Transfer deadline day: The deals backed to happen before the window closes
With the transfer window closing on Monday night, Michael Beardmore picks out some of the best-backed moves involving Premier League clubs according to Sky Bet.
Will Dele Alli move on deadline day?
Last January it was Christian Eriksen, who incidentally is 7/4 for a Spurs return and 7/2 for a reunion with former boss Mauricio Pochettino at PSG, and another Spurs transfer window saga has dominated the back pages this month.
Just like a year ago with Eriksen, Jose Mourinho has insisted DELE ALLI is going nowhere; the bookies beg to differ.
Sky Bet have him at Evens to join PSG before the window closes on Monday night. Those odds have been slightly skinnier, with 4/7 in early January, but it’s still a deal that’s being well-backed.
If Alli has any designs at all on forcing his way back into the England fold ahead of Euro 2020, he would surely be well advised to leave north London, given the paucity of minutes he’s had this season.
But the presence of the likes of Crystal Palace, Leeds, Newcastle and Southampton in the market of teams he could join shows just how far his star has fallen over the past couple of years.
What has happened to Danny Rose?
Like Dele Alli, Jose Mourinho’s TV documentary adversary DANNY ROSE is another player keen to find the Tottenham exit door and the England full-back is 1/3 to join Trabzonspor.
Rose has not kicked a football since the end of his loan spell at Newcastle six months ago, a strange turn of events for a man who played for his country as recently as October 2019 against the Czech Republic in a European Championship qualifier.
He needs to get his career back on track and a move to foreign shores – away from the memories of his cringe-inducing conflicts with Jose in All or Nothing: Tottenham Hotspur – could fit the bill nicely.
If you haven't seen the clip, shame on you.
Who will sign Diego Costa?
Wolves looked primed to sign free agent DIEGO COSTA in early January after he left Atletico Madrid for personal reasons.
The Old Gold were in desperate need of reinforcements up front after losing Raul Jimenez to a fractured skull, ruling the Mexican out for the season, and Costa shortened to an odds-on price.
Despite last week's signing of Willian Jose, Wolves remain Evens to bring the former Chelsea striker in.
The 32-year-old is managed by super agent Jorge Mendes, he man behind Wolves' superb recruitment policy in recent years, so a move to Molineux does make a lot of sense.
Should Everton sign a midfielder?
Everton were 2/1 to land Spain midfielder Isco from Real Madrid - exciting right?
It was until Toffees boss Carlo Ancelotti branded rumours of that move as dung (spoiler: he used ruder words than that).
However, Juventus’ German World Cup winner SAMI KHEDIRA was odds-on for a switch to Goodison at 4/5.
Khedira played under Ancelotti for two seasons with Real Madrid between 2013-15 and has not featured at all for the Turin giants this campaign.
At 33, Khedira could be looking at the final move of his career and would add further experience to the squad Ancelotti is attempting to build.
Max Aarons to Man Utd - really?
Norwich full-back MAX AARONS was, at one point this month, 1/5 to sign for Manchester United before February 2 – but has drifted out to 5/2.
United are certainly light in the right-back position – if Aaron Wan-Bissaka was to get injured, they would be short on replacements.
It’s no surprise they have been linked with Aarons, who is part of a Canaries back-line that is one of the tightest in the second tier but also offers a threat going forward with three assists this term.
But with Aarons under contract until the summer of 2024 and Norwich seeking an immediate return to the Premier League, the Sky Bet Championship table-toppers will surely want to avoid selling the 21-year-old as things stand.
They turned down £30m for him from Barcelona in September too, remember, so United will have to break the bank to sign him up.
Will West Ham sign a striker?
JOSH KING was backed into 1/2 to join West Ham at one stage in January after the Hammers sold Sebastien Haller to Ajax but has since drifted out to 6/4.
The striker has very much been out of favour at Bournemouth since their relegation from the Premier League, the majority of his 11 Sky Bet Championship appearances coming off the bench.
Norway forward King has only netted three times this term, all of them coming in recent FA Cup games, and his Bournemouth contract expires in the summer.
With Michail Antonio back fit, goals coming from all over the pitch and West Ham unexpectedly challenging for a European spot, David Moyes may be less inclined to bring in a replacement for Haller than some first suspected.
Odds correct at 1600 GMT (31/01/21)
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