Focus may turn to the FA Cup in England this weekend, but everyone knows the real entertainment will begin when Jim White and his Sky cronies start their countdown to the transfer window deadline. Rob Boulton looks at the movers and shakers in the next week.

The most annoying man in football? (via guardian.co.uk)

By Rob Boulton

Ahead of us lies a very interesting football weekend with a number of intriguing ties in the FA cup with the potential for some upsets and possible sackings for those managers dangling by a thread above the bear pit. However once the matches have been completed attention will quickly turn to the final stages of the January transfer window, so you would presume Jim White at Sky Sports News has probably been given the weekend off to ensure he’s fully fit to scream at our TV screens for hours on deadline day next Thursday!

This mid-season window is usually pretty underwhelming, and the countless rumours more often than not turn out to be complete rubbish – but there are still a few clubs who will need to have one last browse down the reduced prices aisle, and it’s these last minute panic buys which could end up making or breaking their season. Newcastle United have decided to bring in the French foreign legion to add some je se sais quoi to their squad as they attempt to halt their alarming slide down the table, while Queen’s Park Rangers are still expected to add more players after securing Loic Remy from under Newcastle’s nose. With Reading also adding some bodies to their squad, you’d imagine Aston Villa must be desperate to add to their thin and struggling roster, however what kind of players could they genuinely attract and do they have the funds to make deals happen?

Away from the bottom of the table, Liverpool appear to have done well with new signing Daniel Sturridge scoring goals and appearing to have already formed a great understanding with the mercurial Luis Suarez – while Manchester United supporters will be keeping a close eye on the results of Crystal Palace and the form of new signing Wilfred Zaha whilst he completes his time in South London. Demba Ba has also shown real promise after his move from Newcastle to Chelsea, though this could well mean the end of Fernando Torres’ career at Stamford Bridge as Ba already looks far more capable of delivering the goals Torres has so badly failed to do.

No doubt there are deals happening as we speak, some that may surprise once they’re announced, but ultimately most squads won’t look drastically different once the window closes. So it’s a case of managers striving to get that little bit extra from their players to try and ensure survival, a European place or, for the lucky few, a trophy to make the season a memorable one. The window of opportunity will soon be closing, he who buys best shall prevail – so let the bidding wars begin!

Will there be any big moves before the end of the window? Tweet us @talkingbaws or comment below. Watch out for Gino De Blasio’s blog tomorrow.