The January transfer window is open and there are plenty of potential big deals that could materialise over the coming weeks.
Most agree that the winter window is notoriously tough to do business, with clubs unwilling to negotiate the sale of their stars, players cup-tied and inflated prices common refrains.
Crystal Palace threw caution to the wind and saw a bid of £35 million accepted by Tottenham for out-of-favour winger Brennan Johnson.
A deal that will see Antoine Semenyo move to Manchester City from Bournemouth appears to be edging closer, with City having triggered the Ghanaian's £65m release clause.
We examine some of the high-profile players who could be inching towards the exit door.
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Linked with: Al Ittihad, Saudi Pro League
Salah's future was the hot topic as 2025 wound down. The Egyptian forward accused Liverpool of scapegoating him alone for the club's poor start to the season and he was left out of Arne Slot's squad for an important Uefa Champions League tie at Inter Milan last month.
No sooner was he integrated back into the squad, Salah was jetting off to Morocco to help Egypt's ongoing Africa Cup of Nations bid.
Slot has stated that there is "no issue to resolve" between him and Salah, but clearly, all is not well between club and player.
Salah has previous when it comes to using the media to get his message out, portraying himself as the wronged party, as was the case last year when talks over a new contract dragged out over months.
He may have good reason to feel aggrieved – he is by no means the only underperforming member of Slot's squad – but the overriding sense is that Salah has gone to the well one too many times in criticising the club.
Should Liverpool look to sell, it seems highly likely Salah's next move will be to Saudi Arabia. Long linked with a move to champions Al Ittihad, even league officials are using public platforms to issue "we'll come and get you" pleas.
Whatever Liverpool's stance was, it has undoubtedly been altered since learning that Alexander Isak faces a lengthy spell on the sidelines after fracturing his fibula against Tottenham on December 22.
Whether the rift can be mended once Salah returns from Afcon remains to be seen.
Marc Guehi (Crystal Palace)
Linked with: Liverpool, Manchester City, Newcastle United, Bayern Munich
While Salah's "woe is me" has been the main point of analysis for Liverpool's wayward title defence, not nearly enough forensics have been devoted to the alarming decline of Virgil van Dijk.
The Dutch colossus was seminal to Liverpool's Premier League title win last term but time and again hr has been exposed this campaign. Screaming at teammates for mistakes only really works when you are beyond reproach. Now it looks like Van Dijk berates those around him to cover his own flaws.
Ibrahima Konate is far from the finished article but has potential. But it is clear that Liverpool need a major upgrade at the heart of their defence.
To be fair, the Reds did their best to address that last summer, but Crystal Palace dug their heels in and refused to sanction the sale of Marc Guehi.
The player responded in just the way you would hope, getting his head down and proving why he is a wanted man not only in the Premier League but across Europe. Guehi has been Palace's player of the season at the halfway stage and has established himself as England's defensive totem ahead of this summer's World Cup.
But Palace have a decision to make. Guehi's contract expires this summer and, though it's understood he is open to staying and running down his current deal, he will not agree to a new one. It would be foolish for Palace not to cash in on a player who could command upwards of £70m and who has no intention of staying beyond the end of the season.
Liverpool appear to be the frontrunners, but Newcastle United have held a long-term interest in the 25-year-old and Manchester City are also said have identified Guehi as the player to bolster their own central defensive options.
Kobbie Mainoo (Manchester United)
Linked with: Napoli, Real Madrid
Conflicting reports over Kobbie Mainoo's future have him both desperate to quit Old Trafford and keen to stay and fight for his place.
Ruben Amorim has made it known he is an admirer of the 20-year-old midfielder 's abilities, but that his application of them doesn't quite match up.
In a World Cup year, Mainoo cannot afford to spend the remainder of the campaign on the bench or unsure of game time. A move would seem to suit both parties, whether temporary or permanent.
Rumours of Real Madrid being ready to pounce were swirling, but Serie A champions Napoli have seemingly now entered the frame.
If Mainoo needs convincing, Napoli head coach Antonio Conte can point to a recent body of work in resurrecting the careers of United stars who have fallen by the wayside.
Scott McTominay was voted the league's MVP as Napoli secured last season's scudetto while Rasmus Hojlund has become a born-again goalscorer since joining on loan last summer.
Ruben Neves (Al Hilal)
Linked with: Manchester United, Tottenham Hotspur, Atletico Madrid
Ruben Neves was part of the first foreign influx of players to the Saudi Pro League during the mega-spend of 2023.
Almost all of that crop were handed three-year contracts, meaning there could be a mass exodus of the original imports this summer to make way for a new generation of overseas talent.
One player of definite interest would be the Portuguese playmaker. Neves, 28, one of those who is out of contract come June, was a standout performer in the Premier League during his time at Wolves and is said to be top of Manchester United wishlist.
With Casemiro a fading force and Mainoo's future in doubt, a move to Old Trafford, pairing Neves alongside compatriot Bruno Fernandes at the heart of United's midfield, makes sense on many levels.
Tottenham are also on the lookout for a midfielder to bring control to a team lacking any semblance of it. Spanish giants Atletico Madrid have also been credited with an interest and Neves certainly fits the Diego Simeone profile.
Raheem Sterling (Chelsea)
Linked with: West Ham United
The forgotten man of English football. It's hard to recall a player whose form and reputation has fallen off a cliff quite as spectacularly as Sterling's.
A serial collector of trophies at Manchester City, one of only 36 players to score 100-plus Premier League goals, Sterling's decline begs the question as to whether he still has the drive to succeed or has been hopelessly mismanaged by a succession of reputable coaches.
Chelsea are desperate to offload but know there will be few takers for a player who has made zero appearances this season, and hasn't played any first-team football since last February.
West Ham's overreliance on Jarrod Bowen for goals in a bid to escape relegation is one fraught with peril. Callum Wilson is prone to injury and a lay-off to either would seriously hamper the Hammers' bid to avoid the drop.
Whether they are prepared to take a punt on a player with a proven past but an uncertain future could be the difference between survival or relegation.
