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There’s no greater football expert in the world these days than Football Manager.
Anything the management simulation doesn’t know about the world’s players isn’t worth knowing – so we’ve asked the game who exactly every Premier League team should be buying this January.
Some of the names are more realistic than others, but here’s who the game suggested…
What we searched for: A striker with good stamina (so hopefully he won’t get injured).
Who the game suggested: Edinson Cavani
What we think: It’s one of the most regularly mooted transfer deals in the press, but we’re not sure Arsene Wenger would necessarily like the cut of Cavani’s jib – especially given he’s likely to cost more than the £37 million suggested by the game.
What we searched for: Any player at all with good leadership – ideal for a relegation battle.
Who the game suggested: Ron Vlaar
What we think: Showing the game has a sense of humour, it plumps for a player who only left Villa last summer. Vlaar is now at AZ Alkmaar, so this move won’t be happening. We also can’t see Michael Dawson giving up a promotion battle for a relegation fight and Gareth Barry is still a regular with Everton.
What we searched for: A goalkeeper – statistically, Bournemouth’s keepers have been the weakest in the Premier League this season.
Who the game suggested: Morgan De Sanctis
What we think: He’s out of the Roma first team, and we can think of worse ways for the 38-year-old Italian to end his career than a stint on the south coast. Could be a good move for both parties, but seems somehow unlikely.
What we searched for: A striker – someone to do the business if Diego Costa can’t rediscover his form.
Who the game suggested: Edinson Cavani
What we think: Chelsea certainly have the cash to make this happen, but we reckon Cavani would think twice before going to a club which (probably) won’t be in the Champions League next season.
What we searched for: A striker – none of theirs have scored a league goal since before Christmas.
Who the game suggested: Leonardo Ulloa
What we think: This probably seemed like a step up for Ulloa when the game was being developed, but just a couple of months on this transfer would be a case of the striker looking for more first-team football. This could only happen if Leicester brought in another striker to put pressure on Jamie Vardy – they’re currently being linked with Eder.
What we searched for: With all sorts of rumours surrounding 36-year-old Tim Howard, we went for a goalkeeper.
Who the game suggested: Stephane Ruffier
What we think: Everton will surely be looking for a new keeper sooner or later, but we haven’t seen anything to suggest Ruffier has any interest in leaving St Etienne.
What we searched for: A striker to take some of the burden away from Jamie Vardy.
Who the game suggested: Matt Ritchie
What we think: This is probably another case of reality having slightly overtaken the game – with due respect to Ritchie, Leicester’s targets have probably gone up a level or two.
What we searched for: A goalkeeper. Although Simon Mignolet has signed a new contract, debate still rages over whether he’s a long-term solution for Jurgen Klopp’s side.
Who the game suggested: Lukasz Fabianski
What we think: This doesn’t feel like an obvious fit, somehow. We’re putting this in the ‘unlikely’ category.
What we searched for: City have been known to struggle when Sergio Aguero is injured, so we searched for a striker.
Who the game suggested: Daniel Sturridge
What we think: There are many reasons why we don’t think Sturridge will be heading back to City – not least his injury struggles – but it’s enjoyable to imagine.
What we searched for: We wanted wingers or pacey midfielders – someone to inject a bit of urgency into United’s attacking play.
Who the game suggested: Christian Eriksen
What we think: Tottenham to United is a well-trodden path, transfer-wise, but this isn’t the right time for this transfer.
What we searched for: Again it’s a striker we’re looking for, one with strength and determination.
Who the game suggested: Bafetimbi Gomis
What we think: This potential transfer has been a persistent rumour this January, and could actually happen. We’re chalking this one up as a win for FM.
What we searched for: It’s that striker search again…
Who the game suggested: Joe Garner
What we think: This one was a bit leftfield. We can’t see this happening. Garner isn’t exactly in red-hot goalscoring form, so we reckon Norwich will look elsewhere.
What we searched for: Now they’ve bought Charlie Austin, we reckon they need a replacement for Morgan Schneiderlin who left for Manchester United in the summer.
Who the game suggested: Joe Ledley
What we think: Ledley is exactly the sort of player Southampton could do with in their team but we can’t see Crystal Palace letting him and his magnificent beard go somehow.
What we searched for: With no obvious holes in the Stoke team, we looked for some beef in midfield to make them a bit more Stokey.
Who the game suggested: Gareth Barry
What we think: Everton desperately need Barry at the moment, who at 34 is still regularly performing. Maybe this time next year there’d be more chance of them moving him on.
What we searched for: A battling midfielder with leadership qualities to be Sam Allardyce’s right-hand man on the field.
Who the game suggested: Eugen Polanski
What we think: Polanski has fallen out of favour at Hoffenheim and would be available, but if he can’t get into a team four points from safety at the bottom of the Bundesliga, we’re not sure he’d vastly improve Sunderland either.
What we searched for: With only bottom club Aston Villa having scored fewer than Swansea, it has to be a goalscorer.
Who the game suggested: Oscar
What we think: Given Francesco Guidolin is the new man in charge at Swansea, we reckon any incoming leftfield veterans are more likely to come from Serie B than the Segunda Division.
What we searched for: A striker to offer an alternative to Harry Kane.
Who the game suggested: Luuk de Jong
What we think: Given he failed at Newcastle, it’s hard to imagine an imminent return to the Premier League – especially with a team flying as high as Tottenham. It’s a no from us.
What we searched for: Some pacey cover up front and out wide.
Who the game suggested: Giuseppe Rossi
What we think: This would have been great, but he’s just moved to Levante.
What we searched for: Again, we were looking for some pace and goalscoring ability to add to one of the Premier League’s least potent attacks.
Who the game suggested: Giuseppe Rossi
What we think: Did we mention he just moved to Levante?
What we searched for: The one thing lacking from West Ham’s impressive season so far – a regular goalscorer up front.
Who the game suggested: Bafetimbi Gomis
What we think: They need goals, he needs somewhere to score them. It’s a fit! Assuming he doesn’t go to Newcastle, that is…
