2018 Winter Transfer Window Highlights

Published on February 1st, 2018 7:42pm EST
Written By: Ariel Noel
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It has been an eventful January transfer window in the world of European football. The number of star players that changed clubs this winter, as well as the amount of money that changed hands, were definitely on the high side.

Seven out of the top ten largest transfers, by value, involved players who found their new home within the realm of the English Premier League. Another proof of the financial dominance by English club football.

Before we look at some numbers, here are the well-known names that changed clubs this winter:

Philippe Coutinho - Liverpool to Barcelona
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - Dortmund to Arsenal
Alexis Sanchez - Arsenal to Manchester United
Henrikh Mkhitaryan - Manchester United to Arsenal
Lucas Moura - PSG to Tottenham
Olivier Giroud - Arsenal to Chelsea
Diego Costa - Chelsea to Atletico
Aymeric Laporte - Athletic Bilbao to Man City
Virgil van Dijk - Southampton to Liverpool
Ross Barkley - Everton to Chelsea
Theo Walcott - Arsenal to Everton
Daniel Sturridge - Liverpool to West Brom
Michy Batshuayi - Chelsea to Dortmund

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The total spend this January was €913m. Last year, during the same period, it was €741.m.

The highest transfer of the winter was Philippe Coutinho's move from Liverpool to Barcelona, worth €120m. Liverpool spent a good chunk of that money to buy themselves a much needed center-back Virgil van Dijk from Southampton for €78.8m. This was the highest ever fee paid for a defender.

Arsenal had a very interesting transfer season in which they lost their star forwards, Alexis Sanchez and Olivier Giroud, while strengthening their squad with the talented ex-Borussia Dortmund duo Aubameyang and Mkhitaryan.

Tottenham Hotspur landed the explosive Brazilian winger Lucas Moura. Diego Costa finally made it back to Atletico Madrid. And both Manchester clubs reinforced, with Alexis Sanchez going to United and Aymeric Laporte to City.

Thanks to Barcelona FC, the Spanish La Liga was the highest net spending league in Europe at -€113m, followed by the English Premier League at -€107m. Every other big European league either broke even or was net positive.

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It will be interesting to see how the new arrivals settle at their new clubs, with the World Cup in Russia being only a few short months away.