That time of the year has come again when football fans up and down the country will gather in front of the television to see whether their teams can pull off a last-minute transfer coup.
Last year it was Tottenham with Rafael van der Vaart, so could Harry Redknapp work his magic again or will Arsene Wenger pull a rabbit out of the hat this time? No doubt the hours leading up to 11pm on Wednesday will have a big effect on the season.
Arsenal
If there is one club desperately in need of reinforcements it is the Gunners.
Sunday’s 8-2 defeat was just another example of the lack of strength in depth at the Emirates Stadium right now and for the first time since the transfer window was implemented we should see a number of last-minute deals go through for the Gunners.
It looks like left-back Andre Santos and centre-half Per Mertesacker will be brought in to try and shore up Arsenal’s leaky defence but will that be enough?
For years Arsenal have been undermined by a lack of defensive strength and rather than opt for the type of old-fashioned, English centre-half, Wenger is continuing to look towards mainland Europe.
Arsenal have drifted to 50/1 to win the Premier League and that looks a lost cause, even if they can draft in all the players they need.
The team’s main aim will be to secure a top-four spot and that is still within their reach, even if they only manage to add a few new faces.
The Gunners are 7/4 to be in the Champions League next season.
Tottenham
Much like their north London rivals Spurs are in need of a number of new faces to avoid their season being a failure before it has really got going.
Redknapp’s men have had two tough fixtures to start the campaign but even so it is obvious Tottenham are in need of a new striker and centre-half.
At present the only deadline-day arrival looks as though it will be Scott Parker from West Ham, with Bolton’s Gary Cahill still a long shot at the moment.
Tottenham’s hopes of finishing in the top four look slim at best right now but with a couple more van der Vaart-type captures they could mount at serious challenge.
Spurs are 4/1 to finish in the top four.
Blackburn
If Tottenham are keen to find a new striker then Blackburn are absolutely desperate.
Having missed out on Vedad Ibisevic, Rovers have reportedly turned their attention to Mounir El Hamdaoui.
Neither are household names and you have to fear for Steve Kean’s team after they narrowly avoided relegation last season.
Their odds of 11/10 for the drop are looking more and more appealing, although if they can unearth a goalscorer from somewhere they will certainly have the edge over the likes of Norwich, Swansea and Wigan in the relegation fight.
Rovers could also do with more cover at the back and a creative midfielder so Kean should be a busy man on Wednesday.
The Rest
A good striker is seemingly hard to come by with Stoke, Newcastle, Sunderland and Wigan all actively searching for a goalscorer.
Expect the Potters to be the busiest of that quartet given Tony Pulis‘ past transfer deadline day dealings, the Stoke boss having said he wants five new faces at the Britannia before Wednesday.
Fulham are another club hoping for reinforcements in order to maintain their European and domestic campaign. The Cottagers’ league form suffered badly during their run to the Europa League final in 2010 and Martin Jol will be keen to avoid a repeat.
Chelsea also look as though they haven’t quite finished splashing the cash, although it is more likely they’ll be trying to move on a few members of their current squad as Yossi Benayoun, Salomon Kalou and Alex look set to go.
Andre Villas-Boas will no doubt be keen to tinker with his new squad further in order to aid the Blues’ title challenge.
Having done most of their business already it is likely to be a quiet deadline day at Old Trafford, Anfield and Eastlands, although Manchester City could spring a surprise by bringing in Owen Hargreaves on a free if reports are to be believed.
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