Fans Decide Which Wantaway PL Star Is Most Likely to Secure a Move Away From Their Club This January

Over the course of the summer transfer window, a number of the English game's wantaway stars were unable to force through moves away from their current employers before the transfer deadline, meaning that they'd have to wait until at least January to see their desires become a potential reality.

With a number of top-class individuals in the mix, it was left to the fans to cast their vote to which one of the rebelling stars was most likely to pack their bags for pastures new in 2018. 

The clear winner emerged to be Arsenal's Alexis Sanchez who topped the six man poll after receiving a resounding 40% of the 121,211 votes.

Image by Cameron Ramsey

Manchester City were left frustrated on deadline day after their last-ditch attempt to lure the Chilean to the Etihad fell through, with the Gunners failing to land a suitable replacement for the 28-year-old, despite tabling a lofty £90m bid for AS Monaco's Thomas Lemar, 21.

Sanchez's commitment to the north Londoners' cause was always in doubt, with the 28-year-old leaving it to virtually the last moments of the summer window to convey his desire of a switch to the Citizens to work with Pep Guardiola once more.

Although now being back amongst Arsene Wenger's fold, Sanchez will need to knuckle down and prove his worth once more if he's to don a 'Sky Blues' shirt for the second half of the 2017-18 campaign.

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Second in the standings with 21% is Southampton's Virgil van Dijk, who was widely linked with a move to Jurgen Klopp's Liverpool throughout the summer, after the Dutchman revealed his admiration for the Reds' German boss.

Van Dijk was subsequently training on his own at the beginning of the term, but has since returned to Mauricio Pellegrino's starting XI.

Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho occupies third place with 18%, after his proposed switch to FC Barcelona failed to materialise, with the Merseysiders flexing their muscles and playing hardball in order to scupper the 'Blaugrana's' advances for the diminutive Brazilian.

The club's enigmatic number 10 has seemingly rekindled his relationship with Klopp after the closing of the window, and remains a crucial cog in Liverpool's attacking machine.

Claiming 9% in fourth, Ross Barkley was on the brink of a deadline day move to Chelsea from Everton, although in the dying embers of the period, the 23-year-old had a change of heart and chose to reject a contract with the Blues during the middle of his medical at their Cobham-based training facility.

Tottenham Hotspur have also been touted in the race for his services, so if he is to finally leave Goodison Park, a tug of war is presumably on the cards down south for his talents on the ball.

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Leicester City's Riyad Mahrez - who rests in fifth with a shallow 8% of the vote - was granted permission by Algeria whilst on international duty to return to England to finalise a move away from the Foxes.

But, with his actual location being a mystery on the final day of the window with many speculating that he was stranded in a Parisian airport, Mahrez had no choice but to remain at the King Power Stadium, after a number of alleged links plummeted to no avail.

The player who is least likely to earn a move in January is Arsenal's Jack Wilshere, who accumulated a meagre 4%, after reestablishing himself in 'Le Prof's' midfield ranks.

Staying fit and fighting injury is almost a constant hampering factor in his career, but the 25-year-old appears to have been given a new lease of life at Arsenal, and if he can remain at the top of his personal game, there's no doubting that he'll return to the pinnacle of the English and European game once more.