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.ย
Lets look at some of the confirmed transfersโwhich transfer spells out winner?ย
Here are my 11 likely transfer window winners in Europe so far.ย
Real Madrid Signing Nuri ลahin for โฌ10 Million from Borussia Dortmund
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Real Madridโs signing of Nuri ลahin has tapped up written all over itโthough thatโs not the talking point of the transfer.ย
How in the world did the Bundesligaโs best player, the orchestrator of the best team in Germany, Turkeyโs answer to Cesc Fร bregas, be sold for just โฌ10 million?ย
Borussia Dortmund placed a buyout clause in ลahinโs contract at just โฌ6.5 millionโlet this be a lesson to Borussia Dortmund that itโs better to overrate than underrate a sum in a buyout clause.ย
Goal.com reported ลahin stating: โTo be able to play under Mourinho is like bringing up six numbers in the lotteryโ.ย
Itโs clear that Josรฉ Mourinhoโs charms coupled by the allure of playing for Real Madrid had got to ลahin.ย
Itโs 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 abilityโlast year it was Mesut รzil for โฌ15 million, and now itโs ลahin for โฌ10 million.ย
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.ย
Andrea Pirlo has never been the most athletic player, doesnโt score that many goals, doesnโt offer much defence in a deep lying position, but heโs crafty manipulator of possession.ย
He controls the tempo of the game, he brings other players into the game, and heโs a player Juventus need in their rebuilding phase.ย
Napoli Signing Edinson Cavani for โฌ12 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?ย
โฌ5 million.ย
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.ย
โฌ12 million to make the deal permanent is a undervalued transfer fee.ย
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.ย
Age isnโt 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.ย
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.ย
Both scenarios play out well for Harry Redknapp.
Levante Signing Felipe Caicedo โฌ1 Million from Manchester City
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Manchester City losing โฌ4 million over Felipe Caicedo is like you losing a dollar.ย
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.ย
Now hereโs the catch, Levante donโt want him.ย
Theyโre so poor that they wonโt be able to offer him fair wages, and itโs best they start shopping him around with the hopes of making a substantial profit.ย
They should start with Suleyman Kerimov owned Anzhi Makhachkala.ย
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.ย
Taye Taiwo has been Ligue 1โs best left back this season.
He's athletic, heโs strong, and he has a left foot reminiscent of Roberto Carlos.ย
Though he is prone to defensive lapses, signing him for free means no financial risk is attached.ย
Galatasaray Signing Johan Elmander for Free
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Prolific isnโt the first word that comes to mind when you think of Johan Elmander.ย
For the majority of his time at Bolton Wanderers, he struggled to the extent that you began feeling sorry for Bolton Wanderers in wasting ยฃ8.2 million from a tight budget.ย
This season, Elmander was โprolificโ by his standards in scoring 12 goals and providing six assists in 45 games.ย
It wasnโt just the goals; he worked hard for Owen Coyle and began to look comfortable playing in the English Premier League.ย
Then he decided to leave, presumably for more money.ย
Galatasaray will be overjoyed they donโt have to pay a transfer fee on top of whatever wages theyโll be paying himโI hope theyโre not expecting 25+ goals from him.ย
Sevilla Signing Martรญn Cรกceres for โฌ3 Million from Barcelona
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Martรญn Cรกceres has the personal characteristics that most managers seek in a professional footballer.ย
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.ย
Now combine this with his impressive physical attributes and you have an invaluable team player.ย
So invaluable that Barcelona signed him for โฌ16.5 million from Villarreal, where he hadnโt even played for the teamโhe was on loan at Recreativo de Huelva.ย
Cรกceres is considerably better without the ball than with it, so he was always going to be a misfit at Barcelona.ย
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 โฌ50 million buyout clause in his contract.ย
Sevilla signing him for โฌ3 million is a bargain.ย
Sunderland Signing Ahmed Elmohamady for ยฃ2 Million from ENPPI
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Thereโs a degree of risk in this signing, having sold Jordan Henderson to Liverpool for ยฃ20 million, but Steve Bruce'sย ยฃ2 million gamble won't be a costly mistake if it doesn't turn out right.ย ย
Ahmed Elmohamady may not be the strongest player in the English Premier League nor the toughest, but he has pace to burn.ย
Itโs his rapid acceleration that will allow him to continually beat defenders with relative ease.ย
The problem is his final product; his crossing this season has been mediocre.ย
Mรกlaga Signing Nacho Monreal for โฌ6 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.ย
โฌ6 million is about as fair as an estimation of Monrealโs ability.ย
With Mรกlagaโs lofty ambitions, Monreal will be an integral part to Manuel Pellegriniโs plans next season.ย
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.ย
Born and bred in Bavaria with 15 years of loyalty, he's a hard working, blue collar type midfielder whoโs provided satisfactory performances but nothing noteworthy.ย
Therein lies the problem; if he leaves, it doesnโt impact Bayern Munichโs results. ย ย
With his contract running out in the summer, Bayern Munich lost out on an opportunity to cash in.ย
Ottl is the type of player newly promoted Hertha Berlin need to ensure they stay in the Bundesliga.ย
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