Arsenal

After a surprisingly lavish summer it’s hard to see Silent Stan sliding down the chimney with a bag full of swag for a January blowout. But, unless Gabriel Martinelli can be converted into a centre‑forward, it’s asking a lot for the youngsters to keep shouldering the scoring burden – hence the links with Dusan Vlahovic and Mason Greenwood. With players off to the Africa Cup of Nations, we might well need bolstering in midfield, too: Milan’s Franck Kessié, Renato Sanches from Lille and Leipzig’s Tyler Adams are on the radar.

• Bernard Azulay goonersdiary.co.uk @GoonerN5

Aston Villa

It’s hard to know what’s on Steven Gerrard’s mind but I doubt we’ll be overly active: we’re gaining coherence on the park and can wait to the summer. Lazy journalists/click-baiters have us “raiding” Rangers but that’s unlikely, and it’d be pretty low behaviour. We probably need cover at full‑back and at No 6, though, and of course there’s always room for top players, even if it meant moving on good servants such as Trézéguet and El Ghazi. Poaching Sarr or Saint‑Maximin would be coups. Unlikely, yes, but I’d be thrilled.

• Jonathan Pritchard

Brentford

We don’t usually dabble in January given the prices, but we do need depth at right-back and, having not replaced Saïd Benrahma, a left winger. We’ve a couple of bids out on players, so fingers crossed. It’s been interesting to see how we’re spreading our net further: usually our transfer targets are in Denmark or France, now it’s Brazil, Ukraine and, er, Nottingham. The number of ins and outs will depend on when players are due back from injury, but keeper Jonas Lössl is joining on loan to tide us over. Marcus Forss and Dominic Thompson could go out on loan.

• Billy Grant Beesotted podcast and blog; @Beesotted; @BillyTheBee99

Brighton

It looks like Aaron Connelly is off on loan: he won’t be missed, and nor would Jürgen Locadia if only we could get rid of him. We need to keep hold of everyone else. Lewis Dunk’s knee injury might force us to buy, but Leo Östigard is back from Stoke. And do we need a striker? I’m not convinced – I love watching Neal Maupay cause havoc: he has seven goals and we’ve got a great new song for him. Plus Danny Welbeck seems to be fit again. Anyway, I’m sure Tony Bloom will do the right thing and Graham Potter will make it work.

• Steph Fincham

Burnley

We have players out of contract next summer but we really can’t afford to allow any of them to go early given our current position. And in terms of signings, the two problem areas are central midfield and up front. If we could bring in one for each position, that would be progress. But who? Ross Barkley has been linked as a potential loan while Sunderland’s Dan Neil is apparently a target. This window is one we should use for immediate first‑team strengthening, so I wouldn’t question a couple of good loans.

• Tony Scholes UpTheClarets.com, @utcdotcom

Chelsea

Due to injuries and Covid we could do with cover for Chilwell, Alonso and Kanté. Monaco midfielder Aurélien Tchouaméni has been linked – he looks extremely promising – while Milan’s Theo Hernández has been mentioned as a potential full-back option. I can’t see much activity beyond that, though. It looks like the club are holding fire on centre‑backs until all the contract issues are resolved. I’d be surprised to see any exits: we definitely have a big squad but we’ve been badly hit by injuries and Covid, so can’t really afford to let anyone go.

• Paul Baker in memory of Trizia Fiorellino

Crystal Palace

We went big in the summer so I’m not expecting much this month. If Jes Rak-Sakyi continues not to get a first-team chance then I expect he’ll go out on loan and, despite his goal against Norwich, it really hasn’t worked out here for Jean-Philippe Mateta: his loan could be ended early. If that happens then we’ll perhaps look to replace him in the squad with the Real Madrid striker Borja Mayoral, currently on loan at Roma, with whom we have been linked for months, or Arsenal’s Eddie Nketiah. But any major activity is likely to wait until the summer.

• Chris Waters @Clapham_Grand

Everton

We’re still constrained by previous losses, so signings depend on sales. It seems Digne is off after his falling-out with Benítez, which will generate much-needed trading profits. Bringing in Vitaliy Mykolenko, 22, from Dynamo Kyiv to replace the 28-year-old looks like good business. Signing right-back Nathan Patterson from Rangers to replace Séamus Coleman still depends on negotiating phased payments. And with several players in the last six months of their contracts, there’s potential for loans out, and thus loans in.

• The Esk TheEsk.org; @TheEsk

Leeds

Michaël Cuisance failed a medical. Conor Gallagher preferred Palace. Huddersfield asked too much for Lewis O’Brien. Leeds have been looking for a new midfielder since promotion, but were relaxed about actually finding one. Until now. Now they’re very stressed about it! Or they should be. With more players in the treatment room than points in the league, Marcelo Bielsa and director of football Victor Orta need to get over their queasiness about January shopping. Bielsa is said to like Reading’s John Swift; West Yorkshire’s collective heart rate just needs somebody. As long as they don’t immediately get injured, they’ll do us.

• Daniel Chapman thesquareball.net; @MoscowhiteTSB

Leicester

Main priority: a new set‑piece coach. Honestly, we should spend £50m on it, or whatever it takes … Beyond that, with injuries and Covid ravaging the squad, we face the daunting prospect of having no senior centre-backs or centre-forwards this month. It seemed unthinkable a few weeks ago given the form of Daka, Vardy and Iheanacho but yet another striker may need to be recruited. And at centre-back, the need to spend is just as clear. Tarkowski is always mentioned, but the dirty money on Tyneside will probably talk louder.

• Chris Whiting clippings.me/chriswhiting; @ChrisRWhiting

Liverpool

Up front is one area we should probably be looking at this month – as crazy as that sounds right now. West Ham’s Jarrod Bowen doesn’t score enough goals yet, but at 25 he’s reaching his prime and would only improve with great players around him. Central midfield too. Leicester’s Youri Tielemans continues to be linked with us and would fit right in, as would Leeds’ Raphinha. Though following the defeat at Leicester, it’s obvious we need to dive into the transfer market and buy, buy, buy!

• Steph Jones

Manchester City

The chances of us signing anyone look close to nil – Pep has confirmed as much. But Ferran Torres leaving concerns me from a numbers perspective, particularly as Mahrez is off to the Africa Cup of Nations. The candidates to come in as a top‑class No 9 remain pretty obvious: Erling Haaland, Harry Kane and Dusan Vlahovic – but will those guys move mid-season? My other concern is the lack of cover for Rodri. Fernandinho is a bona fide club legend but age has finally caught up with him.

• Lloyd Scragg ninetythreetwenty.com; @lloyd_scragg

Manchester United

Where do you start? Persisting with a José-era midfield was a mistake. Last season we should have asked PSG for a Pogba/Verratti swap, but I think that ship has sailed. Declan Rice would be great, but West Ham are in a strong position not to sell. The defence needs sorting again, too. Ezri Konsa at Villa looks promising: Ralf Rangnick has a reputation for developing young players and Konsa looks quality at 24. As for players to sell? Jones, Pogba, Martial and the English lionheart hype job Harry Maguire.

• Shaun O’Donnell

Newcastle

It’s going to be a tough window given our position, but it’s good to see us linked with quality in Jesse Lingard and Kieran Trippier. Most important, there’s no room for mercenaries in our relegation fight: players must be prepared to run through brick walls for the shirt. With Wilson’s injury, two strikers are a priority, as is an experienced centre-half and a commanding midfielder who can grab a game by the scruff of the neck. Peripheral players such as Jeff Hendrick should be moved on – if there are any takers.

• David and Richard Holmes

Norwich

Given our estimated £0 transfer pot, expectations are pretty limited. Sporting director Stuart Webber has made clear we have to sell to buy and, quite frankly, aside from Max Aarons, who’s going to want any of our players? There’s little stomach in the club for the fight to stay up, so this window looks more about getting ready for another crack at the Championship. What we need above all is to give Teemu Pukki some competition, but with our budget that’s nigh on impossible. Happy days at the Carra!

• Gary Gowers myfootballwriter.com; @Gary_Gowers; @MFW_NCFC

Southampton

I’d be surprised if we’re particularly busy: there generally isn’t a lot of value in January. But with both keepers injured to varying degrees and Willy Caballero on a short-term deal, I imagine we’ll be looking for another. Fraser Forster will go on a free in the summer, but Alex McCarthy signed a new three-year deal recently, so it’ll be interesting to see if we look for a genuine first choice: there’s not really been a great deal between McCarthy and Forster. Sam Johnstone or Dean Henderson would fit the bill.

• Steve Grant SaintsWeb.co.uk; @SteveGrant1983

Tottenham

Spurs are always linked to dozens of players, but it feels like Milan’s Franck Kessié is a real target, albeit as a pre-contract for the summer. As for Matthijs de Ligt? Dreamy. We’d need oligarch levels of funding, though. I trust in Fabio Paratici’s and Antonio Conte’s current process of reinvention and elimination, with Dele and Winks perhaps able to save themselves. We do need bolstering in midfield if Ndombele can’t adapt or Lo Celso can’t remain fit. And Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic would be the ultimate chef’s kiss.

• Spooky dearmrlevy.com; thefightingcock.co.uk; @spooky23

Watford

Priorities for recruitment are defensive: we need a left-back and a centre-back. At least one of those also needs to be a leader and an organiser, and both need to be bloody-minded and shouty. John McClelland and Tony Coton achieved this in 1984, Colin Foster and Keith Millen in 1994, so we’re overdue a defensive revolution. As for exits: it’s hard to see anyone going given Covid and that we’ll be losing a significant proportion of our first-teamers to the Africa Cup of Nations – but Ozan Tufan’s loan isn’t really working out for anybody.

• Matt Rowson bhappy.wordpress.com; @mattrowson

West Ham

We desperately need a striker to deputise for Antonio and give him a break late in games. Maybe new part-owner Daniel Kretinsky can help with his Czech contacts. And with Ogbonna and Zouma injured the other urgent need is for a centre-back – James Tarkowski, or maybe Nat Phillips might benefit from regular football. In midfield, re-signing Jesse Lingard would be a coup as Fornals is toiling and Benrahma is away in Africa for January. And if Cresswell is out for any longer, a loan for a left‑back might be necessary.

• Pete May Author, Goodbye to Boleyn; hammersintheheart.blogspot.co.uk

Wolves

We need goals, but that doesn’t necessarily mean strikers. Adding one or two midfielders/defenders with greater mobility could allow us to ditch the back three and have an extra attacker on the pitch. Lille’s Renato Sanches and Sven Botman could fit the bill. Funding those deals could mean offloading Adama Traoré: he’s into the last 18 months of his contract and it doesn’t seem like he’s going to sign a new one. It would be a shame, but if it allows us to create a more fully formed squad, it might be a price worth paying.

• Thomas Baugh wolvesblog.com; @wolvesblog