Ten players clubs should sign this JanuaryPosted by Christopher AtkinsThe New Year is upon us and, in footballing terms, Jan. 1 means only one thing: the opening of the midseason transfer window. The next month is set to bring about a frenzy of transfer activity, or at least speculation, as clubs seek to find the additional quality that will see them meet their aims for the remainder of the 2013-14 season.

On the Move: Transfer blog

The Scout's Notebook spends the year reporting on the best of youth talent from across the globe, but on this occasion we are switching attention to look at those players whose talents are not being maximised at present. From across the world, we bring you 10 players who should be on the radar of European sides of varying standards this January as they look to seal the best available options in the market.Jefferson -- BotafogoOne of Brazil's best goalkeepers of recent years, 30-year-old Jefferson has spent time in European football previously with Turkish sides Trabzonspor and Konyaspor. However, there is a genuine sense that he has improved with age and the Botafogo captain could now be ready to try his hand at a club toward the upper end of European competition. Given Bota's ongoing financial concerns, any player who pulls on the famous black-and-white shirt has to be considered available, and the dependable club captain will be among the most sought after. Besides being an excellent organiser, Jefferson is also famed for his shot-stopping ability, with penalty saves a particular strong point of his game.Bruno Ecuele Manga -- LorientGabonese defender Ecuele Manga has been one of the leading centre-backs in French football for a few years now, and it is somewhat surprising that he has not yet moved on to a club challenging for European football on a regular basis. Now 25, only one player has made more interceptions than the rangy defender this season, while similarly only one player has made more clearances, according to Whoscored statistics. While he is physically and technically strong, it is in reading the development of play that Ecuele Manga excels, leading to his excellent statistics. Ecuele Manga was linked with Everton in the summer in the Daily Mail, and is a name likely to crop up once more this January.Kenneth Omeruo -- ChelseaGiven that he is already contracted to West London giants Chelsea, Nigeria international Omeruo is highly unlikely to make a permanent transfer in the near future. However, with little prospect of a regular starting berth at Chelsea, he should be available for a loan move in January and would be an important capture for any side across Europe suffering from defensive frailties at the current time. Already an important figure for his country, the tall and powerful defender has shown his ability while on loan with ADO Den Haag and at international level and was recently described by BBC Sport's John Bennett as Chelsea's best-kept secret.Yuya Osako -- Kashima AntlersJapan has proved adept at producing technically gifted second strikers and wide forwards in recent years, with Kashima's Osako just another name off what is proving a rich talent line. Osako had a brilliant year in 2013, scoring 19 goals in the J.League, opening his account for his national side and scoring a hat trick against Brazilian side Sao Paulo in the final of the Suruga Bank trophy in August. Links with the Bundesliga are obvious, given the number of Japanese talents now plying their trade in Germany, and there is no doubt that he will be Europe-bound within the next 12 months.Alex Sandro -- PortoSandro would only fall within the budget of one of Europe's elite clubs but is regarded as one of the next generation of leading full-backs in world football. A bundle of energy, he is a typical modern full-back whose primary emphasis is on attacking and overlapping down the left flank. With a number of leading sides currently looking for a high-end option in the left-back position, the Porto star is undoubtedly a name that will regularly crop up in conversations. However, the Portuguese side are notorious for driving a hard bargain, and the Brazilian will not arrive cheap.GettyImagesAlex Teixeira is now showing his potential for Shakhtar Donetsk.Alex Teixeira -- Shakhtar DonetskOne of the few of Shakhtar's older generation of Brazilians still left at the club, the 23-year-old Teixeira has over the past 12 months made good on the early promise he showed when first breaking through at Vasco. Teixeira would be costly but has performed strongly in the Champions League over the past two years and is one of the most versatile midfielders around, playing in the No. 10 role, wide positions and central midfield on a regular basis. With searing pace off the mark and strong technique, Teixeira adds impetus to attacks with his surging runs from midfield and has improved greatly on the timing of his bursts into the box over the past two seasons.Jefferson Montero -- MoreliaNow 24 years old, Ecuadorian winger Montero came close to returning to European football with Cardiff during the summer and, with his good form having continued in Liga MX, speculation is set to resume in earnest in January. Lightning fast off the mark, two-footed and an excellent dribbler, the qualities that took Montero to Villarreal as a teenager have been clear for several years, but his inability to consistently produce saw his first crack at Europe come to an early end. In Mexico, though, he has improved his output with regular first-team football and has become a regular contributor of both goals and assists for his side.Kim Young-Gwon -- Guangzhou EvergrandeThere are few better judges of a player than Italian World Cup-winning manager Marcello Lippi. So when the now China-based veteran proclaims that a defender is "good enough to play for Manchester United," they are worth taking seriously. Kim was sensational in 2013, helping his side to a first AFC Champions League title and fourth place in the Club World Cup, where he was an outstanding performer. The South Korean, 23, is an excellent reader of the game, spotting danger before it develops, and is strong in the air for a player who is unexceptional physically. He would be a fantastic signing for many European sides, but persuading cash-rich Evergrande to sell could be problematic.Eder Alvarez Balanta -- River PlateColombian centre-back Balanta was one of the outstanding performers of 2013 in Argentine domestic football, despite only making his senior debut at the start of the year. A strong and quick central defender, the 20-year-old was linked with a move to Barcelona in the summer after quickly making a significant impact in the River Plate first team. An elegant left-footed defender, Balanta is adept at carrying the ball out of defence and distributes the ball well when required -- an appealing quality to a team such as Barca. He would likely cost in excess of 10 million euros, but teams would be advised to move quickly with a place in Colombia's World Cup squad now a distinct possibility.Ravel Morrison -- West HamAccording to latest reports, West Ham would be forced to raise England U-21 international midfielder Morrison's wage to 60,000 pounds a week should a bid of 10 million pounds arrive this January. Given that the club are looking to raise funds to bolster their squad ahead of a relegation battle, such a pay rise seems unlikely, and there is growing speculation that Morrison is set to move on despite his impressive form of the past six months. For the other 19 Premier League sides, that represents an opportunity, with leading English talents rarely available for less than the figure quoted. A return to Manchester United is not beyond reason, while there will be numerous other clubs looking to add dynamism and flair to their midfield -- qualities Morrison offers in abundance.The masters of universalityPosted by Michael CoxGettyImagesArturo Vidal has become the complete player at Juventus.In a tactical sense, 2013 hasnt been a particularly fascinating year: There have been no major innovations and no widespread return to a specific formation or style. There have been individual moments of interest, and coaches have tried new things, but 2013 wasnt significantly different than 2012 stylistically.

Arguably the major theme, however, has been the importance of the concept of universality. Players are increasingly all-rounders, and while this isnt a revolutionary concept for 2013, there have been some particularly pertinent signs. Teams are playing more compactly, attackers are ever more crucial in the defensive phase, defences are increasingly crucial in the attacking phase, and midfielders have a wider responsibility in both spheres, rather than simply connecting the two parts of a side.

Compartmentalisation is outdated, and this universality becomes more obvious each year. Here are eight individuals who have been crucial in that concept throughout 2013.

Javi Martinez

PA PhotosThe one that got away: Javi Martinez impressed in Bayern's 7-0 Champions League drubbing of Barcelona.In the 94th minute of Spains Confederations Cup semifinal against Italy -- a goalless draw eventually decided in the world champions favour on penalties -- Vicente Del Bosque made an unusual substitution. He withdrew Fernando Torres, his only striker, and introduced Javi Martinez, a holding midfielder.

Del Bosque wasnt strengthening his midfield, however -- Martinez trotted up front and played as a No. 9 for the extra-time period. His qualities include good linkup play, aerial strength and calmness in front of goal. Bayern Munich's European Cup-winning midfielder wasnt good enough to get into Spains midfield, but he was good enough to get a chance up front, and fared well.

Amazingly, Martinezs next games were for Bayern in a preseason tournament, the Audi Cup, under Pep Guardiola. He started both games at centre-back. From centre-forward to centre-back within the space of two games -- and neither was his natural position. That type of utility man used to be a simple, old-fashioned aerial weapon like Dion Dublin or Chris Sutton, but on his day Martinez is one of the best midfielders in the world.

He proved that with his performance in Bayerns astonishing 4-0 win over Barcelona in the Champions League semifinals. Martinez harried Andres Iniesta and drove toward goal powerfully, breaking up play and launching attacks with incredible force.

Having been a key part of Bayerns tiki-taka all season, he responded to Barcelonas passing quality by turning to his physicality, and therefore summarised Bayerns approach perfectly.

Diego Simeone

Realistically, there should be no doubt about the manager of the year when considering expectations compared to actual performance. The distribution of television money in La Liga is absolutely absurd, demonstrated neatly by this graphic that shows Barcelona and Real Madrid receiving more than three times as much as anyone else.

Its simply astonishing, then, than Diego Simeone has taken Atletico to such a lofty position -- going into 2014, theyre joint-top with Barcelona and five points ahead of fierce rival Real Madrid. Besides, 2013 hasnt simply been about promise -- Atletico have actually won a trophy. The Copa del Rey triumph in May was especially memorable because they defeated Real Madrid at the Bernabeu 2-1 in a hard-fought game.

The key feature of Simeones strategy is Atleticos compactness and narrowness without the ball. The strikers both work extremely hard, dropping back to press the opposition midfielders, while the wide players move inside quickly and absolutely pack the centre of the pitch, closing down relentlessly. The opposition are completely overwhelmed, and Simeones strategy ensures Atletico dominate the crucial midfield zone.

Neymar

AssociatedNeymar beat future Barca teammate Iniesta and compatriot Paulinho to win the Golden Ball.This was the year the Brazilian wonder boy finally earned his move to Europe, but Neymar isnt on this list for his club performances with Barcelona.

Instead, it was his Confederations Cup display that caught the eye. Neymar was handed the tournaments Golden Ball award because of his play in the final third, but the most intriguing statistic was that, as well as being the tournaments most-fouled player, he also committed the most fouls. He led those statistical measures on a per-game basis, too -- it wasnt just because he played more games than most.

That shows that even the tournaments outstanding attacking individual was aware of his defensive role and was prepared to get back and fight for his side. The concept of a "luxury player" no longer exists -- even flair players like Neymar are mucking in defensively.

Mario Mandzukic

Mario Mandzukic hit the headlines last year by finishing as the joint-top goal scorer at Euro 2012, but this time around he tasted proper success with Bayern Munich, helping them to the treble.

Mandzukic's goal return was decent rather than spectacular last season -- he finished with 22 goals from 40 appearances -- but the real key to his brilliance was his work rate without the ball. This was particularly obvious in the Champions League knockout rounds against both Arsenal and Juventus, when he pressed the opposition centre-backs before dropping back into midfield when he was bypassed, ensuring his side remained compact from back to front.

Against Juventus he was incredible -- a one-man pressing machine who closed down all three Juventus centre-backs, pressured Gigi Buffon into a couple of dodgy clearances, and forced Andrea Pirlo into the worst pass completion rate of his Juventus career. Bayerns sole striker was also their most important defender.

Aaron Ramsey

GettyImagesAaron Ramsey's Arsenal career has been transformed in 2013.We know about Aaron Ramseys journey -- the broken leg, being booed by his own fans -- and his recovery has been a genuinely happy tale.

The change in Ramseys game has been even more striking. When he first broke into the Arsenal side in 2008-09, it seemed Ramsey would be a patient, calm, intelligent distributor of the ball. He received possession, played a simple pass and then moved into space. He was an impressive but simultaneously understated individual -- a Riccardo Montolivo-type figure.

However, he has developed into one of the Premier Leagues best footballers by becoming an all-rounder, and has improved his playing characteristics both offensively and defensively. Thirteen goals and seven assists in 24 games tells its own story -- its a rate many strikers would be delighted with.

Yet for long periods during this campaign, Ramsey has been the Premier Leagues most prolific tackler, too. As things stand, only Lucas Leiva, Mile Jedinak and Claudio Yacob have made more tackles per game -- and these three are pure defensive players who remain solidly in front of their back four. Between them, theyve managed just one goal (by Yacob, against Arsenal) and no assists this season.

So Ramsey is contributing the goal statistics of the best strikers and the tackling statistics of the best holding midfielders; this sums up his all-round brilliance.

Pep Guardiola

Where to start? Philipp Lahm in the holding role; Toni Kroos in three separate midfield positions; Javi Martinez as an attacking midfielder, a holding midfielder and a centre-back in the space of Bayerns key league fixture against Dortmund; Diego Contento at centre-back, Mario Gotze up front, and Thomas Muller everywhere.

Guardiola looks past a players defined position for his attributes, and has done more than anyone else to evolve football over the past decade.

Hugo Lloris

GettyImagesHugo Lloris was forced to become a proactive goalkeeper by Andre Villas-Boas' tactics.Rarely is a manager dismissed because of his relentless commitment to a single tactical concept. Andre Villas-Boas, however, was repeatedly undone by his sides high defensive line, used in situations that didnt make sense and often with no pressure on the ball. It was utterly suicidal.

It was interesting, however, partly because it forced Hugo Lloris into the most proactive goalkeeping role of recent years. The Frenchman was a true sweeper-keeper, starting extremely high up the pitch and charging out repeatedly to make crucial interceptions when Tottenhams defence was beaten. He followed a similar approach when dealing with aerial balls, too, often having to judge the area of the penalty box accurately because he was so close to handling outside the area.

Such an extreme role is unlikely under Tim Sherwood, but rarely has a goalkeeper received such attention for his style rather than his saves. Lloris is not the first goalkeeper to act as an 11th outfielder, and hes made too many mistakes in recent weeks, but he is a fine demonstration of the modern interpretation of goalkeeping.

Arturo Vidal

In a sense, Arturo Vidal is the worlds best footballer. Hes not literally the worlds best footballer -- hes not as devastating an attacking weapon as Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, and therefore wont be recognised as such.

Nevertheless, Vidal is the worlds best all-rounder. He can play anywhere, do anything, be an inspiration in any type of strategy. For Chile, he plays as an advanced No. 10 or arguably even a false No. 9, connecting the midfield with Alexis Sanchez and Eduardo Vargas. Yet for Juventus he recently deputised as a centre-back, a role he sometimes played for Chile under Marcelo Bielsa. Like Javi Martinez, Vidal can play absolutely anywhere along the spine of a side.

Hes also an incredible blend of physical and technical characteristics. He charges around the pitch for 90 minutes, displaying both incredible speed and stamina, closing opponents down during the rare moments Juventus dont have possession, and powerfully connecting midfield and attack with his Michael Ballack-style runs.

Vidal is also technically wonderful, however: capable of delicate through-balls, beautiful finishes and, perhaps most obviously, the most precise penalties youll ever see. Hes averaging a goal every other game while making the most tackles per game in Serie A.

If a single footballer personifies football in 2013, it is Arturo Vidal.Juve-Roma rivalry all about the little thingsPosted by James HorncastleIt's the spring of 1983. Dino Viola, the then president of Roma, is at the office. He's sat behind his desk about to start work for the day when his personal secretary enters with the morning post. Among the bundle of letters, there is one stamped and mailed from Turin. As he picks up the envelope, studying it carefully before opening the lip, Viola knows exactly from whom it was sent.

Intuition tells him that it's from the president of Juventus, Giampiero Boniperti. Over the years, the pair had frequently corresponded, writing rather amusing open letters to each other in their respective local papers. They formed part of the build-up to matches between their two clubs.

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This particular one, however, arrived the day after Juventus had come back from a goal down at the Stadio Olimpico to beat Roma 2-1 on March 6, 1983, scoring twice in the last 10 minutes. Their winning goal, headed in by Sergio Brio, had been a source of some controversy. Michel Platini who assisted it, appeared to be in an offside position when the ball was played to him.

Viola, not for the first time, had complained afterwards that the result was a "question of centimeters." So, with that in mind, Boniperti went out and bought him a gift. He had it delivered the next day.

"I sent him a little plastic ruler. It cost 3,000 lira [$2]," Boniperti recalled. There was an explanatory message for Viola in accompaniment. "You can use this to measure our offsides," he wrote. Viola, a qualified engineer, sent the former footballer Boniperti a gold one in return. "You need it more," he scribbled back.

It was a classy exchange. Notwithstanding the defeat, Roma went on to win the Scudetto that year for the first time since 1942. It was only the second in their history. And yet for many of their supporters it should have been the third. Understanding why it wasn't goes some way to explaining this rivalry and its endurance ahead of Sunday's eagerly anticipated meeting in Turin. So what happened? Claudio Villa/Getty ImagesDuring his time at Juve, Giampiero Boniperti enjoyed a cordial rivalry with his Roma counterparts. The rivalry remains strong."Er' go' de Turone"In 1981, the title race had also been a joust between Nils Liedholm's Roma and Giovanni Trapattoni's Juventus. With only two games left, they met at the Stadio Comunale in Turin for what was billed as a decider. Trailing Juventus by a single point, if Roma won they'd leapfrog them. A quarter of an hour from the end, with the score still 0-0, came a moment that would charge a rivalry. Bruno Conti lifted a ball into the Juventus penalty area, Roberto Pruzzo rose to flick it on for the onrushing Maurizio Turone who nodded it beyond Dino Zoff.

The deadlock looked to have been broken. But as Turone got to his feet again, raising his hands in celebration, something made him stop in his tracks. It was the linesman Giuliano Sancini, a gift shop owner from Bologna. His flag was up. Paolo Bergamo, the man in black, whod later become the referee designator between 1990 and 2005 -- that is until the Calciopoli match-fixing scandal engulfed him -- validated the decision.

There was disbelief. Turone had made a late run into the box, catching the current Italy coach and former Juventus midfield player Cesare Prandelli asleep at the far post. How could he have been offside? His initial reaction was that it must have been Pruzzo who had strayed. Broadcast later that evening on "La Domenica Sportiva," Italys version of "Match of the Day," the replay showed Turone to be onside.

The match finished in a stalemate. Juventus preserved their lead at the top of the table and, 1-0 winners away at Napoli and at home to Fiorentina over the next fortnight, claimed the championship.

Conspiracy? Chokes. Claim and counter-claimEr' go' de Turone -- "the Turone goal" in Roman dialect -- is still talked about to this day. At the time, Juve's owner, the charismatic playboy and captain of industry Gianni Agnelli, didn't know what Roma were complaining about. "You have the Pope, [Giulio] Andreotti [the most powerful man in Italian politics] and the sun. At least leave us the Scudetto," he joked. Juventus had won 19 of them, though. Roma: only one.

Boniperti, his right-hand man, later admitted: "For me it was a goal. But, be careful now: you can't definitely claim that with that goal Roma would have won the game and therefore the Scudetto, because there was still a long time to play until the end and we might have been able to equalise. You can't insinuate that the referee disallowed it out of favour to us either, as [Juve's rugged midfielder] Beppe Furino was sent off in that game."

Unused to being in the ascendancy, Roma might have choked too. They beat Pistoiese the following weekend and were leading Avellino on the final day of the campaign when news came through that Antonio Cabrini had put Juventus ahead against Fiorentina. Shortly afterwards, Roma conceded and drew 1-1. Paolo Bruno/Getty ImagesRoma and Juventus have set the gold standard for Serie A this season. Sunday's clash promises more of the same.

It's worth noting that this team did have a tendency to throw things away. Flash forward, for instance, to the penultimate game of 1985-86 for evidence of that when they lost 3-2 to a Lecce side doomed to relegation and were overtaken by -- yes, you guessed it -- Juventus. This Scudetto, though, the 1981 edition, felt like it had been taken away from them.

While "you can't say anything for certain" -- particularly after Calciopoli -- Turone himself doesn't completely buy into the conspiracy theories and retrospective analysis that followed the scandal.

"In those days it was fashionable to talk about a 'control room' but I don't believe that Juventus had to go looking for help," Turone told Il Corriere dello Sport. "Let's not forget that they were a great team: Zoff, [Claudio] Gentile, [Antonio] Cabrini, [Gaetano] Scirea, [Marco] Tardelli... They were the backbone of the national team that won the World Cup [in 1982]. And then there was [Roberto] Bettega, [Franco] Causio and [Liam] Brady. Yet we weren't inferior. Conti, [Roberto] Pruzzo, Ancelotti, Agostino Di Bartolomei and above all, Falcao, a phenomenon, a complete player."

The height of a rivalry and why it burns anewRoma's wait for a Scudetto ended in 1983. They reached the European Cup final the following year, losing on penalties to Liverpool in front of their own fans at the Olimpico. Juventus lifted that trophy in 1985, with the tragedy at Heysel as its backdrop, and in '86 would edge Sven-Goran Eriksson's Roma to become Campione d'Italia again.

That era was the height of a rivalry that will forever have Er' go' de Turone as its symbol.

It is still disputed.Gabriel Bouys/AFP/Getty ImagesHidetoshi Nakata helped Roma pip Juventus for the Scudetto in 2000-01.

Only this year, Carlo Sassi, the man behind the TV instant replay at the time, claimed it was offside and that the camera angle had led to a false impression and even alleged it had been manipulated to show otherwise at the broadcaster's studios in Rome. When applied, new technology, however, did demonstrate that Turone was onside. But "any instrument has a margin of error." As such, we're still no closer to an answer.

What Viola said all those years ago is true to this day. It remains a "question of centimeters."

Evoked whenever Roma and Juventus meet, it attains a greater resonance if it's a match considered decisive for the title. That was the case in 2001, the last time they were involved in a top of the table clash. On that occasion, the decisions went Roma's way, notably the one to lift the restriction on non-EU players just prior to the game.

Down 2-0 inside 10 minutes, Fabio Capello was able to throw on Marcos Assuncao and Hidetoshi Nakata in the second half. "The Japanese who shouldnt have played was decisive," recalled Juve's coach at the time, Carlo Ancelotti. Nakata did indeed change the game. He pulled one back in the 79th minute and it was from the rebound of his shot that Vincenzo Montella equalised at the death to preserve Roma's six-point lead on Juventus. Six weeks later, they were champions. Maurizio Lagana/Getty ImagesCan Arturo Vidal and Paul Pogba keep Juve on track to win Serie A again?

Memories of encounters like that whet the appetite for Sunday's game in Turin. Even at this early stage -- remember we're not yet halfway through the Serie A season -- it's expected this meeting will set the tone and tell us a lot about the psychology of the remainder of the campaign.

Winners of their first 10 games -- a record in Italy -- Roma were five points ahead of Juventus in late October. Things have swung in the meantime. Victorious in their last nine league games, Juventus are now the ones five points out in front. Make it 10 in a row and according to the great Zbigniew Boniek, who played for both clubs in the 1980s, it will be "practically match point" for the Old Lady.

Yet Roma can bring this title race closer to deuce again. Far from disappointing in any of the big games they've played so far this season and, lest we forget, still undefeated, they will run Juventus close. Sunday promises to be another "question of centimeters."