Clinton Morrison on January transfer targets and why Marcus Rashford needs to leave
Will Jackson 
Scott McGlynn
Popular pundit Clinton Morrison has joined up with the Freebets.com team this season to discuss the biggest games and talking points each week in the EFL.
The former Crystal Palace, Birmingham and Republic of Ireland striker will be giving his views and predictions on the pick of the matches each week, as well going over some of the hot topics in the football world.
This week we discuss the January transfer window across the EFL and the Premier League, including key targets for clubs and why the time is right for Kyle Walker and Marcus Rashford to move away from their respective clubs.
Here's a full transcript of everything discussed this week.
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The January Window in the EFL
Q: We’re halfway through January and the transfer window now. How important is it for teams in the EFL to strengthen at this stage of the season?
It’s really important. But I think with the EFL, a lot of those will be loans and maybe a few little transfers. I think teams that are fighting relegation need to bring more players in and teams that are fighting to try and get promoted also need to bring more players in.
The big clubs who have good squads like Leeds will still want to add one or two players, and then you have other teams where your best players are being linked with moves away, like Latte Lath at Middlesborough that Atalanta want in the MLS for like £18 million, and they will be just about contemplating whether to sell him or not.
I probably wouldn't sell him, I'm thinking someone like him could be the difference-maker of maybe Boro getting into the play-offs or even challenging for one of those two top spots.
It is more likely Middlesborough will be in the play-offs so it's decisions like that that you have to make as a hierarchy and as the manager to see what you really and truly want.
I do like looking at it in January because the EFL is probably busier in January than the Premier League is for transfers and it's because teams need stay in the league or want to get promoted.
Q: I think Sunderland was somebody we spoke about a few weeks ago you said that, you know, if they went out and spent a bit of money, get a few more goals, then they could be somebody that really challenged for the top two. Enzo Le Fee is a statement signing isn’t he?
Clubs like Sunderland can do it, and their model is a bit different. They're not really signing young English players - apart from young Bellingham - they're going into the foreign market so their recruitment is different to other teams, but they're doing it well because the players that they've brought in and even the manager, not a lot of people have heard about them.
The manager has gone in there and done a brilliant job and they're recruiting young as well. Even though I said last time they need experience, it seems like it's working for them. But they do have players like Luke O’Nien, Roberts, players like that who know the division that can help some of these foreign players coming in.
But it's a big statement when you go out spend that money and bring quality like they just bought in. I think other clubs will do it because you have to keep competing.
If you see other clubs spending and you're standing still, then you get left behind but it is important you get players who add something.
Sunderland have looked at him and said, you can improve our squad. And I believe they needed to improve their squad if they wanted to challenge the Leeds’, Burnleys and Sheffield Uniteds.
Q: Just looking a bit closer at Leeds, all the teams around them have been linked with and bought players. But Leeds are not really seen as in the market for anybody at the moment. They have a strong squad but would you expect them to strengthen to match the competition and get over the line?
Maybe. I do think the squad is strong enough and Daniel Farke will look and think they can only probably do something if they have one or two going out like Patrick Bamford, then I think they would get a striker for sure. They've only got Joel Piroe and young Joseph, who's a good talent but you look and say, can we have another striker?
I think Leeds as a whole are quite strong. The only thing I worry with Leeds is if they pick up injuries, they had injuries that took out Gruev and Ampadu but they were still strong in midfield with Rothwell and Tanaka coming in.
When you look at their 11 and then you look at their bench, they're so strong. I think if Leeds do business, I think it'll be a centre forward if Bamford decides he's not getting enough playing time - which he's not - and clubs come in for him.
I know Leeds fans will be worrying, but I still think Leeds are strong enough to win this division with the squad that they've got but you never know, anything can happen the closer we get to deadline day and that's why we love the transfer window, isn’t it?
Bamford & Whittaker on the move?
Q: How hard is it to deal with that interest in your players say like Plymouth and Morgan Whittaker, I think Burnley have been linked with him this week.
Yeah, they bid the other day and I think Hull bid as well. Plymouth need to keep Morgan Whittaker if they want to survive, but they have just brought a record signing in in Michael Baidoo from Elfsborg
I think Morgan Whittaker is the man if Plymouth are going to stay up because he got that brilliant goal against Brentford in the FA Cup last weekend, and that is what he is capable of. Yeah he hasn't had the season that he had last season with all the goals but he has been linked with Serie A with clubs like Lazio and stuff like that.
He has got that bit of X factor that he can beat people, he has a good left foot and a great strike on him. So you can see someone like Burnley going for him because they don't score loads of goals up front and he's a man who I think coming off that wide area can or in that number 10 can go and cause a lot of problems. You can understand why Burnley want him and in the end they might get him if they pay enough money.
These clubs at the top they kind of have a hold on the smaller teams because of all the money they've got. But Plymouth know that if they let him go, they could be in trouble.
Q: And how hard is it to deal with that sort of interest in your players because you're almost on a hiding to nothing like if one of your players gets ripped out your squad mid-season, what are you supposed to do with that?
If you know early in the window maybe you can pre-plan for something and get someone in but when it comes towards the end and you haven't pre-planned for losing that player, then you're in big trouble.
Like Morgan Whittaker, I think Plymouth would have known clubs are sniffing around him, so I think that's why they're probably looking to bring other players. But the players that you bring in are probably not as good as Morgan Whitaker is so that's the conundrum you have and maybe you need to bring in a couple of players to fill his void.
He'll be important because obviously Plymouth are fighting relegation this year and you don't want to get relegated to League One.
I think trying to keep him will be essential for Plymouth.
Q: Would you be surprised if Bamford does move? Like you say, he's not getting much football.
I wouldn't be surprised because he's not getting a lot of football. But the only thing with Patrick Bamford is his massive wages at Leeds, and you're not going to get that anywhere else at the moment because Leeds is a huge football club.
He probably had that contract when they were in the Premier League and then they've come back down and his wages probably haven't changed. So do Leeds pay him up so he can go somewhere else or does he just sit there and just think I can get another promotion on my CV, and then probably move in the summer?
I do think you probably leave the football club in the summer because at his age, you want to be playing regular first-team football.
January Transfers from a Player's Perspective
Q: In terms of your playing career, did you ever come close to a January transfer? I don't think you actually had one…
I don't think it was January. I think I went to Birmingham in the summer for a record signing back then from Crystal Palace. And then I went to other clubs for I think Palace signed me back for a few million and then I left and went to other clubs, but not in January.
I never expected to move in January because - and I'm not being big-headed - but when you're a center forward and you're scoring goals at your club, they're not going to want to sell you
So it was a case of I knew I was never moving in January unless it was a ridiculous amount of money and I was going to a huge football club.
It was always a summer thing when I moved and it is quite daunting when you're going to a new club but it's also exciting because it's a different challenge and it's sad if you've been at a club for many years and you have to leave. But as I said, football moves on. Sometimes in football there's no loyalty when the club doesn't want you. You might get criticized for moving on but you have to do what's best for you and your family and for the sake of your career.
I just used to chill when it came to January. Everyone's like “keep your phone on” but I would be saying “I'm going to sleep. I'm not keeping my phone on. My phone will be on silent, mate. Don't worry about that!”
Q: Did you ever have it though where one of your clubs would bring in somebody that's competing for your position and it sort of like, does it throw the squad off a little bit?
I don't know if it throws the squad off. What it does do is the center forwards will all start worrying. They’re thinking whether they are going to get as much game time as they're getting before. But it can spur the team on and give everyone a lift in and make players up their game and take their game to another level.
It generally gives the squad a big boost, but even if you're winning football matches it gives a boost because you know you have to keep at those levels to keep on going.
Premier League Transfers
Q: And then in the Premier League, I know we said that probably wouldn't see as much business done in the Premier League, but what do you think we will see and what clubs need to strengthen in what sort of areas?
I think if you spoke to every club in the Premier League, they would look and they would say we need to strengthen massively like I think you look at Man United.
There's a few places they need to strengthen. Do I think they'll strengthen in January? I think they’ll find it difficult but if they lose Marcus Rashford, they're going to have to strengthen in one of the wide areas.
I still think they need a centre-forward, someone like a Victor Gyokeres but I don't think you get him in January. I think Man City have already signed a couple of defenders, which are good. Omar Marmoush I think will end up a Man City player, which I think is a good signing.
I did think they needed a midfielder but maybe they're waiting. The thing with Man City, if you sign a midfielder, that midfielder when Rodri comes back is not going to play. So do you spend £50/£60 million on the midfielder who's going to just be a backup midfielder? So I think it's decisions like that they have to make.
There's so many that need to I still think Chelsea could do business. They just brought back Trevor Chalobah from his loan so I think they need a defender because they have injuries. I still think they need a centre forward to challenge Nicolas Jackson, and they're interested in Mathys Tel from Bayern Munich with Nkunku possibly going the other way.
The only ones who I don't think really need to do business is probably Liverpool because their squad is really strong and I don’t think they will lose anyone.
Arsenal need a number nine, but they're linked to Zubimendi in the summer which is crazy, but it would allow Rice to play as a number eight, which I think is his best position where he can get box to box, so they might need someone who is going to sit in there.
So I can understand that for the summer but I thought in this window with the injury that they've had to Jesus, and Kai Havertz over the last few weeks has been a bit disappointing and missed a lot of big chances.
I just think Arsenal are a team who really should begin looking for a number nine but probably the number nines in the January window, you won't be able to get because there's no guarantees that you're going to be able to get the players you want.
You've got to pay ridiculously over the odds so yeah, I just can't see loads of movement.
What Next for Kyle Walker & Marcus Rashford?
Q: Yeah, just in terms of going the other way and players leaving, we mentioned Rashford, who looks totally out of the picture and almost certain to leave and Kyle Walker too.
With Kyle Walker, I just think it's got to that stage now. I think a few years ago he tried to move to Bayern Munich but they managed to keep him, so maybe he thinks he's got to the stage where he's done everything he can and he's won everything in the Premier League and he wants a different challenge, possibly abroad. So maybe he goes to Serie A or maybe he goes to the Saudi Pro League.
He's mid-30s now, so he's not getting any younger. Does he look at it and say, maybe I want a different challenge and a different experience and take his family to a different country?
I think he's done brilliantly at Man City, but I think the time's come for a change, and we knew it was coming. He won't be the only player who moves on from Man City, so I think it's best for both parties if he can move and Man City can get a little transfer fee for him and then he can go and play wherever he wants to.
But one thing I'll say, he's been one of the best right-backs there has been in the Premier League and one of the best England right-backs because he's outstanding.
He's still as quick as a lot of fullbacks, but maybe people are getting as quick as him now and his pace is just decreasing a little bit, but I always remember battles he had with Mbappe and Vinicius Jr and the whole ‘You’ll Never Beat Kyle Walker’ thing.
Those guys didn't get a kick to be fair and if you keep those two players quiet, you must have had a successful career. But yeah, maybe sometimes a change of scenery can help him and I think that's where he's got to in his career at the moment.
As for Marcus Rashford that's a crazy one because he's so talented. He's younger than Kyle Walker so he's at an age where he should be hitting his peak form at the minute but for whatever reason, he didn't really get on with Ten Hag and now it's the same with Ruben Amorim.
You just want to see Marcus Rashford playing football because we know he's got he's such a talent, he's got so much ability. But as I said, he's another one who maybe has been at a club for too long and just wants a change, a different voice and different fans.
I just think the right time is now for Marcus Rashford to be playing football. We haven't seen him playing for Man United for the last month or so and I feel like when we're missing out on him playing football at this precise minute.
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