5 Premier League stars in line for huge January raises

These five Premier League stars are in line for huge new contracts in light of interest from other clubs in the January transfer window

The January transfer window is nearly upon us and we’re inundated with rumors of our favorite Premier League stars being courted by other clubs. The various ownership groups at our clubs aren’t immune to this noise either and they’ll surely be looking to lock up their coveted stars with new contracts before rivals can swoop in and steal them away. Without further commentary, here are five Premier League stars who are in line for big January pay raises to ward off rival interest.

1. Jamie Vardy, Leicester City

In case you’ve been living under a rock somewhere, the Leicester forward has had a pretty brilliant start to the season. He’s tied for the Premier League lead in goals with 15 and he’s helped his club get off to an absolute fairy tale start to the year. This has definitely attracted interest from many of the Premier League’s heavyweight clubs who want to add some serious punch to their front lines.

Don’t look for the Foxes to be bullied out of their star front man though. Reports have already surfaced that they’re looking to provide Vardy with a new deal to keep him with their side for the foreseeable future. I, for one, hope this happens because I want to see just how high Leicester fan finish this year.

2. Odion Ighalo, Watford

If you haven’t tuned in to watch Ighalo bully opposing Premier League defenders this season you’ve really missed out on seeing something special. He’s got an incredibly rare combination of size and skill that can flummox even the most talented EPL defender. All this has led to a blistering start for the Nigerian nightmare who’s only one off the Premier League goal lead with 14.

Watford need to act immediately if they intend to hang on to Ighalo. There’s rumored interest from Atletico Madrid and they should be quite concerned with bids from both England and abroad. They will absolutely need to provide Ighalo with a massive pay raise if they want to keep him in yellow for years to come.

3. Mesut Ozil, Arsenal

It’s not just goal scorers that are in-line for passive pay raises this year. It’s also creative players like Ozil who has an eye-popping (see what I did there?) 16 assists in just 18 Premier league appearances this season. It’s a frightening thought for Arsenal fans to think of life without their German maestro.

Ozil seems pretty settled at the Emirates, but when you’re putting up those kinds of performances there is bound to be significant interest from Europe. It’s not impossible that a club like Real Madrid or Barcelona could bid to bring the attacking midfielder back to Spain. He’s on the form of his life and would be an asset to any club’s title push at the moment. Look for Arsene Wenger to provide the German international with a huge raise to make sure he’s an asset to his own assault on a league title.

4. Harry Kane, Tottenham

Kane might be one of Tottenham’s own, but that doesn’t mean other clubs won’t try to pry him away from White Hart Lane. After a slow start to the season he’s been on fire as of late and now has 11 goals on the season. He’s a true centre forward with amazing skill and that’s always going to draw global interest from big clubs.

It’s clear though that Kane is a different sort of player. His head won’t necessarily be turned by big interest from abroad and he’s shown a genuine desire to stay with his North London club. Mauricio Pochettino and company will capitalize on this and get their English international to pen a shiny new contract to stay at Spurs for years to come.

5. Georginio Wijnaldum, Newcastle

Newcastle might be fighting for their Premier League lives at the moment, but that doesn’t mean Wijnaldum hasn’t been brilliant this year. He’s got seven goals in 19 appearances to lead the club and there’s no telling how desperate their situation might be without their newly acquired attacker.

Like Tottenham with Kane, Newcastle also have a unique opportunity to keep their best player at the club for a long time. He’s an exceedingly loyal player who’s made numerous public comments about wanting to really commit to the project at Newcastle. If they’re smart, they will use this to their advantage in negotiations. Even in the midst of a relegation battle, they should move to sign their best player to a rich, long-term deal to protect their long-term interests.

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