European Transfer Window: 11 Likely Transfer Window Winners
With the European football season over, the summer transfer window opens new opportunities for clubs, managers and players.
Change can lead to success; it can be a difference from just making up numbers to being champions.
Lets look at some of the confirmed transfers—which transfer spells out winner?
Here are my 11 likely transfer window winners in Europe so far.
Real Madrid Signing Nuri Şahin for €10 Million from Borussia Dortmund
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Real Madrid’s signing of Nuri Şahin has tapped up written all over it—though that’s not the talking point of the transfer.
How in the world did the Bundesliga’s best player, the orchestrator of the best team in Germany, Turkey’s answer to Cesc Fàbregas, be sold for just €10 million?
Borussia Dortmund placed a buyout clause in Şahin’s contract at just €6.5 million—let this be a lesson to Borussia Dortmund that it’s better to overrate than underrate a sum in a buyout clause.
Goal.com reported Şahin stating: “To be able to play under Mourinho is like bringing up six numbers in the lottery”.
It’s clear that José Mourinho’s charms coupled by the allure of playing for Real Madrid had got to Şahin.
It’s the second year in a row that Real Madrid has lured a star player away from the Bundesliga at price so disproportionately low to their playing ability—last year it was Mesut Özil for €15 million, and now it’s Şahin for €10 million.
Juventus Signing Andrea Pirlo for Free
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Given the tap on the shoulder by A.C. Milan, Juventus have signed a proven quality for free.
Andrea Pirlo has never been the most athletic player, doesn’t score that many goals, doesn’t offer much defence in a deep lying position, but he’s crafty manipulator of possession.
He controls the tempo of the game, he brings other players into the game, and he’s a player Juventus need in their rebuilding phase.
Napoli Signing Edinson Cavani for €12 Million from Palermo
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Having signed Edinson Cavani on loan from Palermo this season, do you know how much Napoli payed for the loan?
€5 million.
In return, Cavani scored 33 goals and provided six assists in 47 games, was the best player in the Serie A, was the reason why Napoli contended for the Serie A, and was clutch in scoring eight winning or equalising goals from the 85th minute to the 97th minute.
€12 million to make the deal permanent is a undervalued transfer fee.
Tottenham Hotspur Signing Brad Friedel for Free
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Brad Friedel is the antithesis of Heurelho Gomes. Whilst Gomes makes headlines for either some outstanding saves or some amateurish mistakes, Friedel is steady and reliable.
Age isn’t that much of a matter, given Dino Zoff captained Italy to the 1982 FIFA World Cup at 40 years of age. Friedel is the same age.
Gomes is just too much of a liability, and signing Friedel will either force Gomes to become reliable, or it will mean Gomes will be relegated to the bench.
Both scenarios play out well for Harry Redknapp.
Levante Signing Felipe Caicedo €1 Million from Manchester City
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Manchester City losing €4 million over Felipe Caicedo is like you losing a dollar.
Levante have managed to secure the services of a motivated Caicedo, who has shown he has the ability to perform at a high level with 14 goals in 29 games this season.
Now here’s the catch, Levante don’t want him.
They’re so poor that they won’t be able to offer him fair wages, and it’s best they start shopping him around with the hopes of making a substantial profit.
They should start with Suleyman Kerimov owned Anzhi Makhachkala.
A.C. Milan Signing Taye Taiwo for Free
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Left back has been an issue for A.C. Milan this season, given that Luca Antonini is not good enough and Gianluca Zambrotta is past his best.
Taye Taiwo has been Ligue 1’s best left back this season.
He's athletic, he’s strong, and he has a left foot reminiscent of Roberto Carlos.
Though he is prone to defensive lapses, signing him for free means no financial risk is attached.
Galatasaray Signing Johan Elmander for Free
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Prolific isn’t the first word that comes to mind when you think of Johan Elmander.
For the majority of his time at Bolton Wanderers, he struggled to the extent that you began feeling sorry for Bolton Wanderers in wasting £8.2 million from a tight budget.
This season, Elmander was “prolific” by his standards in scoring 12 goals and providing six assists in 45 games.
It wasn’t just the goals; he worked hard for Owen Coyle and began to look comfortable playing in the English Premier League.
Then he decided to leave, presumably for more money.
Galatasaray will be overjoyed they don’t have to pay a transfer fee on top of whatever wages they’ll be paying him—I hope they’re not expecting 25+ goals from him.
Sevilla Signing Martín Cáceres for €3 Million from Barcelona
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Martín Cáceres has the personal characteristics that most managers seek in a professional footballer.
He has fighting spirit, steely determination, is a team player, and someone who is willing to put his body on the line for the sake of the team.
Now combine this with his impressive physical attributes and you have an invaluable team player.
So invaluable that Barcelona signed him for €16.5 million from Villarreal, where he hadn’t even played for the team—he was on loan at Recreativo de Huelva.
Cáceres is considerably better without the ball than with it, so he was always going to be a misfit at Barcelona.
He played relatively well for Sevilla this season, displaying the road running attributes that made Barcelona fall in love with him, so much so that they placed a €50 million buyout clause in his contract.
Sevilla signing him for €3 million is a bargain.
Sunderland Signing Ahmed Elmohamady for £2 Million from ENPPI
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There’s a degree of risk in this signing, having sold Jordan Henderson to Liverpool for £20 million, but Steve Bruce's £2 million gamble won't be a costly mistake if it doesn't turn out right.
Ahmed Elmohamady may not be the strongest player in the English Premier League nor the toughest, but he has pace to burn.
It’s his rapid acceleration that will allow him to continually beat defenders with relative ease.
The problem is his final product; his crossing this season has been mediocre.
Málaga Signing Nacho Monreal for €6 Million from Osasuna
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The best left back in La Liga behind Marcelo, Nacho Monreal has been a standout performer this season.
€6 million is about as fair as an estimation of Monreal’s ability.
With Málaga’s lofty ambitions, Monreal will be an integral part to Manuel Pellegrini’s plans next season.
Hertha Berlin Signing Andreas Ottl for Free
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Bayern Munich management have always mulled over ideas of what to do with Andreas Ottl.
Born and bred in Bavaria with 15 years of loyalty, he's a hard working, blue collar type midfielder who’s provided satisfactory performances but nothing noteworthy.
Therein lies the problem; if he leaves, it doesn’t impact Bayern Munich’s results.
With his contract running out in the summer, Bayern Munich lost out on an opportunity to cash in.
Ottl is the type of player newly promoted Hertha Berlin need to ensure they stay in the Bundesliga.
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