The Winners & Losers of the Winter Transfer Window 2022

The onset of January means that we can have the final squads of every European club till the end of the season. It marks the end of clubs polishing their personnel to meet the tasks and objectives for the year that runs out in May 2022, as part of the footballing calendar year.

Usually, it’s the big clubs that dominate the transfer window, especially the winter one. If we dive deeper into this recurrence, it boils down to the simple fact that the smaller clubs usually make all the investment at the beginning of the season (in summer) due to additional time available for analysis and recruitment. Meanwhile, January is totally meant for the top and bottom clubs to push for either silverware or survival.

But, this year 2022 has brought in something different in the store for us. It seems like the comparatively smaller sides are avenging the thoughts of the fallen European Super League. This wouldn’t be a matter of exaggeration to say that this winter transfer window was of the mid-table and smaller clubs.

Before we take on the main topic of our analysis, let’s look into some numbers about this winter transfer market 2022. As per esteemed website, Transfermarkt, the English Premier League clubs spent a net figure of £181.70 million in January, which is a sum of their expenditure reduced by the investment. The figures for the other top leagues like La Liga, Serie A, Ligue 1 and Bundesliga were £54.23 million, £44.06 million £-27.43 million and £9.33 million respectively.

Well, looking at these numbers and the difference between the numbers of the Premier League versus the rest leagues, it’s clear that the only winners of the transfer window are the English Premier League audience! To add to that, Ligue 1 might have lost a lot of its stardom as they have reported an outflow of players rather than the inflow reported by the other top leagues.

Without much ado, let’s dive straight into the specific winners and losers of the winter transfer window, the reasons for their profit or loss likewise and how it will indirectly impact their positions in European football.

P.T.O

FC Barcelona (Winner)

It would certainly be shocking to include Barcelona among the first names as the winners on the list. This is because we do have some other names who have overhauled their squads from bottom-up. But what the Catalans have managed to do is just way more incredible.

After Sergio Aguero’s diagnosis of health problems and his emotional departure mid-season, the Barca Board was under pressure to replace the Argentine with someone who can carry the legacy forward and have an instant impact. Usually for a big side like them, it would have taken months to find the perfect fit and then probably an year to negotiate a deal.

For much surprise to the entire European footballing fraternity, the La Liga giants got a great deal within a few days of Aguero’s departure. Ferran Torres was brought in from Manchester City for a reported £46.3 million. If anyone has followed football in the past few years, it wouldn’t need more than a child’s eyes to observe that this is a golden deal at the price of peanuts.

But Barcelona were not done here. Their executives and management surely were ready for a masterclass on negotiations/business on display. The transfer deadline day brought some more action.

In the wee hours of January 31, Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s rumoured move to the Catalan capital was all over the news. The move didn’t complete on the deadline day though due to the talks breaking down between the clubs, but what followed was even more shocking.

The early hours after the shutting of the transfer window saw Aubameyang cancelling his contract with Arsenal to join Barcelona for free. That’s some filthy good piece of business by Barcelona! There is no doubt we could see the old and legendary FC Barcelona walking right back to where they belong next season.

Chelsea FC (Losers)

It was all the more certain that Chelsea’s Premier League title race had ended when the Blues lost to reigning Champions Manchester City at the Etihad a few weeks ago. But, with the current European Champions in the race of the supreme Champions League and two domestic cups, it was expected that their ruthless Board would bring in some fresh legs in January.

But, in what could be called the most shocking string of situations in the past few weeks, the Londoners failed to admit a single player to their injury-stricken and under-performing squad by the end of the transfer window. This comes as a huge blow after the club has been linked to big names like Jules Kounde, Aurelien Tchouameni and Ousmanne Dembele.

Well, this could be a strategic move by one of the most financially well-run clubs in Europe, to save up funds for summer and then blow up the footballing fraternity with 3–4 huge deals. But this comes as a huge cost of not strengthening the squad for the current season’s contests, which are yet to be played.

What turns Chelsea’s winter transfer window from bad to shambolic is their inability to recall own players from loan too. With Ben Chilwell injured till September (conservative) and Marcos Alonso far from the top level of football required, Thomas Tuchel was keen in recalling Italian International Emerson Palmieri from his loan at Olympique Lyonnais.

As the situation stands at the moment, Chelsea are definitely not having their own player back from the French club. Shambolic.

Tottenham Hotspur (Big time Winners!)

Until their loss to Chelsea a couple of weeks ago in the Premier League, Antonio Conte’s Spurs were actually unbeaten in the English top-flight with a 9-game record to their names. This certainly proved the fact that Conte was slowly weaving his magic which won him the league at Chelsea in his first season, in-charge.

But the serial winner was very clear about the gap between the current Tottenham squad and the heavyweights of Europe like Chelsea or Manchester City, who play them twice domestically too. The Italian coach definitely sent a straight message to the Spurs CEO, Daniel Levy, “I need my type of players and I guarantee you silverware…”

Well, it seems that Levy was convinced by Conte’s aspirations and he did empty his club’s wallets in this January. In what is a huge investment of £39 million in lumpsum, Spurs were able to scoop up young and talented duo of Dejan Kulusevski and Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus.

Having spent majority of their years at Juve, the duo are very much aligned with Antonio Conte’s similar style of play and are a direct fit to the squad which may not be in the running for any trophy this year, but could certainly affect the major giants of England in the coming season.

Moreover, Spurs did not stop here at all. A shrewd piece of business by Daniel Levy and Antonio Conte also led to removal of deadwood from the camp. Dele Alli makes his way to Everton and Tanguy Ndombele follows his pathway back to his homeland, as the Frenchman has been sent to Lyon on loan for the remainder of the season.

Tottenham might just be the second-best club of the winter-transfer window in all of Europe. (Wait for the first!)

Manchester United (Unfortunate Losers)

A hefty investment of close to £150 million in the summer meant that Manchester United wanted to be back to their perch this season. But, all that starts well doesn’t necessarily end well, is a quote that the United fans would be singing right now. In what was a huge upheaval at the club, club legend Ole Gunnar Solskjaer had to depart from his managerial office at Accrington.

But, the emotional departure of one of the most loved figures in Manchester also brought some good news with it. A seasoned German coach, who led the way for many prodigal coaches like Jurgen Klopp and Thomas Tuchel, was making his way to Old Trafford. Ralph Ragnick was at the wheel now.

Ragnick’s appointment came in as a conditional role of 6 months of managerial position and then an advisory seat in the management of the club, with specifics about his old recruitment genius stories. This meant that January was a big month for the Mancurians as Ragnick must have got good enough time for analysing the weaknesses of this squad, and possible transfer targets.

Not only did Manchester United end up not signing anyone in this winter transfer window, they might be the biggest club to not be linked with any big signing for the entirety of January. That comes as a shock when the red half of Manchester is continuously criticised for failing to meet expectations week in week out.

In what was another unfortunate falling for the club, Mason Greenwood might have seen his United career getting an early ending due to the allegations of domestic violence made by an 18-year-old woman on the player. Greenwood’s suspension from all types of Manchester United activities mean that there is one huge void in the camp, which certainly cannot be filled by anyone anytime soon.

Everton FC & Newcastle United (the Champions of the 2022 Winter Transfer Window)

This might be one of the most boring and non-sensational transfer windows, if not for Everton and Newcastle splashing some cash around Europe. The Goodison Park-residents and the Magpies have combined to give all the English newspapers a run of their money, in unusual places in Merseyside, rather than the gory, wanted streets of Manchester & London.

Well, if we only list the number of transfers for these two clubs in January, we could possibly take up your entire screen. But, to summarize it, let’s analyse it step-by-step.

Starting with Donny van de Beek from Manchester United to Everton. The banished talent from the Netherlands finally got his way out and he could actually make the Mancurians pay as Van de Beek remains one of the most gifted players in England for his position, who can score goals too. To accompany him in the midfield, we have got Dele Alli coming in from Spurs, who is another forgotten superstar who could revive his career in Merseyside, as we all have seen what the Englishman can do at the top of his form.

Talking about midfielders, Newcastle managed to outclass Arsenal in signing Ligue 1’s best midfielder of the current season, Bruno Guimaraes. In a shocking deal, the Brazilian comes in as an import which could cause tremors in the Premier League and offer Newcastle a chance to sell him at almost 3–4 times the profit in the coming years — that’s a guarantee actually.

Joining Guimaraes at the St. James’ Park are two defenders who bring in Premiership experience. Dan Burn comes in from Brighton, while Matt Targett joins in from Aston Villa — two signings who could be crucial in the Magpies staying afloat in the Premier League by May 2022.

Let’s not forget, Everton have also managed to get their hands on one of the most promising managers of England — Chelsea legend Frank Lampard who has done wonders with Derby County and Chelsea in the recent past. Lampard could be key to bringing them out of the relegation crisis with immediate effect.

What a window by the small guns.

Other Honourable Mentions

There are two other clubs who could be certainly called winners, if not for the quantum of transfers that they made. By signing one key player at the price of four, these two giants of Europe have put in a big claim on the Champions League trophy for this season, and they are Liverpool accompanied by the Old Lady, Juventus.

The Reds from Merseyside have successfully gone under the radar to sign one of the most ferocious attackers in Europe, Luis Diaz from FC Porto. Having won the Portuguese League a couple of times and after shining in the Champions League for two seasons in a row, Diaz will be one of the biggest names in the English Premier League soon as commented by SC Braga manager Carlos Carvalhal.

Coming to Juventus, the all-time Italian Legendary side has scooped up probably the next generational star alongside Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland in the form of Dusan Vlahovic. While the Serbian was earlier rumoured to stay loyal to Fiorentina till summer, he joins Juventus with immediate effect for reinforcing their Serie A title race as well as the challenge for the Champions League crown. Vlahovic might just be the signing of the decade for Juventus, hands down.

Well, that ends our rankings for the winners and losers of the Winter Transfer Window 2022. With the squads ready with the newly registered players, top-flight footballing action returns after a short break this weekend and we, at MightyTips, have got you covered for all the drama of some business at your end as we offer the best betting tips and the logical analysis of the same through our hard-working experts. Do follow us for the same and win some bucks with a high probability.

Hope you liked the article, and do comment below who you think would prove to be the signings of the season from this gems on the move in January. Gamble Responsibly!