Unlikely spenders lead January transfer charge

By Muhammed Enes Calli

ANKARA (AA) – The January 2020 transfer window did not see any big-money signings in Europe and it was German club Hertha Berlin that led the pack in terms of overall spending.

Managed by German icon Jurgen Klinsmann, Hertha Berlin spent €78 million ($86 million) to acquire four players as they look to avoid relegation from the top flight Bundesliga.

Polish forward Krzysztof Piatek joined Hertha from Italian club AC Milan for €27 million ($29 million) and became the Berlin club’s all-time most expensive transfer.

He will be joined in attack by Brazilian forward Matheus Cunha, who was snapped up from rivals RB Leipzig for €15 million (approximately $16.5 million).

Hertha have also reinforced their midfield by paying €25 million ($27 million) to bring over French midfielder Lucas Tousart from Ligue 1 club Olympique Lyon.

Another addition was 22-year-old Argentinian defensive midfielder Santiago Ascacibar, who was signed from Stuttgart for a fee in the region of €11 million ($12 million).

- Napoli’s spending spree

Over in Italy, Serie A club Napoli was the largest spender as they forked out a total of €65 million ($71 million) to bolster a struggling squad that has produced a string of poor results in the first half of the season.

Napoli finished second last year but are currently trailing leaders Juventus by at least 20 points.

The management’s decision to hire the fiery Gennaro Gattuso to replace veteran manager Carlo Ancelloti has also failed to spark a revival in fortunes.

Gattuso used the January transfer window to bring in 10 new players.

The most prominent among them are Slovakian midfielder Stanislav Lobotka, signed from Spanish club Celta Vigo for €20 million ($22 million), and Italian forward Andrea Petagna who was signed from SPAL for €17 million ($18 million).

- Monaco go for quantity

French top-tier club AS Monaco also gave fans reason for excitement by bringing in 10 new players for a total of €60 million ($66 million).

Cameroonian defensive midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni joined ‘Les Rouges et Blancs’ (The Red and Whites) from Bordeaux for a fee of €18 million ($19.9 million).

Monaco paid €15 million ($16.6 million) for the transfer of Youssouf Fofana from Ligue 1 rivals Strasbourg. Defenders Jean Marcelin and Strahinja Pavlovic and goalkeeper Radoslaw Majecki were the club’s other major signings, costing a total of €27 million ($29.8 million).

- Most expensive signings

Portuguese midfielder Bruno Fernandes was the most expensive transfer of the winter period with his move to Manchester United from Sporting Lisbon for €55 million ($60 million).

The Red Devils have big expectations for the 25-year-old attacking midfielder, who scored 63 goals and notched up 52 assists in 137 matches for Sporting Lisbon.

Swedish winger Dejan Kulusevski, 19, was second in terms of transfer fee as Juventus shelled out €35 million ($38.7 million) for his signature.

However, the teenager signed from Atalanta has been loaned out to another Serie A rival, Parma, until the end of the 2019-20 season.

The third-most expensive transfer of January was Brazilian midfielder Reinier after Spanish giants Real Madrid paid €30 million ($33 million) to bring him over from Flamengo.

- Top transfers

The departure of Christian Eriksen from Tottenham made headlines this transfer window.

The 27-year-old Danish midfielder was linked with several major European clubs as his contract with Tottenham was ending this summer.

He chose not to sign a new deal with Spurs to start a new chapter in his career in a different country. Eriksen moved to Serie A title contenders, Inter Milan, in January and signed a contract that would keep him in Italy until 2024.

Another closely followed move this winter was Norwegian wonderkid Erling Haaland’s transfer to Germany’s Borussia Dortmund from RB Salzburg.

The 19-year-old forward’s impressive form - 28 goals in 22 matches for the Austrian side - had drawn the attention of top European clubs. Haaland hit the ground running at Dortmund and has already scored seven goals in three matches with Dortmund.

A big-name move in this window was Swedish veteran forward Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who returned to AC Milan from U.S. side Los Angeles Galaxy.

The prolific striker has signed a six-month deal with an option for another season with the Italian side that he previously represented from 2010 till 2012.