Football transfer news

The advent of the new year brings with it a fresh wave of insecurity for clubs, who know that they will be prone to losing some of their best players for the rest of the season.

In Germany, none will be more worried than Schalke, who stand to lose two of their stars, Lewis Holtby and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar for free come the season’s end, though the Konigsblauen will not be so worried about the likely departure of Ciprian Marico, who has been largely disappointing.

Elsewhere, Borussia Dortmund captain Sebastian Kehl’s current deal expires in June, though the veteran midfielder has the option of extending his long stay at Signal Iduna Park for another year.

Bayern Munich, meanwhile, need not worry so much – Claudio Pizarro is the most high-profile player poised to depart the Allianz Arena, with Daniel Van Buyten and Anatoliy Tymoshchuk struggling to make any impact on the Bayern frist team.

As well as being threatened with relegation, Greuther Furth and Augsburg stand to lose a number of high-profile players come June.

Hamburg, meanwhile, have the fewest senior players poised to leave the club, with back-up goalkeeper Jaroslav Drobny the only one to have featured in the first-team of late who is coming to the end of his contract.

Below, Goal.com gives you a club-by-club guide on all of the Bundesliga players who could become free agents come June 30.

EXCLUSIVE
By Romeo Agresti

Juventus have all but given up hope of luring Shanghai Shenhua attacker Didier Drogba to Turin in the January transfer window, Goal.com understands.

The Bianconeri are desperate to add some more firepower to their squad this winter and Drogba is one of three names topping their shortlist alongside Robert Lewandowski and Fernando Llorente.

With the latter two seemingly unavailable in January, though, Juve had made Drogba their top target on the winter transfer market.

However, Juventus are reluctant to meet the Cote d’Ivoire international’s contract demands as the experienced striker wants a two-year deal, whereas the Old Lady are only willing to offer a six-month contract with a one-sided option for an additional season.

Therefore, a transfer seems out of the question at this point unless either of the two parties changes its stance, something that seems unlikely for now.

The 34-year-old is currently preparing for the 2013 AFCON, where Cote d’Ivoire will meet Tunisia, Algeria and Togo in the group stages.

By Wayne Veysey | Chief Correspondent

SUAREZ AND STURRIDGE TO SHARE CENTRE-FORWARD ROLE
 
Liverpool’s plans to right the wrongs of their late August transfer business are increasingly advanced.
 
Brendan Rodgers’ priority is to increase his attacking options and the best part of £20 million has been earmarked for Chelsea’s Daniel Sturridge and Blackpool’s Thomas Ince.
 
Rodgers remains keen on Arsenal contract rebel Theo Walcott although Liverpool face strong competition for the England international from the likes of Chelsea and the two Manchester clubs should he fail to agree new terms at Emirates Stadium.
 
Pepe Reina and Stewart Downing are the two senior players most likely to be offloaded to help fund the new arrivals, who could also include England goalkeeper Jack Butland.
 
Goal.com understands that Liverpool’s swoop for Sturridge has progressed this week as the Merseysiders close in on an agreement with Chelsea.
 
It is believed that Rodgers’ plan is to use the versatile attacker in a fluid attacking system headed by Anfield talisman Luis Suarez.
 
“Sturridge wants to go down the middle rather than out wide but he will not be permanently handed the No.9 position that he craves,” a Liverpool source told Goal.com. “Brendan wants fluid strikers who can play in a variety of positions. You will not see Suarez or Sturridge playing up front all the time.
 
“It will be a case of keeping the defenders guessing by the players interchanging positions, from game to game and often within the matches themselves. That’s why Andy Carroll was loaned out, because he can only play one role. Brendan likes forwards who can play wide or through the middle.”
 
LIVERPOOL WANT BUTLAND TO BE THEIR JOE HART

 
Liverpool are frontrunners in the chase to sign Jack Butland in January as they eye a replacement for Arsenal target Pepe Reina.
 
Sources have told Goal.com that the Merseyside club believe Butland “can be their Joe Hart”.
 
This is a reference to how Manchester City snapped up the England No.1 from lower league Shrewsbury Town as a 19-year-old – the same age as Butland is now – and nurtured him into one of the finest goalkeepers in Europe.
 
Liverpool are wary of overpaying for potential, and will not be held to ransom, but there is a growing appreciation among club scouts that the Birmingham City keeper is an outstanding young talent.
 
The Merseysiders are likely to offer a structured deal, with an initial payment of around £5m supplemented by performance-related add-ons.
 
COATES TO BE LOANED OUT
 
Liverpool are ready to loan out defender Sebastian Coates in the New Year.
 
The 2011 summer signing has started only five league matches for the club and is behind first-choice centre-back pairing Daniel Agger and Martin Skrtel, as well as Jamie Carragher, Martin Kelly and Andre Wisdom in the pecking order.
 
Goal.com understands that Brendan Rodgers does not want to sell the Uruguayan but accepts that the 22-year-old needs playing time to develop.
 
Coates is expected to be loaned out in January to a club on the Continent until the end of the season.
 
RODGERS WARY OF PLUNDERING SWANSEA AGAIN

Like many managers, Brendan Rodgers went with the tried and trusted when he began his summer overhaul of Liverpool.

But Goal.com has learned that senior Anfield figures are wary about signing another player he managed at Swansea.

Rodgers is a big admirer of Swans goalkeeper Michel Vorm and centre-back Ashley s but they are unlikely to follow Joe Allen and Fabio Borini, the two marquee purchases of the last window, to Merseyside.
 
In addition to the players and Rodgers, Liverpool have stockpiled their backroom staff with former Swansea men, including No.2 Colin Pascoe, head of performance Glen Driscoll, match analyst Chris Davies and fitness coach Ryland Morgans.

Dunga has been named as coach of Internacional, his first role since being fired by Brazil at the end of 2010 World Cup.

The former Selecao captain led the national team for four years, winning the Copa America in 2007 and the Confederations Cup in 2009, but was sacked after a quarter-final exit to Netherlands in South Africa.

“The most important thing is to put the ideas into practice. I want a vibrant and competitive team,” Dunga told reporters at his unveiling.

“Inter have a battling team and in football we can always learn.”

Dunga, who had began and ended his playing career with Internacional went on to admit that he did not have to think twice when he was offered the job.

“The Internacional job is like the Brazil job; you do not go when you want, you go when you are called,” Dunga said.

Club president Giovanni Luigi chose to replace former boss Fernandao with Dunga after watching the club finish ninth in the recently concluded Brasileiro.

Borussia Dortmund have hinted that they could be prepared to sell Manchester United target Robert Lewandowski this summer if they receive an offer too good to refuse.

The Polish striker, who has bagged nine goals in 15 Bundesliga starts this season, has garnered a host of admirers, not least the Premier League leaders.

As exclusively revealed by Goal.com, Juventus have also made an enquiry and with Lewandowski nearing the final year of his contract, Dortmund could be forced to cut their losses.

“As often as I am talking to Robert, I do not have the impression he wants to leave us,” club executive Hans-Joachim Watzke told Sport Bild.

“We will have to make decisions in this case at the end of the season. We may decide on economical factors.

“Would it be best to cash in a big fee? Or would it be even better to keep Lewandowski to ensure we are more likely to qualify for the Champions League with him in our side, as this would guarantee us big income?

“It’s a decision we will have to take. It’s our decision. It’s not something to be decided by others.”