Each football season comprises two transfer windows during which the clubs are permitted to sell players or bolster their squads by signing new players. The summer transfer window is considered to be the main transfer window in which the newly signed players have ample time to adjust to the playing style of their new clubs. At the same time, players signed in the mid-season transfer window need to hit the ground running as they do not have plenty of time to acclimatize to their new surroundings.
The 2023 January Transfer Window
The 2nd transfer window for the 2022 – 2023 football season came to a close on 31st January 2023. This mid-season transfer window is an ideal opportunity for clubs to reinforce their squads with new players. A couple of decent signings during this period could prove to be decisive in avoiding relegation or making a late surge for the title. Let’s go through some of the top signings from the recently concluded January transfer window.
Enzo Fernandez (Benfica to Chelsea – £106.8 million)
Enzo Fernandez was an essential part of the world cup winning Argentine side. His performances at the world cup drew attention from some of the highly-rated clubs across Europe. After much speculation about his future, he finally completed a move to Chelsea for a British record fee of £106.8 million. Graham Potter must be hoping that the young midfielder might be the solution to his side’s midfield woes.
Cristiano Ronaldo (Manchester United to Al-Nassr – Free)
Cristiano Ronaldo is considered to be one of the best footballers of all time. But at 38 years of age, he is nearing the end of his career. The 2nd stint of his Manchester United career ended prematurely after his interview fallout. This led Manchester United to terminate his contract. Eventually, he completed a blockbuster move to the Saudi Arabian side, Al Nasr, as a free agent.
Also Read: Is Cristiano Ronaldo finished?
João Cancelo (Manchester City to Bayern Munich – Loan)
João Cancelo is without a doubt one of the best fullbacks in the world right now. The Portuguese international can play on either flank with relative ease. He reportedly had a fallout with his manager, Pep Guardiola, which led to him moving away from the club. Manchester City fans must be devastated to see their star man leave in such circumstances.
Jorginho (Chelsea to Arsenal – £12 million)
The Italian switched west London for north London in a surprising deadline-day move. The 31-year-old has been an important part of the Chelsea squad and has played a vital role in winning various honors for the club. Mikel Arteta must be eager to utilize his experience as his young Arsenal side continues to edge closer to Premier League glory. But it would be interesting to see what kind of reception Jorginho gets from both sets of fans on the field.
Marcel Sabitzer (Bayern Munich to Manchester United – Loan)
The experienced midfielder moved to the Premier League on the deadline day. It’s a good move for the Austrian given the fact that he has really struggled to make his mark at Bayern Munich, since moving from RB Leipzig. Meanwhile, Manchester United fans must be delighted to have a player of his caliber on their side, especially after Eriksen suffered a knee injury that would keep him out for at least 3 months.
Cody Gakpo (PSV Eindhoven to Liverpool – £35 million)
The Dutch international had a brilliant world cup campaign. Before heading into the world cup, Gakpo had been awarded the Dutch footballer of the year award for his performances with PSV Eindhoven. And his fine display at the world cup earned him a move to Premier League giants, Liverpool. It was a welcome signing for Liverpool, as they were really struggling in the attacking department, with the departure of Sadio Mane and injuries to Luis Diaz, Roberto Firmino, and Diogo Jota.
Anthony Gordon (Everton to Newcastle United – £40 million)
The 21-year-old completed his move to high-flying Newcastle United from relegation-threatened Everton for a fee of £40 million. It’s a great move for the Englishman as he would get more opportunities to work and improve his game under the management of Eddie Howe. Meanwhile, Eddie Howe must be hoping that the highly-rated youngster would help his side secure a top 4 spot.
João Félix (Atlético Madrid to Chelsea – Loan)
The 23-year-old hasn’t had the best of times in Spain this season. Despite spending 3 full seasons at Atletico Madrid, the Portuguese star has found it hard to adapt to the playing style of Diego Simeone. Hence, in a bid to freshen things up, he was placed on the loan list. And since Chelsea were facing serious issues in their attacking lining-up,they were quick to react and sign him for a loan fee of €11 million.
Mykhailo Mudryk (Shakhtar Donetsk to Chelsea – £62.1 million)
Mykhailo Mudryk was signed by Chelsea for a fee of £62.1 million as they continued their spending spree this transfer window. The Ukrainian international was being targeted by Arsenal for the majority of the transfer window and it seemed that he would switch to the Emirates Stadium, but Chelsea outbid their north London rivals and secured his services. The attacking midfielder could play a crucial role in rescuing Chelsea’s season.
Leandro Trossard (Brighton to Arsenal – £21 million)
Leandro Trossard has been in fine form since the start of the season. Prior to the world cup the Belgian had scored 7 goals and 3 assists for Brighton. It was a sort of form that attracted interest from various clubs. Eventually, Arteta was able to secure his signing for £21 million. It would be interesting to see in which role Arteta deploys him given the abundance of attacking options that he has at his disposal. But nonetheless, it is a good opportunity for Trossard to showcase his skills at one of the top clubs in Europe.
The 2023 January transfer window has surely lived up to its expectation, given the number of marquee players that switched clubs during this period. Signing players during mid-season is always a gamble, so it would be interesting to see how many of the above-mentioned players manage to impress at their new clubs.
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