Liverpool have been linked with a host of names since Steven Gerrard confirmed his intentions to crack Hollywood next season. Fabian Delph would be a low cost, but Premier League-experienced replacement for the Reds skipper, while Miralem Pjanic would be the marquee successor supporters crave. The latest midfielder linked with a move to Anfield, however, does not come from La Liga, the Bundesliga or the Premier League, but rather the Championship.
Ipswich Town midfielder Teddy Bishop has shot to prominence with the Tractor Boys after overcoming a fairly serious back injury when he was younger. The teenager has played a crucial role in their rise to 2nd place in England’s second tier, with his greatest asset being his creativity. Of all teenagers in the top European leagues WhoScored cover, no player has registered more assists than Bishop (5) this season. With WhoScored strengths of ‘key passes’ and ‘dribbling’, the 18-year-old boasts the inventive attributes to realise his potential.
Interest from Premier League teams comes as little surprise on the back of his performances for Ipswich. "He’s got Premier League ability, no doubt," manager Mick McCarthy stated about Bishop in December, while teammate Cole Skuse enthused: "I think he could play in the Premier League tomorrow." Bishop is unlikely to be ready to fill the void Gerrard will leave once he departs for LA Galaxy at the end of the season, but his displays with Ipswich suggest more is to come from the teen in the future, with Liverpool reportedly frontrunners for his signature.
Tony Pulis’ appointment at West Brom has given the Baggies the belief that they can avoid the drop this season after Alan Irvine’s short and ill-fated stint at the Hawthorns helm. Having overcome Gateshead and Hull at home, Pulis faces his first real test as Baggies boss when his team makes the trip to Goodison Park on Monday night. Teams below West Brom lost this weekend, and while a defeat wouldn’t be too detrimental to the side, a loss could convince the board to dip into the transfer kitty to strengthen this month.
Premier League-experienced Callum McManaman is one player who has been attracting interest from West Brom as Pulis looks to swell his attacking options. Wigan have been struggling in the Championship this season, with the Latics currently 5 points from safety in England’s second tier, although that has not limited McManaman’s influence. No player has scored more league goals than the 23-year-old for Wigan this season (5).
Malky Mackay’s side may be languishing in the relegation zone, but McManaman has performed the duties expected of him in attack. The displays of the attacker have been a saving grace at times in what has been a wholly underwhelming season for the Latics so far. Boasting a WhoScored strength of ‘dribbling’, McManaman is averaging the 5th most dribbles per game (2) in the Championship of players currently plying their trade in the division this campaign. Wigan will want to keep hold of their prized asset this month, but may struggle to reject the overtures of West Brom, especially if McManaman is keen on a return to the Premier League.
Arsenal’s defensive performance in their 2-0 win at defending champions Manchester City was comfortably their best of the season, with Laurent Koscielny and Per Mertesacker playing a big role in the victory. The centre-back partnership of the two is easily strongest available to manager Arsène Wenger, but beyond that; the Arsenal boss is without adequate cover at the heart of the backline. Wenger is supposedly expected to strengthen before the close of the January transfer window and with the centre of defence a weak point in his side once injuries hit, reports of a move for the highly-rated Gabriel Paulista come as little surprise.
The uncapped Brazilian has been central to Villarreal’s bright start to the campaign. In the absence of Mateo Musacchio, Paulista has excelled alongside Víctor Ruiz at the heart of the Yellow Submarine’s defence. His WhoScored rating (7.11) ranks among the top 5 of all Villarreal players to register at least 500 minutes of league action this season and he has become a cornerstone of the team that has not tasted defeat in La Liga since November. Head coach Marcelino will be reluctant to see Paulista leave this month, but his performances have rightly attracted the interest of teams on the continent.
Arsenal need another centre-back to bolster their defensive ranks, with Calum Chambers having gone off the boil following his good start to the campaign. Only Aymeric Laporte (67) has made more interceptions in La Liga this season than Paulista (66), accentuating his impressive reading of the game. This has seen the Brazilian gain a WhoScored strength of ‘ball interception’ and would benefit Arsenal. The Gunners have gained a statistically calculated strength of ‘counter attacks’ and Paulista’s defensive style of play would improve the team’s offensive approach. The 24-year-old is capable of playing the ball out of defence and instigating attacks from the back as his average passes per game (36.7) and pass success rate (84.4%) suggest and having recently spoken of his dream to play in the Premier League; a move to the Emirates could certainly be on the cards this month.
Do you think any of these potential transfer will go through this month? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below
