Clubs have a month’s time to strengthen their squads as the January transfer window opens on Wednesday.

Champions Valletta are among the teams who will be making a number of changes. They have already secured the services of Belgian defender Jason Vandelannoite from Hibernians and Luke Dimech from Mosta. Brazilian defender Ricardo Filho returns to his home-country and one new foreigner should be Senegalese striker Demba Touré who is currently on trial.

Also linked to Valletta is Brazilian midfielder Pedro dos Santos Calcado – the former Msida St. Joseph and Sliema Wanderers midfielder who has been playing with Balzan for the past two-and-a-half years.

Meanwhile a number of Valletta players are attracting the interest of other clubs with Sliema Wanderers being reportedly interested in Ian Azzopardi, Ryan Fenech and Ian Zammit and Mosta interested in Edmond Agius and Kurt Magro.

Mosta lost Ousseni Zongo who moved to Portugal while Obinna Obiefule is on the verge of a transfer abroad. Goalkeeper Justin Haber and Jonathan Bajada are attracting the interest of other clubs but the Blues are keen to retain the two players.

Sliema Wanderers, on the other hand, will release Branislav Timotic and Omar El Ghaouti with the former expected to join Tarxien Rainbows. The Rainbows, on the other hand, may sign another Brazilian player following the departure of Luiz Romulo de Castro and Danilo Meira Santos.

Birkirkara may sign a foreign striker as Shola Shodiya and Joselito dos Reis are still recovering from injuries.

Qormi will be signing new foreigners to replace Sebastian Aurelio Siritto and Vincenzo Pisani who are expected to move back home. Hamrun Spartans are also expected to make further changes in their foreigners’ line-up after releasing Nikolai Bozhov last month.

Spanish goalkeeper Daniel Miguelez Martinez will be joining Balzan after they lost goalkeeper Matthew Camilleri injured for the rest of the season.