Winter transfer window 2014: An Analysis – Part 1

The winter transfer window officially closes in 4 days time on January 31st, and the time is right for some frenzy among the clubs across Europe. While some managers may voice their opinions on the fairness of a transfer window in the middle of the season, it has particularly been given more importance, at least after that deadline day circus involving Fernando Torres.

This time around, there is still scope for such a transfer to take place, but only this time it will be a club who claim ‘others buy trophies’. Yes, It is Manchester United. With a rumored 200 million pounds in the transfer kitty for David Moyes, Manchester United are gearing up for one of their biggest spending sprees ever. Juan Mata was their first signing, for 37.1 million pounds, and there is more cash to spend.

Since the last four days involve a lot of dealings, we have decided to analyze the moves in two steps. We take a look at all the transfers until today and analyze them from the perspectives of both the player and the club. The following are some of the important full transfers and loan deals in this window.

Transfer deals:

Jorginho to Napoli

You might not have heard the name Jorginho before, atleast not before this season. This transfer stands out as it is probably the biggest steal of this winter window. The way Hellas Verona shot their way up the Serie A table after their promotion from Serie B this season, can be hugely attributed to the performances of their midfielder, Jorginho.

They stand 6th in the Italian first division currently, and were set to topple the odds by qualifying for nest season’s Champions League. But Napoli came calling, and now Verona might be looking to finish in the top half by the end of season.

Jorginho

Napoli, who received some big money with the sale of Cavani, strengthened their side with the signings of Callejon and Higuain, but their midfield lacked depth and a certain subtlety in passing. Now, with their major creative force in Hamsik rumored to move to England, the need for a player who had the eye for that killer pass, or the one who can create and maintain momentum as Hamsik, has increased ten fold.

Jorginho offers just that, with his composed passing, be it long or short and quickness in play. His interception and tackling rates per game are right up there with the likes of De Rossi and with 7 goals and 3 assists in 18 appearances for Verona this season, Jorginho could prove to be a key transfer for Napoli in coming years. While the finances of the transfer are yet to go public, At a rumored fee of less than 8 million pounds, it is good business for both clubs.

Kevin de Bruyne to Wolfsburg

This will go down as one of those desperate transfers, where the player pushes the club to accept his departure. De Bruyne was set for many great things at Chelsea. He had that quality, that technical ability which could have made him a very versatile player in the English League. But, he chose to swing towards his personal ambitions, rather than the club.

The move to Wolfsburg comes after a barren 6 month spell with only 3 appearances in Blue. The Belgian who was on loan at Werder Bremen last season, will probably walk into the Wolfsburg lineup. That one year in Germany, where he shouldered the responsibility of the Bremen side and saved them from relegation, was enough to convince the likes of Dortmund. Jurgen Klopp will now be feeling, he should have bid for De Bruyne, after Jacub Blaszczykowski was ruled out for the rest of the season.

Kevin de Bruyne

Chelsea will be happy with the financial part of the relationship they had with Kevin de Bruyne. A 100% profit on an investment in 2 years time is certainly a good piece of business, but Chelsea will have lost a very good player. With Wolfsburg now threatening to break into the top 4 this season, teams in Germany will be wary of threat de Bruyne poses, especially the partnership with Diego in attack.

Aiden McGeady to Everton

The 27 year old Scot had a torrid time in Russia, after a decent first year with 56 appearances for Spartak Moscow. His latest transfer to Everton will be a relief for both the club and player, as Everton get a very experienced right winger and McGeady will be back in familiar surroundings.

With the kind of signings Everton is making, one cannot fail to notice the effort made by Martinez to gain that much coveted Champions League qualification, by the end of this season. But he faces very stiff competition from Manchester United, Spurs and Liverpool.

Aiden McGeady

Aiden McGeady will be that missing piece of the puzzle for Everton on the pitch. They usually have Kevin Mirallas running the show on the left flank, with the whole right flank left to fullback, Seamus Coleman.

Now that they have McGeady in the right wing position, Everton will be a much more balanced side going into attacks, and Romelu Lukaku will be relishing the opportunity of more crosses in his direction. At 1.8 million pounds, this transfer has almost no financial impact on Everton.

Nikica Jelavic and Shane Long to Hull City

Steve Bruce and Hull City are surely cooking up a spicy curry of Premier League survival to feed their fans. Currently sitting 11th in the league, The Tigers are just 5 points from the drop zone. The influx of two strikers at once has increased their attackers to 5.

Nikica Jelavic who was out of favor at Everton after the arrival of Lukaku, will be pleased at the prospect of regular football. Oh wait! Shane Long too is in the same team now, So it might not be that regular a football as Jelavic might have imagined, but it surely is a step up from Everton.

Nikica Jelavic and Shane Long

Shane Long on the other hand was having a usual season at West Brom. His decision to move to Hull City will come as a surprise to many. The present chaos at West Brom will have to be one of the reasons for the transfer.

Nevertheless, he is a great acquisition for Steve Bruce. With his constant energy and physical play, he will torment Hull’s opponents and bring that bite to the attack which was lacking till now.

Hull City have been decent with their midfield and defense, but didn’t have that firepower upfront to get those winning goals. Danny Graham was hugely disappointing, and Yannick Sagbo had only a few glimpses to show. This double swoop will address the shortcomings in this department for Hull City.

Mohamed Salah to Chelsea

The new No.15 of Chelsea was brought in as a replacement for the Manchester bound Juan Mata. It is a replacement, more in terms of roster, than on the pitch. Impressing potential suitors during his time at FC Basel, Salah was destined to move to England, when Liverpool were actively scouting him and were in driving seat to get his signature.

Unless, of course, Chelsea intervened and snapped him up for 11 million pounds. Chelsea do have a history of buying players who score regularly against them and Salah falls in the same bracket. His 3 goals in 4 matches against Chelsea in Europe for Basel, show that he can perform against big clubs.

Mohamed Salah

With the departures of Kevin de Bruyne and Juan Mata, the attacking mid department of Chelsea got thinned significantly. There was a need for some quick reinforcements to cope with the busy 2nd half of the season. Mohamed Salah seemingly fits the bill for Mourinho and the deal was concluded rapidly.

While he might be cup-tied to play in the Champions League, he will surely get starts in the Premier League as Mourinho will look to rest his star players in Hazard and Oscar. Since Salah is still only 21 years old, this move might will benefit the club in long term, and also helps to increase the chance of complying with FFP regulations.

Loan Deals

Alesandro Matri to Fiorentina

Alesandro Matri

This loan move is already making ripples in Milan, as Matri racked up more goals in one match for Fiorentina than he had for AC Milan in 6 months. The folks at Juventus must have had a good laugh after watching Alesandro Matri fail miserably at Milan till December.

At Fiorentina though, Matri has a much better midfield behind him to provide assists and an adventurous coach in Vicenzo Montella. This 6 month spell in Florence might be the period Matri has been waiting for the past 3 seasons, to reinvent himself in the centre forward role.

Anderson to Fiorentina

Anderson

Another loan move where Fiorentina have added to their already technical-heavy midfield consisting of Valero, Aquilani, Pizaro. That is a tough midfield for Anderson to get into, but he was once named the wonder kid from Brazil, so the roots might still be present.

Along with Matri, Anderson will make Fiorentina a more complete side, aiding their quest for Champions League football next season. While the Brazilian may not get regular starts, he will be happy to get atleast some football, as compared to his time at Manchester United.

Radja Nainggolan and Michel Bastos to Roma

Roma were one of the best sides in the whole of Europe at the start of this season when they went on a 10 match winning streak and then a 17 match unbeaten run, until Juventus knocked them down in Turin.

Roma still boasts the best defense in Italy, conceding just 11 goals in 21 games. Currently, they are in search of consistency with their results, and these new signings aim to provide just that.

Nainggolan was scouted by almost every Italian and French club, so his move away from Cagliari was inevitable. The current deal with Roma though, is just a loan spell, but Cagliari should be ready to sell the Belgian when offers pour in in the summer.

Radja Nainggolan

Michel Bastos’s career is a tough one to track. The Brazilian was once regarded as hot property for a wing back role, but now he is one of those players who goes on to play in the middle east when their market value takes a dive. Plying his trade in UAE currently, Michel was called upon by Roma for a 6 month loan spell with a fee of almost 900,000 pounds. With his age getting the better of him, the once exciting wingback will be looking to provide some valuable backup for Roma in their hunt for the Italian league title.

Roger Johnson to West Ham

Roger Johnson

The decision to bring Roger Johnson to his team will probably be the most dubious in the whole managing career of Sam Allardyce. Plying his trade at Wolverhamption Wanderers for the best part of the last decade, Roger Johnson had very few positive moments in English top flight.

Though he can be seen as a positive influence in leading the team with his leadership abilities, his footballing skills often let him down. Johnson’s error-prone defending in open play will take Big Sam’s side down rather than strengthening it. This loan move has disaster written all over it.

Jonas Gutierrez to Norwich

Jonas Gutierrez

Pushed out of the first team after a transfer frenzy which saw a barrage of French players come in, Jonas Gutierrez expressed his disbelief on how fast he became a nobody from somebody at Newcastle, in a matter of just 6 months. The Argentinian Winger/Midfielder even saw some pitch time with the National side, after impressive performances for the Toon.

But, Alan Pardew had other ideas, as he though Gutierrez was too one-dimensional and an upgrade was necessary. Gouffran and Sissokho are the first names on the Newcastle team sheet these days, and Gutierrez will be happy to move to Norwich in search of regular football.

On the other hand, the Canaries who have been struggling to find consistently like the rest of the bottom half clubs, will benefit with the experience of the Argentine international, in their bid to salvage another season in top flight.

Grant Holt to Aston Villa

Grant Holt

Grant Holt will soon replace Nicolas Anelka as the No.1 nomad in the football world, if he continues to change clubs at this rate. Demoted to third choice at Norwich after the arrival of Van Wolfswinkel and Gary Hooper, Holt knew he needed to move to get regular football.

Wigan came calling, and he didn’t look back. But his Latics career didn’t take off as he anticipated. Holt has 22 appearances to his name, of which 9 are substituted ones. His 2 goals and 2 assists in 22 matches speak to themselves and contribute to his poor showing in front of goal.

A loan spell in the top flight again will be a welcome development for the clinical striker, but how often he keeps the likes of Benteke and Weimann out of the Villa lineup is there to see.