Matias Soule has turned heads while out on loan

Who could move in January: Johan Bakayoko, Santiago Gimenez, Max Beier in focus

By Ninad Barbadikar

11:56 · MON January 08, 2024

January isn't an easy period to do business for the big clubs but sometimes it can be a necessity depending on the situation.

There is no shortage of exciting talent across the length and breadth of European football, but who are some names worth keeping an eye on?.

Who could sign Johan Bakayoko?

Club: PSV Eindhoven
Position: Winger
Age: 20

Belgium international Johan Bakayoko has been a big part of an incredible Eredivisie campaign so far for Peter Bosz's PSV, who have won all 16 matches, scoring 56 and conceding just six goals.

Bakayoko has had a hand in 11 goals and is PSV's star attacker cutting in from the right.

Adept in 1v1 duels, Bakayoko sees a lot of the ball. The Belgian has at least 100 more progressive receptions than any other PSV player, indicating just how much of the ball he sees in areas high up the pitch.

Once in possession of the ball, Bakayoko is capable of riding challenges and slaloming past defenders to create chances for his teammates. A 56.4% success rate from 94 attempted dribbles underlines Bakayoko's prowess.

He also leads the league for Opta's Chance Creating carries with 41.

Chance creating carries - The number of carries that were followed by a key pass/chance created or shot taken.

Where could Bakayoko go?

There was interest previously in the Belgian from Brentford and Burnley in the Premier League and Liverpool have reportedly joined the race as well. He could be a terrific asset to any of the top teams including Tottenham and Aston Villa without being an immediate starter.

Who could sign Santiago Gimenez?

Club: Feyenoord
Position: Striker
Age: 22

One of the most sought-after number 9s across Europe, Feyenoord's Santiago Gimenez is looking unstoppable.

After 15 goals from 32 appearances in the Eredivisie last season, Gimenez has already beaten that tally in half the games, scoring 18 so far and assisting four more.

This season, he made history by becoming the first Feyenoord player to score a hat-trick in De Klassikier between Ajax and Feyenoord.

No player in the division is averaging a better non-penalty expected goals (npxG) rate than Gimenez, with the Mexican at 0.88 per90 as per Opta.

Counting former Premier League Robin van Persie as an inspiration of his, you can see how he has tried to replicate the Dutchman's style of play with some of his goals.

Gimenez ticks a number of boxes in what the top sides look for from their forwards. Playing under Arne Slot, the Mexican is comfortable at initiating pressing sequences and contributing usefully both in and out of possession.

He is able to threaten the opposition backline in a variety of ways, whether it be in transition or in a low-block.

The only concern with Gimenez is whether his output would translate to a tougher league, his tally of 18 this season has come from an xG overperformance of 4.3.

Where could Gimenez go?

Tottenham are reportedly tracking the Mexican and Ange Postecoglou could certainly benefit from someone like Gimenez in addition to Richarlison.

Who could sign Maximilian Beier?

Club: TSG Hoffenheim
Position: Forward
Age: 21

Maximilian Beier has caught the eye in the Bundesliga this season having broken into Hoffenheim's starting XI.

The Germany U21 international started the season on fire, scoring six times in seven Bundesliga encounters. His goal return of late has cooled off, however.

There is a lot more to Beier than his goals though. The youngster works extremely hard in terms of his pressing work off the ball.

Beier's lanky build as a striker can be deceptive and he has shown an ability to resist challenges to maintain possession and carry the ball into dangerous positions.

He ranks fifth in the Bundesliga for shot-ending carries with 12 to his name, his pace and direct style makes him a handful for opposition defences.

An average npxG per90 of 0.43 isn't all that impressive but with his experience so far and the promise he is already showing, it looks like there's definitely more to come from the Hoffenheim youngster.

Where could Beier go?

Premier League clubs including Brentford, Brighton and Forest are all reportedly interested, alongside Liverpool. With Brentford's thin attacking ranks, he might be better off joining the Bees if they come with a concrete offer before taking the step up to a Champions League level club.

Who could sign Matias Soule?

Club: Frosinone (on loan from Juventus)
Position: Winger
Age: 20

Frosinone's Matias Soule is lighting up Serie A with his entertaining and electric displays this season. On loan from Juventus at the newly-promoted side, Soule is already looking like one of the best players in the Italian top flight.

The 20-year-old winger is primarily left footed but is comfortable using both feet to shift past players in the blink of an eye to progress the ball closer to the opposition goal.

His low centre of gravity and style of dribbling is incredibly effective in unsettling opposition low-blocks and creating gaps between the lines.

Though yet to record an assist, Soule is second only to Napoli's Matteo Politano for chances created from open play, averaging 2.22 per90.

Soule's dribbling is one of his strongest assets, averaging a staggering 4.11 successful dribbles per90 over the past year, ranking him in the 99th percentile across his positional peers from the top five leagues.

Not only that, Soule's ability to carry the ball in tight situations opens up opportunities for chances or shots, as evidenced by his 27 chance-creating carries this season. Only Khvicha Kvaratskhelia has more (35).

Creative unicorns like Soule can sometimes be a let-down with their defensive work, that's not the case at all with the young Argentine, averaging 2.30 tackles plus interceptions per90, alongside 1.41 blocks.

Where could Soule go?

Though he is currently on loan, Juventus are reportedly ready to cash in on the Argentine in the January window and Premier League clubs including Newcastle and Palace have been linked. Joining Eddie Howe's Newcastle could be a great next step for the youngster to form an exciting front three alongside Anthony Gordon and Alexander Isak.

Who could sign Jean-Clair Todibo?

Club: OGC Nice
Position: Centre-back
Age: 23

France international Jean-Clair Todibo is the centre-back that the top European clubs are after.

He has revived his career in Ligue 1 at Nice after stalling his progress by joining Barcelona so young before subsequent tricky stints at Benfica and Schalke.

The 23-year-old is now looking like one of the finest centre-backs in the world and is ripe for a move to a big European side.

First and foremost, Todibo is defensively excellent. Combining physicality and athleticism, he resembles a young Raphael Varane in many ways.

He is however more than just a tough, quick centre back. Playing under Francesco Farioli at Nice, there is a big emphasis on playing out from the back with the ball, and Todibo is more than capable of facilitating ball progression with his excellent passing range.

Of all Ligue 1 players this season, Todibo ranks third for touches with 1389, underlining just how much he is relied upon to receive and protect the ball for Nice.

Whilst his partner-in-crime Dante is the more adventurous of the two, Todibo protects the last line of defence expertly thanks to his pace and ability to keep tabs even on the paciest of attackers.

Of the 30 dribbles he has challenged so far this season, Todibo has tackled 16 times, meaning that he has tackled approximately 53.3% of the challenges that have come at him. It is this kind of solidity that makes him such an exceptional defender.

Where could Todibo go?

In the Premier League, there are two clubs that are a clear fit for Todibo - Erik ten Hag's Manchester United and Ange Postecoglou's Spurs. Both employ an intense out of possession approach and insist on defending with a high line, which demands a lot of athletic ability from defenders, making Todibo a natural fit.

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