Ligue 1's 10 Best and Worst January Transfers of the Last 10 Years
The January transfer window is a tough time for football’s decision-makers. Do you make that one move that could secure you a successful season, or do you keep faith in what you already have?
Just like most leagues in Europe, January can be hit or miss for the teams in France that make moves. Sometimes, signing a player can spark a magnificent run. Sometimes, it can end in disaster.
In Ligue 1, most clubs can't afford the same expenditure of their English counterparts, so moves need to be right and beneficial.
Here are 10 of the best and worst Ligue 1 January transfers.
Worst: Florian Thauvin, Bastia to Lille
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Before the 2013 January transfer window, Bastia’s Florian Thauvin had scored twice during his debut Ligue 1 season. Lille struck a deal with the Corsican club to sign the winger just days after his 20th birthday.
The deal would see the talented forward return to the island side for the rest of the season, but the player seemed happy with the deal. "Lille offered me a beautiful sporting project, and I immediately liked it and with the support of my advisors we agreed straight away."
That summer, Thauvin was part of the France under-20 side that won the World Cup, and after finishing the season with 10 league goals, he decided he didn’t want to play for the northerners.
Thauvin went on strike until Lille sanctioned his move to Marseille. Rene Girard’s side made a profit without him ever playing a single minute, but for the last 18 months, Les Dogues have desperately missed someone with Thauvin’s creative ability.
Best: Rio Mavuba, Villarreal to Lille
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After four years breaking through at Bordeaux, Rio Mavuba made the move to Villarreal in Spain. It didn’t quite work out for the France international in Spain, and after six months, Lille gave him the chance to return to Ligue 1.
Since joining Les Dogues, Mavuba has played 235 games over eight seasons, has become the captain of the club and was phenomenal as LOSC won a league-and-cup double in 2011.
If all January transfers worked out as well as Mavuba, more clubs would be willing to get their chequebook out during the month.
Worst: Christian Vieri, Milan to Monaco
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After scoring more than 100 goals in six seasons for Inter Milan, Christian Vieri moved on a free transfer to city rivals AC Milan. However, with Andriy Shevchenko in the team, he wasn’t playing enough football to win a spot in Marcelo Lippi’s Italy national team.
Vieri decided to join AS Monaco in January of 2006, but after a quick start, it went downhill rapidly.
The Italian striker scored three goals in his first three games, but his fitness was an issue. He failed to score again, and after two appearances off the bench, he was given his final start at home against Paris Saint-Germain.
A knee injury after six minutes saw him leave the pitch, and he never played for the Monegasque side again.
Best: Paul-Georges Ntep, Auxerre to Rennes
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At the start of the 2013/14 season, Paul-Georges Ntep was on fire for Ligue 2 side Auxerre. His seven goals before the winter break had a number of European sides on red alert.
Arsenal, Stoke City and Queens Park Rangers were all linked, per Sky Sports, but the France U21 international picked Brittany as his next destination, signing with Stade Rennais.
Injury stopped him making an immediate impact, but now, after 29 league games, he has 12 goals and five assists and is continuing to improve with each passing game in the top division.
Europe’s top clubs are now wishing they had paid more attention 12 months ago.
Worst: Matt Moussilou, Nice to Saint-Etienne
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When Saint-Etienne were looking for a striker in January 2007, it was a surprise they opted to loan Matt Moussilou from OGC Nice.
The former Lille striker had failed to score in 18 appearances for the Riviera side and was unlikely to match his 12-goal season for Lille two years earlier.
He came off the bench to score on his second appearance but would only start two games during the entire loan spell.
Ironically, his first start came against Lille with four games to go, and he scored both goals in a 2-1 win for Les Verts.
He returned to Nice at the end of the season and would only ever score one more goal in Ligue 1. That came for Boulogne against Nancy three years later.
Best: Brown Ideye, Neuchatel Xamax to FC Sochaux
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At first, it didn’t look like Brown Ideye was going to be a success in Ligue 1. After moving to FC Sochaux in January, he only managed two goals in 17 games as his new club finished 16th.
The next season, something strange happened at the Stade Auguste Bonal. Everything clicked into place.
Midfielder Marvin Martin contributed an amazing 17 assists, while both Modibo Maiga and Ideye scored 15 goals apiece.
Sochaux finished fifth in Ligue 1 and qualified for the Europa League, and Ideye was sold on to Dynamo Kyiv for €8 million.
Worst: Dante, Lille to Charleroi
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Between the ages of 20 and 22 years old, Brazil international Dante, currently of Bayern Munich, was a member of the Lille OSC squad. The centre-back only managed 12 appearances in two-and-a-half seasons, playing a total of 820 minutes in the north of France.
Lille boss Claude Puel deemed the Brazilian surplus to requirements, and he was sold to Belgian club Sporting Charleroi.
Seven years later, Dante has won two Bundesliga titles, two DFB-Pokal cups and the UEFA Champions League.
Not bad for a Ligue 1 reject.
Best: Serge Aurier, RC Lens to Toulouse
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He may have left to go to Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, but Serge Aurier will still go down as one of the best January signings Toulouse have ever made.
When RC Lens dropped down to Ligue 2, Aurier was never going to stay long. Toulouse pounced in January 2012 for a mere €1.3 million, and the defender went on to play 72 games for the club.
Used as a right-back, centre-back and wing-back, his versatility never affected just how good a player he was for the club. Aurier managed six goals for Toulouse in his final season, but it was his energy, drive and determination that helped him stand out.
Worst: Yohan Cabaye, Newcastle United to PSG
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It was a no-brainer for Newcastle United to accept the €25 million bid from Paris Saint-Germain in January 2014. Although they lost an influential member of their team, no club can resist that sort of profit.
PSG were gaining an international footballer, but it was clear from the strength of the French champions' midfield that he was arriving as a substitute.
Over the proceeding 12 months, Cabaye has struggled to make a name for himself in the French capital. Poor performances have seen his ability questioned, and it is looking like money that could have been better spent elsewhere.
Best: Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Milan to Saint-Etienne
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Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was no stranger to Ligue 1 when he joined Saint-Etienne on loan in January 2011. Loan spells at Dijon, Lille and Monaco had left many undecided about the forward’s future.
In 67 games, Aubameyang only scored 12 goals—eight of them in Ligue 2 with Dijon. During his initial loan spell he only scored twice for Saint-Etienne, but his performances were enough to convince Les Verts to spend €1.8 million to take him from Milan on a permanent deal.
Once he was at a club that wanted him and was able to nurture his talent, Aubameyang exploded. He scored 25 goals in Ligue 1, helped Sainte climb the table and made the club a profit of €11.2 million when he moved to Borussia Dortmund in 2013.
