5 emotional goodbyes of the winter transfer window

#1 Javier Mascherano (Barcelona to Hebei China Fortune)

Mascherano's chances have been severely limited this season

Easily the most high profile departure of the transfer window, if it hadn't been for all the big money deals going down elsewhere.

Still, Barca gave him a fitting tribute as he left for China to see out the final years of his career.

With Samuel Umtiti beginning to establish himself in the first team, Gerard Pique being as good as he's ever been, and the signing of 23-year-old Yerry Mina, it was only going to get more difficult for him to get back into the team.

He might not be a local lad like Iniesta or a La Masia product like Messi, but ever since he joined the Blaugrana, he's been as committed to them as anyone else.

He filled the void left by Puyol's retirement in the center of Barca's defense, bringing a ruggedness and solidity that served them well for seven and a half seasons.

His experience as a midfield enforcer at Liverpool helped him bring a versatility to the squad that Barca found to be invaluable over the years.

At the age of 33, he probably has only a couple of playing years left. His departure over the last couple of months had become inevitable, and it couldn't have been an easy decision to make, but Mascherano will move to China knowing how much his contributions meant to the club and fans.