In one of the multiple interventions by Mino Raiola, player agent, about one of the many times that Paul Pogba was able to leave Manchester United, the intermediary ‘backed down’ and assured that “the big ones don’t move in January”. Although the agent wanted to defend the interests of the Frenchman in December two years ago, the reality is changing.
The winter market is an emergency market, but the big clubs have not hesitated in recent years to sign authentic stars in the coldest window of the transfer market. On January 31, 2011, Fernando Torres opened the path. The striker passed from Liverpool to Chelsea in exchange for 58.5 million euros. Although his stage in London did not go as well as expected, at the time it was the movement of an entire Bronze Ball between two English giants.
England continued to change the pattern with another Spaniard with the departure of Juan Mata to United from Chelsea for more than 40 million, but then came Chinese football. The League of the Asian giant was the one that moved the cracks paying transfers at the price of gold in the cold. In 2016, they led Alex Teixeira (€50M), Jackson Martínez (€42M), Ramires (€28M) and Gervinho (€18M). In 17, it was Oscar (60 M€) and in 2018, Bakambu.
That same winter, the panorama changed. The greats began to move stars in January in LaLiga and the Premier League. Barcelona went for Coutinho paying 135 million for the Brazilian to Liverpool. These moved earlier to close Virgil Van Dijk from Southampton in a historic signing in this window following the performance offered. Alexis, then a star of Arsenal, changed London for Old Trafford with Aubameyang covering his discharge as a ‘gunner’. Guardiola’s City paid Laporte’s clause in San Mamés and they attracted Iñigo Martínez from Real in a controversial move. In addition, Diego Costa returned to Atlético. Movements and more movements of outstanding players that have continued since that moment.
In 2019, Pulisic moved 64 million euros and Atlético once again reinforced their attack, this time with Álvaro Morata. China continued to move money with the departures of Paulinho and Hamsik and PSG repeated the figure with Paredes (40 M€) for which it has already invested in Moura. The protagonist of the market that winter was Milan, closing the multi-million dollar signings of Paquetá (38.4 M€) and Piatek (35 M€).
When it was a matter of days before the Covid pandemic changed the world, 2020 left us with an exciting winter in terms of signings and the one that undoubtedly changed the paradigm of this market. Three great stars of the soccer planet would move that winter: Bruno Fernandes, Haaland and Eriksen. The Portuguese was the most notable case. The signing could be closed in the summer, but given United’s results, they went after Maia, who did not disappoint. Of immediate impact, Bruno went from a star in Portugal to a world superstar in a matter of weeks due to his departure to United and the change he made to United since his arrival. Now, they are already working on the first renovation of it.
Haaland was another movement with which rivers of ink ran. The Norwegian, his father Alfie and Mino Raiola were looking for an intermediate jump after Erling ‘burst’ the Champions League with goals with Red Bull Salzburg. With all the greats of Europe knocking on his door, the striker decided on Dortmund, where he has turned everything that was expected of him into a palpable reality such as his 80 goals and 21 assists in 79 games. It arrived for 20 million (plus salaries and commissions) and with a market value of 45. This has already skyrocketed to €150 million and Real Madrid, Barcelona or City, among others, study every move to get hold of the ‘Cyborg’.
Eriksen was the other big move in that market. Inter prepared the Scala in Milan for a true superstar presentation. Although he got his signing at a good price (27 M €) given that he wanted to leave Tottenham yes or yes, it never fit. After his heart failure in the European Championship, Eriksen is close to moving again in winter in search of a new opportunity that will celebrate the planet football. That market was also moved by notable players such as Zapata (Atalanta), Alcácer (Villarreal), Dani Olmo (Leizpig), Emre Can (Dortmund) or Yannick Carrasco, who returned to Atlético and was key to achieving the last League title.
The winter of 2021, more affected by the economic crisis derived from the pandemic, left some more classic betting movements that were much more limited, being the signings of Odegaard (on loan to Arsenal at that time) and Haller (Ajax, €22.5M, below market value) as the most notable.
In a football that returns to normal, this market is once again approaching a dynamic similar to that of recent years. Barcelona has adjusted numbers to incorporate Ferran Torres for 55 million euros, a figure that is not insignificant and that takes the spending pole in this period. A pending record for Vlahovic. The Serbian striker from Fiorentina is close to joining Juventus for a figure between 60 and 70 million euros and could be at the head of spending in this market. One in which the new Newcastle (Wood and Trippier highs) hoped to deliver a big blow that still eludes them. With six days to go before closing, the latest assault has arrived on a market that used to be an emergency market and now moves stars. A market for patches, which are now gold.