50. Ronaldo, 31, AC Milan
Yes, he's still around. And sooner or later Milan may decide they're tired of
waiting for him to get fit. Which means he'll need to be "rescued",
possibly on loan. A gamble? Of course. But if you're romantic and you
remember that he remains one of the greatest goalscorers of his generation
(61 international goals and counting . . .) he may be hard to turn down.
49. Stephen Hunt, 27, Reading
Won't win popularity contests, but the plucky Irish winger is a
perpetual-motion machine who seemingly never stops running. This season he
has contributed a few goals as well. Might be tempting for someone looking
to provide instant dynamism to their side.
48. Sebastien Puygrenier, 25, Nancy
He's ready for a bigger stage and if you want a giant, no-frills old
school stopper who'll get to the ball first and boot it in Row Z, he's a
sensible option.
47. Goran Pandev, 24, Lazio
A gifted and unselfish second striker who looks on the cusp of stardom.
Lazio are notoriously cash-strapped and won't turn down a reasonable offer.
46. Tim Borowski, 27, Werder Bremen
This giant (6ft 5in) hyperactive midfielder gives you work rate and goals.
He has 18 months left on his current deal and has had the odd run-in with
his manager, Thomas Schaaf, which suggest he may be ready to up sticks.
45. Antonio Cassano, 25, Sampdoria (on loan from Real Madrid)
Approach this outrageously talented basket case with caution . . . but, if
you can unlock his ability, you will find one of the most gifted players in
Europe. Sampdoria have a buy-back option but a decent offer will pry him
loose. A gamble but possibly a worthwhile one.
44. Willy Sagnol, 30, Bayern Munich
It's not often a veteran right back with 53 French caps becomes available but
Sagnol says the rift with Ottmar Hitzfeld, the Bayern manager, can't be
healed. Still has several seasons at the highest level in his 30-year-old
legs.
43. Johan Elmander, 26, Toulouse
A late bloomer who really came into his own only in the past two years,
Elmander is a big, athletic striker who probably still hasn't fully tapped
into his talents. Toulouse are a selling club, and there is plenty of
interest.
42. Miguel Veloso, 21, Sporting Lisbon
Tough-tackling holding midfielder in the Claude Makelele mould who can
also line up as a defender. Veloso is calm, composed and reads the game
uncannily well. Don't expect him to stick around past the summer.
41. Cristiano Lucarelli, 32, Shakhtar Donetsk
The veteran target man worked out a deal whereby Shakhtar will let him go
on loan for the next six months, provided he returns for their 2008-09
Champions League campaign. If you're looking for a big, hulking goal machine
on a short-term basis, he's your man.
40. Roysten Drenthe, 20, Real Madrid
Hyped to high heaven, he's been a bust at the Bernabeu. Too young to write
off, though Real are willing to listen to offers. Given his ability, if he
finds a club that can keep him on the straight and narrow, he could be an
excellent signing.
39. Elano, 26, Manchester City
Everybody has his price and, despite having just arrived, plenty of clubs are
lining up big money bids for the Brazilian maestro. Unless City prove to him
they're ready to challenge for the title next season, he may push for a
move.
38. Javier Saviola, 26, Real Madrid
Started for Argentina in the World Cup, but can't get a game at the
Bernabeu after arriving on a free in the summer. Saviola is young enough to
turn his career around and Real are happy to listen to offers. He's an
expensive guy to have at the end of the bench.
37. Christopher Samba, 23, Blackburn Rovers
Despite a long-term contract, too many scouts are already salivating over the
Rovers defender to believe he'll see it out. Arguably Mark Hughes's best
signing, pound for pound.
36. Ricardo Quaresma, 24, Porto
Screwed up his chance at Barcelona, but has consistently been one of the
best wingers in Europe since then. A mesmerising dribbler who also knows
when to be unselfish, Porto will hold out for a big fee, but it's hard to
see them hanging on to him.
35. Marco Amelia, 25, Livorno
Italy's No 2 goalkeeper is, incredibly, still stuck at a club mired in the
relegation scrap year after year. Has been linked with a move for the past
18 months. Sooner or later it has to happen.
34. Vincent Kompany, 21, SV Hamburg
Injuries have limited his development somewhat, but he's big, strong,
quick and bright: invaluable assets for a central defender. Could be one of
those "below-the-radar" deals that reveals a hidden gem.
33. Luke Moore, 21, Aston Villa
He rejected a new deal last month and is out of contract in 2009, which
suggests he's ripe for a move. Has slipped down the pecking order, but at
his age, is definitely worth a look.
32. Mario Gomez, 22, VfB Stuttgart
Germany’s footballer of the year last season is a big, brawny centre
forward with an eye for goal. Stuttgart would love to hang on to him for
another season but, at the right price, they'll let him go.
31. Tiago, 26, Juventus
Hasn't really made the grade this season and Juventus are quietly
listening to offers. The Portuguese midfielder could be a bargain for a
number of clubs and, at his age, has a lot of good football left in him.
30. Olof Mellberg, 30, Aston Villa
Dependable, durable, physical and intelligent, Mellberg is on the market
because he is out of contract in June. As Bosmans go, this one looks like a
no-brainer for a hugely experienced defender with 79 Sweden caps and ten
years’ experience in La Liga and the Premier League.
29. Joao Moutinho, 21, Sporting Lisbon
An eerily accurate passer and a natural leader who is already captaining
Sporting despite his young age. Has plenty of drive and determination to go
with his excellent technique and work rate.
28. Ever Banega, 19, Boca Juniors
Probably Argentina's brightest domestic starlet right now and arguably the
best player at the Under-20 World Cup. Banega is a deep lying midfielder in
the Andrea Pirlo mould who looks set for a big move to Europe. - SOLD (to
Valencia for £13½ million)
27. Miguel Angel Angulo, 30, Valencia
Like Albelda, he has been shown the door at the Mestalla. Don't let that
put you off, he's an intelligent and unselfish winger who can do a job for
any top side. And, unlike others, he won't cry if he's not in the starting
XI.
26. Mancini, 27, AS Roma
This tricky winger and step-over king has only 18 months left on his
contract, which means he's ripe for someone to swoop in with an offer. One
of the better wide men in Serie A, he has an uncanny ability to beat his
man, which is always a prized asset.
25. Lassana Diarra, 22, Arsenal
A mystery wrapped in an enigma. Since the summer, he has featured as many
times for France (seven) as he has for Arsenal in the Premier League. Given
his age, it seems inevitable that someone will rescue from the Emirates
before he gets too many splinters in his rear end.
24. Afonso Alves, 26, Heerenveen
Alves threw a hissy fit when he wasn't sold last summer and promises to
produce another one if he doesn't get a move. The occasional tantrum,
however, may be outweighed by his scoring record: 45 in 39 games since
moving to Holland and seven in one game in October.
23. Peter Crouch, 26, Liverpool
Rafael Benitez says nice things about Crouch, but he doesn't get much love in
terms of playing time. With a contract expiring in 18 months, he's ripe for
a move, otherwise he'll be the elongated photo-negative version of Defoe: an
England forward who can't start for his club side.
22. Jeremy Menez, 20, AS Monaco
Comparisons to Zinedine Zidane might be a bit blasphemous at this stage, but
he has all the gifts to succeed. A tricky dribbler and natural playmaker,
he's also a regular goalscorer who can feature up front. Oh, and he's on the
record saying he "dreams of Arsenal".
21. Cristian Zapata, 21, Udinese
The best defender you've (probably) never heard of. Quiet, unassuming but a
fearsome athlete with size, strength and pace, he has been a Serie A starter
since he was a teenager. Think a younger Sol Campbell, only less
complicated.
20. Jens Lehmann, 38, Arsenal
OK, so he was born in the 1960s and has lost his starting place at
Arsenal. But it wasn't that long ago that he was superlative in leading
Germany to the World Cup semi-finals, and he'll be available on a free in
June. Does nobody fancy a punt?
19. Jermain Defoe, 25, Tottenham Hotspur
Amazingly, he has started only one Premier League game this season. In the
past three and a half seasons, he has scored 35 league goals, while making
only 71 starts. With his contract expiring in 2009 (and no sign of a deal on
the horizon) he's ready to move on.
18. Deco, 30, Barcelona
Probably should have moved last summer, but remains available at the right
price. A natural playmaker who, in the right context, holds his own
defensively as well, he'd upgrade almost any midfield.
17. Giles Barnes, 19, Derby County
No, we haven't really seen what he can do in the Premier League, but Derby
are likely to go down and he doesn't need a year of slogging it out in the
Championship. He brings technique, creativity and improvisation, all
qualities English youngsters supposedly lack.
16. Amauri, 27, Palermo
The poor man's Adriano (without the boozing and the flab). Amauri is a
big, strong and mobile target man who puts the team first and never stops
running. Now that he has an EU passport, he's a very tradeable commodity.
15. Rafael Van der Vaart, 24, SV Hamburg
After being billed as the second coming as a teenager, he has taken a few
years to settle down, but is now comfortably one of the better attacking
midfielders around. Already has 50 Dutch caps.
14 Nicolas Anelka, 28, Bolton Wanderers
Have boots, will travel. Seven moves in his career will soon become eight,
which makes sense for a consistent centre forward who has reached double
figures in league goals in each of the past six seasons.
13. Alan Hutton, 23, Rangers
A natural attacking full back who is ironing out some of his defensive
kinks, Hutton may be the best British wide defender right now. If he wants a
move, it will be very hard for Rangers to hang on to him.
12. David Albelda, 30, Valencia
His manager has blamed him for Valencia's ills and dropped him, which
effectively means he's up for sale (and for a reasonable price, too). It's
not often a guy his age with 50 Spanish caps goes on the market.
11. Adriano, 25, Sao Paulo (on loan from Inter Milan)
Yes, he's had weight and alcohol problems and Inter have shipped him home
to Brazil so that he can regain his mojo. He's a gamble by any estimation
but, given his age and that he is potentially one of the most feared centre
forwards around, it may be a worthwhile one.
10. Urby Emanuelson 21, Ajax
Classic attacking full back who brings width and trickery to the left
flank. Ajax don't really want to lose both him and Maduro, but they may well
have no choice if the right offer comes in.
9. Didier Drogba, 29, Chelsea
He's under contract until 2010, but makes no secret of the fact that he
wants to keep his options open and see how things go under Avram Grant. If
Chelsea can get the right price, selling him might be the kind of move that
benefits all parties.
8. Diego, 22, Werder Bremen
He flopped as a teenager at Porto but, in the past two years, he has
established himself as one of the best playmaking attacking midfielders in
Europe. Creates tons of chances and scores a fair few, too.
7. Gianluza Zambrotta, 30, Barcelona
The prototypical modern full back who can fill either flank, he's been in
and out at the Nou Camp this season. With the manager's future undecided, he
could be tempted to try his luck elsewhere.
6. Frank Lampard, 29, Chelsea
It all depends on whether he extends his contract at Stamford Bridge, which
expires in June 2009. He said he'll make a decision at the end of the season
and, if no deal is reached, look for him to seek employment elsewhere.
5. Luka Modric, 22, Dinamo Zagreb
Despite his age, he bosses games from his perch in central midfield. Great
personality and leadership and chips in with a fair few goals as well.
Premier League be warned: Dinamo are looking for a big pay day.
4. Hedwiges Maduro, 22, Ajax
A high-energy sparkplug in the middle of the park, Maduro is the kind of
guy managers love. Other clubs love that he has refused a contract extension
and can move on a free in June even more. Don't expect him to last that
long.
3. Karim Benzema, 20, Lyon
The price tag will be high given his age but, if he continues to progress,
it will only get steeper. Quick, accurate and blessed with loads of
personality, he's the next big thing coming out of French football.
2. Dimitar Berbatov, 26, Tottenham Hotspur
Very gifted and prolific, he often leaves you with the sense that there's
more to come. Spurs may want to cash in, especially since they are a year or
two from contending. Plus, if he doesn't want to be there, why keep him
around?
1. Ronaldinho, 27, Barcelona
Of course, he'll cost a mint - both in wages and transfer fee - and you may
have bought into the idea that his career is on the wane. Don't believe the
haters. He's got 46 goals in his past 71 Liga starts . . . and he's not even
a goalscorer!
David Wheater - Middlesbrough, he is going to be a great England Centre back.
Chris, Glasgow, Scotland
Forgotten: Tal Ben Haim, Daniel Jarque, Wes Brown. In addition, if Rafa leaves, then there will be many changes at Liverpool.
Berbatov also committed and said his agent was just being an agent, there is no way management is letting him go at only age 26. Its a tricky situation to read, one which will depend on Tottenham's league position at the end of this season.
Sudhir, Covina, CA
Yes I agree that most of these players are top targets but what about Samir Nasri. Against Liverpool in the champions league he came on as a sub and instantly there was a visible change in the midfield. Looking at Marseille current position how could he say no to one of Europes biggest clubs. He would be a great addition to someone like Baecelona or Arsenal.
Max , Manchester, England
I think you forgot Robbie Savage from the list. Oh, sorry......it was just the top fifty targets, rather than the top five hundred.
Peter Koeb, Geneva, Switzerland
Modric is the best player in the world!!! pozz VINKOVCI-CIBALIA
Stand up and fight and i'll stand up with you! We shall succed
Zdravko Perica, Vinkovci, Croatia
modric is great player and he will be better and better but ronaldinho that is number 1 that can t be i think that cristiano ronaldo must be first or kaka
zava, zagreb, croatia
Benzemi and Zapata are great shouts. Can Drenthe sign for another club within 12 months?
Wilie Brown, Sydney, Australia
hi everbody
luka modric is the best player in the world
dinamo-zagreb
b, zagreb, croatia/hrvatska
Edson Arantes do Nascimiento de PELE is still the greatest and all these Kakas should be glad he is 2 rich 2 play.
Ismet, Preshevo, Independent State of KOSOVA
Croatians aren't reading Times. There is a link on our well visited site to this one. :)
Nevertheless, Modrić is great player as you all see in following years.
Edo, Rijeka, Croatia
banega, diego and zambrotta have to be the most interesting signing prospects on this list, now that banega has gone to valencia the other 2 should be on every club's watch list!
erlend, Stord, norway
the listing of the players follows NO ORDER! And why are so many croatians reading the Times??
BUT: Luka Modric is worth at least 30Mio€ at the moment.
Dado, Bern,
I don't know why Drenthe is on the list, Real wouldn't sell him they might loan him for 6 months but that's all, Ronaldinho is a waste of money and the best buy on the list is Lazio's Goran Pandev he's so good I just hope he'll sign for an English club you will really get to know him then.
Vasko, Kavadarci, Macedonia
modric is a great player. he deserve this spot on list.
drazen, zagreb, croatia
well, i'll give a shot at guessing and say that, from the top 5, benzema's not moving from lyon unless chelsea or real madrid throw the house through the window for him, luka modric, although i haven't seen him, looks like an awesome prospect, and i think that the ones that will make the move for him is inter milan, cause the really lack a creative midfielder, maduro, go on make ur bet, i don't have any idea of what could happen to him, for berbatov, i think he'll end up at least this season at the spurs if u ask me, and for ronaldinho, i'm 99% sure barça's just waiting the biggest (and reasonable) money for him and he'll go, probably that being chelsea although interest from AC milan never has to be dissrregarded, although i'll do a long shot, lampard goes to barça and ronaldinho to chelsea, with some money involved for the spanish side. for the impossibles, drogba, diego and/or van der vaart are staying in their clubs, i don't see them being let go
breaker999, bogota, colombia
For Aqib Mahmood....Premier league the best?
Are you sure? And the last world cup? And Capello?... I think Anelka is ready for a big Italian team!!! Ciao a tutti!!!
Alberto, Manduria, Italy
Aresnal or Chelsea shouldn't prolong buying Modric any longer as his price tag will double after the Euro this summer. This is a world class player and a true leader on and of the pitch.
Sadams Adnedam, Guantanamo Bay, Cuba
I would like that ronaldinho, kaka and anelka should move to chelsea and as their careers will flourish at stamford bridge. Ronaldinho should go away from barca as he is not respected there and kaka should come to england as premier league is the best league in the world and anelka, he should'nt stay at botlon cuz its not a high class club he should move to chelsea. i am a chelsea fan and i hopes that these players move to chelsea.
Aqib Mahmood, Abu Dhabi, UAE
I think people are misinterpreting the point of this article. It is not a list of the 50 best players, it is a list of the 50 most realistic transfers to happen in this transfer window. That is why there is no ronaldo or kaka, because they arent going to be moving clubs in january.
Also, as a few people before me have said, the list is in no particular order, as stated at the top. So there is no need to complain about the order, because it isnt in one.
I like the article, its a good way of making people aware of the players that may be coming to england in the next month, or maybe in summer.
Liam, York, England
How can Gabriele leave out Aiden McGeady from Celtic? The best youngster to come out of Celtic Park in 25 years, Celtic fans have been talking about this boy since he was 12 years old. Only 21 years old, the best player in Scotland by far this season, 'Aidenho' has been Celtic's best player in the champions league this season, and it won't be long before he leaves behind the dross of the SPL and joins he premiership.
Stephen Hart, Glasgow,
This is embarrasing,where are players like Cristiano Ronaldo and Daniel Alves...I think that Ronaldinho doesn't deserve to be No. 1 because there are lots of young and talented players who had played really good and had some fascinating games in last 2 seasons and scored many more goals than him - Ronaldinho was the best player in the world but I think his time has passed.....
Ante, Sinj, Croatia
as usual english newspapers need to make meaningless rankings based on his journalists opinion...very impressive..
Gianluca, London,
I think the author's main goal was to enlight those players who could easily leave their teams. E.g.: players with short term contracts, willing to play in bigger teams, got tired of the bench, coming out youngs and so on.
For Totti and Buffon there is no way.
Paolo, Milano, Italy
I am skocking, Where are players like Totti or Buffon?
claudio, london, UK
It says: THEY'RE IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER!! But all Croatian journalists and fans interpreted Modric's position as fifth in some kind of value ranking! :-/
Stipe, Zagreb,
Luka is miracle....
Kiki, Zagreb, Croatia
I'd say a few others could and should be on there.
Namely, Jeffferson Farfan, Jonathan de Guzman, Micah Richards, David Bentley, Dean Ashton, Sergio Aguero and Dani Alves.
Bobby Fletcher, London,
where is Zaragoza defender garay and NIKOLA Kalinić from Hajduk.
rt, Split, croatia
Looka Modric is the very best but his career is being ruined in Dinamo. Gotta move into Barca/Arsenal..
Ss,CmF, Zagreb, Croatia
Liedson is one of the strikers in Europe. Small and lightweight he can score goals and fights for every ball. At 29, he deserves a shot at the big time.
Pedro, Lisbon,
Luka Modric should be out of top 10. He is not a leader. He hasn't got a leader spirit. He is just a good player.
Ante, Split, Croatia
Luka Modric is the best football player in the world, and he might be a No 1.
BTW: where is C.Ronaldo
Nikola, Osijek, Croatia
luka modric should be on 1st place cause he is best player in the world. did you ever watched him??? ronaldinho is nobody for him!!!
mario, davor, croatia
At first, I was surprised to see Berbatov immediately after Ronaldinho, occupying the second place in the chart....but then I paid attention to the sub-heading: "they're in no particular order". So, pls stop complaining about who should be put where and who deserves what.
Teodor Voinikov, Sofia, Bulgaria
Tom they are not on the market...But Luka is story for himself...he is best player in croatia and one of the best player in the world...:)
Neven, Lug Orehovićki, Croatia
Where is Cristiano Ronaldo?
He's one of the best football player in the Europe and maybe in the world, or not?
Sandra, Rijeka, Croatia
Messy is no.1 in world, remember that everybody
Matija, Orahovica, Croatia
nobody of top 5 on this lsit wont make transfers in january
Aljosa, Karlovac, Croatia
luka modric is going to be the best midfielder in the world by the time he reaches 25. 30 mill is a fair price for him,in 3 years he will be worth 50
Duje , Split, Croatia
Luka Modrić gona be one of best football players for few years
Luka B., Zagreb, Croatia
Luka Modrich is the best young player i've ever seen!
I would like that he go to Arsenal or Manchester City...
All the best...
Pink Floyd, Oslo,
chelsea have money n ronaldinho is the best thing money n only money can buy long live abramanovich and his roman army
Dr Rajiv Sikar Rajasthan India
dr rajiv, sikar, India
"From Ronaldinho to Ronaldo, they're in no particular order" so why are you arguing about the order?
Simon, Sydney, Australia
Luka is one of the top 10 football players at this moment and when i see him on 5th place of this scale it's not a big suprise for me! Go-Go Luka Modrić !
Mirko, Orahovica, Croatia
Luka=miracle...Luka times is coming! Luka is No1.!!!
Kreso, Vinkovci, Croatia
Why is Luka 5th? He Should be around 10th place.
Toni, Rijeka, Croatia
Luka Modric is the best player...maybe you dont know who is he...you will know in the future...Be careful Luka Modric is coming
Ike, Slavonski Brod, Croatia
wheres cesc fabregas and christano ronaldo? Lots of those young talents have been looked at by ARSENAL and soon they will sign some of them!!:)
Tom, Sheffield, England
Kaka is not for sale
Acokaco, Albany, USA
The classy Russian playmaker, Andriy Arshivin, is the one who has impressed me most this season. I'm amazed he hasn't made the top 50!
I'd love to see David Moyes try to sign him, he'd be incredible in Everton's midfield.
If they get him, maybe the Blues could lend Liverpool one of our strikers for the rest of this season... Vaughan, Anichebe, Johnson and McFadden are desperate for games, and any of them would walk into Liverpool's side right now!
Andrew Brown, Liverpool,
Ever Banega, already sign for Valencia.
Igor, Bjelovar, Croatia
I am glad to se Luka Modric in top 5 but i think that Ronaldinho do not deserve to be no.1
Cristiano Ronaldo is no.1 i world
Zeljko, Rijeka, Croatia
ivan rakitic?
where is he? he is one of the biggest potential football stars...
david villa?
samir nasri?
micah richards?!
Kresimir Vidovic, Croatia, slavonski brod/ zagreb, croatia
modric will be number one player of the world. he is most completed footballer of the world. great person great player, new zinedine zidane
MATIJA, krizevci, croatia
Ronaldinho...I can't belive that he is on the 1st place.....What is special about Ronaldinho.........Robinho is a 100 times better than Ronaldinho!........ask anybody
AmF, Zagreb,
Anatoliy Tymoschuk must be a likely target for one of the Premiership sides. Although he is on contract until 2011, surely somebody is likely to step in with an offer.
Neil C, Runcorn,
Where's Ajax's Klaas Jan Huntelaar?
Simon D, London,
Why Kaka is not listed? Would it be a cheap transfer? I don't think so...
Gabriel Bachmann, Watford, UK
Wheres David Villa ?? Isen't he a good deal
Alex Maciag, Stockholm, sweden
I just want to say that there-s no "s" for "Lyons" just Lyon.
Camille, Paris, France
what no Kaka?? If Chelsea have the money, they should use it to bring Kaka, Benzema and Zambrotta. Why spend on ronaldinho!
Vir Taaj, Bombay, INDIA
Wonderful article i hope there is a repeat sooon and one about the youth products but i would like to add.. u forgot ivanovic.. all the same wonderful and simple
Khaled Ibrahim, Al-Ras / Salmiya, Kuwait
ronaldo, ronaldinho and Adriano are all brazilian super stars im a big fan of them all. they need to prove their stil the best and definatly can be! Ronaldinho who is still 27 and no where near finished is still one of the best in the world, and a maneger who doesnt realise that must no nothing about football. he may cost a bit to get dragged over to the premiership, but isnt it worth the intertainment. hes still world class end off!! Adriano is 25 and even younger and is just as much as a ledgend as ronaldo or ronaldinho. hes still young and has plenty of time to get fit and drop old habbits hes still young enough to be a star in english football and doesnt he need a boast for him to get back to his old ways and wouldnt it be a major boast for an english club to come knocking!! Ronaldo the brazillian superstar, hes 31 but all he needs to do is get fit and loes weight !! hes 31 yes but no where near finished once again motivation and encourage is all he needs hes skillul and entertain
dom, london, england
If Berbatov has to move and I hope that is not the case, then what about Emanuelson from Ajax needed badly for defence and any one or more of the best forwards from of the above 50 given, for Tottenham of course ?
H.Jay, London,
Substitutes don't sit on a bench any more. Most clubs use a standard style of high-backed chair.
Oliver Chettle, Bedford,