12 Deals That Have Created the Most Hype in 2015 January Transfer Window
Following a big summer of spending, the 2015 January transfer window has been rather subdued in comparison. However, the rumour mill never disappoints with its levels of hype.
In this slideshow, we take a look back at the moves (be they short-term or permanent) that have gone through this winter—focusing on those that have created the biggest buzz in the market.
Let's define, first of all, what we mean by "hype" when it comes to football transfers. For the purposes of this slideshow, it applies to moves that have simply got everyone talking. Perhaps the gossip included a number of interested clubs, involved a surprise departure, high transfer fees or a deal that was a long time coming. For all those reasons and more, read on to see who we picked.
Arranged from 12—1, we work our way up to the player whose switch has caused the most hype this January.
12. Jermain Defoe, Toronto FC to Sunderland
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After spending 11 months in Major League Soccer with Toronto FC, Jermain Defoe is now back in the Premier League with Sunderland, as part of a swap deal for fellow striker Jozy Altidore.
With Defoe linked with a move back to the English top flight since late in the 2014 summer transfer window, as reported by the Mirror's John Cross, the eventual transfer attracted a good deal of publicity.
The former England international has been hailed as a potential saviour to the relegation-threatened club in the English press, where headlines read, "Defoe will save Sunderland from relegation, claims former Tottenham team-mate," (per talkSPORT) and "Defoe wants to help save Sunderland and regain England place," (h/t Louise Taylor of the Guardian).
Adding to the fuss are the details of Defoe's arrival on Wearside, with the 32-year-old being handed a three-and-a-half year deal, thought to be worth up to £14 million.
"If it smacks of desperation, it is probably because Sunderland are desperate," wrote the Guardian's Jacob Steinberg, in a piece titled, "Sunderland’s desperate gamble that Jermain Defoe can still hack it."
Eyebrows will continue to be raised at the money paid for Defoe's services, unless the striker has a significant impact on Gus Poyet's side.
11. Victor Valdes, Unattached to Manchester United
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In May 2013, when Victor Valdes announced he would soon be parting ways with Barcelona, there was plenty of speculation about where he would go next.
"Being the goalkeeper at the club is a big weight to carry and I have felt it since I was very young," Valdes said on BBC Sport at the time, with Arsenal and AS Monaco later linked with his name, as reported by Paul Gorst in the Mirror.
The transfer gossip subsided when Valdes suffered a serious knee injury in a La Liga game against Celta Vigo in March 2014, bringing his career in a Barca shirt to an untimely halt.
The 33-year-old began training with Manchester United in October, which prompted rumours that he would be joining Louis van Gaal's side. Elsewhere, he was being heavily linked with a move to Liverpool, as reported by Aaron Flanagan in the Mirror.
Following 18 months of consistent speculation, it eventually came as little surprise that Valdes put pen to paper with United on January 8, signing for the club now managed by Van Gaal—the man who gave him his Barcelona debut in 2002.
10. Gabriel Paulista, Villarreal to Arsenal
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Until a deal was announced, it looked like Arsenal might have struggled to sign the defensive backup they needed in centre-back Gabriel Paulista.
Being linked with the former Vitoria and Villarreal man for much of January, the rumour mill went into overdrive when it was suggested that the move may not go through due to work permit regulations, coupled with rumours that Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal was preparing to "hijack" Arsenal's bid for the Brazilian, according to various reports (h/t James Dickenson in the Express).
However, the 24-year-old has been granted a work permit and an £11.3 million deal, per the Guardian.
Pete Jenson described Arsenal's capture of the Sao Paulo-born player in the The Independent:
"Arsenal may have found the defender for whom they have been looking for so long. One who loves defending, who rarely gets injured, whose leap gets him to most headers, whose stride carries him confidently out of defence and whose rapid development has earned Villarreal a huge profit in less than two years.
"
9. Hatem Ben Arfa, Newcastle United to Unattached
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Last seen wearing the stripes of Hull City and now cut adrift by Newcastle United and without a club, Hatem Ben Arfa has had his fair share of hype over the years.
Over the January transfer window, he was back in the spotlight once again, signing on the dotted line for Ligue 1 side Nice and declaring to L'Equipe (h/t Adam Crafton in the Daily Mail), "Even if Real Madrid had called at that moment, my mind was made up!"
All eyes were on the 27-year-old when he arrived back in France, the player failing to live up to the expectations that surrounded his 2010 move from Olympique de Marseille to Newcastle, and went on loan to Hull City over the summer only for his spell to be cut short by manager Steve Bruce who told BBC Sport, "Sometimes transfers don't work, especially with a loan deal."
Despite then-Magpies boss Alan Pardew telling BBC Sport that, "He won't be coming back here, that's all I can say," interest seemed high in the winger as winter approached, with Hamburg, Nice, Lille and Monaco all said to be keen, according to the Daily Mail.
With his Newcastle contract ended by mutual consent in early January, it looked like a move to Nice was all sewn up. However, a move has been prevented by FIFA, who decree that a player cannot play for more than two clubs in any one season, as seen on BBC Sport.
Currently in limbo and without a club, Ben Arfa told the BBC: "I do not understand why they would try to stop me from playing in France, my home. Why always try to create problems where there are none?"
Plenty of hype, for all the wrong reasons.
8. Xherdan Shaqiri, Bayern Munich to Inter Milan
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The wave of speculation that followed Xherdan Shaqiri throughout the summer peaked again as winter approached—heightened by Bayern Munich president Franz Beckenbauer's admission that the winger would be sanctioned to leave in January.
As Beckenbauer told Germany's Sport1 (h/t Nicholas Godden in the Daily Mail), "Bayern have already sent out a signal and indicated to him that he can probably go in the winter break, when he wants. I think it's a shame because he is a great talent."
In the final months of 2014, Shaqiri was being linked with Juventus, Manchester United and Liverpool by the Express' Jamie Anderson, whereas Tuttomercatoweb (h/t ESPN FC) were tipping him to join Tottenham Hotspur.
Later, talk of a transfer tug of war started to appear, as Liverpool and Inter Milan were both said to be keen on the 23-year-old Switzerland international, according to Ben Jefferson in the Express.
Shaqiri, who hit a hat-trick for Switzerland at the 2014 World Cup, ended the speculation on January 10, when he put pen to paper with Inter Milan. The former Basel man will be on loan at San Siro for the rest of the season, after which his move could be made permanent.
7. Wilfried Bony, Swansea City to Manchester City
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His £25 million switch from one City to another means that Wilfried Bony is (at the time of writing) the priciest player to have moved in the 2015 January transfer window.
In a deal that could rise to £28 million with add-ons (per BBC Sport), the Ivorian's jump from Swansea to Manchester sparked a great deal of debate. Was he worth the hefty price tag? Will Stevan Jovetic be sold to make way for Bony in City's Champions League squad? And, as Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho sarcastically remarked, per the Express' James Dickenson, how have Manuel Pellegrini's side managed to sidestep Financial Fair Play?
Swansea director John van Zweden even told the Daily Mail's Sean Gallagher that Bony will be wasted at the Etihad where he "will sit on the Manchester City bench."
It's a transfer that has created plenty of interest in a January window relatively lacking in big-money moves.
Had there been more activity this winter, Bony's inter-City switch would not have attracted quite so much fuss.
6. Lucas Silva, Cruzeiro to Real Madrid
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This January, Brazilian midfielder Lucas Silva swapped Cruzeiro for Real Madrid. It's a move that has been talked about for some time.
Described by the Mirror's Ed Malyon as "one of South America's most-wanted players" the highly-rated, 21-year-old product of the Cruzeiro youth system was said to be being watched by a number of clubs, before signing for Carlo Ancelotti's side.
In Marca (h/t ESPN FC), Arsenal—in need of a defensive midfielder—were being linked with a €15 million bid for Silva, with the player's father telling MG Superesportes (h/t ESPN FC) that the player would be going to Europe in the 2015 summer transfer window.
In Malyon's Mirror article, Manchester United were said to be keen on securing his services, amid very strong links with Madrid.
In the same week that Los Blancos announced their capture of Martin Odegaard, who appears elsewhere in this slideshow, Silva was unveiled as a Madrid player—officially signing a contract that will keep him at the club until 2020.
5. Manolo Gabbiadini, Sampdoria to Napoli
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There was no shortage of rumours linking Manolo Gabbiadini with a move away from Stadio Luigi Ferraris in the buildup to the January transfer window, the hype suggesting that the 23-year-old could be on his way to a number of clubs across Europe.
On SkySports.com, a move to the Premier League and/or La Liga was being tipped, with Tottenham Hotspur and Atletico Madrid both said to be possible destinations for the player co-owned by Sampdoria and Juventus.
On UEFA's official website, Samp coach Sinisa Mihajlovic said in December, "We know that Manolo is very important for us, he's key player. It seems that a big team is interested in signing him now, but what can I say?"
Scoring 15 goals in 47 Serie A games since his 2013 summer switch from Juventus to Sampdoria, the young winger was in demand. Yet Gabbiadini's agent, Silvio Pagliari, insisted that his client would not be moving in January, telling Tuttomercatoweb (h/t talkSPORT), "I see no reason to change [in January]. In June we wanted Sampdoria and we are happy we made this choice. Manolo is doing well and should continue doing so."
4. Steven Gerrard, Liverpool to LA Galaxy
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When Steven Gerrard announced that he would be leaving Liverpool at the end of the 2014/15 season, it sent shockwaves through the Premier League.
It was the leading story on all the back pages, the topic of conversation on every pundit's lips and was endlessly discussed on any number of football podcasts, television and radio shows.
The 34-year-old called the move "the toughest decision of my life," in a club statement (h/t Jamie Jackson in the Guardian) on January 2.
He then went on to say: "I'm going to carry on playing and although I can't confirm at this stage where that will be, I can say it will be somewhere that means I won't be playing for a competing club and will not therefore be lining up against Liverpool—that is something I could never contemplate."
Cue a raft of rumours, pondering Gerrard's next move. As reported by The Independent's Simon Rice, MLS clubs were a possibility, in addition to European sides such as Real Madrid, AC Milan and Bayern Munich.
However, on January 7, it was confirmed by Major League Soccer outfit LA Galaxy, that the Reds captain would be joining them at StubHub Center when his contract ends at Anfield, as seen on BBC Sport.
3. Alessio Cerci, Atletico Madrid to AC Milan
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This time last year, Alessio Cerci was being linked with a move away from Torino.
Putting away nine goals and seven assists by the halfway stage of the 2013/14 season, a clutch of Premier League sides were said to be interested in securing the winger's services, according to Nick Lustig in the Daily Star.
Excellent under Giampiero Ventura at Stadio Olimpico, Cerci left Torino over the summer to join Atletico Madrid. "He will contribute speed, goals and he's going to give us more alternatives in our attacking play," said the side's sporting director Jose Luis Perez Caminero on BBC Sport.
Despite the hoopla that accompanied his €15 million move to Vicente Calderon, Cerci failed to make an impression—making just one start in all competitions (a Copa del Rey tie against Segunda Division side CE L'Hospitalet) and racking up just 120 minutes of La Liga football and 39 minutes in the Champions League.
It's little wonder that the 27-year-old found himself back in the rumour mill this winter, with the Express' David Wright claiming that Manchester United, Arsenal and Inter Milan were all potential destinations.
However, it was AC Milan who came calling, with the Italy international penning an 18-month loan deal at San Siro and telling the media (h/t ESPNFC.com) that he is "delighted" with the move.
Cerci will be hoping to rediscover the form that saw him score a personal best of 13 goals and 12 assists in Serie A last season.
2. Enzo Perez, Benfica to Valencia
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It's no surprise that Enzo Perez attracted a long line of would-be suitors and plenty of media hype before his January 2015 move from Benfica to Valencia.
The 28-year-old was named Primeira Liga's Player of the Year in 2013/14—a season in which he won the Liga, the Taca de Portugal and Taca da Liga and impressed en route to Benfica's Europa League final, not to mention Argentina's World Cup quarter-final, semi-final and eventual final against Germany.
Prior to the World Cup, Perez was being linked with both Manchester United and Valencia, the player telling Argentinian TV station TyC Sports (h/t Simon Rice in The Independent): "There are negotiations between other clubs and Benfica about me. I know that Valencia and Manchester United are interested. There are serious possibilities to leave after the World Cup."
Despite signing a renewed contract with Benfica and stating his intention to stay, per SkySports.com, interest ran throughout the summer months, yet the central midfielder was still at Estadio da Luz when the 2014/15 season kicked off.
As winter approached, Perez was again linked with Manchester United, as reported in Portuguese newspaper A Bola (h/t Metro). But it was soon to be announced that the former Estudiantes man was on his way to Mestalla, to sign for Los Che.
As seen in the Guardian on January 2, Perez thanked the Valencia board and owner Peter Lim, "for believing in me and for waiting these six months."
1. Martin Odegaard, Stromsgodset IF to Real Madrid
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Prior to inking a deal with Real Madrid, Martin Odegaard was being linked with a move to Liverpool, Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Ajax, to name a few—as reported in The Telegraph.
Any fresh-faced young player, who is regularly dubbed as a "wonderkid," is due to receive a lot of attention in the transfer window. These players provide easy fodder for the rumour mill, eager to have new names and gossip within its grip.
In Odegaard's case, he played for a club that most of us (go on, admit it) know nothing about—Stromsgodset in the Norwegian Tippeligaen—and when he put pen to paper with Carlo Ancelotti's side in a £2.3 million deal, it caused a great deal of brouhaha.
The commotion that followed the 16-year-old's move was largely based on the fact that he had made just 25 appearances for Godset before signing for a reported £80,000-a-week (per Daily Mail) at Madrid.
As The Telegraph's Ben Bloom put it: "Money is what it now comes down to. As soon as Real Madrid decided to pay a reported annual salary in excess of £4 million to a boy who is not allowed to drink spirits in his home country for another four years they placed an almighty bounty on his head."
Cue stories, as seen on Eurosport.com, that Odegaard's arrival had "caused anger" among some of Madrid's youth players, not to mention concerns that the move will affect his development as a player.
Norway's youngest debutant and international goalscorer has already stirred up a great deal of hype. We feel there is a lot more to come.
All player and transfer information sourced on Transfermarkt.com, unless stated otherwise.
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