5 Players Likely To Leave Their Clubs In January

Things haven't gone to plan for Christian Eriksen in Italy.

He departed Tottenham Hotspur last January with the hope of achieving bigger and better things at Inter Milan, a club who at the time, looked in a better position to challenge for major silverware. The grass, however, has not been greener for the Dane. He has started just four league games this season, failing to complete 90 minutes in a single fixture, across all competitions. Antonio Conte continues to opt for more robust options in the middle, preferring the trio of Nicolò Barella, Marcelo Brozović and Roberto Gagliardini.

With Romelu Lukaku and Lautaro Martínez up-top, they haven't lost out in the final third either. Inter have re-found their form and currently sit second in the table. Eriksen has done little to contribute, and is struggling to get back into the first-team picture.

Should he wish to depart though, he isn't likely to be short of any takers. The Italians could be open to a short-term loan exit - in the current climate, many clubs may take up this low-risk deal.

Arsenal are one of the most obvious teams that spur to mind, given the lack of creativity in their XI. Mikel Arteta is fighting for his life at present, and will surely be looking to January for resolutions. Other clubs that have been mentioned in the rumour mill are Borussia Dortmund and Barcelona.

Contrary to what some Twitter users will lead you to believe, Jesse Lingard is no longer an up and coming youngster - he is now 28-years-old and in need of game-time.

With names like Bruno Fernandes, Paul Pogba and Donny van de Beek to compete with in the middle, first-team opportunities at Manchester United have virtually become non-existent for the Englishman. Lingard has yet to play a single minute in either the Premier League or Champions League this season, making an exit next month seem somewhat inevitable.

The player's future was discussed in episode eight of our Touchline Talk series, with there being mounting interest from abroad. Sheffield United had been heavily linked, but insider Dean Jones has downplayed such rumours.

Man United do have the option to trigger an extension in his contract, with Lingard ideally wanting to know an answer by the end of the year. From what we've seen so far though, there has been little to suggest that this will materialise. Looking abroad, Real Sociedad and AC Milan have reportedly been monitoring the situation.

Inevitably, the players that make this list are going to be figures not receiving satisfactory game-time at their current club. Isco fits this bill to a tee, with his recent decline at Real Madrid being somewhat sad. From hero to zero, the Spaniard has become quite the forgotten man at the Bernabeu.

He was a key starter during his first years at the club, but has been drastically overlooked by Zinedine Zidane during the Frenchman's second tenure. The trusty trio of Toni Kroos, Luka Modric and Casimero continue to be his preferred options, with youngster Federico Valverde being used pragmatically too.

Yet to complete 90 minutes on the pitch this season, a player of Isco's calibre will surely be looking to January for a swift exit. It feels like a James Rodriguez 2.0 scenario, and the Spaniard could follow a similar-looking path as his former team-mate, a path that could also take him to Goodison Park. Carlo Ancelotti was the man who signed Isco at Real Madrid, and he may look at the playmaker once again.

At 28, the midfielder still has so much to offer, and fits the Everton manager's profile of player. Technical and mobile on the ball, he would certainly bolster the Toffes' options in the middle of the park, particularly as they continue to invest and build towards a squad that can qualify for the Champions League year on year.

The second Manchester United player to make this list now, in the shape of Phil Jones. At the time of writing, the 28-year-old is currently nursing an injury on the sidelines - as so is often the case when it comes to discussing the defender.

Setbacks and injuries have dominated Jones' career at Old Trafford, but even on the field, he has never quite hit the heights expected of him. Many United fans are perhaps still wondering why the Englishman is still at the club, but like Lingard, his days really do look numbered now.

Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has been ruthless in clearing out such deadwood, where applicable, and Jones is surely on top of this list in terms of next outgoings. As per the above episode of Touchline Talk, West Brom and Newcastle are both interested in his services. Sam Allardyce, of the former, worked with Jones at Blackburn, whilst Steve Bruce has contacted Michael Carrick about the player's condition.

Both the aforementioned teams will need reinforcements in January to bolster their survival hopes, making this story one to keep close tabs on.

Having already touched on Arsenal's lack of creativity in the squad, it seems only fair to pay some attention to Mesut Ozil. The German has been frozen out of the club, being cut from their match-days squad for this season. The story of the 32-year-old has been one of the biggest falling from graces in modern memory - from World Cup winner to this, Ozil's name has become slightly synonymous with failure and disappointment.

His career when heroic tale to tragedy pretty quickly. If Arsenal were performing well, many would praise Arteta for his decision making on the player. However, he has been made to look naive and simply reckless. The Gunners are struggling to create openings, with the playmaker watching on from home.

There does, however, seem to be no way back for Ozil at the club. Fenerbache have been linked with a move, with AC Milan also reportedly lurking. The player's weekly wages though, at £350,000, will prove to be a stumbling block for many. A loan would seem the most plausible route, and we are sure that speculation will pick up, once the window officially opens.