One Problem Position Every Premier League Side Needs to Address This January ...Middle East

The January transfer window offers Premier League clubs a chance to plug the gaps in their squad that have been exposed in the first half of the season. We identify the one position each top-flight side should be prioritising this month.

With the January transfer window offering teams a rare opportunity to address any squad issues mid-campaign, we assess the one problem position each top-flight club should be prioritising as they look to strengthen for the second half of the season.

Jump to each club:

Arsenal • Aston Villa • Bournemouth • Brentford • Brighton • Burnley • Chelsea • Crystal Palace • Everton • Fulham • Leeds United • Liverpool • Manchester City • Manchester United • Newcastle United • Nottingham Forest • Sunderland • Tottenham • West Ham • Wolves

Arsenal – Full-Back

Thanks to three successive summers of aggressive transfer activity, Arsenal have arguably the deepest squad in the Premier League. That has enabled them to weather injuries in the first half of 2025-26 and emerge from the congested winter period still top of the table. It’s a squad with no obvious weakness, and that may lead to a quiet January transfer window, with the expectation this group is enough to win the title.

If there is one position where Arsenal lack a true specialist, however, it may be full-back. Mikel Arteta has developed a habit of converting centre-backs into full-backs. Ben White, Jurriën Timber and Riccardo Calafiori are all examples of that approach. It’s clearly worked, with Calafiori and Timber among Arsenal’s standout players this season.

However, with White struggling for fitness, Calafiori currently out, and another centre-back/left-back replacement Piero Hincapié also injured, they’re a little light. Myles Lewis-Skelly is their only true specialist full-back, and even then, many think his eventual best position might be in midfield.

Still, knowing Arteta, the solution may simply be another centre-back capable of filling in at full-back. Reports linking Arsenal with Crystal Palace’s Marc Guéhi point firmly in that direction.

Back to club list

Aston Villa – Striker

Aston Villa’s failed attempt at signing Conor Gallagher perhaps suggests the club are prioritising a midfielder over anything else, but while injuries to Amadou Onana and Boubacar Kamara aren’t ideal, they are likely to be back in the next few weeks.

Unai Emery’s need for another striker appears more urgent. Brian Madjo has signed already from Metz but, having only turned 17 this week, can’t be considered the main back-up to Ollie Watkins. In truth, Villa still haven’t properly replaced Jhon Durán, who left the club almost a year ago.

Donyell Malen did well filling in up front sporadically but he is off to Roma, so reports that Villa are looking at bringing former loanee Tammy Abraham back to the club aren’t too surprising. The 28-year-old has seven goals in 17 Turkish Süper Lig games for Besiktas this season.

January additions were key for Villa last season, and they will surely use this window again to build on their excellent first half of the campaign.

Back to club list

Bournemouth – Winger

Another club who could do with addressing several positions, Bournemouth surely have to prioritise finding a replacement for Antoine Semenyo. The Ghana international left the club earlier in the window to join Manchester City and has already underlined the scale of the loss, scoring in both of his appearances for his new team.

Over the last two and half seasons, Semenyo has started more matches (81), played more minutes (7,117) and registered more goal involvements (39) than any other Bournemouth player.

Semenyo’s ability to carry the ball at speed was central to Bournemouth’s direct, vertical style. He excelled at driving the team up the pitch in transition, covering long distances as the Cherries countered with pace. He averaged 13.5 metres per carry this season, a longer average distance than any other Bournemouth player.

Andoni Iraola’s side move the ball upfield at the fourth-fastest rate in the Premier League (1.88 metres per second), wasting little time in releasing their quickest attackers. They’ll want to replace Semenyo’s profile quickly.

Back to club list

Brentford – Striker

This might seem an odd suggestion for a team who have one of the most in-form strikers in Europe, but a potential issue for Brentford is they don’t have much depth at striker beyond Igor Thiago. They weren’t left with any time to replace Yoane Wissa after his deadline-day move to Newcastle, so could now look to remedy that.

Igor Thiago’s breakout season:

How Igor Thiago Has Filled the Void Left by Bryan Mbeumo and Yoane Wissa

They have just signed 18-year-old Kaye Furo from Club Brugge, but he only made five Belgian Pro League appearances off the bench before making the move to the Gtech Community Stadium, so he surely can’t be considered the immediate back-up to Thiago. While Kevin Schade has moved centrally on occasion, the German is undoubtedly more effective coming off the left.

Having someone who can offer similar things to Thiago would take some of the pressure off him and allow Keith Andrews to rest his Brazilian superstar more often.

Back to club list

Brighton – Central Midfielder

Brighton could do with strengthening in a few positions across the backline, namely in central defence and at right-back. But replacing Carlos Baleba, or at least planning for his eventual departure, should arguably sit highest on their priority list.

Baleba has no shortage of admirers. Manchester United were heavily linked with him last summer and may well come knocking again. Brighton are adamant they want to keep him until the summer, but they will also be planning for a future without him.

Last season was Baleba’s breakout campaign, the central midfielder proving his value as an exceptional ball-winner who was able to then spring attacks. In 2024-25, he won the ball and then initiated a Brighton move that ended in a shot on 36 occasions, at least 16 more than any other player. Overall, he was involved in 137 separate sequences that resulted in a Brighton shot, tied for the most on the team with Kaoru Mitoma, who plays a lot further forward.

It’s been a quieter season so far for the Cameroonian international, but there is no denying his clear talent, and Brighton will hope to strike gold again when they eventually find his replacement.

Back to club list

Burnley – Centre-Back

Scott Parker’s side were astonishingly good defensively last season. They conceded just 16 goals in 46 matches, averaging 0.35 per game, which was the best by any team ever in an English Football League season. Similarly, their 30 clean sheets matched the all-time record for a single EFL campaign.

That has not continued in 2025-26, somewhat understandably given the clear step up in quality to the Premier League, but it feels like Parker’s team are still set up to succeed only if they remain tight at the back. However, Burnley have conceded 41 goals in 21 top-flight games this season; only West Ham (43) have allowed more.

Losing CJ Egan-Riley to Marseille in the summer didn’t help. He was a rock next to Maxime Estève at centre-back last season, and frankly, the Frenchman hasn’t struck up the same kind of partnership with either Hjalmar Ekdal or Axel Tuanzebe, while going to a back three also doesn’t seem to have secured much for Parker.

In fact, Egan-Riley has struggled for minutes in Ligue 1 this season, making just six starts, so perhaps the Clarets could look to what would be an obvious solution if Marseille are willing to countenance even a short-term loan deal for the 23-year-old.

Back to club list

Chelsea – Central Midfielder

Given Chelsea’s regular activity in the transfer market in recent years, the idea that they need more players is perhaps rather amusing to some.

However, with Liam Rosenior now in the hot seat, the anticipation is that the new head coach will be able to bolster his ranks with some players he believes can execute his vision for a competitive Chelsea side.

Go Deeper:

Why Chelsea Have Appointed Liam Rosenior

In central midfield, Enzo Fernández has played more games than any other Chelsea player this season (37), and Moisés Caicedo has possibly also played more than expected, including starting the FA Cup game at Charlton on Saturday. Andrey Santos, who Rosenior got so much out of at Strasbourg, has made 28 appearances in all competitions, but only 12 have been starts.

Roméo Lavia has had more injury problems, while Dário Essugo is also on the treatment table. Full-backs Reece James and Malo Gusto have filled in there at times, which they’re capable of, but it isn’t ideal for a team who really need to qualify for the Champions League again and remain in four competitions. Perhaps one additional option in midfield will allow Rosenior to rotate a bit more, and keep his right-backs in their preferred position.

Back to club list

Crystal Palace – Centre-Back

Despite having had a good season until the last few weeks, you could argue that Crystal Palace need a few new players. Injuries have hampered them, but there’s one particular problem they should probably look to remedy now in the heart of their defence.

As things stand, Marc Guéhi looks to be staying until the end of the season, when his contract expires. The Eagles very nearly sold their captain to Liverpool in the summer but pulled out of the deal when they seemingly remembered they hadn’t yet signed a replacement.

They’ve had four months to work out who that replacement is, and while they might not need to replace Guehi just yet, if there’s a possibility of bringing that player in now to give them half a season to bed in, while also allowing for more rotation given Palace still have European commitments, that would surely be invaluable in both the short- and long-term.

Of players from Europe’s top five leagues, Maxence Lacroix (2,880) and Guéhi (2,831) have played more minutes than all other players barring Real Madrid goalkeeper Thibaut Courtois (2,880) and Chelsea’s Enzo Fernández (2,844). Oliver Glasner could really do with more options to rotate at the back.

Back to club list

Everton – Right-Back

Everton have been making do with centre-back Jake O’Brien filling in for the majority of the season at right-back. James Garner – a midfielder – has also played there. Club captain Seamus Coleman has been their long-term stalwart there, but he’s 37 and nearing the end of his career at the club.

O’Brien has been preferred by David Moyes over more specialised right-back Nathan Patterson, who has struggled for injuries and form. The Scot has started just one game this season, and has been linked with a loan move away.

O’Brien has done well stepping in but is far from a marauding full-back who will get up and down the flank to join in with attacks. His touch map is a conservative one and shows a player most comfortable operating around the half-way line when in possession.

Vitalii Mykolenko on the left is a lot more adventurous, averaging 2.8 open-play crosses per 90 compared to O’Brien’s 1.8. A similar profile to him could be valuable.

Back to club list

Fulham – Striker

If we’re being pernickety, the most important thing Fulham can do right now is get Harry Wilson to sign a new contract. But that would be cheating as far as this article goes, so let’s just agree with the Cottagers’ apparent own thoughts as reports suggest they’re looking at a new striker.

It might seem a little indulgent seeing as Marco Silva already has Raúl Jiménez, with five goals and three assists from his 20 Premier League games this season, while Rodrigo Muniz – who has made just seven league appearances in 2025-26 – is supposedly close to returning from a hamstring injury.

However, with the former being 34 years old and the latter having already suffered two separate muscle injuries this season, it would be understandable if Silva wanted another option, and reports suggest PSV’s Ricardo Pepi is of interest. The United States international has eight goals in 15 Eredivisie games this season, and three goals in five UEFA Champions League matches.

Back to club list

Leeds United – Centre-Back

Leeds looked to be going nowhere fast, but a tweak in shape at half-time in the 3-2 defeat to Manchester City – which saw them go from 2-0 down to 2-2 – appears to have turned their season around.

Head coach Daniel Farke had generally deployed a back four, but he switched to a back three and has largely stuck with that setup since the interval at the Etihad Stadium. The result? A run of just one defat in eight Premier League games.

Nevertheless, their squad was constructed mostly with a back four in mind. While Farke himself doesn’t seem particularly desperate for reinforcements, apparently content to rely on nominal full-backs to fill in at the back if necessary, it is worth pointing out they only have four natural central defenders.

Joe Rodon has uncharacteristically had time out recently, so too has Sebastiaan Bornauw, who until not so long ago potentially looked like leaving in January.

Reports suggest attacking midfielder Facundo Buonanotte could arrive on loan in this window, but an additional body to bolster centre-back options would likely also be well received.

Back to club list

Liverpool – Centre-Back/Right-Back

While Liverpool spent a lot on their attack in the summer, their only centre-back signing was 18-year-old Giovanni Leoni, brought in to replace the outgoing Jarell Quansah. Leoni subsequently suffered a season-ending injury on his debut for the club against Southampton in the EFL Cup in September.

Their late move for Marc Guéhi fell through on deadline day, and Joe Gomez has also missed several games through injury, meaning Virgil van Dijk and Ibrahima Konaté have had to carry the load at the heart of defence. They have started every one of Liverpool’s 21 Premier League games as a centre-back pairing this season; no other duo in the division have started more than 19.

With Conor Bradley out for the season too following his knee injury at Arsenal, Arne Slot could really do with another option who can ideally cover both centre-back and right-back. Reports suggest he won’t get it, though, as the club appear to be happy to continue with what they have until the summer.

Back to club list

Manchester City – Right-Back

Manchester City are currently navigating a mini injury crisis at centre-back, so much so they needed to recall Max Alleyne from his loan spell at Watford. We’re counting that move as a soft ‘signing’ though, so instead we’re going to suggest right-back. It’s a position City have not properly resolved since Kyle Walker’s departure this summer.

In the interim, Matheus Nunes has generally done well when filling in there, playing 98% of his minutes this season at full-back and delivering a run of consistently solid performances.

However, his role at right-back appears to be one that’s developed more out of necessity than any strategic design.

Theoretically he’s most comfortable deployed as a central midfielder, despite Guardiola’s reservations last year about him not being “clever enough” to play there, and City have been reported as targeting a specialist right-back as long ago as last summer. It remains a need.

Back to club list

Manchester United – Central Midfielder

One obvious caveat cannot be ignored for Man Utd: They now have an interim head coach until the end of the season, and it’s unlikely they are going to spend lavishly for Michael Carrick.

But if there’s one area of United’s squad that looks shallow and due reinforcements regardless of who the coach is, it’s central midfield. This has been the case for years.

The departure of Ruben Amorim does arguably change the outlook a little here, though. It’s unlikely Kobbie Mainoo will be as underutilised by Carrick, meaning he and Casemiro behind Bruno Fernandes – returning to a number 10 role – is a likely setup.

But that leaves Manuel Ugarte – who’s won few fans at the club – as the only natural replacement currently in the senior squad for the deeper positions bar Fernandes, while 33-year-old Casemiro is into the final months of his contract.

United may not be able to address their midfield needs in January, but it’ll surely be a priority position in the summer.

What can we expect from Carrick?

Possession, Confidence and Four at the Back: What Will Michael Carrick Bring to Man Utd?

Back to club list

Newcastle – Full-Back

Eddie Howe’s options at right- and left-back were limited even before January, so seeing Tino Livramento go off recently with a hamstring injury will have caused real concern at St. James’ Park.

Since then, Livramento’s been ruled out for about two months. That leaves Newcastle with Lewis Hall, Emil Krafth, Kieran Trippier and Alex Murphy as their remaining natural full-back options.

Krafth (unlikely to return from injury until February) and Murphy have played 45 minutes of Premier League football between them in 2025-26, while Trippier’s had his own fitness issues this term. Dan Burn has also been known to play left-back, but he too is out injured.

Livramento promises to be a big miss considering 39.9% of Newcastle’s attacks come down their right – that’s the second-greatest proportion in the Premier League this term. 

Given the England international can ably play in either full-back berth, in an ideal world Newcastle will find someone else similarly versatile.

Back to club list

Nottingham Forest – Striker

When Nottingham Forest signed Igor Jesus from Botafogo for a reported £10m last summer, they probably didn’t envisage him playing quite as much football as he has this season.

Chris Wood, off the back of a 20-goal 2024-25 campaign, was still very much first-choice up front. He started 35 of 38 Premier League games last season and Forest will have expected to be able to rely on him once again.

A persistent knee injury has put paid to that idea, though, and Forest have had to rely on Jesus up front. Before this season, he had no experience of European football, though he did score against European champions PSG at last summer’s Club World Cup.

While the upheaval of two managerial changes can’t have helped, Jesus has struggled to hit the ground running in England. In 20 Premier League appearances so far (13 starts), he has just one goal – against bottom-of-the-table Wolves – from 39 shots, giving him a pretty abysmal conversion rate of just 2.6%, despite many of his shots being from good, central areas.

Wood turned 34 in early December and his knee injury required surgery at the end of the year, so even if he can return in the coming months, he surely can’t be a viable option for Forest for much longer. They could do with a new striker this month.

Back to club list

Sunderland – Winger

The one upside to Sunderland having had so many players away at the Africa Cup of Nations this winter is that they get to experience the boost of getting them all back. In that sense, Régis Le Bris has six returning first-team players who may well feel “like a new signing” during the January transfer window. That’s twice as many players as any other Premier League team had at AFCON.

The season could scarcely have gone any better for Sunderland after their return to the top flight, but if they are looking for an actual new signing, there are still improvements they could make.

Their defence is a huge strength – only Arsenal (14) and Manchester City (19) have conceded fewer goals than them (22) – but they could do better in attack. Only Wolves (15) have scored fewer goals than them (21).

Much of Sunderland’s success going forward comes at set-pieces; only two teams have generated a higher proportion of their xG at dead balls than them (34.6%). However, they have by far the lowest in open play, with just 9.7 xG in 21 games. They have barely had any open-play shots from inside the six-yard box and have the lowest xG per shot in open play in the league (0.08 xG).

They won’t want to sacrifice the defensive solidity upon which their remarkable campaign has been built, but they could do with a little more creativity. That might mean they need individuals who can create something all on their own; only two teams have either attempted (272) or completed (113) fewer dribbles than Sunderland in the Premier League this season. A right-wing upgrade on Chemsdine Talbi or Bertrand Traoré could be considered.

Back to club list

Tottenham – Winger

Spurs have already moved for a central midfielder this month, bringing in Conor Gallagher from Atlético Madrid. But while he adds experience, pressing ability and hard running, he won’t do enough to fix their biggest problems.

Thomas Frank’s side have plenty of issues, but their biggest seems to be getting the ball into positions from which they can create chances. Their non-penalty xG of 20.5 in 21 Premier League games this season is more than only the bottom three and Sunderland.

They desperately need a defensive midfielder who can progress play through the centre of the pitch to find creators like Xavi Simons in areas where he can affect the game. However, that doesn’t appear to be Frank’s priority right now, and Spurs could struggle to attract a player of sufficient quality midway through the season.

It may therefore be that they look to bring a creative player in a wide forward position this month, having lost right-winger Mohammed Kudus to a serious quad injury earlier this month. Kudus leads the Premier League for dribbles attempted (106) and is Spurs’ leading player for expected assists (2.4 xA).

On the left, meanwhile, they only really have Wilson Odobert as a fit and natural option. They can’t realistically carry on as they have done with so few players available to play on either flank.

Back to club list

West Ham – Defensive Midfielder

Where to start with West Ham? They have so many issues and, without a win in 10 Premier League games, are sinking deeper and deeper towards near-certain relegation.

If they are to arrest their decline and put up any kind of a fight in the remaining months of the season, they will have to fix many issues. The biggest of them, though, is how many goals they are conceding.

They have let in more (43) than anyone else in the Premier League this season, and while that is significantly higher than their xG against (36.3 xG), they still rank second-bottom in that regard. Preventing chances is a massive problem as well.

They could probably do with reinforcement in central defence where their current options aren’t great, but perhaps more urgent is the need for someone to help in defensive midfield. Freddie Potts is a very talented young player, but it is perhaps unfair to expect him to be able to protect the defence adequately alongside fellow 22-year-old Soungoutou Magassa.

One signing isn’t going to fix West Ham, but reinforcing their central midfield options could help.

Back to club list

Wolves – Central Midfielder

Never say never when it comes to the Premier League, but despite a recent upturn in performances and recording their first league win of the season against West Ham, Wolves can probably already start making plans for the 2026-27 campaign in the Championship.

With that in mind, they should probably anticipate which players in the current squad are likely to still be at Molineux by then. Brazilian midfield pair João Gomes and André will surely have interest from elsewhere, with Napoli already being linked with the former.

Gomes (1,596) and André (1,427) have played more Premier League minutes than any of their teammates this season, so if they aren’t going to be there next season, it makes sense for Wolves to look for a contingency plan. They could try to find a central midfielder with Championship experience who can get assimilated now and be well settled in the team for the start of a promotion charge next season.

Back to club list

Enjoy this? Subscribe to our football newsletter to receive exclusive weekly content. You should also follow our social accounts over on X, Instagram, TikTok and Facebook.

One Problem Position Every Premier League Side Needs to Address This January Opta Analyst.

Hence then, the article about one problem position every premier league side needs to address this january was published today ( Thursday 15/01/2026 - 03:42 PM ) and is available on The Analyst ( Middle East ) The editorial team at PressBee has edited and verified it, and it may have been modified, fully republished, or quoted. You can read and follow the updates of this news or article from its original source.

Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( One Problem Position Every Premier League Side Needs to Address This January )

Also on site :

• UK to list 65-year-olds as reservists amid Russia threat claims – Telegraph
• Gaza plan phase two: US to discuss Hamas disarmament, Israeli withdrawal
• ‘I hope they show humanity’: Greenlanders fear Trump’s desire for minerals