Top 5 transfers in January: Looking at Europe's top five leagues
The January transfer window has finally come to a close. It has been a very busy winter transfer window this time around and clubs have been really busy strengthening themselves for the second half of the season.
There were a large number of late deals which materialised in the last 48 hours of the transfer window. Most clubs were involved in the frenzy, starting from the heavyweights like Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich to the minnows like Sheffield United and Hertha Berlin which shows that the ambition of clubs in Europe is increasing day by day. It was exciting to see several players move across clubs to complete deals.
In this article, let's take a look at the top five transfers, one per each top five leagues done in this transfer window.
#5 Ligue 1 (Lyon) - Bruno Guimaraes
Bruno Guimaraes is one of the most highly-rated midfielders in his age group. The 22-year-old was linked to multiple clubs across Europe, namely, Arsenal, Atletico Madrid and Olympique Lyon. Ultimately, the French club, known for their excellent work with young players in recent years, managed to convince him of their project and he decided to continue his development with them.
He signed a four-and-half-year deal with Lyon worth €20 million from Brazilian outfit Club Athletico Paranaense. Lyon utilised funds from the sale of Lucas Tousart to Hertha Berlin to secure the signature of Guimaraes.
He can play both as a central and a defensive midfielder and has got great tenacity which makes him be a dominant force in midfield. The Brazil Under-23 international is not afraid to make tackles and is very calm and composed on the ball. He's got a good passing vision and can be the perfect replacement for Tousart in the long run.