Despite there not being the same intensity as that of the summer transfer window which saw Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo move, there were some key transfers that stood as highlights in January. Let’s take a recap of some major transfers from Europe’s top clubs.
Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus to Tottenham for €19M
Another player Juventus signed who hasn’t fulfilled his promise at the club. Bentancur signed for around €9.5m in 2017 and now that he’s 24, the club have done decent business to move him on for more than they paid and can also get another €6m in add-ons.
The Uruguay international is defensive-minded and will offer a great option alongside Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg. He feels like an Antonio Conte-style player and should settle well in England. Though not a marquee signing, it’s a very solid one.
Donny Van De Beek from Manchester United to Everton on Loan
Having spent around €40m to sign Van de Beek from Ajax in 2020, United gave him limited opportunities in the first team. He didn’t light up the league, but his versatility surely would have been useful in the second half of the season. United may regret this, even if they did get a loan fee.
Sitting 16th in the Premier League, Everton had to get some help. As one of the world’s best midfielders in his own playing days, new boss Frank Lampard is the perfect manager to get the Netherlands international back on track. It’s a decent move and one the player badly needed.
Dusan Vlahovic from Fiorentina to Juventus for €75M
Vlahovic has become one of the best young strikers in Europe over the past year, and Fiorentina deserve credit for helping him blossom. The club also made the tough decision to let him go now, despite another 18 months on his contract, and it was probably the right one.
Juve need to find a way back to the top of Italian football, and signing a player like Vlahovic is the way to do it. His goal record of 41 goals in 63 games speaks for itself, while at 21 years old he is still developing. A €75m fee is a lot, but, despite their financial difficulties, the club have made it work somehow.
Philippe Coutinho from Barcelona to Aston Villa on Loan
Coutinho arrived for a potential €160m back in 2018 and has struggled ever since. Barca are even still paying most of his wages for another loan spell, which hasn’t helped their financial situation that much.
It’s a win-win situation for Villa. The Brazil international has shown with Liverpool that he can perform in the Premier League, and now he’s working under former teammate Steven Gerrard. The 29-year-old will fill a creative void for the club, and they have an option to sign him for €40m if they want, or they can just send him back to Barca if he doesn’t impress.
Dejan Kulusevski from Juventus to Tottenham on Loan
Kulusevski, 21, has a lot of potential but hasn’t lived up to expectations at Juve. The Italian club spent €35m to sign the winger from Parma in 2020, so they will break even when a reported €35m obligation for a permanent transfer is triggered in summer 2023.
Spurs needed some depth out wide and the Sweden international has the potential to make a real difference. He has struggled with confidence but could be a fine addition if he’s given the chance to shine.
Dele Ali from Tottenham to Everton for Free
A £5m signing from MK Dons in 2015, Alli looked like he could do no wrong until a few years ago. Then suddenly his form fell off a cliff, and he hasn’t been the same since. A loan move would have been preferable for Tottenham, but they should at least be able to make a profit once a clause kicks in to trigger a £10m payment when he plays 20 games, while there’s also some hefty add-ons too.
Everton spotted a chance and, much like Van de Beek’s arrival, were able to rely on the pull of new manager Frank Lampard to get the deal done. Alli needs a fresh start, and if Everton can turn him back into the player who netted 18 Premier League goals in 2016-17, they will have got a bargain.
Luis Diaz from Porto to Liverpool for €45m
Porto are familiar with signing a player on the cheap, turning them into a superstar and letting them go for a huge profit. But this time they had an €80m release clause in his contract and still chose to accept a much lower bid. His goals and assists will be missed, but you feel they could have held out for more.
Liverpool have done it again — a transfer worth a lot less than many would have predicted. They might have to pay an extra €15m in add-ons, but the 25-year-old Colombia international is a quality addition and can help take the weight off the shoulders of Mo Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino up front.
Chris Wood from Burnley to Newcastle for £25m
A fee of £25m, which was reportedly his release clause, is pretty good for a 30-year-old. Wood has hit double figures for goals in the Premier League for the past four seasons, and the club didn’t want to see him depart. Especially to a club also likely to be involved in the relegation battle.
Newcastle needed a striker after the injury to Callum Wilson and paid what was needed. Yes, it’s probably a bit much, but the New Zealand international has a good record and excellent aerial ability, which should see him make the most of the Magpies’ crosses into the box.
Anthony Martial from Manchester United to Sevilla on Loan
United haven’t handled Martial very well at all over the past few months, especially after it became clear that he wanted to leave. At 26, the forward should be approaching his prime, but he hasn’t found form at United and it is best he moves on for a fresh start. United even had to back down on their demands for a loan fee to get this one done.
Sevilla have their best chance in years to win LaLiga, and bringing in Martial is a smart move. Yes, they agreed to pay his entire wages while on loan, but he is keen to prove a point and get his career back on track, and his direct running can make things happen in the final third.
Ferran Torres from Barcelona to Manchester City for €55m
Just over a year after signing the Spain forward from Valencia for around €23m, City opted to move him on for over double that fee. Pep Guardiola does have a plethora of attacking players in his position, so they have cover, but it seems an odd decision to let him depart midseason. Also, at 21, he was a player who could have represented the future of the club.
With €1.4bn of debt, how Barca managed to come up with €55m to spend on one player is interesting. Evidently it came from a bank loan, which is a road they went down spectacularly badly when signing Antoine Griezmann for €120m from Atletico Madrid in 2019. Barca also can’t register Torres until they move some current players off the wage bill, so it seems a gamble.
Kieran Trippier from Atletico Madrid to Newcastle for €15M
Trippier has been a key part of the Atletico defence and helped them win the LaLiga title last season, but clearly the club weren’t going to stand in his way given his desire to return to England. Where Atletico lose marks is that they valued him at €40m (his release clause) and seem to have accepted a much smaller fee.
After their Saudi-backed takeover, Newcastle have money to spend and they have done well to land a proven performer on the cheap. Trippier is 31, an England international and knows manager Eddie Howe well, so he should settle well. They have definitely strengthened both defence and (due to his set-piece delivery and crossing) their attack as well.
Robin Gosens from Atalanta to Intern Milan on Loan
Gosens has become one of the best wing-backs in Serie A, scoring 20 goals and providing 14 assists over the last two seasons, so Atalanta are not only losing him but have also let him join their league rivals. The 27-year-old has been injured this season, but he’s still a class act.
Inter know exactly what they are getting with the Germany international and a €25m obligation to sign him permanently after the loan expires feels like an excellent deal. His arrival should strengthen Inter in attack and defence.
Adama Traore from Wolves to Barcelona on Loan
Wolves haven’t seen the best of the winger recently, and, with 18 months left on his contract, the club did not take much persuading to let him go. However, they aren’t guaranteed any money beyond his salary being paid for the rest of the season. If Barcelona don’t take up their €35m option to sign him permanently, Wolves will be left in the lurch, so it doesn’t feel like the best deal for them.
Xavi asked for more January reinforcements in attack following an injury to Ansu Fati, and Barcelona did a decent deal that won’t cost them much. The fact that Traore came through La Masia made the difference and his style should suit LaLiga, while they should be able to register his salary without needing anything to happen with Ousmane Dembele first.
Aaron Ramsey from Juventus to Rangers on Loan
Rangers complete loan move for Juventus’ ex-Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey for the rest of the season as a number of Premier League clubs were considering a move for Ramsey in this window.
Ramsey’s move is viewed as a major coup for the Scottish Premiership leaders, with Juventus cooperating on wages to ensure he fits into the Ibrox side’s wage structure. The Wales international who has scored 20 times in 71 games for his country. Ramsey – who made 83 appearances for Juventus, was widely applauded for taking the leap to go and play overseas, and it’s a decision that has almost certainly been vindicated.
Despite not quite hitting the levels he did in his final season at Arsenal, Ramsey’s first two campaigns at Juventus under Maurizio Sarri and then Andrea Pirlo were a success and saw the Welshman win Serie A, Coppa Italia and Italian Super Cup titles. Issues have cropped up this season under Massimiliano Allegri, however, mainly in the form of injuries, which have limited him to just three Serie A appearances this season.
In fact, Ramsey has missed 17 games this season, as many as he did in his first two seasons combined at Juventus. Ramsey will undoubtedly look back at his time at Juventus, the success he’s enjoyed, and the opportunity to experience a new footballing culture, fondly, but for a player aged 31, and with a decent chunk of his career remaining, he cannot be appearing as infrequently as he has.
In terms of his name and reputation alone, three-time FA Cup winner Ramsey would definitely sprinkle some stardust on Giovani van Bronckhorst’s squad, who head into 2022 in position to retain the Scottish Premiership title.
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