Richard Arnold will take over as chief executive of Manchester United next month and Ed Woodward will leave the Premier League club on February 1.

Arnold, previously United's managing director, is to start his new role at the beginning of February.

Woodward was due to step down at the end of 2021, but the long-serving executive vice-chairman is now set to depart a month later.

Arnold said: "I am honoured to have the chance to serve this great club and its fans. I am determined to return that honour in any way I can."

United executive co-chairman Joel Glazer said: "I would like to thank Ed for his tireless work on behalf of Manchester United during his nine years as executive vice-chairman and 16 years with the club. 

"We are now looking forward to Richard and his leadership team opening a new phase in the club's evolution, with ambitious plans for investment in Old Trafford, the strengthening of our engagement with fans, and continued drive towards our most important objective – winning on the pitch."

It has been all change at United in recent months, with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer sacked in November and Ralf Rangnick installed as interim boss.

The Red Devils are seventh in the Premier League after slumping to a 1-0 defeat against Wolves at Old Trafford in their first game of the year on Monday.

The Premier League has confirmed rearranged dates for three fixtures that were postponed over the festive period.

In total, 18 matches were postponed over Christmas as rising coronavirus cases at clubs across the league led to large-scale disruption.

The issues have continued into the new year, with the first leg of the EFL Cup semi-final between Liverpool and Arsenal having to be pushed back, while the Reds' FA Cup clash with Shrewsbury Town this weekend is also in doubt.

Three top-flight games were rearranged last week, with Southampton versus Brentford, Everton versus Leicester City and West Ham versus Norwich City to be played on January 11 and 12.

Now, three more games have been confirmed to be taking place the following week, including fixtures for Manchester United and Tottenham.

Brentford host United on January 19, while Leicester and Spurs face each other in the day's other fixture.

January 18 sees Burnley host Watford and Chelsea visit Brighton and Hove Albion.

The latter game was set to take place in February, but has had to be moved forward due to the Blues' participation in the FIFA Club World Cup. The teams drew 1-1 at Stamford Bridge on December 29.

Arsenal's match with Burnley that was planned for Saturday, January 22 has now been pushed back to January 23, with the Gunners set to play Liverpool in the rearranged EFL Cup fixture on January 20.

Aaron Ramsey has not had the best of times since moving to Juventus.

The Wales midfielder joined Juve from Arsenal in 2019 on a four-year deal.

Ramsey has only managed 70 appearances in an injury hit two and a half years with Juventus.

TOP STORY – RAMSEY TO LEAVE JUVENTUS IN JANUARY

Aaron Ramsey is set to exit Juventus in the January transfer window, reports Sky Sports.

Italian transfer supremo Gianluca Di Marzio claimed that Ramsey is likely to return to the Premier League, having already turned down an offer from Burnley .

Newcastle United have been linked with Ramsey, along with Everton.

ROUND-UP

- Bayern Munich will consider swapping Kingsley Coman with Barcelona winger Ousmane Dembele in the off-season, reports L'Equipe. Coman's contract expires in 2023 and negotiations on a new deal have stalled.

- Sky Sports have reported that Newcastle are contemplating a bid for Lucas Digne. The full-back is set to leave Everton this month after a falling out with Rafael Benitez, though supposedly prefers a move to London, with Chelsea and West Ham also said to be interested.

- Everton, meanwhile, hold an interest in Newcastle midfielder Sean Longstaff and have already made a bid, according to the Daily Mail and Sky Sports.

- Paris Saint-Germain may look to sign Lyon's Lucas Paqueta next off-season, so say L'Equipe.

- Manchester United are determined to secure Wolves' Portuguese midfielder Ruben Neves in January, according to The Sun.

- Lazio have opened talks with Liverpool on a deal for Belgium international forward Divock Origi, claims LazioNews24.

- According to Sky Sports, five Premier League clubs have held talks with Barcelona's Philippe Coutinho.

Wolves coach Bruno Lage casually and clinically detailed how his team exploited Manchester United's incoherent pressing to outsmart them in Monday's 1-0 win.

United were dominated for large periods by Lage's visitors on Monday, before 35-year-old Joao Moutinho became the oldest visiting player to score a winning Premier League goal at Old Trafford to condemn Ralf Rangnick to the first loss of his reign.

But from United's perspective, it was the manner of the defeat that was so perplexing – while the Red Devils were only marginally beaten in terms of expected goals (0.83 to 0.79), Wolves' greater control and incisiveness allowed them 19 shots to nine, their six on target being three times as many as Rangnick's team.

Arguably just as important as United's ineffectiveness in attack was their lack of cohesion off the ball, with Lage seemingly predicting how the hosts would try to press.

Since Rangnick's appointment there has been much focus on United's style of play when not in possession, though prior to Monday's defeat their high turnover frequency has remained practically the same as it was under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Michael Carrick, improving fractionally to 7.75 per game from 7.57.

Generally they are no more effective in this regard than before and, against Wolves, there was precious little coordination from those in attack when looking to win the ball back, with Mason Greenwood, Edinson Cavani, Cristiano Ronaldo and Jadon Sancho engaging in just three tackle attempts between them.

Wolves' setup seemed to play into that.

"It's not about [exploiting] weakness," Lage told Sky Sports. "We try to understand the spaces they will give. The way they press, we prepared to try and understand, when we have the ball we try to understand which men will be free.

"It can be whoever is free, one of the centre-backs free, or if they come and press three against three like they did with Cavani, the spaces will be outside.

"That's why today we try to find Nelson Semedo and Marcal, and they come inside to play and then we play against six men: the defensive line and the two midfielders.

"When we arrive there it's important to keep the ball, get the opponent running. Top teams, sometimes they have more problems when they don't have the ball. If you spend more time with the ball, we will find our space and create chances.

"Manchester United changed their system a bit, but when you look in the end the way we pressed, controlled the game, the chances we created, we deserved the three points.

"When you are in the game you don't think about [conceding], we had that chance with [Romain] Saiss when he hit the bar, it was balanced.

"This is football, sometimes we have games like the first Manchester United game at home we create a lot of chances, we had one chance with Saiss in the corner and we miss and after that they score.

"I'm thinking of trying to win the game, that's why I put Fabio Silva in the game because at that moment I felt we could win the game. We played with a big personality, we created more chances than them, we had more of the ball than them, we deserved to win."

Manchester United defender Luke Shaw launched a passionate appraisal of the "phenomenal" Phil Jones after he made his first appearance in almost two years during the 1-0 defeat to Wolves on Monday.

Jones last started a top-flight game against Burnley in January 2020 but injuries to Harry Maguire and Eric Bailly, along with COVID-19 complications for Victor Lindelof, left United short in defence.

The 712 days between Premier League games for Jones is the longest gap any player who has not left the club – including loan spells – has had between appearances for the Red Devils in the competition.

The former Blackburn Rovers defender, who missed the entire 2020-21 season through injury, had been an unused substitute in five league games this campaign, but was in from the start against Wolves alongside Raphael Varane.

United were insipid in their first defeat under Ralf Rangnick, but Jones can at least hold his head high after a solid display.

His 90 per cent passing accuracy was higher than any other starter on the pitch, while he also had the best duels success rate among United players (87.5 per cent).

His tally of three tackles was not bettered by any of his team-mates and he made two more blocks than any player from either side (three).

Jones has been ridiculed at points during his time on the sidelines, with many questioning why he has not moved on, but Shaw says it is about time his team-mate was given some respect.

"Phil Jones can be proud of himself," the England international told Sky Sports.

"He's been ridiculed for a number of years, constantly. People are always getting at him and he's stuck by it. He's so professional and has tried so hard and he got his reward tonight.

"He was out for a year and this was his first big game back. He was exceptional. Obviously I'm very happy for him after what he's been through. He's a good lad and he deserves it."

Joao Moutinho's late winner at Old Trafford meant United have lost their opening league match in two of the last three calendar years – before that, they had only been defeated twice in 23 matches at the start of a year.

It was the visitors' first away league win against United since February 1980, ending a run of 10 visits to Old Trafford without a victory (D3 L7).

Luke Shaw felt Manchester United were not "all together" in their defeat to Wolves, while he suggested his side having quality is not always enough to succeed.

United saw their undefeated start under interim manager Ralf Rangnick abruptly end on Monday as Joao Moutinho, aged 35 and 117 days, became the oldest player to score a winning Premier League goal at Old Trafford in a 1-0 victory for Wolves.

The defeat leaves United four points adrift of Arsenal in the final Champions League spot after failing to score in a fourth different home league game this season, already more than they did in the whole 2020-21 campaign (three).

And Shaw bemoaned his side's performance as he questioned the team's togetherness, explaining that the quality within the camp will only get Rangnick's side so far.

He told Sky Sports after the game: "It was not good enough, we really struggled, we couldn't get hold of the ball and when we didn't have the ball we weren't aggressive enough. We didn't put them under any pressure.

"It maybe looked like an easy game for them. A disappointing performance and result. We didn't have many options on the ball and we weren't on the front foot.

"We have to put more pressure on them, we have to have intensity. Us players, we have been here a long time, maybe tonight we struggled, I didn't think we were all there together. 

"You look at the players we have, we have unbelievable quality but sometimes quality is not enough.

"We need to bring the intensity and more motivation. Inside the dressing room, we know what we want but out on the pitch we need to give 100 per cent. To win these types of games we all need to be 100% committed. It is tough and disappointing."

United will look to right some of their wrongs and get their campaign back on track when they face Aston Villa on January 15 in their next league game – five days after facing them in the FA Cup.

Ralf Rangnick is demanding improvement from Manchester United as he acknowledged deserved victors Wolves were the best team his side have faced.

United were dominated for large periods by Bruno Lage's visitors on Monday, before 35-year-old Joao Moutinho became the oldest visiting player to score a winning Premier League goal at Old Trafford to condemn Ralf Rangnick to the first loss of his reign.

Wolves' first away league win against United since February 1980, ending a 10-game winless run in the stadium, leaves them just three points behind the seventh-placed Red Devils.

United have failed to score in four different top-flight home games this season, already more than they did in the whole of 2020-21 (three), and Rangnick was disappointed with his team's quality up top as he praised Lage's side.

He told Sky Sports: "We didn't play well at all individually or collectively. In the first half, we had big problems keeping them away from our goal.

"The goal we conceded, we had enough players in the box. The cross had been defended by [Phil] Jones but the goal we conceded was like too many this season.

"Moutinho could shoot unmarked with no problems, no pressure. We're very disappointed about the result and parts of our performance.

"We decided to change our formation and we had more control – they didn't have as many chances, but we missed our chances and we have to admit they deserved to win. Wolves were the best team we've played. We have more problems today than in other games."

Rangnick arrived in Manchester with a reputation for his 'gegenpressing' style, but he was left disappointed by United's off-the-ball intensity all over the pitch. 

"We didn't press at all," he added. "We tried but we were not able to get into those pressing situations. They had an overload in midfield and they played via their wing-backs. 

"We've been only working two and a half or three weeks after needing to close the training centre. We had the results. At times we played well but today we have to admit they're better than us.

"The game showed we still have a lot of work to do. We had too many unforced errors. I don’t want to speak about individual performances of players. It's an issue of the whole team. It doesn't make sense [to talk about individuals].

"We have to see each individual game. So far we had 10 out of 12 points. Today we had our first defeat against a good team. They don't score that many goals but they scored the only goal [and] the question was who will score the first goal."

The defeat leaves United four points behind fourth-placed Arsenal, whom they boast a game in hand over, with their next league fixture coming against Aston Villa on January 15.

Joao Moutinho's late strike downed an insipid Manchester United as Wolves recorded a 1-0 win in the Premier League on Monday.

Wolves had not played since December 19 due to COVID-19 issues but dominated the opening proceedings at Old Trafford, United only holding on thanks to David de Gea repeatedly thwarting Bruno Lage's side.

Substitute Bruno Fernandes and Roman Saiss traded second-half strikes against the woodwork, either side of Cristiano Ronaldo – stand-in captain in the absence of Harry Maguire – seeing a goal ruled out for offside.

Moutinho then struck with eight minutes remaining to condemn Ralf Rangnick to his first defeat in charge of the Red Devils, who sit seventh in the league – four points behind fourth-placed Arsenal.

Wolves had not scored in their last 13 league games against United, dating back to 2004, but pinned back Rangnick's languid side for much of the first half.

Daniel Podence twice forced smart stops from De Gea, while the Spain international produced an expert save to tip over Ruben Neves' thunderous volley as Lage's side headed in at the break with nothing to show for their efforts.

United picked up the pace after the interval, Fernandes slamming onto the crossbar following Nemanja Matic's cross before teeing up Ronaldo's header past Jose Sa, which was disallowed for offside.

Saiss curled a free-kick against the woodwork, with Moutinho then delivering the decisive strike as he fired into the bottom-left corner. 

Jose Sa kept out Fernandes' stoppage-time free-kick as Lage's side played out an eighth straight league game with less than one goal scored in it.

Phil Jones will make his first Premier League start in two years for Manchester United, while Bruno Fernandes was left on the bench for the visit of Wolves.

Jones last started a top-flight game against Burnley in January 2020 but injury issues with Harry Maguire and Eric Bailly, along with COVID-19 complications for Victor Lindelof, have left United short-handed in defence.

The 712 days between games for Jones is the longest gap any player who has not left the club - including loan spells - has had between appearances for the Red Devils in the competition.

The former Blackburn defender, who missed the entire 2020-21 season, has been an unused substitute in five league games this campaign, though he will join Raphael Varane at the back on Monday.

Further forward, Jadon Sancho and Mason Greenwood will operate in behind Cristiano Ronaldo and Edinson Cavani, meaning Fernandes is left among the substitutes for the clash with Bruno Lage's side.

The Portugal international was absent from the 3-1 win over Burnley last Thursday due to suspension, after he and compatriot Ronaldo came into criticism from Sky pundit Gary Neville for their body language during a disappointing 1-1 draw at Newcastle.

Fernandes was an integral figure in propelling United to Champions League qualification last campaign as he netted 28 times in all competitions. 

That was the best return by a midfielder for a Premier League club in a single campaign, surpassing Frank Lampard's 27 for Chelsea in 2009-10, but he has failed to hit those lofty heights this term with five top-flight goals to his name so far.

Wolves make two changes as Francisco Trincao and Nelson Semedo come into the starting line-up, while Adama Traore starts on the bench for the visitors.

TEAMS

Manchester United: David de Gea, Aaron Wan-Bissaka, Raphael Varane, Phil Jones, Luke Shaw, Scott McTominay, Nemanja Matic, Mason Greenwood, Jadon Sancho, Edinson Cavani, Cristiano Ronaldo. Subs: Marcus Rashford, Jesse Lingard, Fred, Bruno Fernandes, Diogo Dalot, Dean Henderson, Alex Telles, Donny van de Beek, Anthony Elanga.

Wolves: Jose Sa, Max Kilman, Conor Coady, Romain Saiss, Nelson Semedo, Ruben Neves, Joao Moutinho, Marcal, Francisco Trincao, Raul Jimenez, Daniel Podence. Subs: Ki-Jana Hoever, Rayan Ait Nouri, Bruno Jordao, Fabio Silva, John Ruddy, Leander Dendoncker, Adama Traore, Luke Cundle, Hugo Bueno.

Romelu Lukaku's club future has been thrown into the spotlight after an explosive interview.

The Belgian striker revealed his regret at leaving Inter for Chelsea in August.

Lukaku was subsequently dropped by coach Thomas Tuchel for Sunday's 2-2 draw with Liverpool.

TOP STORY – LUKAKU COULD MAKE STUNNING SWITCH TO SPURS

La Gazzetta Dello Sport claims that unsettled Chelsea forward Romelu Lukaku could make a cross-city switch to Tottenham to re-unite with Antonio Conte.

Lukaku and Conte worked together at Inter where they won the Serie A title last term.

The striker revealed his frustrations at Chelsea over the weekend, with Tuchel offering no guarantees about his future.

ROUND-UP

- Erling Haaland will not leave Borussia Dortmund during the January transfer window, reports Fabrizio Romano. Haaland has not decided his next destination yet, despite rumours of a pre-agreement with Real Madrid and Barcelona.

- Ara claims Barcelona will offer Ousmane Dembele to Manchester United as part of a swap deal for want-away forward Anthony Martial.

- Tottenham and West Ham United  are both keen to sign Wolves' Adama Traore, claims the Telegraph. Wolves want £20million for the Spanish forward.

- Olympiakos' Guinea international midfielder Aguibou Camara is attracting interest from Milan and Liverpool, claims Calciomercato.

Ralf Rangnick says Edinson Cavani will "definitely" not be allowed to leave Manchester United during the January transfer window.

Cavani has only started three games for the Red Devils this season, but came into the side for the Premier League defeat of Burnley last Thursday after his strike at Newcastle United rescued a 1-1 draw.

The Uruguay striker has been linked with the likes of Barcelona and Juventus, having become frustrated with a lack of opportunities at Old Trafford.

But interim boss Rangnick has told Cavani, who is under contract until the end of June, he wants him to stay at United. 

"He knows that I will definitely not let him go," said the German.

He added: "I told him from the very first day that, for me, he is a highly important player. He is probably the only one who can play as a striker back to goal and face to goal.

"And, as I said, his professionalism, his work ethic is just amazing and I told him that I desperately want him to stay until the end of the season. He knows that. He also knows how highly I rate him and how highly I respect him.

"We will definitely need Edi. I would rather have another Edi on top of that but for me it's clear that Edi has to stay."

One player who is expected to be on his way out of United is Anthony Martial, who has told the club he wants to leave.

Sevilla are reported to have had a loan offer for the forward rejected and Rangnick says he will only be allowed to move if the deal is right for all parties.

"He made it very clear that he wants to leave and, in a way, I can understand his wish to leave and to try to play more regularly somewhere else," Rangnick said.

"But, again, it's a question not only of what he wants to do but it's also a question of which kind of clubs are interested in him and do they meet the demands of the club, so we have to wait and see."

United will look to extend their unbeaten run to nine matches when they entertain Wolves in the Premier League on Monday.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang's future is unclear having become frozen out.

The Gabon striker was stripped of the Arsenal captaincy last month and dropped by the club for disciplinary reasons and has not played since.

Aubameyang's future is a hot topic as the January transfer window opens.

TOP STORY - NEWCASTLE IN FOR JANUARY AUBA MOVE

Big-spending Newcastle have got in touch with Arsenal about a loan deal for outcast striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang claims The Mirror.

The Magpies want to sign 32-year-old Aubameyang on loan for the remainder of the season.

Newcastle would also look to sign Aubameyang, who is away at the African Cup of Nations, on a £20million off-season permanent deal.

ROUND-UP

- Teenage US international Ricardo Pepi is on the verge of joining Bundesliga club Augsburg claims Fabrizio Di Romano. The 18-year-old netted 13 goals for Dallas in the 2021 MLS season and is set for a medical on Sunday.

- Eddie Nketiah is being pursued by Bayer Leverkusen on a free transfer from Arsenal when his contract expires at the end of this season, reports The Sun.

- Sport reports that Brazilian giants Palmeiras are not interested in signing forward Philippe Coutinho as Barcelona try to shop him around in January.

- Axel Tuanzebe will join Napoli on loan from Manchester United until the end of the season, claims the Manchester Evening News. Tuanzebe is currently on loan at Aston Villa.

- The Sun claims that Manchester United's pursuit of Declan Rice has been boosted by West Ham's recent slide outside the Premier League top four.

Louis Saha dreams of Manchester United appointing Zinedine Zidane but insisted the club's players must respect whichever manager is in place if they are to succeed.

United have underwhelmed in the first half of the Premier League season, sitting in seventh under the interim management of Ralf Rangnick after the dismissal of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.

Former RB Leipzig coach Rangnick has overseen three wins and a draw in his opening four league games, but is only in temporary charge until the end of the season when the potential for a two-year consultancy role will come into play.

United have already confirmed they will seek out a long-term replacement at the end of the season, which could still end up being the German manager, with the likes of Zidane and Mauricio Pochettino being proposed by many as the leading candidates.

Saha placed his backing in fellow Frenchman Zidane, who has been without a club since leaving Real Madrid last May, as the former United striker outlined the sort of appointment he believes the club requires.

He told Stats Perform: "I feel like anyone who has proved in some way in some capacity, I think Pochettino is one of them.

"But anyone who has proved that you can build a team and make them improve in a way to win the Premier League as [Jurgen] Klopp has done, I think will have the job.

"We need to have the right manager who is able to really give that boost. We've seen this with Ralf on the touchline, that kind of energy, those guys, especially when you have three-quarters of the squad that is quite young – you need to have someone with that kind of energy. 

"I don't want to put Pochettino above anyone. In my dream, I think about Zidane. There are definitely good names that I've heard in the last few weeks. 

"But yes, those are names and the most important is the fit where there is a project. Whoever is coming is not coming for two years because you want to attach his name to a big club."

Saha knows what it takes to win at Old Trafford, given he collected two Premier League titles and a Champions League triumph during his time in Manchester under Alex Ferguson between 2004 and 2008.

Bruno Fernandes and Cristiano Ronaldo are two of United's key figures this campaign, but the pair were labelled as "whingebags" negatively influencing their team by Sky Sports pundit Gary Neville following a 1-1 draw with Newcastle United.

Ronaldo's agent Jorge Mendes quashed any talk of discontent within the Red Devils dressing room as he stated his client's happiness on Friday and Saha believes United's managerial success will be built on respect.

"The formula I've seen that works is because you show respect and you have a very strong man-management," he added. "Ferguson at the time when I've seen that he had so many challenges because you get so much ego in the team. 

"People with a lot of trophies like Roy Keane, like Gary Neville, [Paul] Scholes or [Ruud] van Nistelrooy and you have the youth come in and have that sense of urgency, they want to win, they want to play and all those things. 

"You have to really show as much respect as strength and at the same time, humility. It's a very odd combination, but it's very important you have to really show that you are confident, strong.

"You need the support of everybody because the project is a team thing. So those are the ways to manage because everyone will give them respect. If you miss this thing. You're in trouble."

Asked whether Saha thought that was United's current problem with leadership, he responded: "Yeah, definitely. That's not a problem about talent. That's not a problem about not winning. 

"They want to win, but they don't have the formula, the people around who give them the right indication."

Manchester United will benefit from integrating security, confidence, courage and responsibility rather than splashing out on a blockbuster signing during the January transfer window, according to former striker Louis Saha.

The Red Devils have endured an inconsistent first half of the Premier League season and find themselves in seventh place – four points off the top four and 22 behind leaders Manchester City.

A difficult start to the campaign culminated in the departure of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, with Ralf Rangnick appointed his successor on an interim basis for the remainder of 2021-22. 

Following the arrivals of Cristiano Ronaldo, Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane during the previous window, more big names have been linked with a move to Old Trafford in a bid to boost the club's fortunes on the field.

But Saha, who scored 42 goals in 124 appearances for United between 2004 and 2008, believes his former club's priorities should be elsewhere.

In an exclusive interview with Stats Perform, he said: "Right now, I don't think that any player is [suitable for Man United in the transfer market] unless you bring in [Erling] Haaland or [Kylian] Mbappe and you know things are going to be very interesting, but I don't think that's going to be the case. 

"This transfer window is always very special and hard to manage. When you actually go into the press and say, 'oh, we need a defender, or we need a midfielder,' the price increases by 30 per cent easily because you're showing that you're desperate. 

"Any agent will take the opportunity to make it difficult, so that's the name of the market. 

"What you have to provide is more about security, confidence, courage, responsibility and all those needs to be integrated. This is where United will mostly benefit."

One of the main pre-season arrivals at Old Trafford, Sancho has yet to truly make a mark with his new employers.

The England international, who scored eight goals and provided 11 assists for Borussia Dortmund in last season's Bundesliga, has only found the net once in 15 Premier League appearances, while he is yet to register his first assist. 

Nevertheless, Saha is confident it is only a matter of time before the winger hits his stride.

"He's a top player, and there are moments like this where confidence can be shattered a little bit," he added.

"But when you have his quality, it's just like maybe one combination, one player that puts you in a better configuration, one dribble, one skill that the guy does on the field – and he's flying again. 

"So, I have no doubt he can score, he can obviously assist and open up any defence for our strikers. So, I do feel like it's an amazing talent to have."

January 1 ushers the start of a new year and, for many, a chance for a fresh start. That is particularly true in the world of football as it signals the day the transfer window opens and some of Europe's top talents can plot a lucrative move elsewhere.

A number of the sport's top talents, including Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe and Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba, are due to be out of contract at the end of 2021-22 and can therefore open talks with teams abroad in January.

While the futures of Mbappe and Pogba will be heavily discussed in the coming weeks, other big names across the continent will also become that little more attractive to buyers given their availability on a free (notwithstanding their lucrative salaries, of course!).

Stats Perform looks at the best players soon to be out of contract and therefore available to sign pre-contract agreements elsewhere from January 1.

Hugo Lloris (Tottenham)

Where better place to start than with a goalkeeper potentially seeking a new destination. Lloris has spent 10 seasons with Tottenham and has captained the side for the past six years, while also skippering the France national team since 2012.

Spurs have historically been reluctant to offer long-term deals to players in their 30s and that policy could see them lose one of European football's finest goalkeepers from the past decade. He has racked up 392 appearances for Tottenham, keeping 131 clean sheets in the process.

Anthony Martial (Manchester United)

Martial did not quite transform into the superstar forward many were expecting upon joining United from Monaco six years ago, but neither has the France international been as big a flop as some would suggest.

Indeed, since making his Premier League debut in September 2015, only Marcus Rashford (57) has scored more goals for United than Martial's 56. Those goals have come from an expected goals (xG) return of 43, with that xG differential of 13 the largest of any player at the club in that timeframe.

Antonio Rudiger (Chelsea)

Chelsea face the prospect of losing four defenders without receiving a fee of any sort at the end of the campaign, with Andreas Christensen, Thiago Silva, Cesar Azpilicueta and Rudiger all nearing the end of their respective contracts.

Tying down Rudiger to fresh terms should be the priority, given there has arguably been no better defender in the Premier League since Thomas Tuchel first took charge of Chelsea on January 27, backed up by the centre-back's Premier League-leading 17 clean sheets over that period.

Paul Pogba (Manchester United)

No player has quite dominated the transfer column inches in the same manner as Pogba in recent years and, with no sign of a new contract being signed anytime soon, it now looks certain the 28-year-old will depart United for a second time.

Pogba may have struggled for consistency at Old Trafford, not helped by niggling injury issues, but he has averaged one assist per 90 minutes in the Premier League this season – a tally not matched by any player to have played more than once.

Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain)

PSG rejected multiple offers from Real Madrid in 2020, but as it stands they are powerless to stop one of the game's leading lights departing at the end of the season.

As well as breaking a number of goalscoring records, Mbappe's 215 direct goal involvements in all competitions since making his PSG debut in September 2017 – 147 goals of his own and 68 assists – is a tally bettered by only Robert Lewandowski (242) and Lionel Messi (246).

Marcelo Brozovic (Inter)

Inter have so far been able to persuade Nicola Barella and Lautaro Martinez to extend their stays at San Siro, but Brozovic's future remains unclear heading into the new year.

Brozovic was a key part of Inter's Scudetto-winning side last term, featuring in 33 of their 38 games, and has started all 19 of their matches this campaign. Only Ruben Dias (1,713), Joao Cancelo (1,803) and William Saliba (1,840) have played more successful passes than the Croatia international (1,681) among players from Europe's top five leagues in 2021-22.

Luka Modric (Real Madrid)

Gareth Bale and Isco are two high-profile Madrid players set to move on either in January or at the end of the season, but as well as trying to seal Mbappe's signing, Madrid's other priority might be ensuring Modric does not bring an end to his decade-long spell at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2022.

Proving that age is just a number, 36-year-old Modric has been as good as ever for LaLiga leaders Madrid this season. The six big chances created by the midfielder in 2020-21, leading to four assists, has been bettered by only four others in the division.

Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona)

Dembele has struggled to come close to justifying his hefty transfer fee, reported to be an initial €105million, but he was recently described as having the potential to be the best attacking player in the world by head coach Xavi.

Barca president Joan Laporta is also eager to keep hold of Dembele, who has managed 30 goals and 22 assists in 126 appearances since his debut in September 2017, meaning he has been directly involved in 0.6 goals per 90 minutes. For comparison, that is an identical number to Antoine Griezmann during his short-lived stint at Camp Nou.

Denis Zakaria (Borussia Monchengladbach)

Strongly touted as a target for the likes of Barcelona and Bayern Munich, Zakaria will depart Borussia Monchengladbach in 2022 after confirming to the German club that he intends to run down his contract.

The defensive midfielder averages 52.3 passes every 90 minutes and 47.1 successful ones, the latter being the ninth-most this season among Bundesliga midfielders with at least 500 minutes played. Among the same group of players, only seven average more than his two successful dribbles every 90 minutes – all of those being more attack-minded players.

Paulo Dybala (Juventus)

Dybala has indicated that he wants to remain a Juventus player beyond this season but the longer talks over a new deal drag on, the more unlikely it appears he will still be in Turin six months from now – and that would be a major blow for the Bianconeri during an already difficult period.

The Argentina international has eight goals and four assists in 17 appearances this term, without being at what many would consider his best form – at least three more direct goal involvements than Juve's next most threatening player Alvaro Morata and double that of Federico Bernardeschi in third.