Top clubs who need to make January 2025 signings the most

The 2024/2025 season has sprung some surprises in the top European leagues, and that is not such a revelation, considering that clubs made so many changes in the summer.

No top European league has reached the halfway point yet, but every team has played at least seven league games, and some have already played up to 15 competitive matches.

In the opening weeks of the campaign, clubs have tested their new signings, and those who failed to significantly strengthen their team in the summer now see where improvement is needed.

January 2025 offers everyone a fresh opportunity to improve their group as much as possible, and the top teams know they have to take advantage of it.

Some teams would wait until the summer to sign players, especially free agents with expiring contracts by 2025.

These soon-to-be free agents can speak to foreign clubs in January, but some teams could pay a fee to fast-track their move to their clubs.

This requires them to pay some money in January to sign players that they may have gotten for free in the summer.

Clubs competing in major competitions often have to find valuable players in January, and some have been successful.

Luiz Diaz helped Liverpool to maintain their bid to win four trophies after joining in January 2022, while Leandro Trossard also helped Arsenal to nearly win the Premier League in 2023.

In this article, we consider the top European clubs who need to add some new players to their squad in January 2025

Juventus

Juventus named a new manager on their bench in the summer, and Cristiano Giuntoli trusted Thiago Motta to become their latest coach.

Motta earned the job following a fantastic season at Bologna where he led them to qualify for the Champions League.

The former midfielder has started his tenure well, thanks to the club backing him with the signing of the likes of Teun Koopmeiners, Douglas Luiz and Nicolas Gonzalez, among others.

Despite naming a new manager to their bench and revamping their squad, Juve’s form is one of the reasons that Serie A is a part of the toughest leagues to predict this season.

However, the Old Lady of Italian football needs to strengthen their squad in January following a spate of injuries.

They lost Gleison Bremer to a long-term injury until the end of the season. Gonzalez and Francisco Conceicao are two injury-prone wingers, so they must consider signing a new attacker to give everyone who buys Juventus tickets a reason to be optimistic in the second half of the term.

Position to strengthen: Defence and attack

Real Madrid 

Real Madrid remains confident about its chances of winning La Liga this season despite Barcelona's form, and its secret might lie in a better January transfer window.

Signing Kylian Mbappe has not helped them as much as fans would have expected, and they are expected to sign some top players in the summer.

However, to stay close to or overtake Barca, Madrid needs to take action in January and further strengthen its midfield.

The Whites have not replaced Toni Kroos so far, and Jude Bellingham's poor form must force them into action to save their season.

In the first Classico of the season, Los Blancos looked clueless in attack, and their midfielders failed to release balls in time to beat Barca’s high line.

A new midfielder could solve that problem, and that seems to be a position where they need help at the moment, but they also probably need a new defender.

With Alaba still out, the likes of Toni Rodiger and Eder Militao seem to need help to deliver top performances for Real Madrid ticket buyers.

Position to strengthen: Midfield and defence.

Arsenal

After challenging Manchester City for the Premier League title in back-to-back seasons, Arsenal seems to be struggling with inconsistency this season.

Mikel Arteta’s men have lacked discipline this season. They have received at least three red cards in different Premier League matches this term and have won none of those games.

However, their biggest problem could be losing some of their key men to injuries at this early stage of the season.

Last term, we covered how they overused Bukayo Saka and Martin Odegaard. Now, they have lost both players to injuries.

Saka pulled up during the October international window, while Odegaard did the same during the September international break.

Arsenal lacks proper cover for both players and they need to do so in the January transfer window.

Fans who buy Arsenal tickets, expected the Gunners to sign a striker at the start of the season, they failed to do so which has cost them goals.

The January transfer window offers them a chance to correct that mistake, although a quality striker will cost them a lot of money in mid-season.

Positions to strengthen: midfield and attack

Liverpool

Some fans would be surprised that we have included Liverpool on this list, considering how good their start to the season has been.

Even the most positive Liverpool fans would not have expected their team to have started this season so well after naming a new manager and signing just a player in the summer.

Arne Slot is profiting from an amazing squad that Jurgen Klopp left behind for him when the German left the club at the end of last season.

Liverpool’s new coach hardly rotates his team and seems to be a manager who sticks to a winning lineup as long as they continue to bring results.

However, taking a good look at their bench during matches often shows that they are one injury away from struggling, and their lack of depth could soon become problematic.

In January, they need to strengthen their squad with some new midfielders and attackers to ensure they have options if injuries or suspension affect their main men. This is how to keep Liverpool tickets attractive for fans to buy.

Positions to strengthen: Midfield and attack.

Bayern Munich

Another top European team that probably needs a January intervention is Bayern Munich even though they have one of the strongest squads in the continent.

They gambled on making Vincent Kompany their coach at the start of this season, a move that surprised most people because he had been relegated in the Premier League with Burnley last season.

Bayern has remained formidable in the Bundesliga, but their form in the Champions League is worrying, and they probably need an intervention in January.

Their team might be struggling with the distraction of having several players among those with expiring contracts in Europe this term.

But in January, they must replace these stars with no long-term future at the club to add some freshness to the group.

Bayern Munich tickets could stop selling as fast as they do now if no new talents are added to their group and the team continues to struggle.

Positions to strengthen: various spots

Manchester City

Manchester City has been one of the most successful clubs in the world for several seasons and is still one of the favourites to win the Champions League this season.

City is also holding its own in the Premier League title race, but they are missing some key men and might need a January intervention.

Everyone knows how important it is for City to have Rodri in their squad, but they have lost him until the end of the season.

The Citizens have also had to deal with several months without Kevin de Bruyne, who has become injury-prone in the last few seasons.

The midfielder has been an important player for the Citizens for around a decade, and this could be his last season with them.

They need to think about replacing him, and signing a new midfielder in January should be at the top of Manchester City’s to-do list.

Positions to strengthen: Midfield.

Conclusion

Clubs are usually reluctant to sign players in the January transfer window, but there have been some successful purchases in recent winter windows.

These clubs need to strengthen their group in the January transfer window to reach their seasonal objectives.