5 most expensive transfers of the 2022 January transfer window
The January transfer window is often viewed as an opportunity for teams to strengthen their lineups for the last few months of the campaign. Despite not being as hyped as the summer window, the winter transfer season brings its own excitement to the table.
Football clubs have reverted to their previous state after being rocked by the pandemic for two years. Clubs like Barcelona and Liverpool have made big-money acquisitions to bolster their attack.
Clubs splashed the cash in 2022 winter transfer window
In the January transfer window of 2022, several clubs went on a shopping spree. As many as 25 players were bought for more than €10 million, six of which cost over €30 million.
On the other hand, only 16 players were purchased for a fee of €10 million or more in last year’s winter window. None of these 16 players were bought for more than €30 million.
These figures prove that clubs are slowly returning to a stable financial state. As expected, Premier League clubs were the biggest spenders. 13 of the 25 players costing more than €10 million will now ply their trade in the English top-flight.
Let's see how many of those players feature in the five most expensive signings of the 2022 winter transfer window.
#5 Lucas Digne - €30 million to Aston Villa
Kicking off this list is Lucas Digne, who has moved from one Premier League team to another. Aston Villa conducted some great business this January, obtaining the services of left-back Digne for a transfer fee of €30 million, alongside some other big names.
Digne was among the best left-backs in the Premier League during his time at Everton. The Frenchman has a knack for creating chances, and this was on show during his Aston Villa debut. Digne set up Buendia against his former club at Goodison Park.
Lucas Digne has more assists against Everton than for Everton this season.
He joined Aston Villa nine days ago 😅 https://t.co/q4rvxLUWee
Considering his track record for Everton and France, €30 million seems a fair price for Digne and he will be a good addition to his new club. The Villans have already looked impressive under Steven Gerrard and it will be interesting to see how the likes of Digne and Philippe Coutinho perform at Villa Park.
#4 Bruno Guimaraes - €42.1 million to Newcastle United
Newcastle United fans finally got first-hand experience of the purchasing power of their new owners. The club, fuelled by the Saudi Arabian-based Public Investment Fund, splashed the cash in a bid to stay in the Premier League next season.
Highly-rated midfielder Bruno Guimaraes was part of their winter wishlist. The Brazilian is one of the most exciting players in this position. The Magpies had to shell out upwards of €40 million to persuade Lyon to allow Guimaraes to leave.
Bruno Guimarães' $45M move from Lyon to Newcastle is a done deal, per @FabrizioRomano https://t.co/qHEqlibTY1
The 24-year-old is equally adept at defensive midfield and central midfield. Unlike most defensive midfielders, Guimaraes is pretty creative as well. This term, he has racked up six assists in Ligue 1 and UEFA Europa League matches. Apart from him, Newcastle also signed Chris Wood, Kieran Trippier and Dan Burn.