January sale part II

Part two of our January transfer window guide looks at possible activity at Man United to West Ham.

With the January transfer window now upon us the big question is which Premier League clubs will open the coffers and buy big? Manchester United are hardly notorious spenders at this time of the year but after a disastrous summer in terms of recruitment, it could be that David Moyes will act boldly to placate a swell of support who are worried the club are slipping behind their rivals. Arsenal and Chelsea are both in the market for a striker, while Brendan Rodgers would love to add a couple of new faces to a light looking Liverpool squad. Tim Sherwood is unlikely to be given an open cheque book at Tottenham but will be keen to make his mark in terms of recruitment, whilst Manchester City are rarely bystanders when it comes to eye-catching market moves. At the other end of the table, those at the bottom will be acutely aware that whoever comes out on top in terms of January recruitment will likely have the greatest chance of staving off the drop. Here, we look at the potential transfer plans of Premier League clubs - Manchester City to West Ham.

MANCHESTER UNITED

What they need

Everything they needed in the summer - creativity in midfield, steel in midfield and another left-back, although that can perhaps wait until the end of the season. Despite arriving for the handsome fee of £27million, Marouane Fellaini has failed to make an impact, while it took United 16 Premier League matches before any of the club's midfielders registered a goal or an assist. Given Moyes' comments on the champions' top targets choosing to move elsewhere, United could really do with pulling something out of the bag to restore their dented reputation and credibility in the fight for fourth.

What they will probably get

Less than they need. This could be a defining transfer window for United after the debacle of last summer and, should they end the season outside the top four, it will be even harder to attract the biggest names next year. A move for Wesley Sneijder may not carry the appeal it did three years ago, but the 29-year-old still has plenty to offer and would certainly be an upgrade on several of United's options in the middle. Moyes should ditch his plans to sign Leighton Baines - now a symbol of the manager's failure to broaden his vision - and pursue the promising Luke Shaw or make a rekindled loan move for Fabio Coentrao.

What's been said

"I have a good squad. Can I improve it? Of course I can. Am I going to improve it? Yes I am. Undoubtedly we will alter things in the coming months and transfer windows. Will they come in January? I don't know" - Moyes, December 13.

Merson's verdict

David Moyes needs to buy a central midfielder all day long and they probably need another centre-half and maybe even a centre-forward. They need a few players there's no question about that. They had been ruled out after the Newcastle game and whilst they've been on a decent run since then (bar the Tottenham game) you can't let a few good results cover over the cracks of their problems this season. I think they need to pick a couple of players up. Manchester United's transfer news in full - click here

NEWCASTLE