Manchester United want a speedy winger like Felipe Anderson, Liverpool need a new defender and Bournemouth have already spent £19m... why Arsene Wenger was right to predict one of the busiest Januaries ever

When Bournemouth pay £12million for a young striker without any Premier League experience and Newcastle match that for a midfielder with six England caps, you know the transfer window is getting serious.

Arsene Wenger is predicting one of the busiest Januarys on record for deals and given the peculiar nature of the Premier League this season, he could well be right.

Every one of the 20 clubs is still involved in either the Premier League title race, Champions League and European qualification or a relegation dogfight and the fear of missing out on the new £5billion television deal that begins in August.

Bournemouth spent £12million on Wolves striker Benik Afobe, despite his lack of Premier League experience

Newcastle new boy Henri Saivet poses at the club's training ground after joining from Bordeaux for £4.5m

Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger has predicted a busy January as he closes in on a deal for Mohamed Elneny

Even those teams in mid-table have plenty at stake. Stoke City and Everton,10th and 11th, are in the Capital One Cup semi-finals and still in the FA Cup.

It means the remaining three weeks of the window are likely to be an extraordinary bunfight as Wenger has predicted. Last year's window saw deals worth £140m take place and that is likely to be bettered.

The only January which saw more money change hands was 2011 though the final figure of £225m was skewed by two enormous deals on deadline day; Fernando Torres moved from Liverpool to Chelsea for £50m and Andy Carroll swapped Newcastle for Liverpool for £35m.

This window may not see an individual transfer of £50m but in terms of quantity across the board, it will be frenetic.

Just consider that Bournemouth have paid £12m for Benik Afobe, a promising but unproven Championship striker. In 2008, the going rate for lower-league potential was £5m – the price tag on Aaron Ramsey when he joined Arsenal from Cardiff City.

As Wenger tips, it is only going to go one way from here – up.

Sunderland are closing in on a loan deal for former Hull striker Dame N'Doye, pictured in April last year

Swansea midfielder Jonjo Shelvey, pictured in action against Oxford, is set to join Newcastle for £12million

Clubs at the bottom are most desperate. Newcastle United have already committed £17m on Jonjo Shelvey and Bordeaux midfielder Henri Saivet. They will recoup some money by selling Cheick Tiote to China after Tuesday night's game with Aston Villa and could then go again.

Across the Tyne-Wear divide to Sunderland, their manager Sam Allardyce has splashed out on a loan fee for former Hull City striker Dame N'Doye.

He won't stop there, although Sunderland can't guarantee Premier League status, the riches of the Premier League mean any player from leagues in France, Belgium, Holland and even most clubs in Spain would jump at the chance.

Norwich City's board have pledged £20m to their manager Alex Neil to keep them in the top flight. Some of that will go on Everton's Steven Naismith. They've all seen what Bournemouth have done already; £19m on Afobe and Lewis Grabban and a loan for Juan Iturbe from Roma.

Swansea City will let interim manager Alan Curtis follow suit. They will invest the Shelvey money and more in a new striker, and have looked at Andre Gray, £14m Lazio forward Manolo Gabbiadini and would jump at the chance or re-taking Wilfried Bony from Manchester City should they get any encouragement.

Norwich City hope to sign Everton forward Steven Naismith (centre) for around £8million in January

Swansea are one of a number of clubs watching Burnley striker Andre Gray, who has impressed this season

At the bottom, Aston Villa's Remi Garde has been written off by all sundry. But when they have any hope of staying up, he will be urging his owner Randy Lerner to buy.

Up the table, but not safe, West Brom manager Tony Pulis has been told he can spend if he sells which is why he'll happily listen to offers for Saido Berahino.

It's hard to know which category to put Chelsea in. They are currently looking over their shoulder in 14th place but they are still in the Champions League which they won in 2012 despite finishing outside the top four.

At the top end, managers who normally agree January is not the ideal time to buy are getting ready to abandon their principles and splash out. Louis van Gaal at Manchester United has admitted as much. A few weeks ago, he said left-back cover for Luke Shaw was all he wanted. Now, after some dull and dreadful performances, he wants a speedy winger, confessing Juan Mata is 'not the profile' of a wide man.

Felipe Anderson of Lazio has been the subject of interest, Sofiane Feghouli wants to leave Valencia and the longer-term goal is Gareth Bale. United signed Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra in January 2006 and they didn't work out too bad.

Saido Berahino, pictured scoring against Bristol City, is a target for Tottenham, Stoke and Newcastle

Manchester United are keen on signing a new winger, with Lazio's Felipe Anderson (left) being considered

Arsenal are so close to winning their first Premier League title, Wenger would be considered crazy not to bring in the finishing pieces of the jigsaw. Imagine if Olivier Giroud got injured in March and the Gunners missed out because of a lack of alternative firepower. QPR's Charlie Austin, anyone?

So many clubs are involved in the race for a top-four place and the further riches of the Champions League, they won't want to miss out. The entire top half of the table are within seven points of fourth-placed Tottenham.

Spurs are looking for a striker to supplement Harry Kane and will allow Andros Townsend and Federico Fazio to leave to free up a squad space. Berahino could be the answer if rival chairmen Jeremy Peace and Daniel Levy can strike a deal.

Having come so far, Claudio Ranieri won't want to fall at the final hurdle at Leicester. He won't be thinking about selling Jamie Vardy or Riyad Mahrez, more supplementing them.

Liverpool's Jurgen Klopp will be keen to bring in fresh blood, preferably players with a working pair of hamstrings.

Marko Grujic became Jurgen Klopp's first signing at Liverpool after joining from Red Star Belgrade for £5m

Andros Townsend, pictured scoring against Chelsea's Under 21s, is likely to leave Tottenham this month

Marko Grujic has been snapped up for £5m from Red Star Belgrade, he is one for the future but Klopp wants fit centre-halfs and forwards now, hence a loan deal for Steven Caulker from QPR.

Manchester City manager Manuel Pellegrini says he's relaxed. But it's his club who signed the most expensive player of the last window, £28m Bony from Swansea.

Even those mid-ranking teams will be busy. Everton want Ukraine winger Andriy Yarmolenko done and dusted before Euro 2016 and fancy Burnley's Michael Keane as defensive cover and a long-term replacement for Phil Jagielka.

Watford are among those looking at Townsend, who was left out of Sunday's game against Leicester City by Mauricio Pochettino and so isn't cup-tied. Stoke City won't rule out any business even though they have probably the strongest squad in their history. They want to be kept informed of Berahino's movements.

All in all, breathless stuff. And if Bale brings forward his departure from Real Madrid to the end of January a frenetic window will also become a record-breaking one in terms of overall cost.