Ronaldo in and Pogba out at Manchester United, Messi to Man City, Upamecano to Liverpool and more huge transfers that could happen in January

It feels like the summer transfer window has only just closed, but believe it or not, the January market opens in little over six weeks.

The fixture headache caused by COVID-19 has taken its toll on dozens of clubs and the mid-season window is a perfect opportunity to add cover for injured players.

7

Premier League champions Liverpool have been hit devastatingly hard, with Andy Robertson incredibly becoming Jurgen Klopp's FOURTH first-team defender to pick up an injury at the weekend.

Captain Jordan Henderson is also set to be assessed after suffering a possible hamstring injury on England duty in the 2-0 defeat to Belgium.

It comes after Virgil van Dijk, Fabinho, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Joe Gomez had already been sidelined in recent weeks and reports have suggested Anfield chiefs are already scouring the market for reinforcements at the turn of the year.

But which big deals could happen in January? marvelbet369.com has the verdict...

Dayot Upamecano (RB Leipzig to Liverpool)

The Reds are already on the hunt for new central defenders in January with Van Dijk and Gomez out for the majority of the season.

claim RB Leipzig defender Upamecano, who has a £38million release clause next summer, is the club's first-choice target.

Liverpool had been aiming to sign the 22-year-old next summer but could accelerate their transfer plans in the January window following their rotten luck with injury.

The France defender played a pivotal role for Leipzig as they reached their first Champions League semi-final last term, but Liverpool will have to battled fierce rivals Man United for his signature as the Red Devils chase a summer deal.

7

David Alaba (Bayern Munich to Liverpool)

Should Liverpool's pursuit of Upamecano fail, it is understood the Reds will try to sign Alaba from Bayern Munich.

The Austria centre-back had been stalling on a contract extension at the Allianz Arena and the club have now reportedly entirely withdrawn their offer of a new deal.

The 28-year-old is out of contract in the summer and Liverpool could therefore sign him for a cut-price fee, though Juventus are also keen on him as a replacement for Giorgio Chiellini.

With a wealth of experience and an abundance of quality, a move for Alaba would be a no brainer for Klopp.

7

Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus to Manchester United)

Remarkable reports earlier this month suggested Juventus are ready to cut ties with Ronaldo and put the Portugal star up for sale next summer.

Juve chiefs are willing to listen to offers for the former Real Madrid forward, who earns a staggering £28m-a-year in Turin, five times more than his highest-paid team-mate Paulo Dybala.

Juventus have been badly hit by the COVID-19 pandemic and it is understood boss Andrea Pirlo is keen to free up space on their wage bill in order to improve his squad.

Unsurprisingly, Manchester United are said to be weighing up a move for their former winger and Ronaldo himself is believed to be 'considering' a return to Old Trafford.

7

Paul Pogba (Manchester United to Juventus)

Any deal to bring Ronaldo back to the Premier League may well hinge on the future of Pogba.

A swap for the unsettled Red Devils playmaker has been mooted and it would surely be the deal of the decade if it materialises.

Pogba expressed his unhappiness at his current situation at United at the weekend and has frequently flirted with a return to Juventus or a move to Real Madrid, where he would link up with his compatriot Zinedine Zidane at the Bernabeu.

He’s one of the club’s best paid stars, and yet his role at Old Trafford has gone backwards in recent seasons and he’s now not even a guaranteed starter in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s team.

With his contract set to expire at the end of next season, Pogba's days at United look numbered and the Red Devils will do everything to make sure he does not go for free.

7

Declan Rice (West Ham to Chelsea)

Chelsea were unable to stump up West Ham's asking fee for Rice after failing to sell some of the deadwood in their ranks, but the Blues look poised to make a January move.

The England midfielder may fancy a move back to Stamford Bridge, having excelled with the likes of Tammy Abraham and Mason Mount in the academy as a youngster.

The Hammers will ask for around £60m for the defensive midfielder and any deal will rely on Chelsea recouping money from Marcos Alonso, Emerson Palmieri and other stars who are struggling to break into the first team following the mass influx of new recruits in the summer.

7

Lionel Messi (Barcelona to Manchester City/Paris Saint-Germain)

The Argentina superstar will most likely depart Barcelona at the end of the season but Man City and PSG could be tempted to make a mid-season swoop to snatch him from their other eager rivals.

In the summer, Barca chiefs insisted any suitor would have to pay his £630m release clause, a move which has seen Messi reluctantly decide to see his out the final year of his contract.

However, he is expected to leave the club at the end of the season and PSG and Man City have been mooted as the most likely destinations.

Messi has become synonymous with Barca for more than a decade, helping them win four European Cups, ten LaLiga titles and numerous other trophies, but foreign clubs can negotiate with him from January as his contract expires in June.

7