The January transfer window for 2022 slammed shut last night and as usual deadline day had frenetic activity. Struggling Spanish side Barcelona was in the thick of it all as it managed to snap up Arsenal wantaway Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang but could not offload Ousmane Dembele.
Both players have been at odds with their clubs and while Arsenal were able to get the Gabon striker off their books. The 32-year-old has been at odds with the Arsenal management because of disciplinary issues and was stripped of the captaincy.
He takes a heavy pay cut to join Barcelona, who are struggling financially and on the pitch. Moreover, they lost Sergio Aguero in November as the striker was forced to retire due to a heart condition. Aubameyang effectively replaces the Argentine.
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Barcelona could not find a suitor for Dembele though, who the club wants to send on loan. The player who joined in 2017 for a deal worth 147 million euros has been a failure at the club, struggling with injuries and poor form. He could leave the club as a free agent at the end of the ongoing season.
Among the other major signings on deadline day was that of Dele Alli joining Everton from Tottenham after a storied stint at the club. He joins the new manager Frank Lampard as Everton hope to resurrect the club from its current slump that has it in 16th place in the Premier League.
Lampard also secured the services of Donny van de Beek on a loan from Manchester United. The Dutch midfielder has found it hard to get minutes at Manchester even under new manager Ralf Rangnick.
The award for the most expensive signing of January goes to Juventus for securing the services of Fiorentina striker Dusan Vlahovic for a princely sum of $84.5 million. The 21-year-old is hot property in Italy, having scored 41 goals in 63 games for his former side.
The biggest purchase of the winter for English clubs was that of Luis Diaz by Liverpool. The Colombian winger lit up the 2020 Copa America with his skills and goals and so the Reds have signed him to bolster the attack that is heavily reliant on Sadio Mane and Mohammed Salah. Diaz was bought for $45 million from Porto.
One interesting signing this window is that of young Argentine forward Julian Alvarez by Manchester City from River Plate. The 22-year-old is one of the most promising players in South America, and the English side have snapped him up for just $20 million as a long-term replacement for Aguero, who left last summer.
Barcelona had made several other major purchases too in an attempt to bolster the squad for head coach Xavi. The former player’s first transfer window at the club also included the signings of Adama Traore (from Wolverhampton Wanderers) and Ferran Torres (from Manchester City), two talented attackers.
The Catalans also sent away Philippe Coutinho on loan to Aston Villa, where he reunited with former Liverpool teammate Steven Gerrard.
Newcastle under new owners have snapped up the likes of Bruno Guimaraes ($45 million), Chris Wood ($33 million), Kieran Trippier ($17 million) and Dan Burn ($17 million) in a desperate attempt to stay afloat in the Premier League.
Finally, it was also heartwarming to see Christian Eriksen find a new club in Brentford, after his Inter Milan contract was terminated last month. The Danish midfielder will make a comeback to the pitch in the EPL, seven months after suffering a cardiac arrest during the Euro 2020.
