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The January transfer window has finally come to a close. It has been a very busy winter transfer window this time around and clubs have been really busy strengthening themselves for the second half of the season.
There were a large number of late deals which materialised in the last 48 hours of the transfer window. Most clubs were involved in the frenzy, starting from the heavyweights like Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich to the minnows like Sheffield United and Hertha Berlin which shows that the ambition of clubs in Europe is increasing day by day. It was exciting to see several players move across clubs to complete deals.
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In this article, let's take a look at the top five transfers, one per each top five leagues done in this transfer window.
#5 Ligue 1 (Lyon) - Bruno Guimaraes
Bruno Guimaraes is one of the most highly-rated midfielders in his age group. The 22-year-old was linked to multiple clubs across Europe, namely, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid and Olympique Lyon. Ultimately, the French club, known for their excellent work with young players in recent years, managed to convince him of their project and he decided to continue his development with them.
He signed a four-and-half-year deal with Lyon worth €20 million from Brazilian outfit Club Athletico Paranaense. Lyon utilised funds from the sale of Lucas Tousart to Hertha Berlin to secure the signature of Guimaraes.
He can play both as a central and a defensive midfielder and has got great tenacity which makes him be a dominant force in midfield. The Brazil Under-23 international is not afraid to make tackles and is very calm and composed on the ball. He's got a good passing vision and can be the perfect replacement for Tousart in the long run.
#4 La Liga (Sevilla) - Suso
Suso moved to Liverpool from Cadiz at a very young age in 2010. He could not make his mark at Anfield and joined AC Milan in the January 2015.
He struggled to make his mark initially at Milan and went on a six-month loan deal to Genoa a year later. He started gaining form in 2016 and went on to become a key player for AC Milan in the following seasons.
He has been struggling this season and has scored just once and assisted a couple more in 17 appearances. Sevilla needed a winger to give Julen Lopetegui added depth for the second half of the season. Suso joined Sevilla on an 18-month loan deal with an obligation to buy in the summer of 2021.
This marks the end of his time at AC Milan, where he made 153 appearances, scoring 24 times and assisting 31 times. A return to his home country might just help him regain form and be a brilliant signing for Sevilla in the seasons to come.
Barcelona and Atletico Madrid's capture of Francisco Trincao and Yannick Carrasco respectively deserves a mention too.
#3 Serie A (Inter Milan) - Christian Eriksen
The arrival of Christian Eriksen in Italy had been much awaited as Tottenham and Inter Milan could not agree on a fee for the transfer to go through as the player had already agreed to personal terms with the Serie A club.
Eriksen had been linked to a host of clubs like Manchester United, Paris Saint-Germain and Real Madrid since last summer as he was entering the final year of his contract at Tottenham. It was initially rumoured that Eriksen would join Inter on a free transfer next summer but the Denmark international wanted to leave in January itself and henceforth negotiations took quite of time.
He finally joined Inter Milan on a four-and-a-half year deal till 2024 for a fee of €20 million. The 27-year-old is entering his peak years and might turn out to be a bargain signing for Antonio Conte in the long run.
He's a very versatile player and his creativity can be of great help to Conte to flex his tactics further and challenge for titles in Italy and Europe once again.
#2 Premier League (Manchester United) - Bruno Fernandes
Portuguese international Bruno Fernandes has been on the radar of Premier League clubs for quite some now due to his excellent performances for Sporting Lisbon. The talented attacking midfielder is known for his goalscoring abilities as he finds the back of the net more often than one can expect.
He has been in sizzling form since the 2018-19 season and attracted a lot of interest from clubs across the continent. The former Sporting captain was linked to a move to England in the summer itself but clubs were unwilling to pay the asking price and hence, a move did not materialise. He was linked to multiple clubs in England once again this winter, namely Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.
However, he got his move away from Sporting to Manchester United after the two clubs agreed on a transfer fee this week and Fernandes signed a long-term deal at Old Trafford till 2025 with the club having the option to extend it for a further year.
It will be exciting to see the talented midfielder showcasing his qualities in Manchester United colours in the years to come.
#1 Bundesliga (Borussia Dortmund) - Erling Haaland
This is the best piece of business done by a club in the winter transfer window. Erling Braut Haaland is the most bright attacking prospect in this planet after Kylian Mbappe and Jadon Sancho.
The Norwegian starlet has been on the limelight for quite some time now due to his unreal exploits for Red Bull Salzburg. He was linked to many clubs across Europe throughout the course of the first half of the season. The tall 19-year-old has got a great physique which helps him bully past defenders. He has got pace, superb technical ability and his left foot is a treat to watch. Giving Haaland space to operate is probably the worst mistake an opposition defence can do these days.
He moved to Borussia Dortmund this winter and has already started making headlines as he started his career for the German giants with a hat-trick on his debut and a brace in the match that followed.
He came on as a substitute in both the games but still managed to score five goals in 59 minutes on the pitch which are startling numbers for a striker. He's got a long way to go and has it all in him to become one of the best players of his generation.
