10 players desperate for a January change of scenery

While the January transfer window offers little in the way of intrigue when compared to its summer brethren, it can present an opportunity for those on the fringes of their current sides who are desperate for first-team minutes.

Whether through a permanent sale or a short-term loan, dozens of Premier League players would benefit from a new home in the new year. Here's a look at 10 of them:

Theo Walcott (Arsenal) - It's become increasingly hard not to feel a sense of regret over Theo Walcott. A loyal servant to "Wenger ball" whose individual goals have rarely jived with the club's ambitions, Walcott's Arsenal tenure is nearing an anticlimactic end. It's quite sad considering the once-prodigious pace merchant has seen form and injury rule him out of World Cup contention countless times, and now the 28-year-old could afford a move away from north London. Everton has played stagnant and narrow all year, so a versatile attacker capable of stretching defenses by virtue of both wide play and runs behind centre-halves could be the answer.

Luke Shaw (Manchester United) - If Kevin De Bruyne's and Mohamed Salah's career arcs are any indication, dwelling in Jose Mourinho's doghouse is nothing more than a makeshift flirtation with inactivity. Half a year short of his 23rd birthday, Luke Shaw still has a decent career ahead of him, but not at Manchester United, prompting reports of a swap between him and fellow figure of full-back frustration Danny Rose. A summer split between Rose and Spurs gaffer Mauricio Pochettino has allegedly been repaired, though with one major contract left in a career at a standstill, Rose could do with United's penchant for massive wages, and Shaw - who's appeared in just one league game this season - could profit from a change of scenery.

Henrikh Mkhitaryan (Manchester United) - Like Shaw, fellow Red Devil Henrikh Mkhitaryan has allegedly experienced a falling-out with Mourinho, and like his Lancashire-based buddy, the Armenian attacker would be best served with a new home. The headstrong manager vaguely hinted at an exit for the player when he responded to queries with, "I think, for the right price," and as Mkhitaryan's current spell at Old Trafford begins to mirror Memphis Depay's mercurial tenure in England, it's clear the 28-year-old has too much flare and not enough industry to be part of Mourinho's plodding style.

Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool) - It seems ages ago that Daniel Sturridge's 21 league goals played the perfect compliment to Luis Suarez's virtues as Liverpool narrowly fell short of its 2013-14 title challenge, and considering the state of the striker's career, it might as well be. Incompatible with Jurgen Klopp's fluid attack and high press, the 28-year-old has become surplus to requirements at Anfield. A traditional forward - who when fit is one of the Premier League's most clinical finishers - Sturridge would benefit from a move to a side both desperate for goals and content to play a lone striker: West Bromwich Albion.

Islam Slimani (Leicester City) - When Islam Slimani joined Premier League champ Leicester City on the last day of the 2016 summer window, it was a symbol of the club's intent to build on its shock title. Paired with playmaking fellow Fennec Riyad Mahrez, Slimani was expected to lighten the load on Jamie Vardy whilst giving the Foxes a robust heading presence on set pieces. A year and a half later, Slimani has made just 14 league starts - and only one this season. Claude Puel seems intent on sticking with a 4-2-3-1 in which Slimani and Kelechi Iheanacho are forced to fight for scraps, and with the latter eight years the junior of his strike mate, Slimani's agent might as well start looking elsewhere. Also, remember Ahmed Musa?

Aleksandar Mitrovic (Newcastle) - Serbian striker Aleksandar Mitrovic arrived at Newcastle in 2015 and wasted little time making an impact. Mitrovic was booked 22 seconds into his debut and sent off in the 15th minute 10 days later against Arsenal, but still, the brash forward became a fan favourite for his barbarous style of play and impassioned goal celebrations. A year and a half on, and Mitrovic is a forgotten fella as Rafa Benitez prefers the bumbling Joselu and Dwight Gayle. "I'm sorry - after all, I loved Newcastle but it's time for me to look more to myself, to find the best solution for my career," Mitrovic said Wednesday. Yup, he's gone.

Michy Batshuayi (Chelsea) - Imagine bagging a league-winning goal whilst boasting one of the Premier League's top goal-to-minute ratios only to become an injury-time option in your second season. Such is Michy Batshuayi's standing with Chelsea, and with Antonio Conte opting to play Eden Hazard as a false No. 9 in Alvaro Morata's absence, it's easy to see why Batshuayi cuts a frustrated figure. In the end, Chelsea's lack of striking options may trump Batshuayi's personal desires for first-team minutes, even if a short-term loan is in the cards for the Belgian international.

Jese (Stoke City) - While it's difficult to pity a footballing millionaire, Stoke City loanee Jese is an exception. Out of favour at Real Madrid, Jese was pawned off to Paris Saint-Germain, which then flipped the Spaniard like a remodeled home to islanders Las Palmas last season before loaning him to the Potters this year. His match-winner against Arsenal has been long since forgotten, and when frustrated Jese left the bet365 Stadium prematurely during a victory over Swansea, it sealed the forward's fate. Now, he's desperate to return to Spain to be with his ailing infant son in Las Palmas, and as football takes a back seat, hopes are the 24-year-old can again ply his trade for the Canary Islands side.

Diafra Sakho (West Ham) - Forward Diafra Sakho was so intent on leaving West Ham in the summer that he flew to France to force a move to Rennes sans club permission. It wasn't to be, however, and instead of rejoining his mates for training, Sakho turned up at Chelmsford City Racecourse to watch his agent Mark McKay's "Siege of Boston" finish first as a 9-2 favourite. Sakho even pocketed £550 for his troubles, though it amounted to nothing more than a silver lining for a player yet to make a league start this season. With the Senegalese international's contract set to expire in June, it's likely Sakho is off despite West Ham's evident dearth of striking options.

Kevin Mirallas (Everton) - There are a slew of squad concerns at Goodison Park after the Toffees splashed £140 million on players in the summer, and while the likes of Davy Klaassen and Sandro Ramirez can't get a match, it's a bit early to pass judgment on the pair. Not so much for Kevin Mirallas, 30, and with the World Cup around the corner, the Belgian will be desperate for first-team minutes to force the hand of Red Devils' boss Roberto Martinez. A contract extension penned in May through 2020 now seems quite shortsighted.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)