The Winter Transfer of 2023 has been the wildest in years, even decades. Typically, the mid-season market is catered to teams needing to fill in the gaps rather than upgrading. In other words, winter transfer is more of panic-buying. But this year, adding the influence of the recent World Cup being in the winter, has been an unprecedentedly busy market. The Winter Transfer has officially closed on the last day of January. Let’s look back at some of the actions on the Deadline day.
Joao Cancelo (Manchester City to Bayern Munich): loan
This is the biggest shocker of this year’s winter transfer. Joao Cancelo was an irreplaceable piece in Pep Guardiola‘s Manchester City squad in the first half of the season with his playmaking ability from an inverted fullback position. However, a drop in form during the World Cup saw Cancelo lose his starting position. Dissatisfied with the lack of playing time, he allegedly argued with the coach that had him sent to Bayern Munich on loan. He will take on duty in the right flank, where Mazroui has gone down with an injury. His world-class passing ability will help Bayern tremendously in the remainder of the season, especially with PSG coming up next. Bayern Munich can buy Cancelo for 70 million at the end of the season.
Marcel Sabitzer (Bayern Munich to Manchester United): loan
It seems like Bayern Munich loves working with the teams from Manchester this year. After snagging Joao Cancelo from Manchester City, they let Marcel Sabitzer go on loan to Manchester United until the end of the season. The Austrian has been underwhelming in his year and a half at the Allianz Arena. He has never been a first option in a stacked midfield. He seems to lose his confidence and shooting ability playing for a bigger club. A trip to England may be a blessing for him to regain his former self. Manchester United needs an immediate replacement for injured Christian Eriksen, and no one fits that mold better than Sabitzer. Great signing by The Reds.
Enzo Fernandez (Benfica to Chelsea): 120 million USD
Todd Boehly and company reactivated the Enzo Fernandez deal after it allegedly fell out earlier this month. And on the last day of the Winter Transfer, a record-breaking 120 million USD deal passed through, making the World Cup’s best young player the most expensive midfielder of all time. The Argentinian will bring his impressive talent to Stamford Bridge, hoping to enforce the middle of the park and improve Chelsea’s season. Is he overpriced? Time will tell. But for now, Enzo Fernandez will take on the number 5 shirt from the next player on this list.
Jorginho (Chelsea to Arsenal): 13.5 million USD
Another player from Chelsea’s Champions League winning campaign leaves Stamford Bridge. The decline in Jorginho’s form has been visible for the last two seasons after winning UEFA’s Midfielder of the Year in 2021. The Italian has dealt with multiple injuries, along with his age, making him see the field less and less. But when he is on the pitch, he is no longer the maestro like before, more prone to make costly mistakes. Now he moves across the city to join the other London side, jumping from tenth in the table to first. His role in Arsenal will be minimal as he will likely be Thomas Partey‘s backup. Not necessarily a great buy from Arsenal, but enough to increase the squad’s depth.
Weston McKennie (Juventus to Leeds United): loan for 1.3 million USD
Juventus’s financial saga has cost them not only a 15-point deduction but also the leaving and potential leaving of quality players. Weston McKennie is one of those players. The USMNT player will join fellow USMNTs in captain Tyler Adams and Brandon Aaronson and American head coach Jesse Marsch in Leeds United’s uniform. Safe to say this is Premier League’s America Team now. McKennie will be vital to help Leeds escape relegation this season. At the end of the campaign, Leeds United can activate the release clause of 36 million USD to make McKennie their man officially.
Other notable transfers and news
The other significant signings from the Winter Transfer include Keylor Navas, Jonjo Shelvey, Filipe to Nottingham Forest, Pedro Porro to Tottenham Hotspurs, and Kamaldeen Suleman to Southampton, among the rest.
Deals that collapsed include big names like Hakim Ziyech to PSG, Moises Caicedo to Arsenal, or Niccolo Zaniolo to Bournemouth.
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