Gaitan, Hulk, Capdevila & more – the Portuguese Liga stars who could be leaving their clubs in January

ANALYSIS
By Luis Mira | Portuguese Football Editor

With the January transfer window just around the corner, Goal.com takes a look at the players who could possibly leave the Portuguese Liga in the next few weeks.

January can be a desperate month for the top clubs, who do their utmost to prevent their biggest stars from departing at such a crucial time of the season. Last year, David Luiz moved to Chelsea on transfer deadline day and it ultimately cost Benfica the league title as they lost an important piece of their back line. And, while Benfica and Porto are not interested in making many changes to their squad at this time, they must fend off interest in some of their biggest stars.

Ahead of all of that action, we look at some of the big names from the Portuguese Liga who could be on their way out of the country in the near future.

After being left out of Benfica’s first team for the first matches of the season, the final straw arrived when Capdevila was omitted from the club’s Champions League squad. Signed in the summer on a free transfer, the World Cup winner hoped to fill the void which was created by Fabio Coentrao’s departure, but the 33-year-old has merely provided backup to Emerson.

Capdevila’s agent has made no secret of the fact that he is already looking for a new club for his client, who has reportedly attracted interest from Juventus – even if the Italians are more likely to sign Sevilla’s Martin Caceres. In the last few weeks there has not been any news about the Spaniard, but staying at the Estadio da Luz is considered to be an impossible scenario.

This has not been the best of seasons for Fernando at the Estadio do Dragao, as the Brazilian midfielder has constantly found himself dogged by transfer speculation. After a disappointing start to the campaign in which his commitment was often questioned, Fernando has improved his game and he finishes 2011 as a core member of the team.

Fernando may have become an integral part of coach Vitor Pereira’s system, but interest from Inter and Liverpool will certainly rekindle speculation about his future. However, his hefty price-tag and the fact that Porto lack an adequate replacement for the No. 6 position makes his transfer highly unlikely.

This season has been nothing short of a dream for Gaitan, who has become one of the most sought-after players in Europe, much like compatriot Angel Di Maria in 2009-10. The Argentina international is the current leader in assists in the Champions League, where he played an influential role in the club’s passage into the knockout stages.

Gaitan’s displays have reportedly caught the eye of Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who sees the 23-year-old as the perfect addition to a star-studded side that Benfica helped knock out of Champions League Group C. The Scottish boss, however, faces an uphill task to sign Gaitan before the end of the season, as the player’s agent has guaranteed that his charge is happy with life at the Estadio da Luz.

The combative midfielder remains as important as ever in Benfica’s system, his impressive displays in front of the rearguard taking many of the plaudits at the Estadio da Luz this season. His physical, no-nonsense game has earned rave reviews in the country and it is believed that he is being closely watched by Spain boss Vicente del Bosque in the run-in to Euro 2012.

Javi Garcia has been linked with Premier League duo Manchester United and Arsenal, and Serie A side AC Milan, but interest in the Spaniard seems to have cooled in recent weeks. Earlier in the month, the midfielder’s agent insisted that his client was focused on Benfica and that he had not been contacted by any club, so a January move seems to be out of the equation.

Despite enjoying an impressive second half of last season under Andre Villas-Boas, Guarin has found himself on the fringes of the action in Vitor Pereira’s squad this term. The Colombian has been in and out of Porto’s first team, a situation which has made him quite unhappy, according to his agent.

Guarin wants to clarify his future and, athough there are Serie A sides interested in him, none have so far come forward and offered the amount of money Porto want. His agent has alerted suitors to the fact that it will be very difficult to negotiate with Porto, so, unless a very tempting offer comes along, the 25-year-old will be going nowhere.

The summer change in Porto’s hot-seat and the club’s slump in form compared to last year’s side have had little impact on Hulk, who remains the team’s biggest attacking threat and often decides the outcome of a match.

The Brazil international has long been an object of desire for PSG sporting director Leonardo, and the French club’s soon-to-be coach Carlo Ancelotti apparently feels the same way about the 25-year-old. The only problem seems to be Hulk’s staggering release clause of €100m, which has forced several other clubs to look for alternatives. The striker recently issued a come-and-get-me plea, but questions remain over whether that will be enough to make PSG break the world transfer record as Porto are unwilling to negotiate.

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