The January transfer window is open, with clubs across the world looking to do business.
It is a notoriously difficult period; a packed fixture schedule, injuries, keeping up a title charge or fighting to stay up means clubs will be forced to delve into the market this winter.
Players who are out of contract at the end of the season are also now free to negotiate with overseas clubs, signing pre-contract agreements, meaning the selling clubs must weigh up whether to cash in now or let a player leave for free in the summer.
We take a look at players potentially on the move in this window or signing deals to move on this summer.
Mohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Arguably the best player on the planet right now, Salah has hinted over the past months that his time at Liverpool is coming to an end.
The Egyptian forward claims he has received no offer from Liverpool over a contract extension, which, if true, seems ludicrous.
What is more likely is that Liverpool and Ramy Abbas Issa, Salah's agent, are talking daily to try and reach an agreement that suits all parties.
The longer the impasse, the more speculation over Salah's future will intensify. The 32 year old is free to talk to clubs outside the Premier League and to sign a pre-contract agreement to move in the summer when his Anfield deal expires.
Salah will argue he is worth what he is asking. The former Roma player has already set two Premier League records this season: 30 goal involvements (18 goals, 12 as assists) and become the first player to score two goals in eight games.
The Reds sit top of the Premier League, top of the Uefa Champions League league phase, are in the semi-finals of the League Cup and will soon begin their FA Cup commitments.
Salah has been the driving force behind Liverpool's resurgence, but should he decide his future lies elsewhere, it seems almost certain Saudi Arabia will be his next destination. There will be no shortage of suitors, with Al Ittihad expected to revive their interest in a player who would only elevate the Saudi Pro League to an even higher level.
If Liverpool can't reach an agreement they face the unenviable situation of selling their prized player this month or risk losing him for nothing in the summer.
Contract expires: June 2025
Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool)
Another Liverpool player said to be seriously considering his future is Alexander-Arnold.
A graduate of Liverpool's famed academy, the defender has only ever known one club, and as a local lad has the affections of the Kop and all Liverpool fans.
While his shortcomings at right-back are well documented, Alexander-Arnold's ability on the ball make him more asset than liability.
The England international has genuine claims to be one of the best passers in world football, and he holds the record for most Premier League assists by a defender (61).
While Salah has been drip-feeding the media with information over how his own contract negotiations are progressing, Alexander-Arnold has taken a different approach, saying in September his own situation would not be played out in public.
At 26 and with more than 300 Liverpool appearances, the player can already boast a Premier League and Champions League winner's medal, as well as trinkets for winning the FA Cup, League Cup (twice), Uefa Super Cup and Fifa Club World Cup.
Despite that, there is the discontent among the Liverpool faithful over the player's status as a club legend if he were to leave. Rightly or wrongly, many believe he will be leaving a winning team set for great things under new coach Arne Slot and could end his career being mentioned in the same breath as Steven Gerrard if he stays. Should he leave in 2025, he risks being only remembered as a good player but one who put himself above the club, ala Steve McManaman.
Real Madrid are the club being strongly linked. Sources said on New Year's Eve there had been an approach – but no offer – from Real Madrid about signing Alexander-Arnold in January, which Liverpool rebuffed.
Spanish media also reported Real were willing to buy the England international this month rather than wait until the summer.
The best-case scenario from Liverpool's perspective would be tying Alexander-Arnold and Salah to new deals. The worst is that both decide to leave.
Contract expires: June 2025
Dani Olmo (Barcelona)
Barcelona's inability to properly account for their finances could see them lose attacking midfielder Olmo – one of Europe's brightest talents – for nothing less than six months after signing him.
The Catalans received grim news this week as La Liga rejected their attempt to register Olmo before the January deadline, despite a cash injection of around €100m after striking a deal to sell VIP seating at their revamped Camp Nou stadium.
There is confusion over whether Olmo, part of the Spain squad that won Euro 2024, can continue playing for Barcelona or if he will be released as a free agent. Olmo, 26, has stated his intention is to remain with the club, but La Liga have doubled down on their stance that the player simply cannot be registered.
The financial repercussions for Barcelona could be staggering, according to Spanish daily Sport. Barcelona would still owe Olmo £41m in wages for the remainder of his contract, which runs until 2030, even if he departs the club. Additionally, the club is still obligated to pay RB Leipzig £47m as part of the transfer agreement when they signed the forward. Furthermore, Barcelona would miss out on any potential transfer fee for Olmo, whose market value is currently estimated at £53m by Transfermarkt.
As it stands, Olmo is available on a free, with Barca unlikely to reverse the league's ruling by the January 3 deadline. Losing a player of Olmo's class would be hugely disappointing to Barca coach Hansi Flick, while the financial consequences could potentially be catastrophic.
Contract expires: June 2030
Marcus Rashford (Manchester United)
It appears Rashford's time at Old Trafford is coming to an end.
The 27-year-old forward said in an interview in mid-December that he is "ready for a new challenge" amid uncertainty over his Manchester United future.
Rashford was dropped from the squad for December's Manchester derby, which United won 2-1 against Manchester City.
United boss Ruben Amorim confirmed that there were no disciplinary issues behind his decision, more that he had hoped to see more from the England player on and off the pitch during his first few weeks in charge.
More damning for Rashford has been his continued omission despite United's alarming dip in form. Since that City win United have lost all four games, leaving them out of the League Cup and languishing in 14th place in the Premier League table.
Rashford has scored 138 goals in 426 appearances for the club since making his debut in 2016, having come through the United youth ranks.
The 2022/23 campaign was his most prolific when he scored 30 in all competitions.
However, he has struggled for form over the past 18 months and attracted criticism from pundits and fans for a number of laboured displays.
Paris Saint-Germain have been linked with a move while some reports have suggested Saudi clubs Al Ahli and Al Ittihad are considering a move for the player.
Contract expires: June 2028
Martin Zubimendi (Real Sociedad)
When Rodri failed to return to the field for the Euro 2024 final, Spain coach Luis de la Fuente had few qualms about turning to his understudy Zubimendi to anchor the midfield.
Ironically, it is a move that Manchester City boss Pep Guardiola is also thought to be considering.
Rodri's season-ending cruciate ligament injury sustained against Arsenal in September has had long-lasting repercussions on the English champions. City suffered their worst run of results under Guardiola before the Boxing Day win at Leicester City, only their second victory in 14 games.
It is too soon to tell whether that will result in a reversal of fortunes for City, who sit sixth in the Premier League a massive 14 points off leaders Liverpool. What is clear is that they require the services of a high-level holding midfielder capable of getting the City engine purring again.
Zubimendi, 25, fits the profile perfectly. The player and his club, Real Sociedad, are said to be open to talking to any club who meets their £51.7m release clause.
One potential stumbling block for City is the threat of sanctions hanging over them as they await their verdict of the 115 charges brought against them by the Premier League for alleged breaches of financial rules.
A decision is expected in spring. And while City deny all the charges, if found guilty on some or all of the charges, City face a severe points deduction and possibly even expulsion from the Premier League.
Spanish and European champions Real Madrid are also long-term admirers of Zubimendi, while Liverpool failed in their bid to sign him last summer.
Contract expires: June 2027
How to help
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
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RESULTS
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GIANT REVIEW
Starring: Amir El-Masry, Pierce Brosnan
Director: Athale
Rating: 4/5
The specs: 2018 GMC Terrain
Price, base / as tested: Dh94,600 / Dh159,700
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Power: 252hp @ 5,500rpm
Torque: 353Nm @ 2,500rpm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Fuel consumption, combined: 7.4L / 100km
Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.
Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.
“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.
“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.
Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.
From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.
Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.
BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.
Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.
Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.
“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.
Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.
“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.
“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”
The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”
The End of Loneliness
Benedict Wells
Translated from the German by Charlotte Collins
Sceptre
500 People from Gaza enter France
115 Special programme for artists
25 Evacuation of injured and sick
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
COMPANY%20PROFILE
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UAE%20SQUAD
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A little about CVRL
Founded in 1985 by Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid, Vice President and Ruler of Dubai, the Central Veterinary Research Laboratory (CVRL) is a government diagnostic centre that provides testing and research facilities to the UAE and neighbouring countries.
One of its main goals is to provide permanent treatment solutions for veterinary related diseases.
The taxidermy centre was established 12 years ago and is headed by Dr Ulrich Wernery.
Indoor cricket in a nutshell
Indoor Cricket World Cup - Sep 16-20, Insportz, Dubai
16 Indoor cricket matches are 16 overs per side
8 There are eight players per team
9 There have been nine Indoor Cricket World Cups for men. Australia have won every one.
5 Five runs are deducted from the score when a wickets falls
4 Batsmen bat in pairs, facing four overs per partnership
Scoring In indoor cricket, runs are scored by way of both physical and bonus runs. Physical runs are scored by both batsmen completing a run from one crease to the other. Bonus runs are scored when the ball hits a net in different zones, but only when at least one physical run is score.
Zones
A Front net, behind the striker and wicketkeeper: 0 runs
B Side nets, between the striker and halfway down the pitch: 1 run
C Side nets between halfway and the bowlers end: 2 runs
D Back net: 4 runs on the bounce, 6 runs on the full
Defence review at a glance
• Increase defence spending to 2.5% of GDP by 2027 but given “turbulent times it may be necessary to go faster”
• Prioritise a shift towards working with AI and autonomous systems
• Invest in the resilience of military space systems.
• Number of active reserves should be increased by 20%
• More F-35 fighter jets required in the next decade
• New “hybrid Navy” with AUKUS submarines and autonomous vessels
UK’s AI plan
- AI ambassadors such as MIT economist Simon Johnson, Monzo cofounder Tom Blomfield and Google DeepMind’s Raia Hadsell
- £10bn AI growth zone in South Wales to create 5,000 jobs
- £100m of government support for startups building AI hardware products
- £250m to train new AI models
THE BIO
Age: 33
Favourite quote: “If you’re going through hell, keep going” Winston Churchill
Favourite breed of dog: All of them. I can’t possibly pick a favourite.
Favourite place in the UAE: The Stray Dogs Centre in Umm Al Quwain. It sounds predictable, but it honestly is my favourite place to spend time. Surrounded by hundreds of dogs that love you - what could possibly be better than that?
Favourite colour: All the colours that dogs come in
THE%20SPECS
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White hydrogen: Naturally occurring hydrogen
Chromite: Hard, metallic mineral containing iron oxide and chromium oxide
Ultramafic rocks: Dark-coloured rocks rich in magnesium or iron with very low silica content
Ophiolite: A section of the earth’s crust, which is oceanic in nature that has since been uplifted and exposed on land
Olivine: A commonly occurring magnesium iron silicate mineral that derives its name for its olive-green yellow-green colour
What is Reform?
Reform is a right-wing, populist party led by Nigel Farage, a former MEP who won a seat in the House of Commons last year at his eighth attempt and a prominent figure in the campaign for the UK to leave the European Union.
It was founded in 2018 and originally called the Brexit Party.
Many of its members previously belonged to UKIP or the mainstream Conservatives.
After Brexit took place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy.
Former Tory deputy chairman Lee Anderson became its first MP after defecting in March 2024.
The party gained support from Elon Musk, and had hoped the tech billionaire would make a £100m donation. However, Mr Musk changed his mind and called for Mr Farage to step down as leader in a row involving the US tycoon's support for far-right figurehead Tommy Robinson who is in prison for contempt of court.
Company%C2%A0profile
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