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Transfer windows are chaotic and crazy. Earlier, January windows used to have a lot less activity. But now teams are determined to address squad issues or increase depth in January and thus there are a lot more transfers. That makes it difficult to keep up with all the moves in the window. So here are 10 interesting under-the-radar transfers in the January transfer window that you might have missed.
#10 Ilaix Moriba (RB Leipzig to Valencia)
Ilaix Moriba is back in Spain six months after his unceremonious departure from Barcelona after a contract dispute. He's currently on loan to Valencia from RB Leipzig, where he was continually overlooked. At Valencia, he replaces the outgoing Daniel Wass.
Under Jose Bordalas, he will get another chance to show his ample potential. He will slot right into the center of the park in either a 4-4-2 or a 3-5-2 formation, depending on which the manager chooses.
#9 Samuele Ricci (Empoli to Torino)
An up-and-coming defensive midfielder, Samuele Ricci moved from Empoli to Torino on loan. The-20-year-old is an excellent controller of the ball and is very smart at finding passing lanes. He is impressive at winning the ball back too; only Aurelien Tchouameni and Declan Rice completed more tackles and interceptions than Ricci among U23 midfielders this season.
Torino have massively improved this year and this loan could help them push for Europe. For Ricci, these 6 months could put him on the radar of the biggest clubs.
#8 Borja Mayoral (Roma to Getafe)
Getafe looked doomed at the start of the season when they just couldn't manage to win a game. Subsequent managerial changes and an upturn in form have meant that they find themselves outside the relegation zone, recently having beaten Real Madrid.
That being said, their biggest Achilles heel has been goalscoring. They are the second lowest scorers in the league.
The arrival of Borja Mayoral can help address this. The former Real Madrid player found himself out of favor in the Italian capital despite scoring 10 league goals last season. A good six months can be highly beneficial for both parties here. Mayoral moved to Getafe on a joint loan deal from Roma, alongside Gonzalo Villar.
#7 Matias Arezo (River Plate Montevideo to Granada)
Only 19 year of age, Matias Arezo has been a real gem in South American football. He has already played 91 games and made 51 goal contributions for River Plate. Spoken very highly of in Uruguay, it will be interesting to see how he copes with European football. Atletico Madrid have had their eye on him for a long time and their fans were furious that the club missed out on him.
Strong, skilful and sharp, Arezo is a real menace to deal with for defenders and he cost a mere €3.2 million. He's also a ferocious presser. Given his qualities, it is hardly surprising that he has been called the next 'Luis Suarez'. With him and Colombian Luis Suarez in their side, Granada could be a team to watch out for.
#6 Ricardo Pepi ( FC Dallas to Augsburg)
Every once in a while, there is a lot of talk about some American youngster in football. Ricardo Pepi is the latest in line. Pepi is a sharp penalty box poacher with a ruthless natural finishing instinct. He is also a remarkably hard worker off the ball.
The 19-year-old scored 16 and assisted four in just 59 appearances for FC Dallas, most of which were off the bench. Augsburg is a good place for him to get used to the way the game is played in Europe without a huge amount of scrutiny. The transfer cost €16 million. Pepi has also scored three in seven games for the US national team.
#5 Jonas Wind (FC Copenhagen to Wolfsburg)
Wolfsburg lost their long-time talisman Wout Weghorst to Burnley in this transfer window. So they brought in two strikers - Max Kruse and Jonas Wind. Kruse is a known quantity, having been around for a few years now. Wind is the more interesting transfer.
The 6"3' striker, like Weghorst, is superb in the air. He is also technically adept, which can be seen in his proficient dribbling and chance creation. The 21-year-old's best attribute, however, seems to be his positional intelligence which helps him to get into good shooting positions.
Off the ball, Wind leads the press. He already has 11 goals and 6 assists in 27 appearances this season for Copenhagen. Wind was part of the Denmark side that made the semifinals of the Euros last summer.
#4 Hassane Kamara (Nice to Watford)
When you are trying to keep up with the richest club in the world, you need proper reinforcements. That's exactly what Watford have done by signing Hassane Kamara this summer. The Ivorian left back, who made 11 appearances for Nice in Ligue 1 will provide some much-needed solidity to the Watford backline.
He completes around eight defensive actions a game, a much-needed boost for the Hornets, who are yet to keep a clean sheet this season. Kamara joins the sizeable African contingent at Vicarage Road for just €5 million. The fact that they could attract him from Nice, who are 2nd in Ligue 1, while themselves being in the relegation zone is a testament to the pull of the Premier League.
#3 Cedric Bakambu (Free agent to Marseille)
Under Jorge Sampaoli, Marseille are an aggressive, exciting team who are in the race for the top 4. However they simply lack one thing: goals. Although Marseille are 3rd in the league, seven teams have outscored them. Their top scorer is Dimitri Payet with eight goals, of which five have come from set pieces.
To address this, they have bought Cedric Bakambu, a free agent who last played for Beijing Guoan in China. The striker had made 79 goal contributions in 87 games for the Chinese club. His record for Villarreal in La Liga previously was also great. He had scored 31 in 75 games in the Spanish league. Bakambu made an instant impact at Marseille, scoring a minute after coming on against Lens on his debut on 23 January.
#2 Jeremie Boga (Sassuolo to Atalanta)
Over recent years, Atalanta have come to be known for their scintillating attacking play. That being said, this season their powers seem to have waned. Papu Gomez has left and Ilicic and Zapata are aging and injury prone. So to reinvigorate their attack, they have signed Jeremie Boga from Sassuolo on loan with an obligation to purchase.
Hailing from Chelsea's youth system, Boga is a player who can bring fans to the edge of their seats. Although he managed 11 league goals in the 2019-20 season, his end product needs more fine tuning.
What sets him apart from most players, though, is his dribbling. Last year, he completed a phenomenal 3.32 dribbles per game to go with 9.30 progressive carries. There's no doubt the that Ivorian 25-year-old needs to improve his goal and assist tallies but who better to bring it out of him than Gasperini and Atalanta?
#1 Jonathan Ikone (Lille to Fiorentina)
Much of the conversation around Fiorentina this window has been about the sale of Vlahovic and his replacements Cabral and Piatek. But earlier in the window, La Viola managed to add Jonathan Ikone of Lille to their ranks for just €14 million.
The former PSG academy graduate played an instrumental role in Lille beating the Parisiens to the Ligue 1 title last season. Playing as a right midfielder in a 4-4-2 system, he played in 37 games and got nine goal contributions. The 23-year-old can drift in-field as well as stretch the play by staying wide. He will replace the aging Jose Callejon in Florence.
