The Saudi Pro League's top January transfer targets: Jadon Sancho, Casemiro & the big names who could join Cristiano Ronaldo & Co. in the Middle East

Last summer, the idea of Manchester United selling Casemiro would have been inconceivable. The Brazil international was coming off the back of a fantastic debut season in England, having had a transformative effect on Erik ten Hag's team following his shock arrival from Real Madrid.

Many United players are struggling this term, which hasn't helped the defensive midfielder's cause, but time appears to have caught up with the 31-year-old, who was being overrun with alarming ease and regularity before picking up a hamstring strain that's kept him out of action since October.

Hardly surprising, then, there is mounting speculation of a winter-window move to Saudi Arabia, which would appear to be mutually beneficial for everyone involved. Casemiro has nothing left to prove at this level, while United could clearly do with a straightforward sale after struggling to clear dead wood last summer.

Kevin De Bruyne is unlikely to be going anywhere in January. The Belgian's sole focus is on working his way back to full fitness after his recent injury woe, while Manchester City are looking forward to having their most creative player back at full strength for the second half of the season.

However, the Saudi Arabian interest in De Bruyne is very real and seems certain to materialise into a move sooner rather than later. It's already been claimed that Al-Nassr's dream is to have the attacking midfielder providing crosses and through-balls for Cristiano Ronaldo, while second-tier side Al-Qadsiah are also reportedly lining up an bold summer bid for the 32-year-old should they secure promotion to the SPL.

Could the PIF really sign the current Manchester United captain? It seems improbable - for now at least. Fernandes may be regarded as one of the best attacking midfielders in the world but he's not yet won any major honours since arriving at Old Trafford (unless you count the Carabao Cup?!). It's, therefore, hard to envisage him leaving 'The Theatre of Dreams' without having achieved any of his own.

Still, it has been claimed that Fernandes is the PIF's next big transfer target and there's no denying that he has cut a frustrated figure for the majority of the past three months. His captaincy credentials have also been repeatedly questioned and he might well decide that his hopes of winning titles would be best served by moving elsewhere.

However, it would be a huge shock if Fernandes decided to leave - and for Saudi Arabia, in particular - during the January window. If United don't improve, though, between now and the end of the season, the 29-year-old will have a big call to make this summer on how best to spend the remainder of his career.

Speculation was rife that Gabriel Magalhaes might leave Arsenal last summer, with Real Madrid and several Saudi Pro League sides said to have been interested in the Brazilian. However, Mikel Arteta insisted that he had no interest in selling a player that had become a staple of his defence.

Nothing has changed in that regard. Gabriel remains utterly integral to Arsenal's hopes of winning this season's Premier League, but that is unlikely to dissuade the Saudi sides, particularly as the Gunners are rumoured to be interested in Bayern Munich centre-back Matthijs de Ligt.

It's staggering to think that Anthony Martial is still at Manchester United, given he's scored just 12 Premier League goals since the start of the 2020-21 season. His time at Old Trafford is obviously drawing to a close, with Martial's contract up at the end of the season, but he could easily depart before then.

United would obviously jump at the chance to make any money on a striker who has been trusted to start just five times in the Premier League so far this season. Martial is still only 28 and may feel that he could yet prove himself at the highest level, but even mid-tier team teams might be reluctant to take a risk on him in light of how poorly he performed during his loan spell at Sevilla in 2022. So, a switch to Saudi Arabia really does make an awful lot of sense.

For a short time, it actually appeared as if Kylian Mbappe could move to Saudi Arabia. However, while Paris Saint-Germain accepted a €300m (£260m/$330m) bidfrom Al-Hilal last July, the forward had no intention of even discussing terms over a possible transfer.

That's most likely still the case, but it would not be a surprise to see Al-Hilal - or one of their fellow Pro League teams - launch another audacious bid this month. After all, PSG's need to sell Mbappe is more pressing than ever before, with the Ligue 1 champions now facing up to the grim reality of losing the world's most valuable footballer for nothing when his contract expires at the end of the season.

The fact remains, though, that Mbappe is holding all the cards here. He's now free to start talking with other clubs - and all of Europe's elite will be tempted by the prospect of taking the World Cup winner on a free transfer this summer, even accounting for his colossal wage demands.

So, if the 24-year-old doesn't finally move to Real Madrid, expect him to end up at one of the Premier League's powerhouses instead...

Luka Modric signed a one-year contract extension last summer, but there is no guarantee that the Croat will see out the season at Santiago Bernabeu. The midfielder's agent has already admitted that his client is open to a January move.

"This summer there was interest [from Saudi clubs] in Modric with the aim of signing him," Borja Couce told Shoot last week. "The player has several offers, from a club from the capital and another club. Modric is currently thinking about Real Madrid, but the idea of him moving to the Saudi Pro League is possible if the offer is suitable."

The ball remains very much in PIF's hands, then. Modric has been linked with a move to Inter Miami to wind down his career playing alongside Lionel Messi, but it's clear that if the money is right, he'll move to the SPL.

It appeared as if Thomas Partey's days in north London were numbered after Arsenal spent big on Declan Rice last summer. It was even reported in Italy that the Ghanaian had agreed to join Juventus despite interest from Saudi Arabia, with Partey supposedly keen to continue his career in Europe.

As it was, he ended up staying at the Emirates, but speculation surrounding his future hasn't abated over the past few months. The Ghanaian has endured an injury-hit campaign to date and even when he has featured, Mikel Arteta has often used him as a makeshift right-back.

If Partey does decide to move on during the winter window - and it's a serious possibility given he's set to jet off to Ivory Coast for the Africa Cup of Nations while Arsenal reportedly try to sign another defensive midfielder - Turin remains a possible destination, perhaps on loan.

However, Saudi Arabia may well have become a more appealing proposition for a 30-year-old who is really starting to struggle for form and fitness.

Richarlison has suffered from both mental and physical issues since joining Tottenham from Everton in the summer of 2022. The Brazilian has finally found some form under Ange Postecoglou, but there's still been mounting talk of Spurs trying to sign a striker during the winter window.

So, while Spurs might be reluctant to weaken an already over-stretched squad midway through a season in which a top-four finish is a realistic target - particularly with Son Heung-min heading off to represent South Korea at the Asian Cup - Daniel Levy would definitely find it difficult to turn down any offer from a Saudi Arabian side that would see him recoup a significant chunk of the £60m ($75m) he wasted on Richarlison just under 18 months ago.

The dream signing as far as Saudi Arabia is concerned: Mohamed Salah isn't just a Liverpool legend, he's an idol for Muslims all across the world. Unlike many of the other big names now plying their trade in the Pro League, the winger is also very much still at the absolute peak of his powers - as he's proving by once again tearing up the Premier League this season.

However, Liverpool refused to sell Salah to Al-Ittihad for a staggering £150m ($187m) just before the close of the summer transfer window because they didn't want to ruin their hopes of securing a return to the Champions League - and nothing has changed in that regard. If anything, the Reds' resolve to hold onto their most prolific player will have only strengthened in the interim, with Salah spearheading a title challenge.

So, while the latest reports suggest that the PIF will return with another bid this month, it's likely that the Pro League will have to wait until the summer for the dream to become a reality.

On September 14, Manchester United announced that Jadon Sancho would train "away from the first-team group pending resolution of a squad discipline issue". Nearly four months on, the winger remains in exile for effectively accusing Erik ten Hag of making him a "scapegoat" for the team's struggles.

A January exit, therefore, seems inevitable for Sancho, who has reportedly refused to apologise for his comments. Talk of a return to Borussia Dortmund has gone cold (even though it would be a great deal for everyone involved), but Juventus are said to be interested, while it's also likely that several Premier League sides would be willing to take a gamble on the former England international, who is still only 23.

However, the most lucrative offer - both for Sancho and United - is almost certain to arrive from Saudi Arabia, so even though the player was reluctant to move to the SPL during the summer, it simply cannot be ruled out this time around.

Given the dreadful state of Manchester United's defence, Raphael Varane's slide down the pecking order at Old Trafford is one of the more puzzling developments of the season so far. Even Jonny Evans and Harry Maguire were regularly picked ahead of him for a number of weeks! Consequently, it's now entirely possible that the Frenchman could leave during the January transfer window if a decent offer arrives for the centre-back.

Varane certainly won't be short of suitors - there's mounting talk of a return to Real Madrid given their injury issues at the back - but he looks like a perfect signing for a PIF-backed club, given he's a high-profile, 30-year-old who has already lifted pretty much every major trophy in both club and international football.

One final, massive payday could well appeal to the World Cup winner if he decides his body is no longer up the rigours of football at the very highest level.