January Transfer Deadline Day: Moises Caicedo, Enzo Fernandez and Joao Cancelo – The deals that could happen

January Transfer Deadline Day is upon us, and it seems we might have one or two big deals to still get over the line.

Normally in January the bigger deals don’t get done, with most clubs waiting until the summer, but this winter window has seen plenty of money been spent – so…

…let’s take a little look at some of the names who might be moving on January Transfer Deadline Day, or before.

Moises Caicedo – Brighton to Arsenal or Chelsea

Most football fans would have expected Caicedo to move on in the summer. Not only is he the posterchild of Ecuador’s golden generation, he’s also the best example of the excellent scouting network that Brighton have put together. Signed for relative peanuts, Caicedo will now smash Brighton’s transfer record.

The question is whether he will move this window or not. David Ornstein of the Athletic reported that an increased offer from Arsenal of £65m + £5m in bonuses was rejected flat-out by Brighton. The club have told the midfielder to stay away from training with interest from Chelsea as well, and they insist he will not be leaving.

However, should Arsenal up their bid, it could enter too-good-to-turn-down territory. Brighton are thought to want £90 million for the player, though.

Enzo Fernandez – Benfica to Chelsea

This one seemed dead in the water until once again, that man Ornstein reported that Chelsea have revived the deal and want to try to get it over the line, which feels as if they are extremely concerned about someone else coming in during the summer window and beating them to the World Cup winner.

Joao Cancelo – Manchester City to Bayern Munich

This one came out of NOWHERE. Yes, Joao Cancelo is not having his best season and yes, Rico Lewis has been an absolute revelation. But still, this is a guy who just a few months ago many would have said is either the best full-back in the world, or at least in the top five. The report came from the Athletic on Monday lunchtime saying Cancelo will move on-loan to Bayern, who are reportedly long-term admirers, and that deal will likely include a buy option.

The report does not give any reason for the move and even goes as far to say that “it is currently unclear” why Cancelo could be moved on. Obviously we will find out more in the future but it feels like a huge win for Bayern. Alphonso Davies is incredible but he is injured and there have been real issues at right-back. Cancelo seems the perfect option.

Piero Hincapie – Bayer Leverkusen to Tottenham Hotspur

Do you know which top ten Premier League club has conceded the most goals this season? Yep, that’s right, it’s Antonio Conte’s Tottenham Hotspur, who actuallyhave conceded the most of any team in the top twelve positions. Heck Everton are in the relegation zone and they’ve conceded fewer goals than Spurs.

Martin Zubimendi – Real Sociedad to Arsenal

Speaking of deals that might be tricky to get done. Arsenal clearly want to bolster the midfield and Zubimendi was seen as another alternative to Caicedo given his release clause means you don’t have to negotiate with Real Sociedad.

The problem for Arsenal is the extreme loyalty Zubimendi has for his club. La Real are on course for a top four spot and they project to go deep in the Europa League. This one is probably one for the summer unless Arsenal can make an extremely attractive offer.

Ivan Fresneda – Real Valladolid to Arsenal or Borussia Dortmund

This one seems relatively straightforward, Valladolid have been pretty open to selling and the player seems keen. The choice is now his. Arsenal are obviously in the more illustrious position right now, but Borussia Dortmund will definitely offer a quicker route to first-team football.

Nicolo Zaniolo – Roma to Bournemouth or AC Milan (plus Allan Saint-Maximin)

Bit of a weird double-header here. The whole Nicolo Zaniolo thing is really weird. He wants to leave but he doesn’t want to go to Bournemouth. He instead wanted to go to AC Milan but their financial offer reportedly wasn’t nearly as competitive as Bournemouth’s (not to mention they are a rival for Roma). And now it seems he might stay, but don’t rule out a late move.

The other one to watch for Milan is Newcastle forward Allan Saint-Maximin. One might argue that Milan’s priority should be in finding some new defenders given their struggles in that department but maybe more attacking juice will solve the problem. Newcastle can’t really be bullied anymore though, given their new-found financial clout, so that might be a tricky one.