Premier League window shopping

Daniel Sturridge looks set to be the first high-profile of the January transfer window, so here is my look at where and how clubs might strengthen in January.

Manchester United

Who they need: a defensive midfielder/enforcer type.

Who I would sign: Arturo Vidal would be the dream signing. Cheick Tiote or Gokhan Inler good alternatives.

Who they will actually sign: No one.

Manchester City

Who they need: defenders who can play a 3-5-2, wingers other than Scott Sinclair

Who I would sign: Giorgio Chiellini, Stefan de Vrij, David Villa, Pato could be available.

Who they will actually sign: Daniele De Rossi.

Arsenal

Who they need: two full-backs and a striker.

Who I would sign: Robert Lewandowski, Mario Gotze, David Alaba, Davide Santon.

Who they will actually sign: Fernando Llorente and Wilfried Zaha.

Everton

Who they need: an extra defender to cover at centre-back.

Who I would sign: Douglas from FC Twente.

Who they will actually sign: Rhys Williams

Tottenham

Who they need: a number 10

Who I would sign: Wesley Sneijder might be wishful thinking. Willian, Mezut Ozil, Ikay Gundagan.

Who they will actually sign: Willian or Joao Moutinho.

West Brom

Who they need: cover at full-back.

Who I would sign: Jetro Willems.

Who they will actually sign: Alan Hutton.

Chelsea

Who they need: a striker if Sturridge goes. A better sitting midfielder.

Who I would sign: Radamel Falcao, Vidal.

Who they will actually sign: Falcao, Pato, Robinho.

Liverpool

Who they need: a striker and goal-scoring midfielder

Who I would sign: Daniel Sturridge, Jonathan De Guzman.

Who they will actually sign: Sturridge.

Stoke

Who they need: set-piece maestro.

Who I would sign: Juan Arango.

Who they will actually sign: David Beckham.

Norwich

Who they need: at 31, Grant Holt will need replacing soon.

Who I would sign: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.

Who they will actually sign: Adam Le Fondre.

Swansea

Who they need: Wayne Routledge's hot streak will end soon.

Who I would sign: David Villa, Tobias Sana.

Who they will actually sign: Derk Boerrigter

West Ham

Who they need: a right-winger.

Who I would sign: Stefan Aigner, Alan. Diego Capel.

Who they will actually sign: Gareth McCleary, David Beckham.

Fulham

Who they need: central midfielders aged less than 30.

Who I would sign: James McCarthy, Fernando Gago.

Who they will actually sign: Douglas, Momo Sissoko.

Newcastle

Who they need: a centre-back.

Who I would sign: Douglas, Toby Alderweireld.

Who they will actually sign: Adam Lallana, Michael Dawson.

Sunderland

Who they need: two full-backs and defenders who aren't free transfers.

Who I would sign: Joleon Lescott, Martin Kelly, Matthieu Debuchy.

Who they will actually sign: Nicholas Anelka, John Heitinga.

Aston Villa

Who they need: a left wing-back.

Who I would sign: Sime Vrsaljiko, Juan Zuniga.

Who they will actually sign: William Kvist.

Wigan

Who they need: a more clinical striker.

Who I would sign: Joel Campbell, Dirk Kuyt.

Who they will actually sign: Marouane Chamakh.

QPR

Who they need: younger players with a point to prove.

Who I would sign: Demba Ba, Michael Dawson, Dries Mertens.

Who they will actually sign: Nicholas Anelka, Lucio.

Reading

Who they need: Premiership quality players.

Who I would sign: Stoppila Sunzu, Alan Hutton, Darren Bent.

Who they will actually sign: Nigel Quashie.

French Connection

The much vaunted Clairefontaine academy in France saw two of its recent graduates, Abou Diaby and Hatem Ben Arfa, star this weekend in the English Premier League and makes the recent opening of St George's Park in Burton seem about 20 years too late. 

Diaby was rightly named man-of-the-match after his role in the 2-0 dismissal of Liverpool and after two seasons virtually lost through injury the rangy midfielder is filling an Alex Song size hole with ease. It’s easy to forget that the Frenchman has been at Arsenal for six years, joining just two after Robin Van Persie came in from an exile at Feyenoord. His recent career has been stunted by injuries, which have affected his game since early on during his time at Auxerre, and if he had been available to Arsene Wenger more than 115 times we could be looking at an entirely different Arsenal team.

Quickly dubbed the ‘new Viera’ after joining in 2006, Diaby became an integral part of the Arsenal side and full international recognition came in 2007. His athleticism and presence in midfield was an integral part of Arsenal’s game with Diaby operating alongside Fabregas and Alex Song in a central midfield three; performances which led to a place at the 2010 World Cup. Diaby started all three of France’s disastrous campaign in South Africa and spent the next two seasons rehabilitating from injuries.

His seeming return to full fitness for 2012/2013 has been a substantial boost for Arsene Wenger who is still without Jack Wilshire and sold the influential Alex Song to Barcelona for £15 million. Arsenal are three games into the season and are yet to concede many chances, yet alone a goal. Much has been said about Steve Bould marshalling the Arsenal back four, but a midfield of Santi Cazorla, Mikel Arteta and Diaby hasn’t allowed other teams to settle and has masked what remain misfiring strikers.

Oliver Giroud missed another sitter (on his favoured foot this time) and despite scoring Podolski doesn’t look like a 20 goal a season finisher. Arsenal will always create chances because of their open and attacking principles and once the strikers start taking their chances, should have a good season.

Meanwhile in Newcastle the enigmatic Hatem Ben Arfa added another stunning goal to his repertoire, adding to strikes against Everton, Blackburn and Bolton. His rumoured fee of £5 million was somewhat of a gamble as the 25-year-old was recuperating from a Nigel De Jong-ed ankle and his given reputation for aggravating trouble and testing managers.

This temperament was captured on camera in the French documentary, A la Clairefontaine, which followed the French academy players, of which Ben Arfa was the youngest trainee. In a famous clip he is seen arguing and almost coming to blows with a 16-year-old Abou Diaby, providing a fascinating insight into what it must be like to leave home so young and dedicate your life to becoming a professional footballer (Take note Adrian Bevington).

Ben Arfa was part of a generation soon dubbed L’enfant terrible by the French press, that also included Karim Benzema, Samir Nasri and Jeremy Menez. This team won the European Under-17 Football Championship, defeating a Spain side that included Gerrard Pique and Cesc Fabregas but Ben Arfa was the star of the tournament. Feted as the new Zinedine Zidane, helped by his North African heritage, from the age of 17 Ben Arfa became a figure of disruption and managed to alienate Lyon and Marseille, then the two biggest clubs in France. A move to Newcastle was in all respect a come-down for a player who interested the likes of Real and Arsenal early in his career.

That Alan Pardew has been able to tame Ben Arfa is one of his greatest accomplishments at Newcastle and now he has devised a system that allows Ben Arfa to commit defenders the Frenchman has thrived. With a tally of nine goals for Newcastle he has beaten his goal record at Lyon and at Marseille in roughly half the number of games. Even more impressive is that at least five of his goals in England have been screamers, created from nothing.

Despite both Diaby and Ben Arfa enjoying a career renaissance, their fortunes on the international stage have contrasted visibly. Ben Arfa made Laurent Blanc’s 23 for Poland and Ukraine but fell-out with then France coach, Laurent Blanc, as did three other players. He was fined and dropped for the upcoming set of World Cup qualifiers and having finally broken back into the national set up, may have blown his second chance. Meanwhile, Diaby is included in Didier Deschamp’s squad for games versus Finland and Belarus, a first call-up since last June. Both players are products of the successful Clairefontaine academy, which you hope the FA have seriously looked at, and are enjoying second winds in the English game. 

Battle for fourth place heats up

With ten games to go until the end of the season the all important race for a place in the top-four is reaching a critical phase. Excluding the Manchester clubs, there are five other teams battling it out for the next five places and only two of those teams will reach the holy-grail of Champions League football.

Four of these teams will be in action this Wednesday evening, with the showpiece game being a resurgent Chelsea versus Manchester City, looking to bounce back from successive defeats. Here's my take each of the teams in the running and where they can expect to and will want to finish the season.

Tottenham Hotspurs

Up until moral-sapping defeats against the two Manchester sides, Spurs looked like they might have been able to mount a serious title challenge. However, these two setbacks were compounded with a heavy 5-2 defeat against Arsenal and their season is in danger of imploding with three defeats in a row in the league. Harry Redknapp’s position as favourite for the England job seems to be affecting the team and even getting to him on a personal level; appearing frustrated and irritated in his last few games. Now the stated aim is to secure a place in the top four and they face a tricky game tomorrow evening, with Stoke coming to visit. Redknapp’s side face Chelsea straight after Stoke and the all-London affair may go some way as to deciding whether Spurs get a second crack at the Champions League. A top four berth seems vital if they are to succeed in signing the big movers this summer, notably Eden Hazard and Jan Vertonghen. 

Arsenal

After an appalling start to the season, including an 8-2 defeat against United and a 4-3 defeat against an even more floundering Blackburn side, Arsenal have steadily rebuilt their season. Their injury ravaged defence have finally all returned and with Robin Van Persie up-front, Arsenal will always remain a serious goal threat. After coming from behind to win in their last four league games, a League record, Arsene Wenger’s boys are one of the form teams in the league and there will be hope that they can pinch the automatic Champions League spot from their North London rivals. Whilst summer investment appears essential, Arsenal have a youthful and attacking squad, with young Oxlade-Chamberlain impressing and staking a serious claim for EURO 2012. They face a tricky away visit to Everton on Wednesday but if their recent, almost United like performances (insofar as snatching late wins) is an indicator, then they could find themselves edging Spurs to third place. 

Chelsea

Interim boss Roberto Di Matteo’s 100% record since replacing Villas Boas faces another stern test against City on Wednesday evening. After overturning the two goal deficit against Naploi last week, Di Matteo even succeeded in getting Fernando Torres to score, as he hit two to book a FA Cup semi final date. The ageing players who seemed below par for much of this season have stepped it up in the last four matches, knowing that they are playing for a place in the team and their future. Mourinho’s spine still runs through the side; with Cech, Cole, Terry, Essien, Lampard and Drogba all starting the last few matches and seeming to prove AVB wrong with some performances of yesteryear. In hosting a well organised Manchester City they will face their toughest test, knowing that they can’t afford to drop many points if they wish to be a Champions League side next season. The shoots of recovery are there for Chelsea and their old squad; to make the top four this year is going to be difficult and even if they do the squad still requires an overhaul. 

Newcastle

Alan Pardew’s side continue to ride high in sixth place in the Premier League, though you sense they would bite your hand off for a sixth place finish now, rather than targeting the top four. Having spent modestly, compared to the surrounding clubs, Newcastle are actually making money thanks to the diligent ownership of Mike Ashley. As well as competing financially Newcastle have found some form in the league, mainly thanks to the goals of Demba Ba and the impressive Tim Krul and Fabricio Coloccini in front of him. Newcastle have struggled for form since Steven Taylor’s injury but a vital win over Norwich means the dream of European football is still a possibility. Finishing in the top six might prevent Newcastle’s key players moving on in the summer, with suitors casting admiring glances at Krul, Tiote, Ba, Cabaye and Ben Arfa.

Liverpool

With an outlay of over £100 million Liverpool were expected to be seriously challenging for fourth place this season but have struggled domestically and are ten points behind Arsenal in fourth place. It will take a mammoth effort to finish in the top four this season, starting with their game at QPR, which was the publicly stated aim of the club. Liverpool’s main problem this campaign has been goals; with Luis Suarez needing, on average, 14 shots to score and a £35 million striker who can’t even get a look in. Dalglish may have appeased the fans with the Carling Cup but a number of question marks remain over their expensive signings and Liverpool may need even more investment in order to compete with the big boys again.