With the 2014-15 Premier League season well into its second half of fixtures, and a title race beginning to solidify at the top end of the table, the winter transfer window was set to be extremely important for clubs to strengthen their squads as they push towards the last part of the season.
However, this transfer window ended rather uneventfully. The main transfer news revolved around Chelsea, who are already sitting at the top of the table and were looking to supplement an already outstanding defense with new attacking players. The big-money transfer that had been rumored since early January was the acquisition of Colombian winger Juan Cuadrado’s, who transferred from Fiorentina yesterday for an estimated 35 million pounds.
With Cuadrado coming into a Chelsea midfield that’s already occupied by Hazard, Oscar, and Willian, the move sparked two players to transfer from Chelsea. The first was Mohamed Salah, who is now out on loan in Serie A with Fiorentina. The second was André Schurrle, who was sold to Wolfsburg immediately following the Cuadrado transfer. At the beginning of his career, Schurrle had an amazing pedigree, and was considered one of the most talented young players in the world. His talent was undeniable in the World Cup, but he has never found a permanent spot in the Chelsea lineup. A move to Wolfsburg may be in his best interest, as he will be playing alongside Kevin de Bruyne, another ex-Chelsea midfielder who will probably become a dynamic partner for Schurrle in the Bundesliga.
Another team that was desperate to get deals done this window was Manchester United, who were so short on defenders this past fall that they had Michael Carrick as well as 18 year old Patty McNair holding down their back line. Rumors were that both Mats Hummels of Borussia Dortmund and Raphael Varane of Real Madrid were on their way to Manchester. Van Gaal did manage to sign Hummels, who will arrive in the summer, but did not successfully sign any central defenders this window that will be able to have an immediate impact, leaving his defense slim for the rest of the campaign.
Other transfers included: Aaron Lennon to Everton on season loan and Wilfried Zaha to Crystal Palace for 5 million and a 5-year contract.
This summer will most likely be a more lively transfer window, with rumors about a possible move for Messi, as well as a potential return to the Premier League for Gareth Bale.
