January transfer window: Alexandre Pato for Chelsea and four other potential deals

The latest January transfer window steadily builds towards its conclusion this week, with English clubs having until 23.00 GMT on Monday 1 February to tie up any last-minute deals. Here, IBTimes UK looks at five potential transfers that are likely to dominate the back pages over the next seven days.

Alexandre Pato to Chelsea

If Pato did not have such a high profile in Europe owing to his previous five-year stint with AC Milan and the small matter of 27 senior international caps for Brazil, you might begin to question whether he actually exists or is simply a mythical figure invented solely for transfer rumour purposes. Barely a window has gone by in recent years where the striker has not been mentioned in connection with a move to the Premier League, but this time it really does seem like it could happen.

Previous months have brought the same tedious links to the usual list of supposed suitors, but over recent weeks talk of a move to Chelsea has increased tenfold. The fallen champions could certainly use another striker to assist the notoriously volatile Diego Costa, with Loic Remy frequently injured and yet to impress. Radamel Falcao is also still sidelined indefinitely with a thigh problem.

Guus Hiddink has been predictably coy and noncommittal on all transfer rumours this month, an understandable position given that he is only contracted to remain as manager until the summer. Such an unpredictable situation and the club's deeply unimpressive title defence no doubt makes attracting new players difficult given that their Champions League fate remains so uncertain.

In the case of Pato, the latest reports from The Mail suggest that Chelsea have been in talks to finalise a deal that would see the 26 year old arrive on loan from Corinthians until the end of the season with the option of completing a permanent deal thereafter.

Andros Townsend to Newcastle or Watford

Tottenham's encouraging form this season has been built upon a bedrock of young, homegrown talent that have largely repaid the faith shown in their abilities by manager Mauricio Pochettino. But while the likes of Harry Kane, Eric Dier and particularly Dele Alli have all impressed, one player who has fallen off the radar completely at White Hart Lane is Andros Townsend.

The frustrated winger has failed to start a single Premier League game in 2015/16, and speculation over his future was further heightened in November when he appeared to participate in a heated argument with fitness coach Nathan Gardiner after being left as an unused substitute against Aston Villa.

Townsend has not made a single first-team appearance since starting the 2-1 Europa League defeat at Anderlecht on 22 October and Pochettino appears content to let him seek pastures new. Newcastle, who have already signed midfielders Henri Saivet and Jonjo Shelvey this month as they seek to escape the threat of relegation, have emerged as the most likely destination, although an initial £10.5m offer was supposedly rejected as Tottenham refuse to budge on their £14m valuation. Watford are also believed to be on his trail after manager Quique Sanchez Flores previously declared an interest.

Alex Teixeira to Liverpool

Jurgen Klopp has yet to make any notable splash during his first transfer window since succeeding Brendan Rodgers as Liverpool manager. Although Marko Grujic technically became his first signing earlier in January, the Serbian U21 international was subsequently loaned straight back to Red Star Belgrade. Centre-back Steven Caulker's arrival on a loan deal from QPR is highly unlikely to prove anything other than a short-term fix during a difficult injury period, meanwhile.

All that could change in the coming days with a possible deal for Teixeira. The playmaker is one of a number of Brazilian players to have made their mark at Shakhtar Donetsk over recent years, leading to frequent links with Chelsea. Liverpool now look to have stolen a march on their rivals by launching a reported £25m bid and while it is suggested that the player is eager to move to Anfield, it remains to be seen if the two clubs can settle upon a fee before the deadline.

Liverpool have previous when it comes to failing with late-January moves for Ukraine-based attacking players. Back in 2014, Yevhen Konoplyanka, who has since joined Sevilla, looked all set to complete a £16m switch to Anfield only for Dnipro Dnipropetrovsk president Ihor Kolomoyskyi to scupper the deal despite a release clause being successfully activated.

Saido Berahino to any number of suitors

A permanent fixture in the gossip columns, you could be forgiven for failing to remember a time when Berahino's name was not routinely mentioned in transfer dispatches across the British media. Indeed, not a press conference goes by during which West Brom boss Tony Pulis, not usually one to tolerate idle gossip, is not hounded with endless queries regarding his future.

After notching 20 times in all competitions last season, the 22 year old was the subject of no fewer than four offers from Tottenham during the summer of 2015, with two of those arriving on deadline day. Needless to say that none met with anything but derision from the resilient Baggies, whose chairman Jeremy Peace was highly critical of Spurs' transfer policy as Berahino subsequently vowed never to play for the club again.

That threat was never carried out, although Berahino has since endured a difficult campaign with three goals to his name in just eight top-flight starts amid further rumblings of discontent. Such a lack of form has done nothing to slow the rumour mill, however, with Tottenham now seemingly joined by Chelsea, Stoke and Newcastle in the race for his signature.

Ramires to Jiangsu Suning

With Pato's arrival on the horizon, it could well be a case of one in, one out in terms of Brazilians at Chelsea this week. Having barely featured since Hiddink returned to west London as a result of a renewed faith in John Obi Mikel, widespread rumours now suggest that midfielder Ramires could follow a number of his compatriots to the Chinese Super League.

As detailed by The Telegraph, Jiangsu Suning, a team managed by former Blues stalwart Dan Petrescu, are prepared to pay more than £20m to secure his services. The 28-year-old has won every major honour available since arriving in English football from Benfica in August 2010 and only signed a new long-term contract extension in October of last year.

If Ramires does move to the Nanjing Olympic Sports Centre, he would be joining the likes of Paulinho, Diego Tardelli and Luiz Felipe Scolari in East Asia. Robinho also represented reigning champions Guangzhou Evergrande in 2015.