The transfer window is now open and although there haven’t been too many deals struck so
far, there is plenty of time for some shocks and surprises.
The January window is a chance for
managers to strengthen their squads, but it’s also an opportunity for forgotten
players to chase a new club and revitalise their careers. So far, Liverpool
have finally got their man after signing Southampton and Netherlands
centre-back Virgil van Dijk; making him the most expensive defender. The
spending will not stop there — as Premier League clubs break open their
transfer war-chests in a bid to guarantee success or stave off the threat of
relegation.
And it is likely that the record £225m
clubs spent during the crazy transfer scramble of January 2011 will be
shattered.
The Premier League season is halfway and
it’s already clear which club needs what. Manchester City appears to be running
away with the title, while a host of clubs look set to fight to avoid the drop.
And, with a record five English clubs also through to the last 16 of this
season’s Champions League, elite managers such as Pep Guardiola, Jose Mourinho,
Antonio Conte, Jurgen Klopp and Mauricio Pochettino will be looking for
reinforcements to help them bring the European Cup back to this country for the
first time since 2012. Transfer window spending is threatening to be higher
than ever before, with plenty of stars expected to switch between top flight
clubs.
However, there are also several huge stars from abroad eyeing up
Premier League deals.
And
with Premier League survival now worth a minimum of £100m, clubs at the
opposite end of the table will be under pressure to speculate in a bid to
accumulate precious points.
