Transfer window is behind us. On the last day clubs are often active on the market, to buy or loan new players on the last minute. A moment before the closing, records are often broken and famous names change the scene. However, this time noone has dared to put a big bag of money on the table, but some of the well-known players joined new teams.
1. Youri Tielemans – loan to Leicester City
Belgian midfielder has supposed to be a AS Monaco star, but he hasn’t shown skills, which he had presented in Anderlecht. Still, he is only 21 years old and the whole team is in serious crisis this season, so it is not surprising, that Belgian wanted to try to spread his wings somewhere else. In Leicester he should have the first squad assured, since the midfielders line needs to be strenghten in this team. Except for Ndidi and Mendy none of the central midfielders has convinced Claude Puel for long.
‘Foxes’ has secured themselves an option to buy after the season and in the opposite direction on the similar terms has wandered Adrien Silva. Cost of the transaction is unknown.
2. Michy Batshuayi – loan to Crystal Palace
The career of another Belgian in this juxtaposition has definitely slowed down. After transfer to Chelsea it was expected, that ‘Batman’ will become one of the best forwards in the Premier League. Meanwhile, the striker went to the third loan within a year. He played splendidly in Dortmund until he seriously injured his ankle ligament. It was a miracle, that he came back to the pitch for the World Cup in Russia and he even made his contribution to achieving the third place for Belgium national team. Unfortunately, that was the end of his fruitful performances.
He barely lasted half a year on a loan in Valencia, where he only disappointed ‘The Bats’ coach Marcelino with his lack of form and engagement. His stay has been shortened, as he originally supposed to stay on Mestalla until the end of June. Forward’s reputation has reached a new low and it seems like Crystal Palace is the last chance for him to prove, that he still can come back to the top level of football.
3. Denis Suarez – loan to Arsenal
Spaniard with every season in Barcelona receives less chances to play. Probably he was aware of being only the supplement of the squad, when he joined ‘Blaugrana’ in 2016. This league season he appeared on the pitch only twice, what was also the result of an injury, which prevented him from preparation to the season with the rest of the team and from playing at the beginning of the campaign. After recovery, the midfielder was chained to the bench and the stands.
Despite this situation, Suarez extended his contract with Catalans until 2021. After the end of the loan it will turn out whether Arsenal will use an option to buy, or the player will come back to Spain. For the sake of his career the second option seems not reasonable, however everything will be settled within a year. Maybe the midfielder will like strongly enough the perspective of coming back under Unai Emery’s wings, with whom he worked in Sevilla, that he will stay longer at the Emirates.
4. Jean-Clair Todibo – Barcelona
The new purchase of ‘Barca’ supposed to join the team only in summer. However, when the transfer was appointed, Toulouse management was furious with this move and declared, that Todibo will never play for the team again. The Frenchman hasn’t played even a minute since the beginning of November and Catalans could not let him lose another half a year on the stands. Negotiations about the early bringing over the defender lasted long, however they were finished on Deadline Day, fortunately for the player. The player cost his new employers only 1 million euro.
Todibo joined the other five centre-backs, with whom he will compete for the place in the first squad – Pique, Umtiti, Vermaelen, Lenglet, Murillo. He probably will need to wait for the chance, even though the product of Olympique Lyon academy is injured, but his transfer is treated as the investment in the future.
5. Shinji Kagawa – loan to Besiktas
The Japanese is definitely closer to the end of his career than the beginning. In the last seasons he played less and less in Borussia, until he stopped being considered in new coach Lucien Favre’s plans. It’s time for him to join the team from the lower level than Bundesliga leaders, at least for the next half a year. Besiktas needs some support to achieve a place which allows to compete in European cups.
In the summer Kagawa will probably seek the new employer, as the new Borussia coach boldly rely on yougsters, who pay him off with successful performances. In the squad like this is hard to find a place for the Japanese player.
