January Transfers: 5 EPL Stars Who Should Have Garnered More Interest This Month

With the January transfer window deadline fast approaching, there will be some EPL managers rushing about trying to make last minute additions to their squads.

The big names thrown around this transfer window have been the likes of Eden Hazard, Mario Goetze, Demba Ba and Carlos Tevez.

However, I've been left scratching my head.

There are a select few fantastic players in the EPL who have attracted little-to-no attention, and I'm unsure as to why they haven't. Let's take a look at the players who should have been on the move in January, and if there's anyone that you think I've missed then get the discussion started in the comments section.

Speaking to Sky Sports this week, Clint Dempsey admitted that his ultimate football dream is to play in the Champions League, raising the question as to why the big clubs haven't considered taking him off of Fulham's hands.

Manchester United in particular have bemoaned the need for an attack-minded midfielder this season, and while spending their time chasing Wesley Sneijder, maybe they would have been better off looking to Fulham's American talisman.

Arsenal are another side who could have looked to secure Dempsey's services. Not only would he be a great player to employ behind Robin Van Persie, but also his goalscoring talent would take some of the emphasis off of the need for RVP up front every game.

Dempsey recently became the first American to score a hat-trick in the EPL following Fulham's 5-2 win over Newcastle.

Transfermarkt.co.uk values him at just below £10 million; however, it may cost a bit more to prise him from Fulham.

Leighton Baines is one of the best left-backs in the EPL and will no doubt take over for Ashley Cole when he eventually retires from England duty. But why aren't the EPL's top clubs interested in him?

There were rumours in the summer that City, Liverpool and Arsenal were all interested in signing him. But they signed Gael Clichy, Jose Enrique and Andre Santos respectively, thus quelling the rumours.

However, two of these (City and Arsenal) should still be interested. Gael Clichy has proven somewhat of a liability at left-back for City, and Arsenal are amidst a full-back injury crisis. So you would think there would have been some enquiries for the 27-year-old free-kick specialist.

Baines would also be a solid signing for the likes of Man United, Tottenham and Chelsea.

Transfermarkt.co.uk values him at £15 million, yet Everton's financial crisis could dictate a smaller fee.

On the subject of Everton's financial crisis, we have Phil Jagielka.

Jagielka is a solid defender who has been continually improving throughout his career, and he would be a great addition to the majority of the defences in the EPL.

Arsenal were interested in Jag in the summer, but these rumours ended when Wenger signed Per Mertesacker from Werder Bremen.

Having racked up 10 caps already for the England national side, Jagielka is amongst the pool of centre-backs that Fabio Capello will be considering for his Euro 2012 squad.

Transfermarkt.co.uk rates him at around £10 million.

A graduate of the Man United youth academy, Ryan Shawcross has established himself as one of the most integral players at the Britannia Stadium.

Liverpool were interested in the tough tackling defender during the summer window as a long-term replacement for Jamie Carragher, and I'm surprised that they haven't re-sparked their interest.

At 22, the centre-back has his whole career ahead of him and would be a great signing for most of the EPL's big clubs. United could re-sign their ex-rookie as a long-term replacement for Nemanja Vidic, as they allegedly have a "buy-back" agreement with Stoke. However, he'd also be a great signing for the likes of Chelsea, Spurs and Newcastle.

While Stoke would be unlikely to want to sell their prized asset, money talks. Transfermarkt.co.uk rates him at around £8 million, but surely Pulis would be looking for nearer the £10 million mark if he were to sell him.

Aside from Federico Macheda, Romelu Lukaku was one of the players who I thought would be in the middle of a loan tug-of-war in January. Why? Because a lot of the teams in the bottom half could do with the firepower, and he would benefit immensely from the first team football.

Look at Daniel Sturridge at Bolton last season. He joined in January on loan and scored eight times in 12 games. Lukaku could match that record, if not surpass it.

Teams like Everton, Bolton, Swansea, Sunderland and Fulham could all benefit from taking the young Belgian on loan. Given the opportunity, he could really shine, and Chelsea would probably be more than happy to loan him out looking at the success of the Sturridge loan.