Why PL clubs are not spending in the January transfer window
The January transfer window is open and is another time for clubs to bolster their squad and prepare for the second half of the campaign.
All over Europe, teams are making the most of the window to correct the shortcomings they noticed in their squad in the first half of the season.
Premier League clubs spend the most money on new signings in every transfer window, and their fans expected that to be the case this month.
The first half of the season was tough for most clubs in the competition, and they could do better in this half of the campaign if they can strengthen their group further this month.
The Premier League clubs have a lot of money to spend, and sometimes it seems their spending has no limits.
However, we have not seen many of them splash the cash on new players in this transfer window, which is surprising.
Teams are competing to either win the league, remain in the league or earn a European place, yet not many of them are buying new players.
In truth, the majority of the clubs spending in this market are the teams fighting for relegation, and these teams do not have so much money to burn.
Those around the top of the table have hardly been busy in this transfer window, which will surprise some fans because the second half of the season is an important part in the campaign.
Clubs will begin to understand how much they can achieve before the campaign finishes, so why are they not spending money to add new players to their squad?
Each club has its reason for not making any serious move in this January window, but we have covered what we believe will be a general reason here for Premier League ticket holders.
A lack of preseason could affect performance
One of the best times to sign players is before pre-season because training with their fellow teammates sets the tone for the rest of the season.
When clubs go on pre-season preparations, everyone can buy into the manager’s vision and know the roles meant for them during the campaign.
This is also a time for them to bond with their new teammates and make good friendships.
However, if they are signed in the January transfer window, there is hardly time for that to happen.
This half of the season is a very busy time, and the matches come thick and fast for all the clubs.
There is usually a winter break in all the European leagues, but that is not enough time for new signings to settle in, so there is a high chance of a January signing becoming a flop.
Managers know this and ignore making signings in January to avoid being stuck with a player who will not improve their options and waste precious resources that could have been useful in the summer.
No club sells its best players in January
Just as it is difficult for clubs to make new buys in the winter transfer window, teams do not also release their key men.
On rare occasions, some top players have swapped teams in January, like Fernando Torres’ move from Liverpool to Chelsea.
The Reds agreed to sell Torres to the Blues because that fee was simply too much to turn down, and the Spaniard was already an injury-prone player.
Replacing him with Luis Suarez proved to be an outstanding decision, so the moved paid off for the selling club.
But in most cases, if a club sells its best player in January, they will struggle to meet their end of season goals.
For that reason, no good player changes clubs in the January transfer window, and why will anyone sign a player that is not good enough to make their squad stronger?
When you splash the cash in January on flops, it becomes harder to make signings in the summer when much better players are usually available to purchase.
Clubs have more money to spend in the summer
When teams prepare for the football year, the summer is usually the start, and that is when their budgets are drawn.
Clubs makes funds available for transfers and other activities during that time, making it easy for their managers to sign his best targets.
In January, they have mostly exhausted their budget on signing new players in the summer, so they have to source for more funds to make transfers happen.
Very few financial officers at these clubs will be willing to sanction transfer fees outside their budget for the term because they have been appointed to regulate things like that.
That could lead to problems between them and their manager and usually ends with no player joining until the end of the season.
This time a bigger budget could be drawn, depending on the success of the previous year like qualification for the Champions League etc.
Many managers understand this and do not bother themselves too much with adding new players to their group in January.
Top January Premier League transfer flops
Alexis Sanchez to Manchester United, 2018
Manchester United was desperate to sign a top attacker and struck a swap deal with Arsenal to sign red-hot Alexis Sanchez from the Gunners in January 2018.
The Chilean had been one of the best attackers in the world during his peak at Arsenal, but he was a complete flop at Manchester United after penning a three-year deal worth £560k-per-week.
Fernando Torres to Chelsea, 2011
Liverpool fans have not forgiven Torres for making this stunning transfer to Chelsea in January of 2011, but the Reds made a British record £50 million for an injury-prone striker.
Torres was expected to bring goals to Stamford Bridge, but they dried when he moved to London.
However, he will be remembered for his important goals as Chelsea won the Champions League in 2012.
Kim Kallstrom to Arsenal, 2014
Kallstrom was injured when desperate Arsenal signed him on loan in 2014, but the Gunners were keen on midfield cover and went ahead with the move.
The Swedish international played only a few games because of his fitness and was never remarkable in any of them for Arsene Wenger’s side.
Juan Cuadrado too Chelsea, 2015
Despite having Mohamed Salah in their squad, Chelsea opted to sign Juan Cuadrado permanently from Fiorentina and sent Salah on loan to Florence as a part of the move.
The Colombian failed to settle in London, and after six months, he was back on loan at Juventus. He never came back to the Premier League club.
Andy Carroll to Liverpool 2011
After making a huge fee from selling Torres to Chelsea, Liverpool immediately invested a significant part of it on signing injured Andy Carroll of Newcastle United.
However, that decision turned out terribly, as Carroll failed to recapture his form in the first half of the term.
He was never good enough for the Reds and soon left the club to enjoy a journeyman career.
Benni McCarthy to West Ham 2010
McCarthy is nowadays one of the most important coaching figures at Manchester United, but the striker did not do well during his spell at West Ham in the Premier League.
He won the Champions League at FC Porto in 2004 and won over some hearts during a spell at Blackburn.
But when he moved to West Ham on loan in 2010, he flopped and did not score in the Premier League for the Hammers, who badly needed goals.
