9 transfers that could still happen including Man Utd and Chelsea stars

If anyone thought a big-spending summer would make for a quieter January transfer window, it might be time to think again.

Premier League clubs spent close to £2bn over the course of the summer window, a record sum. Chelsea and Manchester United were among the biggest spenders, with the likes of Antony and Wesley Fofana setting the clubs back small fortunes.

There are plenty of deals left in the 'pending' pile as August ticked into September, though, with some clubs running out of time and some players deciding to stay put for a few more months at least. Here, Mirror Football looks at some of the deals which didn't go through but which are far from dead.

Cody Gakpo

Cody Gakpo was linked with a Premier League move for much of the window, and it’s almost quicker to list the clubs who weren’t in the mix. Manchester United were looking at him as an alternative to Antony, while Arsenal, Leeds and Nottingham Forest were all mentioned.

In the end, the Ducthman stayed at PSV Eindhoven, allowing him to remain the main man at club level with a World Cup on the horizon. Still, a move seems more a case of when than if.

If he starts for the Netherlands in Qatar, it’s unlikely to hurt his stock, and he scored for Ronald Koeman’s side in their Nations League win away to Poland on Wednesday. With PSV missing out on the Champions League this term, he may be more open to a mid-season exit.

Christian Pulisic

Pulisic’s name came up in conversation early in the window, with the American linked with a move to Juventus in part-exchange for Chelsea target Matthijs de Ligt. In the end, De Ligt opted to move to Bayern and Pulisic stayed put.

The former Borussia Dortmund man is still wanted by the Italian side, though, with Max Allegri’s men making a sluggish start to the season. Other summer signings have been far from impressive, with Paul Pogba injured in pre-season and Angel Di Maria sent off in a shock defeat at Monza which left the Bianconeri down in eighth.

Pulisic himself has struggled for minutes this term, starting just once for the Blues under Thomas Tuchel. If the trend continues with Graham Potter in charge, he may decide his time in London is up.

Mykhaylo Mudryk

Mudryk is another player with a number of suitors, and comparisons with Neymar emphasise how highly regarded he is. The Ukrainian was mentioned in connection with the likes of Arsenal and Liverpool, neither of whom moved for anyone with a similar profile on deadline day.

The 21-year-old’s form since then is only likely to have added to his value. Mudryk has scored in both of Shakhtar Donetsk's two Champions League games so far, a win at RB Leipzig and a draw against Celtic.

Next up for the Ukrainian champions in Europe is a double-header against Real Madrid. It's a chance for Mudryk to put himself firmly in the shop window - if he decides now's the time to leave his homeland, that is.

Aaron Wan-Bissaka

While Manchester United strengthened at left-back with the signing of Tyrell Malacia, the same wasn't true on the other flank. This is one of the reasons why Wan-Bissaka wasn't allowed to leave on deadline day, despite interest from the likes of West Ham United.

Since joining from Crystal Palace in a £50m move in 2019, the England under-21 international has seen his star fall. He has been a back-up to Diogo Dalot this term, with a late substitute appearance against Liverpool his only first team action.

Wan-Bissaka's future may depend on United's own plans. If they can find a new right-back, having been linked with the likes of Sergino Dest over the summer, the 24-year-old could be given a chance to rebuild his career away from Old Trafford.

Ousmane Dembele

French forward Dembele is no stranger to Premier League gossip columns. The Barcelona man was linked with Newcastle United and Manchester United in January, only to stay at Camp Nou and enjoy an impressive second half to the 2021-22 season.

Even then, his future wasn't secure. Chelsea sniffed around after his contract was allowed to run down, but ultimately the former Borussia Dortmund man opted to sign new terms in Catalunya.

Xavi has used Dembele to good effect since taking over, and there's no reason to think he'd be desperate for a move. However, with a one-summer-only release clause poised to come into effect at the end of the season, there's likely to be interest - the question is whether he can be coaxed away.

Youri Tielemans

With the end of the transfer window drawing near, there was talk that Arsenal - or another suitor - might pounce for a cut-price deal for Tielemans. A fee of around £20m was mooted, but in the end he stayed at Leicester City for the final year of his deal.

Any slim hopes of an extension to that deal may have been dented by the Foxes' dismal start in the Premier League. Tielemans himself opened his account for the season before the international break, but his goal came in a 6-2 defeat at Tottenham which left his team bottom of the league.

The Belgian has plenty of Premier League pedigree, and was a key part of the Leicester team which twice came close to a top-four finish. If he doesn't make a January bargain move, a summer free transfer to keep him in England could well be on the cards.

Douglas Luiz

Brazil international Luiz is in a similar position to Tielemans, with his Aston Villa deal up in the summer. Arsenal did attempt to land him on deadline day, only to see multiple bids knocked back by Steven Gerrard's side.

The former Manchester City man worked with Mikel Arteta at his old club, and the Spaniard clearly sees something in him after previously bringing in Gabriel Jesus and Oleksandr Zinchenko from the Etihad Stadium. And he has already reminded the Gunners of what he can do with a goal against them this season.

Luiz emerged as a last-gasp target after Arsenal midfielder Mohamed Elneny suffered an injury. With European football potentially taking more of a toll on the fitness of Arteta's squad, the Londoners may need to invest again in January.

Marco Asensio

With Real Madrid investing in their squad once more, Asensio has begun to look a bit like an odd man out. The 26-year-old has played just four times this season, all from the bench, scoring only once.

The Spanish international has been in Madrid since 2014, playing more than 200 times for the Champions League holders. He intimated that he was keen to leave over the summer, but no move materialised despite apparent interest from the Premier League.

Arsenal were again one of the clubs in the mix, having let Nicolas Pepe leave for Nice on loan. If their attack needs any freshening up in January, this could be the answer.

Ruben Neves

At the end of last season, Neves looked more likely than not to leave Wolverhampton Wanderers. The Portuguese international had given the club several years' service, but a return to Champions League football - having played in the competition for Porto as a youngster - seemed to be a matter of time.

Manchester United, Arsenal and Liverpool were all mentioned as potential destinations. Instead, though, he has stayed at Molineux and taken over as captain after Conor Coady's loan exit.

With United moving for Casemiro in a £60m move, they may feel further central midfield reinforcements aren't needed. It could be a different story for Liverpool, though, with Jurgen Klopp potentially looking for a longer-term solution after a last-minute loan move for Arthur Melo.