Photo by Albert Gea / REUTERS
It felt like a fairly quiet January transfer window, all told. I don’t know if teams were being careful about Financial Fair Play, or if clubs just weren’t as willing to play ball and negotiate, but nonetheless, we didn’t see as many big-money gambles as we typically get.
Nonetheless, there was some intriguing business done in the window. Let’s take a look at some of the moves I liked the most.
Honorable Mention: Jadon Sancho joins Borussia Dortmund on loan from Manchester United
I dove into the issues at Manchester United at length last month, but Sancho’s return to Dortmund is a major sign of serious issues with the Red Devils.
I like the move for Sancho, because he’ll have a chance to resurrect his career and perhaps earn a permanent move out of the United purgatory in the summer. Sancho was bad enough for United that the move doesn’t crack my top 10, but I’m still keeping an eye on this one.
Honorable Mention: Hugo Ekitike to Eintracht Frankfurt on loan with a €30 Million option to buy from PSG
I left this one out mainly because that buy option seems pretty steep for Ekitike. He was one of Europe’s hottest prospects when he moved to PSG initially in 2022, but he struggled for playing time and had some well-publicized mental health struggles in the French capital.
The move to Germany represents a key opportunity for Ekitike to start fresh and get some games. If he recovers some of the form he had for Reims, 30 million will be well worth it, but Eintracht Frankfurt will need to be careful not to overspend if he continues to struggle.
10) Radu Dragusin moves to Tottenham from Genoa for €25 Million
It’s been a rapid rise for Dragusin, who only just joined Genoa in the summer. Half-a-season in Serie A was enough to convince Spurs to splash the cash and spend nearly double what Genoa did to acquire him.
Dragusin is only 22 and already shows signs of being a top-class center back, but the big question will be whether or not he can adjust to the heightened physicality of the English game. There’s some flop potential here, in my opinion, but he’s got what it takes to prove he’s worth at least what Tottenham paid.
9) Gift Orban joins Lyon from Gent for €12 Million
12 goals in 32 appearances may not be the most prolific scoreline, but I’m a big believer of Orban’s physical traits, and I think he fits in really well in Lyon’s team.
It’s been really interesting to watch how good he’s been in the Europa Conference League against opponents closer to the quality of what he’ll face in Ligue 1. I think there’s a lot of potential there, and I’m curious to see if Orban can up his game with his new club.
8) Sacha Boey leaves Galatasaray for Bayern Munich for €30 Million
I’m a big fan of Boey, who was one of Galtasaray’s most consistent performers. The Bundesliga is quite the step up from Turkey, so it will be interesting to see how he adjusts.
The price tag concerns me a bit because it comes with weighty expectations. It could be an overpay, but given the sell-on clauses and competition for Boey’s signature, the overall deal makes sense. I’m excited to see if Sacha can force his way into the regular team.
7) Marcos Leonardo comes to Europe, leaving Santos for Benfica in a €18 Million deal
Anytime a South American player leaves home for Benfica, I take notice. I don’t know a ton about Marcos Leonardo, but I’m still throwing this move into my top 10 because of Benfica’s history with these sorts of signings.
If he turns out to be anywhere near as good as some of the other players Benfica has signed from South America, 18 million will turn out to be an incredible bargain.
6) Gio Reyna to Nottingham Forest on loan from Borussia Dortmund
My American bias might be showing here, but I’m really excited to see Gio in the Premier League.
Reyna’s career has sort of derailed since the debacle at the World Cup with Gregg Berhalter, but this move represents a chance for him to get back on track. He has a great chance to come into Forest become a regular starter, which is great news for him and the USMNT.
I fear that, if he struggles, Reyna’s career will completely collapse on itself, but hopefully, Gio can prove himself in a big way in the world’s biggest league.
5) Enes Unal from Getafe to Bournemouth on loan with a €16.5 Million option to buy
It’s a great deal for Bournemouth and a great bargain if they do keep him past this season.
I believe the buy option becomes mandatory if Bournemouth stays up, and if they do stay up, Unal figures to be a key contributor to that effort. It’s a low risk, high reward move. I love the structure and the player, so this just makes too much sense.
4) Tiago Djalo heads to Juventus from Lille for €5.1 Million
In my opinion, the best bargain of January. I’m unsure of why Lille was willing to let Djalo leave for only 5 million, because he is one of Europe’s brightest defending prospects.
Djalo has pace and strength to deal with what’s thrown at him; the main thing he needs is playing time to learn and gain experience. I do worry whether Juve is the best place for him to get that playing time, but it’s a great move for him regardless, and at that price point, it’s a no-brainer.
3) Arthur Vermeeren joins Atletico Madrid in €18 Million deal from Royal Antwerp
This move caught my eye because of that 18 million price tag. Vermeeren figured likely to leave Antwerp, but I assumed it would be for a fee closer to the 30-40 million range.
€18 million? That’s a steal. Vermeeren is capable of coming into Atletico and becoming a key contributor right away, and he’s only 19. There’s loads of potential for growth here, and he’s already a solid player. An incredible deal for Atletico in the end.
2) Vitor Roque leaves Brazil to join Barcelona for €40 Million
Barcelona always had ammo for only one big move, and they pulled the trigger on the striker Roque from Atletico Paranense in Brazil.
“El Tigrinho” has already had an eventful start to his European career, scoring twice and receiving a red card within his first five appearances. You can already see glimpses of what made him such an expensive signing with his pace, physicality, and clinicality in front of goal. I’m keeping a close eye on Roque’s development as he grows his way into the Barca team.
1) Valentin Barco moves to Brighton from Boca Juniors for €9.15 Million
Brighton is another one of those clubs that makes people look closer when they sign a player. This time, the Seagulls have signed one of Argentina’s brightest young talents.
Barco has proven himself at the senior level much more consistently than other Argentinian youngsters that got recent European moves, and yet, he signed for substantially less. He’s incredibly capable of linking defense to attack and can play at either full back spot.
He’s such a promising talent, and I’m frankly shocked Boca Juniors let him go for such a low price. Once he gets to England after finishing up current CONMEBOL U-23 duties, he figures to already be in contention to get serious minutes. I’m a huge fan of Barco’s, and I expect him to kick right on in the Premier League.
My only concern is that he can leave himself open at times to counter attacks and can be a little over-zealous going forward. He’ll have to balance that out a little better, but I love the signing overall.
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