European football’s January transfer window was relatively quiet as clubs were wary of falling foul of the spending rules. Everton were handed a heavy punishment for breaking Financial Fair Play rules, and though the penalty was later reduced, the Toffees are in danger of another point’s deduction.
However, there were some exciting signings in the winter transfer window to make things more exciting for football fans. This is especially true for the Premier League, which is widely regarded as the best football league in the world. The sporting spectacle is the best in the English league but also there is the option of betting to spice up the whole experience. That’s why there are many who are always looking to find the best betting site in South Africa.
1- Radu Dragusin
Tottenham Hotspur looked in big trouble when their best player Harry Kane headed to Germany to join Bayern Munich in August. Daniel Levy had tried his best to extend the stay of the England international but the 30-year-old was intent on going.
However, Ange Postecoglou has completely changed the mood around the club. The Australian hasn’t only been delivering results on the pitch but his attacking brand of football has been enormously popular with the supporters.
Postecoglou’s work looked to have impressed the hierarchy who decided to back in the winter transfer window. All the other English clubs were very cautious in spending due to Financial Fair Play concerns, but Spurs forked out £26.7 million to secure the services of Radu Dragusin. The 22-year-old’s huge development at Genoa caught the attention of many top European clubs, including Bayern and Napoli. But the Lilywhites won the transfer race for the talented centre-back, who hasn’t exactly hit the ground running at Tottenham but is expected to be a big success in future.
2- Timo Werner
Timo Werner proved to be a big failure at Chelsea. The 28-year-old joined the Blues in a £47.5 million deal in 2020 from RB Leipzig but failed to make a major impact in West London. In 89 appearances across all tournaments, the forward notched only 23 goals. He was hailed for his blistering pace and energy but his lack of finishing was a huge drawback. Chelsea sanctioned his return to Leipzig in 2022 following his two-year stint at Stamford Bridge.
Despite his failure in England, Tottenham have decided to give him another opportunity to shine in the Premier League. And so far their decision has proved to be correct as the 28-year-old is starting to perform well for the club. He has scored goals in his previous two outings against Crystal Palace and Aston Villa, with the left winger starting five top-flight games and having four goal contributions to his name.
3- Morgan Rogers
Manager Unai Emery has turned Aston Villa into quite a force in the English Premier League since replacing Steven Gerrard in the hot seat in November 2022. The Spaniard failed in his previous stint in England with Arsenal but he has been very successful with Villa. He guided the Lions to a seventh-place finish in the 2022-23 season and are currently on course for another brilliant campaign. They are bidding to finish in the Champions League places and at one point looked in contention for the Premier League title.
Unlike the other top-flight clubs, Villa had a relatively busy winter transfer window. They managed to secure the signature of Morgan Rogers from Middlesbrough but negotiations for the 21-year-old were not easy.
The Championship outfit was very unwilling to part with one of their best assets in the middle of the season. Villa’s three bids were turned down by Middlesbrough but they kept pursuing the forward. Eventually, their persistence paid off as they pulled off a £15 million move for the talented youngster.
Rogers has made three Premier League appearances off the bench so far, but it is very early days for the player. The 21-year-old started his career at West Bromwich Albion before joining Manchester City in 2019. He couldn’t earn his senior debut at the Etihad Stadium and ended up going to Middlesbrough last summer. But that move did a world of good for his career.
4- Jadon Sancho
Jadon Sancho came with a big reputation to Manchester United in 2021 but he failed to meet expectations at Old Trafford. The England international was banished from the first team after a public spat with manager Erik ten Hag.
United decided to loan him back to Borussia Dortmund in January in a bid to revive his career. Sancho has similarities to his game to Lionel Messi, arguably the greatest player on the planet and so popular that even there is a huge interest in the is Messi autistic story.
However, the 23-year-old has endured a difficult start to life back in Germany although he did break his scoring duck in the Bundesliga against Werder Bremen at the weekend.
Dortmund have the option to make Sancho’s move permanent in the summer but the finances involved could prove to be too much for the German side.