Paris (AFP) – While Premier League clubs have been relatively subdued in the January transfer window, Germany has led the way on the continent, with Borussia Dortmund’s signing of Erling Braut Haaland the biggest name snapped up in the Bundesliga’s winter shopping spree.
Like in England and Scotland, the transfer window closes in Germany, Spain, Italy and France on Friday evening, but the most notable deals in Europe happened before January had begun.
Haaland, the 19-year-old Norwegian prodigy, agreed his move from RB Salzburg in late December. He has scored five goals in just two appearances for his new club.
“The market is limited, the supply of players is limited and the willingness to let someone go is also limited,” claimed Dortmund sporting director Michael Zorc, but they got their man for an initial transfer fee of around 20 million euros ($22 million), not including other payments built into the deal.
Fellow German title contenders RB Leipzig have also splashed out on a promising young talent, recruiting Spanish under-21 star Dani Olmo from Dinamo Zagreb for a similar fee.
German clubs have spent over 150 million euros on transfer fees alone in this window, with much of that coming from the ambitious Hertha Berlin. On Thursday the capital club, coached by Jurgen Klinsmann, announced the signing of Polish striker Krzysztof Piatek from AC Milan.
– Barcelona, Atletico miss out on striker –
In Spain, meanwhile, the window has proved something of a damp squib for La Liga’s leading clubs.
Real Madrid and Barcelona stayed relatively quiet, and the more interesting deals were done elsewhere, including Paco Alcacer moving to Villarreal from Dortmund, and maverick former France international Hatem Ben Arfa surprisingly arriving at Valladolid.
Both Barcelona and Atletico Madrid failed in their pursuit of a striker. Indeed, Barca spent the start of the new year preoccupied with changing their coach, as Quique Setien replaced Ernesto Valverde in the dugout.
The Catalans did want Valencia striker Rodrigo Moreno but negotiations broke down, while Atletico’s hopes of signing Edinson Cavani from Paris Saint-Germain also ended in disappointment.
Instead Atletico — 10 points behind La Liga leaders Real and with just 22 goals scored in 21 games — have brought Belgian winger Yannick Carrasco back for a second spell as he joins on loan from Chinese outfit Dalian Yifang.
– PSG hold on to Cavani –
Atletico had been prepared to pay up to 15 million euros for Cavani, but even that amount could not persuade PSG to part with a striker who is out of favour and will be out of contract at the season’s end.
from World Soccer Talk https://ift.tt/3aZOfmO
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