Get ready for another month of unfounded rumours, aircraft-tracking and deadline-day panic buys: the January transfer window is open.

Clubs can complete deals now until the window closes at 7pm GMT on Monday 2 February.

Our transfer page is now live – not that it contains much at this early stage! This will be the place to go for a list of all the major confirmed incomings in the Premier League.

The more noteworthy arrivals get their own Scout Report/Moving Target articles. We will cover all the other moves in briefer transfer round-ups.

In this piece, we look at the deals that are reportedly close to being confirmed. We’ll assess these players in more depth if and when they do sign with their suitors.

ANTOINE SEMENYO

(BOURNEMOUTH TO MANCHESTER CITY)

The most discussed transfer of the January window looks to be close to completion.

Antoine Semenyo (£7.7m) is seemingly on his way to Manchester City and the question is when, not if.

The player reportedly wants his future settled as quickly as possible. It certainly looked like a goodbye at Stamford Bridge. But Andoni Iraola was confident that the winger would at least still be around for the Arsenal match in Gameweek 20. Could the Cherries even get him through till the end of this four-game fortnight and give the green light for him to exit after Gameweek 21?

Looking ahead, should he complete his move to City as expected, it’s far from a given that he cracks Pep Guardiola’s starting XI immediately.

Guardiola has kept the most settled side in the division over the last nine Gameweeks, using only 12 players in his line-up. The side is in form, too.

An almost ‘nailed’ player at Bournemouth, Semenyo started 36 of the 37 games he was available for last season and all 18 in the current campaign. He’s completed 90 minutes in 17 of his 18 outings in 2025/26!

With the likes of Phil Foden (£9.0m), Rayan Cherki (£6.7m), Savinho (£6.9m) and Jeremy Doku (£6.4m) to compete with, he’ll have his work cut out to establish himself as a regular. Foden and Cherki could, of course, feasibly move deeper/to a more central role.

And Oscar Bobb (£5.1m) could be on his way out to reduce the numbers out wide.

BRENNAN JOHNSON

(TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR TO CRYSTAL PALACE)

While Brennan Johnson (£6.5m) has/had other suitors, the Wales international is reportedly due for a medical at Crystal Palace today – and he could even be on the Eagles’ books by Gameweek 20.

He’s played off both flanks and even through the middle at current and former clubs, but has predominantly operated on the right. A role as one of the ‘dual 10s’ in Oliver Glasner’s 3-4-2-1 is what he’ll be coveting at Palace.

Glasner is a bit short-staffed there right now: Ismaila Sarr (£6.4m) is currently away at the Africa Cup of Nations, while Eddie Nketiah (£5.4m) is out for six weeks.

Pacy on the counter and offering a bit of goal threat, Johnson seems like a good fit for an Eagles side ranked 16th for possession this season.

Only four FPL midfielders (with a minimum of 500 minutes played) scored at a quicker rate in 2024/25:

Above: Midfielders sorted by goals per 90 minutes in 2024/25

It’ll still be interesting to see how Glasner accommodates Sarr, Yeremy Pino (£5.8m) and Johnson when everyone is available (ie Gameweek 22/23 onwards), especially as Sarr and Johnson are more at home as right-sided 10s.

PASCAL GROSS

(BORUSSIA DORTMUND TO BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION)

A veritable FPL legend is on his way back, it seems: Pascal Gross is set to return to the south coast.

There was some overlap with Fabian Hurzeler’s appointment in June 2024 and Gross’s final few days at Albion before he departed for Borussia Dortmund in August 2024. Hurzeler was sorry to see him go but understanding of the lure of the Bundesliga giants. Now, he gets to work with the playmaker anew.

Not a spring chicken at 34, Gross is more than likely not going to be the week-in, week-out starter he was in his prime. He’s also rarely to be found as ’10’ these days, spending his time in a deeper central midfield role in both his final days at Brighton (the first time around!) and with Dortmund.

Still, as James Milner (£4.9m) and Danny Welbeck (£6.3m) have shown, there’s room for a veteran or two in Hurzeler’s set-up. Gross could enter the thinking at set plays, too, and he banked 10 assists for Dortmund last season.

Once a spot-kick taker, he was ousted from penalties at Brighton after missing three of his first eight attempts. One penalty in February 2024 was his only effort from 12 yards in the last three years.

PABLO

(GIL VICENTE TO WEST HAM UNITED)

The answer to West Ham United’s goalscoring woes or the latest in a long line of forward flops (Gianluca Scamacca, Danny Ings, Niclas Fullkrug…)?

The 21-year-old striker has scored 10 league goals in 12 starts and one substitute appearance this season, helping surprise package Gil Vicente to fourth in the Portuguese top flight.

This is pretty much his breakthrough campaign, as he was in and out of the Gil Vicente XI in 2024/25, following his move from Famalicão.

A hot prospect but a big ask for him to come into a struggling Premier League side ranked 16th for minutes per goal.

Pablo has scored with over 40% (10 from 23) of his shots this season, exceeding his xG by +4.4, so there are question marks over sustainability, particularly when making the step up in class.

Nuno Espirito Santo has also been reluctant to use a ‘proper’ nine in many games this season, although that may be more a shortage of confidence in the fitness/attributes of Niclas Fullkrug (£5.6m) and Callum Wilson (£5.8m).

There are also some favourable fixtures to look forward to in the weeks ahead.

ALYSSON

(GIL VICENTE TO ASTON VILLA)

The suggested fee (£8.7m) for Alysson’s move, coupled with the age of the player (19), suggests the winger is one for the future.

One goal and two assists in 34 Serie A appearances also imply room for improvement.

Predominantly a right-winger, he’ll add to the options that Unai Emery has out wide. Those options already include Evann Guessand (£6.3m), Emi Buendia (£5.3m), Jadon Sancho (£5.8m) and Donyell Malen (£5.1m). Emery has even been proceeding without any of those names in some recent games, using John McGinn (£5.4m) and Morgan Rogers (£7.4m) on the right and left, so the teenage Alysson is likely going to be warming the bench upon his arrival.