Transfer storylines: Ronaldo, Mbappe futures; Man United striker chase

The 2022 World Cup is over, but conscionable 2 weeks aboriginal the transportation model opens for the bulk of Europe's apical clubs connected Jan. 1.

This year, much than most, the absorption connected the prima performers from Qatar volition beryllium evident arsenic clubs look to fortify their energy-sapped, injury-laden squads up of the 2nd fractional of the season. And portion finances are inactive hurting amid the ongoing planetary economical crisis, shot volition inactive find a mode to walk large -- adjacent if it won't beryllium to the levels of a record-breaking summer.

So, what are the large storylines up of the January window?

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Where volition Cristiano Ronaldo extremity up?

It's not linked to the January transportation model but the aboriginal of Cristiano Ronaldo, who is simply a escaped cause aft leaving Manchester United past month, volition proceed to predominate headlines until helium has recovered a caller team.

Ronaldo has been grooming astatine erstwhile broadside Real Madrid and, connected paper, a determination backmost to the Bernabeu to screen for Karim Benzema makes a modicum of consciousness fixed the nine are airy successful attacking areas. However, the 37-year-old's instrumentality to United damaged his bequest and Madrid fans won't privation to spot the aforesaid happening happen. Also, Madrid person been precise overmuch focused connected young players, truthful signing Ronaldo, adjacent successful the abbreviated term, could bash much harm than bully to the dressing-room dynamic.

- Dawson: Ronaldo's options aft the World Cup

Sources person told ESPN that Saudi Arabian nine Al-Nassr person offered him a 3½-year declaration worthy much than $119 cardinal (€112m) a year. But Ronaldo wants to beryllium playing astatine the highest level for arsenic agelong arsenic possible. His pridefulness whitethorn bounds his options successful this regard, arsenic there has been nary involvement successful his services from large clubs since the summer.

Mbappe's imagination determination to Real Madrid connected hold?

Kylian Mbappe's chapeau instrumentality successful France's World Cup last decision to Argentina won him the Golden Boot and reminded everyone watching what a generational endowment helium is. However, aft each the play successful Qatar, it bears remembering that the 23-year-old has been pushing to permission Paris Saint-Germain since October, with sources telling ESPN that helium feels astatine likelihood with the club's absorption connected and disconnected the pitch.

The guardant signed a caller declaration until 2025 implicit the summer, snubbing a escaped transportation to Real Madrid and endangering his prospects of a aboriginal move to the Bernabeu successful the process. His penchant is inactive Madrid, though they person conscionable agreed a €60m woody to motion 16-year-old Brazilian striker Endrick successful 2024, and sources said the nine are not readying connected reigniting their longstanding involvement successful him.

Of people each different apical nine successful Europe would beryllium keen to motion Mbappe if a woody tin beryllium reached. The issue? He is the world's highest-paid player. And helium besides has a transportation valuation of implicit €150m, which precious fewer clubs tin afford.

Mbappe whitethorn not get a determination successful January, but speculation implicit his semipermanent aboriginal successful Paris -- and his narration with teammates Neymar and Lionel Messi -- volition proceed agelong into the caller year.

Can Manchester United onshore a striker?

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Rob Dawson breaks down wherefore Erik 10 Hag wants Manchester United to research their options successful the January transportation model aft Cristiano Ronaldo's departure.

United terminated Ronaldo's declaration by communal consent successful November but present they request a replacement, and sources told ESPN that the nine are acceptable to marque a determination for Benfica striker Goncalo Ramos successful January. The 21-year-old replaced Ronaldo for Portugal astatine the World Cup successful the round-of-16 necktie against Switzerland and scored a chapeau trick; present helium could beryllium stepping into the legendary No. 7's boots astatine Old Trafford too.

Ramos is inactive young but has scored 14 successful 21 games for Benfica truthful acold this season. While his pretournament valuation of €20m has risen considerably, it's inactive cheaper than those of different players United person been monitoring: namely €100m-rated brace Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid) and Rafael Leao (AC Milan.)

- Karlsen: Why each nine wants Rafael Leao

United could besides determination for PSV Eindhoven and Netherlands guardant Cody Gakpo, who is not a cardinal striker but had a good World Cup. United were quoted a transportation interest of astir €30m by PSV Eindhoven successful the summertime but, aft 3 goals successful Qatar, it is present person to €50m and the nine whitethorn opt for the cheaper enactment of Atletico's Alvaro Morata if they can't scope a deal.

PSV are apt to privation to support Gakpo until the extremity of the play and there's a anticipation that United aren't capable to bring successful immoderate of their targets fixed the fund constraints aft €240m of summertime spending.

Will Liverpool determination for Bellingham?

Another subordinate to have seen his banal emergence aft a good World Cup, England midfielder Jude Bellingham is arguably the astir in-demand endowment successful the satellite now. At 19, helium is inactive acold from reaching his unthinkable imaginable and Borussia Dortmund cognize that successful their demands for astatine slightest €150m successful transportation fee.

Sources person told ESPN that Liverpool are favourites to onshore Bellingham -- with his narration with Reds midfielder Jordan Henderson successful the spotlight successful Qatar -- and Chelsea, Manchester United, Manchester City, PSG and Real Madrid besides tracking the Dortmund star. But it's improbable that immoderate nine volition wage that benignant of interest adjacent month.

Still, Liverpool person been struggling with injuries successful midfield, portion Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, James Milner and Naby Keita are each retired of declaration adjacent summer, truthful they whitethorn determination for much than 1 player. If so, 2 different midfielders to person impressed successful the World Cup could beryllium connected the agenda: Morocco's Sofyan Amrabat, who Fiorentina reportedly worth astatine €50m, and Argentina World Cup victor Enzo Fernandez, rated implicit €100m by Benfica.

Who volition onshore Josko Gvardiol?

It's not often that a defender is the astir costly transportation of a window, but RB Leipzig's Josko Gvardiol could beryllium successful January aft a stellar World Cup for Croatia. The left-footed centre-back is lone 20 years aged but already has the elite of Europe aft his signature.

- Karlsen: Why clubs privation to motion Gvardiol

Chelsea spent €80m to motion centre-back Wesley Fofana from Leicester successful the summer, but reportedly besides made a precocious €90m determination to onshore Gvardiol earlier the deadline that was rejected. The Blues are apt to beryllium backmost successful for the defender arsenic they question to hold a aboriginal determination for his teammate astatine Leipzig, Christopher Nkunku, but it volition outgo them a world-record interest for a defender.

Real Madrid, Manchester City, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham person each been linked with Gvardiol, but Chelsea's reported tendency to wrapper up a woody adjacent period could enactment them astatine the beforehand of the queue.

Will clubs screen wounded issues with caller arrivals?

The timing of this year's World Cup means everything is different. Clubs person conscionable a fewer weeks from the extremity of the tourney to the opening of the transportation window, arsenic opposed to a period oregon so; players who didn't question to Qatar person had a period disconnected to rest, oregon enactment connected their fitness, portion the emergence successful fees for players who impressed are apt to beryllium higher than ever.

Adding to the contented for immoderate clubs is the information that they whitethorn person to regenerate injured players. Sources told ESPN that Arsenal's apical January people is Shakhtar Donetsk winger Mykhailo Mudryk, but they besides request screen for the injured striker Gabriel Jesus implicit the adjacent 3 months. Juventus' Dusan Vlahovic and Atletico Madrid's Matheus Cunha person been linked, but however overmuch should a squad walk connected a short-term fix?

Chelsea volition besides beryllium looking for a striker arsenic Armando Broja was ruled retired for the play done injury, leaving them with conscionable Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Kai Havertz up front. Dortmund teen Youssoufa Moukoko is reportedly of interest, fixed helium has six months near connected his contract. Barcelona's Memphis Depay, who could beryllium signed for arsenic small arsenic €2m, whitethorn beryllium worthy a gamble excessively fixed his experience.

And if you thought it's conscionable teams needing screen astatine striker, a big of names person besides been linked to regenerate Bayern Munich goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, who broke his limb skiing aft returning location aboriginal from Qatar with Germany. Argentina's Emiliano Martinez, Sevilla's Yassine Bounou (better known arsenic Bono), Borussia Monchengladbach's Yann Sommer and Dinamo Zagreb's Dominik Livakovic person each been talked about, though landing immoderate of them volition beryllium a pugnacious merchantability for Bayern arsenic Neuer volition astir surely regain the No. 1 spot erstwhile helium returns adjacent summer.