about saying that he’d like to work in another country one day; his contract expires at the end of next season. Talk of a January loan to Barcelona has cooled, but one recent report suggested that Barca might still be interested in acquiring the former Liverpool prodigy, even after signing Sterling’s former Man City teammate Ferran Torres. That said, a summer move still seems more likely.
Kieran Trippier (Atletico Madrid)
One of the rare English players employed outside of the Prem, the 31-year-old ex-Spurs and Burnley right back could be heading home after three seasons with the reigning Spanish champions.
Bouyed by its new Saudi ownership, Newcastle United has money to burn. And spend they must if the 19th-place Magpies are to climb the standings and avoid relegation to the second tier this spring.
Adding a proven World Cup and Champions League vet would certainly help. Atletico execs expect to receive a bid from Newcastle as soon as the window opens.
Georginio Wijnaldum (Paris Saint-Germain)
Luring Wijnaldum in the summer — alongside Messi, Gianluigi Donnarumma, Achraf Hakimi and Sergio Ramos — as a free agent was seen as a major coup for PSG at the time. But the former Liverpool man hasn’t been able to crack Pochettino’s lineup regularly, and word is that the Dutch midfielder is open to returning to England.
Wijnaldum publicly revealed his frustration with PSG last month. Two weeks ago, Sky Sports reported that if Wijnaldum were to become available in January, Arsenal would be leading the chase for his signature.
Stay tuned on all fronts.
One of the most prominent soccer journalists in North America, Doug McIntyre has covered United States men’s and women’s national teams in more than a dozen countries, including multiple FIFA World Cups. Before joining FOX Sports, the New York City native was a staff writer for Yahoo Sports and ESPN. Follow him on Twitter @ByDougMcIntyre.
