Winter market: which have been the biggest transfers in this season?
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Winter transfers often stay behind with those that take place in summer, but that does not mean that some important business is not done
In January 1st began winter transfers, a time of the year in which Europe's teams are looking for a player to fill the gap and bring what is needed to achieve the goals of the season.
Leer en español: ¿Cuáles han sido los más grandes traspasos de enero en el fútbol?
Frequently relegated to be the secondary business of football world, this year's winter transfers will end on January 31 and has already seen some interesting moves by some European clubs.
In just the second day of the market, the American Christian Pulisic, player of Borussia Dortmund, already sealed his pass to England's Chelsea for more than 60 million euros, showing that, despite the time, it is still possible to see large numbers in the market.
Also read: The cost of a signing: What it is paid and to whom for a soccer player
What have been the biggest winter transfers businesses?
To date, the biggest business of this era in football has been the pass of Dutch defender Virgil van Dijk from England's Southampton to Liverpool for 83 million euros. Given the positive performance of the player and the club since his arrival, this has been considered another stellar business in a series of outstanding businesses by the owners of Liverpool, the Fenway Sports Group.
Van Dijk's transfer is followed by the Brazilian Oscar, who spent 2016 as a soldier at Chelsea in London to play in the Chinese league, which at that time was investing millions in transfers to make his league more competitive. On this occasion, the Shanghai SIPG paid 66 million euros for the player, who at that time was 25 years old.
Oscar's transfer is just the first of four businesses involving Chelsea among the largest in the history of the winter business. They are followed by the striker Diego Costa of the London club to Atlético Madrid for 63 million euros, the aforementioned purchase of Christian Pulisic during the current season and the purchase of Spanish Fernando Torres, from Liverpool, for 55 million euros.
Finally, the most expensive transfer of the winter market that does not involve any club of the five major European leagues is the purchase of Alex Teixeira, Brazilian player of the Ukrainian Shakhtar Donetsk, by the Jiangsu Suning of China for 42 million euros.
What big business could happen during the winter's market?
Pulisic's transfer is just the first of several billionaire businesses that will be seen this winter. The names on the lists of technicians and executive directors of the clubs could be moving much more money throughout this month.
Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain, who is currently on loan at AC Milan in Italy, could see his permanent transfer during this season. Chelsea, again, seems to be a destination, since their front striker, Alvaro Morata, seems to have lost the favor of coach Maurizio Sarri.
Chelsea participates in the transfer market with the backing of the financial muscle of Russian billionaire Roman Abramovich, who made his fortune in oil and natural gas after the fall of the Soviet Union. Throughout last year there were rumors suggesting that Abramovich could leave the club, however, in this winter business, he could demonstrate his commitment to two luxury passes.
Despite Chelsea's huge plans, the most expensive pass of this season could come from Manchester United. The current coach, Ole Gunnar Solksjaer, is in the club exercising a temporary job after the departure of José Mourinho, and therefore, may not receive much financial support from the owners, Joel and Avram Glazer.
However, the club has been planning to acquire a central defender since last season, and they have identified the Senegalese Kalidou Koulibaly of Napoli from Italy as the player who would take them to take out the checkbook despite having a club in the transition stage.
The Italian club has warned Manchester United that the transfer of Koulibaly would cost them 120 million euros, which would make him the most expensive defender in the world and the third highest paid player ever, tied with the Brazilian Philippe Coutinho.
LatinAmerican Post | Pedro Bernal
Translated from: '¿Cuáles han sido los más grandes traspasos de enero en el fútbol?'
