When it comes to big-money signings, as usual, the English Premier League clubs have done the biggest deals this winter. Since Todd Boehly’s arrival in London, Chelsea have spent a vast sum of cash, while the likes of Liverpool, Newcastle United, and Arsenal have also had their chequebooks out this winter.
In this soccer winter transfer window recap, we take a look back at the biggest deals and how they will impact their clubs in 2023 and beyond. Keep in mind that big soccer moves will always have an impact on your soccer predictions.
The Story So Far
In the Premier League, Arsenal and Manchester City are battling it out for the Premier League title. Many people’s soccer odds are still going on City, but the Gunners will take some stopping. In terms of the UEFA Champions League places, Newcastle and Manchester United look a good bet to finish in the top four, while Liverpool and Chelsea lag behind.
El Clasico rivals Barcelona and Real Madrid are set to battle it out for the title in La Liga this season. Current champions Real trail rivals Barca, who are having a fine season under Xavi. That race could go to the wire.
In Italy, Napoli looks unstoppable right now. Luciano Spalletti’s Partenopei have an unassailable lead at the top after a stunning season so far. Their soccer stats have been incredible all year, and Napoli will surely go on to win their first Serie A title in over 30 years.
Paris Saint-Germain are once again at the top of the Ligue 1 soccer standings, but the Paris giants have not had it all their own way this term. The likes of Lens and Marseille are hot on their heels, ready to pounce on any PSG mistakes.
Last but not least, this season’s title race in the Bundesliga could go the distance. Champions Bayern Munich are top, but Union Berlin, RB Leipzig, and Borussia Dortmund are right behind. The Bavarians will need to be at their best to keep their place at the summit.
The next few months in all five of Europe’s top leagues will be fascinating. There is a busy soccer games scheduled after the mid-season FIFA World Cup, with the European competitions also resuming this month.
How Much Money Has Been Spent?
In the Premier League alone, around $530m was spent in the soccer winter transfer window, which is a record. In the 2022-23 season, $3.5bn has been spent on new transfers in England.
Chelsea have an open chequebook these days, and the London club have done the majority of the spending. On the final day of the window, they broke the British transfer fee for a single player.
Boehly’s Blues spent more money combined than the total of clubs in England, Spain, Germany, Italy and France.
Who Were the Biggest Movers?
Enzo Fernandez – Chelsea
On the final day of the window, Chelsea left it late to get their man from Benfica. Argentina World Cup hero Enzo Fernandez signed on the dotted line at Stamford Bridge for a British-record transfer fee of $131.54m.
Fernandez caught the eye in Qatar with several world-class performances in the heart of Argentina’s midfield, scoring once and winning the Young Player Award. The 22-year-old could have a massive future in west London.
Mykhaylo Mudryk – Chelsea
Weeks before the Fernandez deal, Chelsea paid Shakhtar Donetsk nearly $80m for winger Mykhailo Mudryk, making him the most expensive Ukrainian soccer player of all time. The 22-year-old showed glimpses of his top talent in his debut against Liverpool at Anfield last month.
Mudryk will no doubt be a huge player for Chelsea and Ukraine going forward. If he can hit the ground running in England, Mudryk could turn out to be one of the Premier League’s best attackers.
Cody Gakpo – Liverpool
Right at the start of the soccer winter transfer window, Liverpool wasted little time in bringing Cody Gakpo to Anfield, paying PSV Eindhoven $45m for his services. The young Dutchman was one of the best players at the 2022 World Cup and certainly deserved a big-money move.
From what we have seen so far, it may take time for Gakpo to settle in Merseyside, but the Netherlands international has bags of potential. The Reds have struggled this season, though the Gakpo signing could turn out to be a bright spark.
Anthony Gordon – Newcastle United
Anthony Gordon had a breakthrough season for Everton last year, playing 35 of their 38 Premier League games. His consistent performances for the Toffees earned him a $50m move to big-spending Newcastle in January.
The Magpies are on the rise, reaching the EFL Cup final and sitting in the Champions League places in the Premier League. Now is a very good time to be a Newcastle player, and Gordon could flourish at St James’ Park.
Benoit Badiashile – Chelsea
The big-money deals for Fernandez and Mudryk will get the headlines, but Chelsea also spent $40m on young Benoit Badiashile from Monaco. The France international was a big player in Ligue 1 and is more than capable of becoming one of the best defenders in the Premier League in time.
Badiashile signed a whopping seven-and-a-half-year contract at Stamford Bridge, and the new No. 4 is one for the future. It will be interesting to see how he adapts to English soccer from Ligue 1 in the coming years.
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