The January transfer window has seen its fair share of hits and misses ever since it was introduced to English football back in 2003.
Nemanja Vidic and Patrice Evra went to Old Trafford from Spartak Moscow and AS Monaco respectively in 2006 and the dynamic duo won 14 titles together before departing for the Serie A in 2014. Luis Suarez joined Liverpool in 2011 and was an instant hit, as he scored 82 goals in just three years for the Kops, before leaving to Catalan giants, Barcelona.
On the other hand, the world witnessed Fernando Torres join Chelsea from Liverpool for a British record fee of £50 million. His time at Stamford Bridge was regarded as a spectacular failure as he only notched 20 goals in 110 league appearances. Liverpool used £35 million of proceeds from selling Fernando Torres when they agreed to sign Andy Carroll, who became the most expensive British player in 2011. He managed only 11 goals in 58 appearances for Liverpool and was immediately shipped out (initially on loan) to West Ham a year later.
The 2016 January transfer window came to an end at 11pm GMT today, and a few big names have caught they eye of several clubs. Here are some of the notable signings made throughout the first month of 2016:
1) Alexandre Pato to Chelsea
“I am so happy to sign for Chelsea and cannot wait to play,” Pato said when the English champions announced his loan signing until the end of the season.
Pato is known to be a creative forward with quick and agile feet. He can shoot with both feet and is effective in the air, despite his height. The Brazilian’s career was hampered by injuries but if he can rediscover his form he had at AC Milan, he is bound to be feared by many defenders.
2) Mario Suarez to Watford
When Quique Sanchez Flores signed Mario Suarez on four-and-a-half-year deal from Fiorentina, it reminded the world (Cabaye to Crystal Palace, Inler to Leicester, Shaqiri to Stoke) how powerful English football can be.
Mario Suarez is physically capable of handling the toughest players in the Premier League. As a defensive midfielder, he will be tasked alongside Etienne Capoue to break the passage of play of their opponents. He has played almost 200 matches for Atletico Madrid and has won the La Liga, Europa League, UEFA Super Cup and was an unused substitute in the 4-1 loss at the hands of Real Madrid in the UEFA Champions League final a few years ago.
3) Jonjo Shelvey, Andros Townsend and Seydou Doumbia to Newcastle United
The Magpies were the biggest winners during this transfer window as they signed three key players in three different positions. They currently sit 18th in the league and now are looking to get out of the relegation zone with the help of their new players.
Jonjo Shelvey, 23 has six international caps to date and is regarded one of England’s brightest talents. He is known for his long-range of passing and has an average pass accuracy of 84% in the league. He made his Newcastle debut in a 2-1 win over West Ham, earning the man of the match award as he was involved in both goals.
Andros Townsend will be a great addition to the team if he manages to stay fit. He has a old-fashion style of play, and can play on the right or left of the wing. He is very direct as he loves taking defenders on.
The most important signing for Newcastle was on deadline day when they completed the loan signing of Ivory Coast international striker Seydou Doumbia from AS Roma. He is a great threat to defenders due to his pace and acceleration. He has scored almost a 100 goals for CSKA Moscow, winning six titles in the process and was awarded the top scorer award twice. He can lift the burden off teammate Georginino Wijnaldum, who is currently their top scorer with 9 goals.
4) Surprise signings: Ramires and Gervinho to China
Has football really come down to how much a team can offer a player? Ask Ramires and Gervinho. Ramires, only 28 years old, was an integral part in winning the Champions League and Europa League with Chelsea, played over 250 appearances for the Blues, decided to end his ‘long and illustrious’ career by playing Chinese football. Gervinho, 28 as well, called quits to his Roma stint as Hebei China Forture offered him a big sum of money to join the runners of League 1 football of China last season. The Ivorian international has scored 95 goals in his career, and will joined by former Marseille and Sevilla midfielder, Stéphane Mbia, who has won the Europa League twice in his career.
5) Pep Guardiola to Manchester City – summer 2016
On transfer deadline day, Manuel Pellegrini announced that he will step down as Manchester City boss at the end of season, only to be replaced by Pep Guardiola. The current City boss was fully supportive of the decision, as he wants to end his Manchester City career with a few trophies.
“I want to experience England’s stadiums and emotions. I think at my age, it is the right moment to go,” Guardiola said.
He will bring a whole new system to the Manchester club, with pace and spacial domination to be his mantras. He wants to develop Manchester City into a club that produces non-stop fluid movement. However, his new team must learn how to increase the pressure and win the ball from the opponents in less than 60 seconds.
There might be a few familiar faces that will follow Pep to the Etihad Stadium, some that will keep their place in the City team and a couple that might not be favored by the Spaniard. This includes Yaya Toure, who was usurped by Sergio Busquets during his time in Barcelona because he did not offer much defensive capabilities.
Pep Guardiola has won 14 titles with Barcelona and 5 titles with Bayern Munich to date.
Other posts by Prashant Kharbanda
