What every Premier League team could and should do in the January transfer window...

With the January transfer window fast approaching, we take a look at each and every Premier League team's options, what they can afford, what they need and what we can realistically expect from them.

Arsenal

With new manager Mikel Arteta coming in at the Emirates, all previous links with future Emery signings can probably be ignored, but that does not mean a big January is off the cards for Arsenal. Arteta knows the club, and therefore will recognise that spending big in January is not to be expected, however he will want to address key positions in the window if possible. One such area that needs drastic and obvious improvement is at centre back; Sokratis, Mustafi and David Luiz are too prone to mistakes and are not long term solutions there (with two already into their 30s), so Arsenal will need to make additions. Jerome Boateng is linked with a move to the Emirates, however I feel, despite having been one of the best centre backs in the world for the past few seasons, that signing the German would be adding to the existing problem of ageing defenders already at the club. One further Bundesliga avenue to be explored (which would make a lot more sense) would be Dayot Upamenco at RB Leipzig - a young, quick and aggressive centre back who could change the way Arteta's side defend, but his £40 million price tag could put off the London Club. Elsewhere, Aubameyang is linked with a move away from the North London, a rumour further fuelled by Eddie Nketiah's reportedly imminent recall from Leeds, however I think such a high profile move is unlikely in January. A creative midfielder is also desperately needed, should Ozil continue his season-long run of bad form, with names like Thomas Lemar and Dries Mertens being linked with a move to North London, however, I do not believe that such heavy investments will take place in January, if at all. There will be incomings at the Emirates, but I would not expect them to be as high profile as most Arsenal fans would like.

Aston Villa

Villa surprised many with their summer transfer blitz following promotion via the play-offs from the Championship; spending £127 million on 12 new players to bolster their squad for the step up to the top division of English football, and Dean Smith has far from poured cold water over big January business. He stated that while there are two players for each position, that it is 'their job to keep me happy, not the other way round', and that he is 'always open to additions to better the squad'. It would seem that the most obvious place for Villa to invest would be in the forward positions - with £22 million Wesley not living up to expectations. A loan move for Liverpool's Rhian Brewster is seemingly on the cards, however I would argue that they need someone with a bit more experience; he is certainly a talented youngster but Villa need goals and they need them fast if they have any hope of staying in the division. A proven top-division goalscorer is required in my eyes, and one such name I would like to see Villa linked with would Olivier Giroud, who is reportedly keen to leave Chelsea to search for more game time, however, with clubs like West Ham, Inter and Monaco also linked with the Frenchman, Villa would have to fight hard to secure his signature. Keeping hold of Jack Grealish, who is linked with Man United must be the priority, and despite Smith's claims I believe that we can expect a fairly quiet window for Villa, but a striker is required and I would expect that one will come in.

Bournemouth

With injury-stricken Bournemouth now being drawn into what will be a hard-fought relegation battle, the January transfer window is not looking like much of a reprieve. Eddie Howe has stated that only the 'right players' will be brought in, with departures looking much more likely than arrivals. Jordan Ibe is linked with a move to the championship, with both West Brom and Leeds reportedly interested, but a potential huge loss the Cherries would be Nathan Ake, whose £40 million Chelsea buy-back clause and Manchester City's interest would be of great concern to Howe, as such a talented young centre back would prove difficult to replace in todays market. If they can hold on to Ake, I would judge that a successful window for the Cherries.

Brighton and Hove Albion

Graham Potter has seemed to insist that he will not be adding to his £45 million summer revamp, citing that if any business was to be conducted, that Brighton would most likely have to overpay. The most popular rumour seems to be linking Tottenham's Kyle Walker-Pieters with a move to the AmEx, and I could see that happening, with Jose Mourinho's preference of experience over youth potentially being a factor. I would expect more exits than arrivals, with Brighton happy to let Shane Duffy, Jahanbakhsh and Schelletto leave the club. In terms of what they need, I'm not certain that adding to the squad in the January window is necessary, with the club in 14th at time of writing.

Burnley

The only position I can realistically see Burnley actively looking to bolster would be a midfielder, with Danny Drinkwater's loan move from Chelsea proving to be a dud. However without a huge budget behind them, I can't see a spectacular move appearing in January - a view shared by Sean Dyche. Holding on to both Dwight McNeil and James Tarwoski would prove a good January for the Clarets. Ollie Watkins would be a useful addition, with Chris Wood and Ashely Barnes struggling to maintain runs of form between them, however, with Brentford doing so well in the Championship, he may be too difficult to prise away in this window.

Chelsea

With the transfer ban lifted for the coming window, I would be surprised not to see a big window for Chelsea. While Lampard's 'Class of 19' players are playing well, cracks have started to appear in recent weeks. A sensational £120 million move for boyhood Chelsea fan Jadon Sancho dominates the papers, and what a signing that would be - a potentially generation-defining winger locking down a first team position for the next 10-12 seasons, IF they can pull it off. However, any bid should expect stiff competition from a number of Europe's elite - with both Manchester clubs, PSG and Juventus all reportedly interested in the Dortmund wonderkid. Elsewhere, Ake could make a return to Stamford Bridge and potentially provide a bit of security to what has been an inconsistent defence (in terms of lineups and performances) in recent games. The midfield needs no reinforcement with Kante, Mount, Jorginho and Kovacic all spectacularly pulling their weight and Barkely waiting in the wings. Tammy Abraham's form this season has justified Lampard's reluctance to invest in a big money striker, at least until the summer. Ben Chilwell could perhaps be the man to solve Chelsea's left back worries, and Leicester have had no qualms selling big names to rivals in the past, with Marcos Alonso and Emerson not seeming to fit into Lampard's plans, but I would propose Lucas Digne as another option for the Blues should Chilwell prove unmanageable. I expect Chelsea to splash the cash this window as they couldn't in the summer; they've coped fairly well so far without investment so with a few players, I think Lampard could really go somewhere with this team, and I'm sure he'll share that view when approaching this window.

Crystal Palace

As always with Palace, speculation over the future of Wilfried Zaha will once again dominate their transfer window, but with an £80 million price tag, I do not believe he will be going anywhere. I was seriously concerned with Palace's striking options going into this season, with Benteke and Wickham both not cutting it for me, but Jordan Ayew has perhaps staked a claim for there to be no massive reinforcement in that area given his incredible form. However, a link has been made with Celtic's Odsonne Edouard, and despite Ayew's form, Roy Hodgson has made it clear he wants another forward. Should the move for the French forward not materialise, Palace could turn to Ollie Watkins and Rhian Brewster, however, I believe they should go for Edouard, even if his price tag may be a little high, they still have money from the sale of Aaron Wan-Bissaka, and Edouard is made to play in the Premier League in my opinion.

Everton

Carlo Ancelotti's move should prove great business in itself, but I still expect Everton to bring in a new face or two this January. Carlo's faith in Dominic Calvert-Lewin seems to be already paying off, and the veteran manager has stated that he does not wish to reinforce his front line this window. The most obvious places needing bolstering are in midfield, given long term injuries to both Andre Gomes and Gbamin. I'm a huge fan of Napoli's Piotr Zielinski, and believe he would be a fantastic signing for the Toffees, having already played under Ancelotti at Napoli, and may not prove to be too expensive, as new boss Gattuso does not seem to fancy him. Watford's Doucore seems desperate to leave Vicarage Road and Everton could be his destination, and I would back him to be successful too.

Leicester City

Given their incredible season so far, and their past business of selling key players to rivals, it will come as no surprise to anyone that a host of Leicester's players are linked with moves away to other Premier League sides. Brendan Rodgers has waved away any such deals as well as any major arrivals, but of course he wrote off Harry Maguire's transfer to Manchester United in the summer until he'd all but gone, so him saying that should not mean too much. I would be shocked if any of their stars would want to leave, especially in January, to a rival Premier League team given how well they are playing. I wouldn't expect anything major in terms of arrivals either, with Brendan not wanting to upset the dressing room. One type of player I would like to see move there would be someone who could play across the front line to provide a bit of cover for the front three should any of them get injured. Xherdan Shaqiri would be one well known one, another perhaps Sebastian Szymanski at Dinamo Moscow, who's versatility is used to great effect there. As of yet, there are no concrete rumours linking Leicester with any obvious signings, and I see no great need for them to bolster heavily.

Liverpool

Having already secured Minamino for a criminally low £7.25 million, Liverpool's January has got off to a great start. There were rumours that new midfielders were required to fill the hole left by Fabihno's injury, but with Naby Keita and Adam Lallana, amongst others, stepping up, there seems no real need to bolster that area. Vitesse left back Max Clarke has reportedly caught Klopp's eye, but rumour suggests he may not move until the summer, if at all, and full back is certainly not an area of concern for Liverpool. Timo Werner has also been cited to provide cover for the brilliant front three, but I believe him to be better than a backup, and Origi, Oxlade-Chamberlain and Shaqiri do a great job filling in for them when required. I'm not expecting a big window for Liverpool, but a few youth prospects and backup players may come in to help see their all but inevitable title challenge over the line.

Manchester City

Despite Guardiola's insistence that no defenders (or anyone else for that matter) will be signed, I do not believe for one second that they won't at least explore the option of signing a new centre back. Otamendi and Stones have proved ill-prepared to cover while Laporte has been injured, with Pep often choosing to field 34 year-old midfielder Fernandinho there instead of playing those two. Laporte is set to make a return to the first team in January, and can certainly help with their Champions League run, but I still believe further action is required from the City board. Napoli's Koulibaly seems the obvious choice and while he may be expensive, City's finiancial muscle has never been in question, but City are reportedly more interested in Barcelona youth project, left back Juan Larios and have apparently made him their priority. Johnny Evans could provide a useful option for Pep, but at 31, he does not fit his profile fully, that, alongside the fact that he is a Premier League winner with Manchester United, makes this move a little unlikely for me. It seems to me that any promising centre back in the world could be linked with City, but nothing concrete has yet emerged that would suggest that they will do anything but wait for Laporte's return.

Manchester United

The media have suggested a huge January is on the cards at Old Trafford, however I believe that while there will be signings, United will not go over the top. Having already missed out on Halaand, it would seem that Ole is not desperate to reinforce his front line - something which I agree with. Up front seems to be the only area in which United have real depth - with fit Rashford and Martial firing on all cylinders, and Mason Greenwood stepping up every time he has been called upon, I do not expect any strikers to arrive at Old Trafford this January. United were front runners to sign Sancho from Dortmund before Chelsea's transfer ban was lifted, and a bidding war could erupt between the two clubs, who both are in need of a winger for different reasons. Despite his agents insistence that Pogba will be staying at Old Trafford, I predict United to aggressively pursue an attacking midfielder. Christian Eriksen is available for a seemingly cheap fee, and a loan move with an option to buy for £45 million for promising Benfica youngster Gedson Fernandes is also on the cards. A huge part of Ole's plan for the future is to clear dead wood and replace them with youthful players that fit United's profile. Marcos Rojo is one player that could leave in January, with a host of Argentinian clubs happy to bid for him, and I wouldn't be surprised if Bailly were to leave too, but this would call for another centre half to be signed. Nemanja Matic is expected to leave too, with Athletico and Inter watching closely, with United set to go head to head with Dortmund over out of favour Juventus midfielder Emre Can as a replacement there. I expect a few arrivals and a few departures, at least one midfielder and perhaps a defender by the end of January at United.

Newcastle United

Steve Bruce has coped well with this Newcastle squad, but they need to add a few more goals to their front line, with Joelinton simply not cutting it. His £40 million price tag seemed justified for a young player who had already had Champions League experience, but he has not provided the goals that left with Salomon Rondon, who I believe would completely excel at Bruce's Newcastle. Transfer funds are limited at St James' Park, but they are available, and I expect Bruce to spend any cash he can get his hands on on a new striker, especially with news that Dwight Gayle is expected to go back to his hunting grounds in the Championship. A January move for Granit Xhaka looks off the cards, with the Arsenal captain look set to join Hertha Berlin, despite a reported phone call from international team-mate Fabian Schar attempting to convince him to join the Magpies.

Norwich City

Norwich are in serious trouble and need reinforcement if they have any chance of staying in the division, but all seems quiet at Carrow Road. Pukki is a great option when he's in form, but without his goals Norwich seem toothless and a striker would certainly be an area I'd look at. Players seem much more likely to leave than join according to rumour, with Todd Cantwell, Max Aarons and Ben Godfrey all linked to other teams in the division, Farke must work hard to convince these players that they will still be playing Premier League football with Norwich next year.

Sheffield United

Chris Wilder's incredible season with this Sheffield side is nothing short of remarkable, and I see no need why they would need to bolster heavily, but the manager has made it clear that he wants to capitalise on this form as a way of attracting players to his squad this January. Jack Rodwell has been on trial at the club, but Mason Holgate and Ollie Watkins are said to be his ideal candidates for new arrivals this window. Ravel Morrison is set to leave yet another team having failed to impress Wilder on and off the pitch, but new contracts are said to be offered to John Egan, Lundstram and Enda Stevens, so while big money may not be splashed, this could prove a key window at Bramall Lane.

Southampton

Southampton's revival is well and truly under way, and Hasenhuttl has promised further signings in January to boost their chances at staying in the division. Che Adams looks certain to leave having been disappointing all season, with Leeds United looking prime candidates to take him to Elland Road. Joakim Maehle of Genk is reportedly the top priority heading into the window, and I believe this to be a good option for them at right back to replace the unhappy and problematic Cedric. Danny Ings and a few other forwards have been excellent but Southampton are leaking goals, and with Janik Vestergaard linked with a move back to Germany, a new, commanding centre back is also on Hasenhuttl's list, with Leipzig's Mario Pongracic being a player with which they have had a long standing interest. It would seem that Saints will have a busy window defensively, and I look forward to seeing who they turn to to keep their survival campaign alive.

Tottenham Hotspur

January sees a great opportunity for Jose Mourinho to begin to create this Tottenham team into something we haven't seen before. Full backs dominate the rumours, with Aurier and Rose proving unpopular amongst fans and pundits alike, with Norwich's Max Aarons looking a good fit in my opinion. Bale is continuing to be linked to his old club in a potential swap deal with Christan Eriksen, who I firmly believe would excel at Real Madrid, or indeed at Manchester United, where he is also linked. Issa Diop is supposedly Jose's top target this window, having tried to sign him for Manchester United the previous year, and he would provide a youthful energy and confidence that I'm not sure Alderweireld, Vertongen or Davidson Sanchez currently provide.. His forward line looks deadly but still rumours continue to link Gremio forward Everton Soares, a very exciting Brazilian prospect, with a move to Tottenham, which again I would consider a good fit, but I believe and predict that Spurs will focus of bringing in defenders and not a lot else this window.

Watford

Nigel Pearson's arrival at Watford seems to have been an inspired appointment, and Watford's bid to stay in the division seems boosted by his joining. This is a big January for them, keeping players at Vicarage Road must be the priority in my opinion. This squad is good enough to stay in the division by some distance, and should they go down, any number of players that stayed beyond January will be poached by Premier League sides. Doucore is linked with both Everton and PSG and Deulofeu is an electric winger that would slot into a few Premier League team's starting lineups, with fan favourite Etienne Capoue also linked with a move away. Joao Pedro is a fantastic capture for them, and will certainly add goals and flair to Watford's game, and a fit and firing Troy Deeney is effectively a new signing for them, having missed him dearly for much of this season through injury. Left back is also a position that could be strengthened in January, with Danny Rose and Ricardo Rodriguez being linked with coming in - two names which should please Watford fans; despite a tough season they are still attracting players with a Champions League pedigree. A busy window is surely ahead of them, but I expect Watford to stay in the division come the end of the season either way.

West Ham United

David Moyes recent appointment has certainly shaken up any January plans in the pipeline for West Ham United. Sebastien Haller's big money move to London has proven unfruitful, and a striker must surely be up there on Moyes' wish list, with both Luka Jovic and Olivier Giroud being touted as options. One area they simply must improve on is in goal. Fabianski is an excellent goalkeeper, but when injured Roberto is a terrible option. While Pellegrini was destined for the sack at some stage, having Roberto in net certainly sped up the process. A return for former Hammer Darren Randolph seems likely and would make sense to me, or even buying Neil Etheridge would be a good idea; whoever they go for, they must improve that position. Keeping hold of Diop could prove tricky, with a host of clubs waiting in the wings. I expect West Ham to go out and buy a forward, as Haller proved no replacement for Marco Arnautovic, but a backup keeper would be high on my list of priorities were I in David Moyes' shoes right now.

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Wolves boss Nuno Espirito has made his desire to add a forward to his squad obvious, and Hwang Hee-Chang would be an unbelievable signing. Whilst Halaand has stolen headlines for Salzburg with his incredible numbers, Chang has been quietly doing something similar, with 6 goals and 7 assists in 14 games, and at only 23, Chang looks to me to be the right option for Wolves. Part of the reason for this link is Patrick Cutrone's apparent January move to Fiorentina on loan being very much on the cards, just 6 months after signing for Wolves, but he hasn't been the right fit. I make this out to be a very mature and clinical piece of business from Nuno; he isn't keen to keep players who won't work for him, and Wolves have the team in place to go out and replace them. I expect Chang to sign for Wolves, but I wouldn't expect a lot else from them.

Overall, I expect a fairly busy window for the Premier League, with a few inevitable big money panic buys, but on the whole I'm pleased with most of the names linked to English clubs, and expect some incoming players to do very well. Joao Pedro at Watford, Chang at Wolves (should he join) and Giroud (if he goes to a Premier League club) would be three I predict for success.