Billions of dollars, pounds and euros may have been lost in the global financial crisis, but most of Europe's leading soccer clubs are still poised to spend big when the winter transfer window opens on New Year's Day. The club most likely to be unaffected by the credit crunch is Manchester City, who may still be serious under-achiever at the wrong end of the Premier League, but became the world's richest club when it was bought by Sheikh Mansour Bin Zayed Al-Nahyan of Abu Dhabi earlier this year. It has been linked with more than 50 players in the build-up to Jan. 1 including Thierry Henry and Lionel Messi of Barcelona, Kolo Toure of Arsenal and Roque Santa Cruz of Blackburn Rovers. European champion Manchester United, meanwhile, is unlikely to spend much in January with manager Alex Ferguson saying this week he was happy with his squad. Ferguson spent nothing last January and so far has indicated that only only teenage Serbian winger Zoran Tosic is moving to Old Trafford. Liverpool, the English league leader, has been linked with a number of players including a return to Anfield for Wigan striker Emile Heskey but Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger could be the busiest among England's Big Four. With Theo Walcott, Tomas Rosicky and Cesc Fabregas all out through long-term injuries, Wenger could move for Zenit St. Petersburg's Andrei Arshavin, while David Villa of Valencia and Daniele De Rossi of AS Roma have also been mentioned as targets. The transfer window looks set for a slow start in Italy however, where AC Milan is the only leading Serie A side to have said that it wants to do business in January. Chief executive Adriano Galliani said on Monday that the seven-time European champion is looking for a left back but the Italian media has suggested that Liverpool center back Daniel Agger is its top target amid uncertainty about Alessandro Nesta's return from a stubborn back problem. With Gennaro Gattuso out for six months after knee surgery, an extra midfielder could be useful too. Coach Carlo Ancelotti has said David Beckham can provide cover, but the Englishman is only staying for a few months on loan from LA Galaxy and doubts remain about whether a winger can fill Gattuso's central role. Juventus is thought to be looking for a defender too with Dario Knezevic and Jonathan Zebina expected to remain unavailable with injuries until March. The Turin club has its sights set on Portuguese centre back Manuel da Costa, who is struggling for a place at Fiorentina, while Juve is also hoping to take advantage of Valencia's financial problems to land midfielder David Silva. Inter Milan's dealings will depend on whether Brazil forward Adriano moves on after irritating coach Jose Mourinho with repeated indiscipline. The leader is being linked with Genoa's Diego Milito, although club president Enrico Preziosi said he would not sell the Argentine forward for 30 million euros ($42.55 million). Real Madrid has dominated the transfer news in Spain as the injury-hit Primera Liga champion seek to boost its chances of closing the 12-point gap to leader Barcelona.
