Winter transfer window 2014: An Analysis – Part 1

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.