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The January window opened to a lot of speculations as usual. Manchester United needed a defender, among a host of other players, however, Solskjaer's appointment also hinted at other recruitment. All the big clubs were expected to have varying degrees of involvement and as we head to the halfway mark of the window, there have been quite a few interesting developments.
While the rumours continue to surface with each passing day, today we take a look at the three biggest confirmed moves in January so far.
#3 Cesc Fabregas (Chelsea to Monaco)
Fabregas' time at Chelsea has come to an end. The Spanish midfielder has secured a move to Monaco to join his former teammate and mentor Thierry Henry, who is in charge of the Ligue 1 side. The transfer fee has not been disclosed by either party, but it has been revealed by BBC that Monaco will not pay any fee to the Premier League side, instead, they will pay bonuses depending on how Fabregas performs at his new club.
The Spaniard is a product of the fabled La Masia, the Barcelona academy, where he graduated with Lionel Messi. In 2003 he joined Arsenal and played for the Gunner for 8 years until 2011 when he returned to Barcelona. However, his stay at the Catalans was not fruitful and in 2014, Fabregas returned to the Premier League, this time in the colours of Chelsea.
In his first season at Chelsea, the Spaniard was phenomenal, raking up 19 assists from 34 games in the Premier League. He finished the season with 24 assists and 5 goals from 47 games as Chelsea won the Premier League. It remains his best return for the Blues. Fabregas won two Premier Leagues, one FA Cup and one League Cup during his time at Stamford Bridge.
At Monaco, his first challenge will be to save his club from the pangs of relegation. The Ligue 1 side are currently 19th in the table and have won just 3 of the 18 games so far this season. Hopefully, Fabregas' arrival will turn their year around.
#2 Benjamin Pavard (Stuttgart to Bayern Munich)
Benjamin Pavard became a household name in the summer of 2018 when he played a stellar role for the France National Team that went on to win the 2018 FIFA World Cup. The Frenchman himself earned a lot of accolades for his performances and his goal against Argentina was voted as the goal of the tournament.
It was surprising that Pavard continued to be a part of the Stuttgart team at the end of the summer transfer window because he had attracted a lot of attention from the top clubs in Europe.
The Frenchman has finally decided on his next move at the start of the winter transfer window and will join the Bundesliga Champions in the summer. Pavard has signed a 5-year contract with Bayern and will be joining them on 1st July 2019. The 22-year-old has appeared 72 times for Stuttgart since joining them from Lille ahead of the 2016/17 season.
Pavard has reportedly cost Bayern around €35m, but he will be a fine addition to a team that has struggled this season.
#1 Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund to Chelsea)
The biggest news of the transfer window so far has been Chelsea securing the services of young sensation Christian Pulisic. The American has been fabulous for Borussia Dortmund this season and has been one of the best young talents in Europe.
Chelsea reacted the quickest and got their man as the transfer window opened. He has cost the Blues £58m and has been loaned back to Dortmund for the rest of the season
Pulisic is a creative midfielder who excels in the No. 10 role, as he mixes his speed with dribbling skills to beat his opponents. He is equally adept at playing on both sides of the field, because of his two-footed abilities, but has played mostly in the right wing for Dortmund this season.
The American's signing might be a hint at Eden Hazard's long term future at Stamford Bridge. Pulisic is seen as a player with similar abilities who can thrive in the Premier League, and he could even be the Belgian's replacement as Real Madrid continue to have Hazard on their radar. However, only time will tell if Pulisic will be a success at Stamford Bridge.
Which of these three will have the biggest impact at their new clubs? Let us know in the comments.
