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The dust has settled and the winter transfer window has finally concluded. The stakes were high as clubs all around Europe pushed right until deadline day to sign their target players. Fans can't wait to see the new signings get underway in their new outfits and will hope they carry out the same form that obliged the transfer.
Newcastle United (€87m), Juventus (€82m) and Barcelona (€55m) emerged as the three highest spenders in January across Europe. Many high profile names exited their clubs on loan deals or got their contracts terminated by mutual consent. In short, there was no shortage of drama.
But why stop at that! In the aftermath of the transfer window, the deals which involve the most money often go on to become the echo of the town. Naturally, a lot is expected of them. Since they cost a fortune, they are burdened by the responsibility to turn the fortunes of the clubs as well.
So let's stir the transfer pot and get the most expensive players in every position and put them all on a fantasy team. With a net worth of €361.20 million, here is the most expensive January transfer XI in a 4-4-2 formation.
GK: Maduka Okoye - €5 million
As far as the goalkeepers were concerned, the January market was more or less relaxed as no big name was on the move. From the ones that did, Maduka Okoye has emerged as the most expensive of the lot. The Sparta Rotterdam keeper was signed by Watford as soon as the transfer window opened on 1st January.
The Nigerian joined the Dutch outfit back in 2020 who are set to make a profit on him, given he arrived as a free agent. The player will spend the rest of the campaign on loan at Sparta Rotterdam. Okoye was the club's Player of the Season in the last campaign.
He helped them finish eighth as he kept 10 clean sheets in Eredivisie's 2020-21 season. The Sparta keeper also made it into the Dutch top-flight's Team of the Year.
RB: Kieran Trippier - €15 million
Reports linking Kieran Trippier to a Premier League return had escalated in the previous year. Manchester United emerged as the favorites to bring him back to England, but the deal was not pursued with much conviction by the Red Devils. So Newcastle United came to the fore, not just with conviction, but with money as well.
The Magpies, now backed by their Saudi Arabian owners, made Trippier the first signing of their new era. The Atletico Madrid right-back, with his ability to hurl pinpoint crosses, will suit their system of attack. He is also a great asset to them with his set-piece deliveries and has been handling those duties for the Three Lions as well.
The England international has so far played three games for Newcastle, including a disappointing defeat at the hands of Cambridge United on his debut.
CB: Dan Burn - €15 million
Defense had become a serious concern for Newcastle United, who were unable to rely on their current pair of centre-backs. They have conceded the second highest number of goals this season (43) in the Premier League behind Norwich City (45).
Lille defender Sven Botman and Sevilla's Diego Carlos were both being targeted by the Premier League side but were unable to complete those deals.
On deadline day, they raided fellow league club Brighton & Hove Albion and signed their in-form defender Dan Burn. Like the aforementioned names, the 6ft 6in defender is a left-footed centre-back and manager Eddie Howe will now mostly pair him with Jamal Lascelles. Burn was part of Newcastle's academy before making his senior professional debut for Darlington.
The 29-year-old has been a reliable and solid figure for Brighton at the heart of their defense so far this season. He has made 47 clearances, 24 interceptions and 22 successful tackles in the Premier League this season. Howe will hope that Burn will help the Magpies fix their leaky defense.
CB: Vitaly Mykolenko - €23.50 million
Everton's former manager Rafael Benitez's fallout with left-back Lucas Digne resulted in the signing of Dynamo Kyiv fullback Vitaly Mykolenko. Now that Frank Lampard is Everton manager, it's quite reasonable to think that he would have preferred a left-back with Premier League experience.
The Ukrainian is known for his ball-playing abilities and, with his accurate passes, contributes to building the play from the back. He started as a centre-back but due to his great passing abilities and range moved wider into a fullback role. However, he has played for Dynamo Kiev as a centre-half and with his national side has played in a back-three. Lampard can exploit this versatility of his if need be.
Benitez brought in Mykolenko because unlike Digne, he was a more defensive-minded left-back who would provide more solidity to the backline. The defender leaves Dynamo Kiev after contributing seven goals and 20 assists in 132 matches. He also won six titles with them, including the Ukrainian league last season.
LB: Lucas Digne - €30 million
Steven Gerrard oversaw his first transfer window as Aston Villa manager and he has arguably done a very impressive job. Upon his arrival, it was assumed that his presence at the club could have a massive influence in luring big name players to Villa Park. The transfers of Philippe Coutinho and Lucas Digne in this window are proof of that.
The French left-back saw his stint at Everton end after three-and-a-half years due to a fallout with Rafa Benitez, who was sacked in mid-January. Gerrard pounced on the opportunity and held talks with the Everton defender, convincing him to join them.
Digne brings loads of experience with himself of playing at the top level. He is an attack-minded player who loves to bomb forward when given space. He also has a decent workrate to track back when the team is being counter-attacked. The likes of Ollie Watkins and Danny Ings can expect a lot of teasing crosses to come their way with the 29-year-old fullback in their team.
The Frenchman made two appearances for Aston Villa in January and was appreciated on both occasions for his tireless display. He made Everton regret his sale almost immediately. His delivery from the corner was headed by Emi Buendia and the Toffees lost 1-0 in the Premier League.
RM: Ferran Torres - €55 million
Barcelona were in need of a good transfer window and they seem to have had a pretty good one. Ferran Torres from Manchester City was their first signing and also their most expensive of the window.
Although he's just 21, the winger brings with himself a rich experience of playing in the Premier League and Champions League. Also, let's not forget he's been coached by one of the best in the business, Pep Guardiola.
Barcelona's attacking numbers have been underwhelming this season. Memphis Depay has tried his best to perform as a No. 9 but he hasn't flourished. On the other hand, Luuk de Jong doesn't seem like he can consistently score goals. Meanwhile Sergio Aguero had to retire from football due to a cardiac arrhythmia.
Torres will take some of the burden off fellow strikers in the team with his knack for scoring goals. The former Manchester City player is very versatile and could be utilized in any position in the front-three.
With his ability to link play with others and his directness in terms of goal-creating chances, Xavi has a real asset on his hands. The Spanish international has great pace and boasts impressive dribbling skills. Hence he will be equally effective while running behind the opposition backline and taking defenders one on one.
Torres scored his first goal for the Catalans against Athletic Club, a brilliant right-footed curler which reminded many fans of prime David Villa.
CM: Rodrigo Bentancur - €19 million
Tottenham Hotspur have had an eventful January window with Antonio Conte at the helm. The Italian made it very clear that he would need to bring in players that fit his style to maximize their chances of finishing in the top-four. A midfielder was at the top of his requirements. Having offloaded some from his current squad, he signed Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus.
The Uruguayan left Juventus after making 180 appearances for them. Over the course of four and a half years, he won seven trophies with them, including three Serie A titles. He will bring in a winning mentality in the side that the squad has been missing.
Bentancur is very good with the ball at his feet and values it. His decision making while distributing the ball is on-point and he is not someone who loses it cheaply. The midfielder's passing accuracy, coupled with his vision to create chances, will be of great use to Conte moving forward. He has signed a long-term contract which expires in 2026.
CM: Bruno Guimaraes - €42.10 million
This one must have really hurt the Arsenal faithful. The Gunners wanted to strengthen in midfield and one man they were heavily interested in was Olympique Lyon midfielder Bruno Guimaraes. To their despair, they would not have a chance to revisit the prospect of signing him in the summer. This is because Newcastle United swooped in and signed him for their club record fee.
The Brazilian has all the credentials to help the Magpies in their battle for survival in the Premier League. He is a combative box-to-box midfielder who has had a great season in Ligue 1 so far. Guimaraes has won the fourth-most number of duels in the French top-flight and is joint-first for successful tackles with his 44.
In addition to being great at his defensive duties, he also loves to venture forward. The 24-year-old can find defense splitting passes and tops the rankings for passes completed in the opposition half. He sits joint-top with Dimitri Payet for passes completed in the final-third in the French league this season.
Eddie Howe's side have lacked a cutting edge when trying to attack and have also lacked a solid figure who can shield their defense. Guimaraes is a well-balanced box-to-box midfielder who will help the Magpies in both those departments.
LM: Luis Diaz - €45 million
As if Liverpool's attacking front-three weren't generating enough envy in clubs around Europe, they have now added Luis Diaz among their ranks. The highly-rated FC Porto winger has regularly garnered praise in the last three years in Portugal for his consistent performances.
Jurgen Klopp's formidable trident of Mohamed Salah, Roberto Firmino and Sadio Mane will enter their 30s soon. The manager has been thinking about long-term options and the Colombian winger is definitely a great replacement for Mane. Dias is also known for his work-rate and willingness to help in defense, an admirable quality which could help him displace Mane in the near future.
The FC Porto attacker is having his most prolific season in Primeira Liga and has scored 14 times in 18 games. He has also provided five assists and is looking to end the season with a personal best milestone. The Colombian is known for his pace and directness in the attacking third and is at his dangerous best when cutting inside on his right-foot.
ST: Chris Wood - €30 million
Chris Wood, whose current market value is just €6 million was signed for five times the price as Newcastle United took Burnley's frontman away from them.
Not only have they strengthened themselves, but they have also weakened relegation rivals which could be crucial going forward into the season. Wood is a great target man who thrives on crosses coming from either flank. Eddie Howe would be happy to have Kieran Trippier and Matt Target (loan) as the fullbacks who can supply plenty of crosses to him.
The New Zealand international has reached double figures for goals scored in each of the last four Premier League campaigns. So far, he has only scored three for Burnley and the Magpies will hope he is saving the rest for their side. Wood loves to play on the shoulder of the last man and takes clever positions inside the box.
As far as our formation is concerned, let's not forget that he partners with Ashley Barnes in the front two setup at Burnely. So he's going to love partnering with this next guy.
ST: Dusan Vlahovic - €81.60 million
Undoubtedly, the most high profile transfer of this winter transfer window and of course, the most costly. Serie A's coveted hitman Dusan Vlahovic has left Fiorentina to join Juventus, who badly need a lethal goalscorer in the team right now.
Arsenal were ready to go all out for the Serbian but the player and his agent were giving them a hard time and looked disinterested in negotiations. He eventually snubbed the Gunners for the Old Lady and will wear the No. 7 jersey which was worn by Cristiano Ronaldo in his spell with the club.
He is an all-rounder as a centre-forward capable of dropping deep to join the play and progress the ball forward. With his impressive positional awareness, he pops out of empty spaces in the final third and can finish from almost anywhere in the box.
Vlahovic is great at using his frame to his advantage and not one to get outmuscled easily. It would be really interesting to see how Massimiliano Allegri builds the squad around him and constructs the system with him as the focal point.
