League 1, Premier League, La Liga… What to remember from the winter transfer window
EEnzo Fernandes, the Argentine world champion, was added to Chelsea’s team for 121 million euros on February 1, adding another madness to the astronomical winter transfer window. A far more impressive performance than their European rivals, who have been cautious in the transfer market.
France
Zero points for PSG. After numerous arrivals in the summer transfer window, Paris Saint-Germain ended the winter window without signings… to blame for a late-starting market as well as Chelsea’s transfer delays, according to two sources familiar with the matter. From the administrative documents necessary for the approval of the Moroccan Judge Ziyech’s loan. Paris plans to apply to the French League. Keylor Navas, number 2 in the departure column, has joined Nottingham Forest.
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OL and OM. In Ligue 1, Lyon and Marseille have been more active than Paris, notably attracting two World Cup semi-finalists, Croatia’s Dejan Lovren (OL) and Morocco’s Azzedine Ounahi (OM). OM also bought promising centre-forward Vitinia (Braga) for €25 million (plus seven bonuses).
Good operation in Rennes. Kamaldin Sulemana, 20-year-old player of the Ghana national team, was transferred from Rennes to the English club Southampton. For a transfer worth €15m (excluding bonuses) in the summer of 2021, the winger from Brittany is set aside for around €25m, according to multiple media reports, making him the 5th biggest sale in France. Behind Ousmane Dembélé, Nayef Aguerd, Ismaila Sarr and Eduardo Camavinga. Born in Techiman in southern Ghana, he attended the Right To Dream Academy, a partner of Danish club Nordsjaelland, where he made his professional debut at the age of 19 before joining Rennes.
Direct the flat country. Algerian international striker Islam Slimani has left Brest to join Anderlecht (Belgium 1st Division) until the end of the season. Already struggling in Europe, the 34-year-old Slimani has only been at Brest since the summer but failed to make a name for himself in October, scoring just one league goal. The international, who scored 41 goals in 89 appearances for Algeria, was welcomed by team-mate Youcef Belaïli upon his arrival but left last autumn.
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Prank. Bordeaux missed out on an expected reinforcement in the attacking sector after its sporting director Admar Lopes had his documents stolen before boarding the plane to complete the transfer, a source close to the club has learned. However, at the end of the transfer window, an agreement was reached with the unnamed young striker’s overseas club on the condition that the transfer be concluded personally. But Bordeaux sporting director Admar López had his bag containing his personal documents and computer stolen when he boarded a plane to join his club’s country. Because he did not have identity documents, the Portuguese could not board the plane and the transfer failed.
post for post. Toulouse Issiaga Sylla’s Guinean international defender, who is on a free next June, has been signed by Montpellier to offset the departure of Nicolas Cozza to Wolfsburg, Herault announced on Tuesday, hours before the transfer window closed. Sylla, 29, has been playing for TFC since 2012 when he arrived from Horoya AC, a club in Guinea’s capital Conakry. Gazelec made 211 appearances in all competitions for the Toulouse club, despite two loan spells to Ajaccio (2015-16) and then Lens (2020-21).
England
Earning more than 300 million euros in one month, Chelsea has become a separate financial dimension on the football planet. Ukrainian Mykhailo Mudryk (Shakhtar Donetsk) “stolen” under the nose and beard of “Arsenal” for 100 million euros, and the blues already surprised by lining up without complaining about very high sums.
On Tuesday, Todd Boehly’s club did not count on an unexpected evening when they won the services of another hope of world football: the Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernandez, who was plucked from Benfica. The sum of 121 million is a record figure in England and the duration of the contractual difficulties: according to several media it lasts until … 2031. The 22-year-old Argentinian will turn 30 after the end of his loan in London! That’s why Chelsea spent big, also on Benoit Badiashile, Joao Felix (loan), Noni Madueke and Malo Gusto (on loan to Lyon until June).
Premier League leaders Arsenal have added Polish defender Jakub Kiwior, Belgian winger Leandro Trossard and Italian European champion Jorginho, who was snapped up from Chelsea on Tuesday. Elsewhere in England, Manchester City moved on, Liverpool signed Dutch striker Cody Gakpo for €60m (bonus included), Newcastle lost €45m on Everton’s Anthony Gordon promise and Manchester United tried out midfielder Marcel Sabitzer and Dutch forward Wout Welg. hired for the big gap: the gap left by Cristiano Ronaldo. The Portuguese superstar (37), who was released by the “Red Devils” after the last blood draw, was finally recruited by Saudi Arabia’s Al-Nassr club at a high price on December 30.
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Spain
In Spain, paradoxically, the two behemoths Real Madrid and FC Barcelona have remained rather restrained. The biggest blow is the case of Atletico Madrid: the Colchoneros signed Dutch striker Memphis Depay, who is out of contract with Barca at the end of June, for just 3 million euros.
Italy
The Italian market is closed and Inter Milan still have Milan Skriniar in their ranks. Inter Milan’s stalwart Slovakian defender, who was out of contract in June and announced at Paris Saint-Germain, was expected to be in France over the winter, but the Nerazzurri kept him on hold due to lack of a replacement in time.
Germany
Weakened by injuries, Bayern had to be active in the transfer market to compensate for the absence of captain and goalkeeper Manuel Neuer and defender Lucas Hernandez, at least until the end of the season. In the goal, “Bayern” added the goalkeeper of “Borussia Mönchengladbach” Yann Sommer for 8 million euros, in addition to one and a half million euros.
In defense, Dutchman Daley Blind (32), free, signed until the end of the season, and the Bavarians also loaned Manchester City’s Portuguese side on Tuesday with an option to buy Joao Cancelo, in terms of shock. Paris SG in the playoffs of the Champions League (February 14 and March 8).
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