Football News

    12 January transfer deals you might have missed so far, from Luis Suarez to Chelsea’s new forward

    By Ben Green

    12 January transfer deals you might have missed so far, from Luis Suarez to Chelsea’s new forward

    Published: 10:41, 5 January 2023

    The January transfer window has rolled around again, offering managers a chance to bolster their options and bring in reinforcements mid-season.

    Already there has been some major activity over the festive period and into the New Year with Cristiano Ronaldo completing a move to Saudi Arabian side Al-Nassr for a reportedly eye-watering €200m-per-year contract, while Liverpool have couriered £35m to PSV for Cody Gakpo’s services.

    The winter window is less than a week old, but business has been carried out at a typically relentless rate. Below are several transfers that have taken place so far that might have slipped under your radar with all the Ronaldo news, and Liverpool’s pursuit of elite attacking reinforcements.

    Paxten Aaronson

    To: Eintracht Frankfurt

    From: Philadelphia Union

    Fee: £3.3m

    The younger brother of Leeds United attacker Brenden Aaronson, Paxten has joined the cohort of American talent in the Bundesliga by skipping across the pond and relocating to Europa League winners Eintracht Frankfurt. In 2022, the 19-year-old helped the United States win the CONCACAF U-20 Championship, where he won the ‘Golden Boot’, the ‘Golden Ball’ and was selected in the tournament’s ‘Best XI’. He also racked up 42 appearances for Philadelphia Union.

    Luizao

    To: West Ham

    From: Sao Paulo

    Fee: Undisclosed fee

    You get the sense that West Ham are trying to move away from their once erratic and scattergun approach in the market; and instead, are trying to identify hidden talent and a few unearthed gems. When David Moyes rejoined the Hammers for his second tour of duty in east London, he referenced the ‘Red Bull model’ of scouring the globe for untapped talent as a direction he felt the club should go in; a sentiment that was reinforced by the appointment of ex-Man City head of international recruit Rob Newman.

    Luizao is a 6ft 2in, versatile centre-back who will initially join West Ham’s development squad, but with an incentive to fast-track him to the first-team. At 20, he featured 24 times for Sao Paulo in Brazil’s 2022 season and can also play at left-back, a valuable string to his bow given the club’s issues in that position this campaign.

    Guillermo Ochoa

    To: Salernitana

    From: Club America

    Fee: Free transfer

    Mexico’s headband-wearing World Cup cult hero Guillermo Ochoa has once again returned to Europe following a stint back in his homeland with Club America. Now 37, the veteran shot-stopper will be plying his trade in Serie A with Salernitana, where he recently made his debut in a 1-2 defeat against AC Milan.

    Matheus Cunha

    To: Wolves

    From: Atletico Madrid

    Fee: Loan

    Julen Lopetegui has already showcased the full force of his pulling power with the early capture of Matheus Cunha from Atletico Madrid. The eight-capped Brazil international is still only 23 and will be hoping to rediscover his Hertha Berlin form before stagnating in the Spanish capital. Skilful, powerful and creative, Cunha has all the tools to thrive in the Premier League.

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    David Datro Fofana

    To: Chelsea

    From: Molde

    Fee: £10.6m

    Ivory Coast international David Datro Fofana enjoyed a barnstorming 2022 season for Molde, scoring 22 goals in 39 appearances across all competitions. That form naturally alerted Chelsea to his talents, and Graham Potter had no hesitations bringing the 20-year-old to Stamford Bridge. Potter has developed a knack for blooding in and nurturing young talent, and Fofana could flourish under such tutelage, though it remains to be seen how much first-team involvement he will have in the immediate future.

    Ola Solbakken

    To: Roma

    From: Bodo/Glimt

    Fee: Free

    Ola Solbakken scored three times against Roma in last season’s Europa Conference League, including a brace in Bodo/Glimt’s famous 6-1 win. Those exploits obviously left a lasting impression on Jose Mourinho, who has plundered the ranks of his cult nemesis to lure Solbakken to the Eternal City. A pacy and potent winger, the 24-year-old will prove an interesting option for Roma and Mourinho.

    Dejan Lovren

    To: Lyon

    From: Zenit

    Fee: Undisclosed fee

    Dejan Lovren was ever-present as Croatia finished third in the 2022 World Cup — and he even assisted Ivan Perisic for his nation’s equalising finish against Japan in the last 16. His lion-hearted and tenacious showings in Qatar clearly captured the attention of Lyon, who have re-signed the 33-year-old a decade after he initially left for Southampton in 2013.

    Download the new Squawka Live app

    1. Download the Squawka Live app on the App Store or Google Play (here's the link). Currently, the app is available in the UK only.
    2. Follow your favourite sports, teams and leagues to receive notifications.
    3. Compare odds and set alerts for specific match scenarios.
    4. Use Squawka Live as your second screen with real-time updates from free-kicks to blocked shots and offsides.

    Kasper Dolberg

    To: Hoffenheim

    From: Nice

    Fee: Loan

    Kasper Dolberg looked like he had the world at his feet when he was scoring for fun at Ajax in his early years, but that initial promise has dramatically subsided. The now 25-year-old is spending the second half of the 2022/23 campaign on loan at another club after his temporary stint at Sevilla failed to yield much success. Having featured just eight times for Sevilla pre-World Cup, Dolberg has now returned to Nice and been loaned out once again, this time to Hoffenheim.

    Max Wober

    To: Leeds

    From: Red Bull Salzburg

    Fee: £17.7m

    The old adage ‘try before you buy’ clearly isn’t lost on Leeds manager Jesse Marsch, who has just signed his third player from Red Bull Salzburg, his former club. Brenden Aaronson and Rasmus Kristensen were capture in the summer, and Marsch has once again returned to his favourite shopping destination, taking Max Wober up to the counter. The physically-imposing centre-back should help beef up his backline, which has shipped 31 Premier League goals this term — only Nottingham Forest, Bournemouth and Southampton have worse defensive records.

    Luis Suarez

    To: Gremio

    From: Nacional

    Fee: Free

    Following a brief return to boyhood club Nacional and a stint with Uruguay at the World Cup, the ever-polarising but absorbingly-talented Luis Suarez has sought a new adventure by joining Brazilian side Gremio. The soon-to-be 36-year-old still has plenty left in the locker and joins former Liverpool team-mate Lucas Leiva in Porto Alegre.

    Fabio

    To: Gremio

    From: Nantes

    Fee: Undisclosed fee

    Also joining Suarez at the boyhood club of Ronaldinho is former Manchester United left-back Fabio. The 32-year-old spent four years in France following spells with Cardiff City and Middlesbrough post-Old Trafford, but has now settled back in his native Brazil, whom he represented twice at international level in 2011.

    Kevin Schade

    To: Brentford

    From: Freiburg

    Fee: Loan

    Thomas Frank has utilised the loan market to bulk up his attacking ranks. Kevin Schade is a talented 21-year-old winger who was struggling for consistent minutes at Freiburg this term, which certainly wasn’t helped by an abdominal strain that kept him out of action for the first five Bundesliga games. A Germany U21 international (with four goals in five appearances), you just feel Schade is in the right hands with Frank to really develop and hone his craft.

    Download the new Squawka Live app

    1. Download the Squawka Live app on the App Store or Google Play (here's the link). Currently, the app is available in the UK only.
    2. Follow your favourite sports, teams and leagues to receive notifications.
    3. Compare odds and set alerts for specific match scenarios.
    4. Use Squawka Live as your second screen with real-time updates from free-kicks to blocked shots and offsides.

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