Arsenal
Mikel Arteta would like an active window and knows Arsenal have yawning deficiencies in the centre-back and midfield positions. RB Leipzig’s Dayot Upamecano and Atlético Madrid’s Thomas Lemar would be fine additions but would cost, in total, around £100m and Arsenal simply do not have that money. A January of wheeling and dealing looks more likely: Granit Xhaka’s departure would, if given the green light, free up around £25m but big-money additions might be contingent on letting Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leave – a sacrifice that may not be worth it. Nick Ames
Aston Villa
After spending over £100m in the summer, Villa can ill afford to go down. But they realise they will probably have to spend again if they are to blast their way out of relegation trouble. A new striker to relieve the pressure on Wesley would be welcome, and there is also a desire to improve the supply to the forward line, especially with John McGinn out for three months with injury. The Werder Bremen winger Milot Rashica is among the targets. Paul Doyle
Bournemouth
Eddie Howe has repeatedly cited the difficulty of getting value for money in the winter window but a sizeable injury list may force his hand. The priority will be keeping hold of Nathan Aké, though they are powerless to stop him joining Chelsea should his former club activate a £40m buyback clause this month. Ryan Fraser is out of contract in June but the club have no desire to cash in on the winger this window, while Howe could recall the striker Sam Surridge from Swansea. Ben Fisher
Brighton
A lack of cutting edge in attack has cost Brighton dearly in recent weeks and Graham Potter is likely to be in the market for another striker to take the strain off Neal Maupay and the veteran Glenn Murray, who has made only three Premier League starts this campaign. They have also been linked with rising Norwegian star Emil Bohinen – the son of former Nottingham Forest midfielder Lars – and Bordeaux right-back Enock Kwateng but do not expect wholesale changes to a squad still adapting to their new manager. Ed Aarons
Burnley
Have been linked with Championship players such as Josh Brownhill of Bristol City and Ollie Watkins from Brentford. Sean Dyche is always on the lookout for inexpensive upgrades and has done well in the past few seasons, though Danny Drinkwater could return to Chelsea in January if Burnley choose not to extend his loan deal. Burnley need to keep Dwight McNeil at the club a little longer, and to think about back up for Ashley Barnes now that Dyche has begun to ration his starts. Paul Wilson
Chelsea
Frank Lampard has at least £150m to spend now the club’s transfer ban has been lifted and he wants to improve his attacking options. Targets include Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho, Villarreal winger Samuel Chukwueze, CSKA Moscow forward Fyodor Chalov, Timo Werner of RB Leipzig, Lyon’s Moussa Dembélé and Wilfried Zaha, while Chelsea could also make a £40m move for the Bournemouth defender Nathan Aké. Olivier Giroud will be allowed to leave. Jacob Steinberg
Crystal Palace
Roy Hodgson’s pleas for reinforcements to his battle-weary squad look likely to fall on deaf ears with Crystal Palace’s American owners reluctant to increase a wage bill which is in the Premier League’s top 10. Yet given the shortage in attacking options and a number of injuries in defence, new arrivals are surely needed if Palace are to maintain their upward trajectory. The prospective departure of Wilfried Zaha would free up some funds although it remains to be seen whether Chelsea or any other suitors for the Ivorian will meet the asking price of £80m. EA
Everton
With an expensive new manager believed to have been assured of financial backing Everton will be expected to do brisk business as soon as the window opens in January, though Carlo Ancelotti has promised to concentrate on the Merseyside derby in the FA Cup first, and may need to move out Cenk Tosun and Oumar Niasse to make room for incoming players. A goalscorer and a creative midfielder will be high on the wish list. PW
Leicester
The priority is a surefire winger or two ready to go straight into the team while the likes of Harvey Barnes and Demarai Gray develop consistency. The club has plenty to spend if necessary, including the £80m they got last summer for Harry Maguire. None of their top players will be sold, while the squad may be pruned, with fringe players such as Nampalys Mendy possible departures. PD
Liverpool
Quite clearly do not need anyone this January, unless Jürgen Klopp has concerns about outbreak of illness or injury, particularly as Takumi Minamino has already been signed from RB Salzburg. Just fitting the Japanese attacking midfielder into an already successful team will be tricky enough, and Klopp has said there is no need to rush because the present players are performing so well. While Kylian Mbappé might get straight into the Liverpool side, almost everyone else would have to wait. PW
Manchester City
Pep Guardiola has insisted that no one will be signed despite how Aymeric Laporte’s injury and the lack of any quality replacement for the centre-back have hurt the title defence. The Frenchman is expected back for the Champions League which may now be the main focus. As this is the transfer market, though, never say never regarding a U-turn in policy and Guardiola would have up to £50m should this occur. Jamie Jackson
Manchester United
Ole Gunnar Solskjær’s budget is around £150m but only for players on his summer list who become available. This includes Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho, Leicester’s James Maddison, Tottenham’s Christian Eriksen or West Ham’s Declan Rice. The manager, though, should prioritise Rice, Eriksen, Maddison or another midfielder as this is his weakest department. No one should leave unless, say, Nemanja Matic demands a move and the offer is good. JJ
Newcastle
If mid-table security is to be cemented, Steve Bruce could do – rather desperately – with a reliable striker, thereby reducing his dependence on defenders for goalscoring. Bruce needs to sell to buy and hopes to offload midfielders Jack Colback and Henri Saivet, who together earn almost £100,000 a week and are not in the 25-man first-team squad. Dwight Gayle could be sold to a Championship club while Yoshinori Muto and Ki Sung-yueng could also be offloaded. Hull’s Jarrod Bowen is Bruce’s main target. Louise Taylor
Norwich
Norwich’s injury crisis has ended but one glaring hole remains; someone to take the load off Teemu Pukki up front. That this is the most expensive position to reinforce, and Norwich insist they cannot spend £10m on a player, means even links to young talents such as Willem II’s Mike Trésor Ndayishimiye will likely come to nothing. The upside is that there is no pressure to sell either, despite interest in Max Aarons and Ben Godfrey. Paul MacInnes
Sheffield United
Chris Wilder is well stocked for forwards but has tended to rely on the same players every week in other positions. He would welcome more strength in depth, especially in midfield and defence. He has a longstanding interest in the Blackburn Rovers centre-back Darragh Lenihan, while Nottingham Forest’s Joe Worrall is also on the radar. Sheffield United’s abundance of forwards, meanwhile, has restricted the playing time of Billy Sharp, in whom clubs including Celtic have expressed an interest. PD
Southampton
Still financially hamstrung from previous windows, Southampton are unlikely to spend big but Ralph Hasenhüttl is keen to strengthen at full-back to ease the workload on Cédric Soares and Ryan Bertrand. Soares is out of contract in the summer and happy to run his contract down, while Bertrand could also depart at the end of the season. Hasenhüttl is desperate to spruce up his defence with a couple of new faces capable of making an immediate impact. BF
Tottenham
José Mourinho has said on several occasions that he understands the financial constraints at Spurs; that he is happy to work with the existing squad. Does anybody truly believe His Humbleness? In an ideal world, Mourinho would like new full-backs, maybe a centre-back and a back-up striker. Whether the club can sell Christian Eriksen will hold the key to the budget. Mourinho’s first window with Daniel Levy will be an experience. David Hytner
Watford
Recent results and performances have reinforced the belief that Watford already have the players they need to get out of their current predicament, though the defence, weakened by injuries, could be reinforced. João Pedro, whose transfer was agreed last year, has arrived from Fluminense but at 18 cannot be expected to have an instant impact. Major outgoings are unlikely though some seldom-used squad members, particularly goalkeepers and midfielders, will leave on loan. Simon Burnton
West Ham
David Moyes wants to spend after being tasked with saving West Ham from relegation again. A central midfielder has to be a priority and Moyes likes Stoke’s Joe Allen. But there are other holes to fill. West Ham are trying to sign the Middlesbrough goalkeeper Darren Randolph and want more cover up front. JS
Wolves
Rising interest in Adama Traoré is likely to be rebuffed. Nuno Espírito Santo hopes to make a couple of additions to a squad that has coped admirably with its huge workload so far. The injury to Willy Boly means a new centre-back is high on the wish list, and Nuno would also like more options in midfield. A couple of Lille players have been eyed up – defender Gabriel Magalhães and midfielder Boubakary Soumaré – while Milan’s Franck Kessié and QPR’s versatile Ryan Manning have also attracted interest. PD
