Well folks, deadline day is upon us and what have we seen? Not a lot so far…and not a lot in Europe as the top clubs seem to be keeping a tight hold of the purse strings.
The SBOTOP team has been scouring for big deals across Europe’s top leagues but it’s been eerily quiet. And the main reason might well be the slow market in the Premier League, which naturally has a knock on effect across La Liga, Serie A and the Bundesliga. Half way through deadline day only £50m has been spent in the English January window, and that is astonishing after a series of windows in which billions have exchanged hands.
The Premier League clubs are tightening their belts with a close eye on the league’s Profit and Sustainability rules, which Everton and Nottingham Forest have already fallen foul of.
Back in Spain, Real Madrid fans have been getting giddy after the club revealed it would make a stellar announcement on social media on Friday 2nd. Supporters hope the club is finally ready to announce that Paris Saint-Germain star Kylian Mbappe is about to be revealed as a Real Madrid player. Mbappe’s contract at the Parc des Princes expires in the summer and it’s widely thought that he will move to the Santiago Bernabeu…but Los Blancos fans will probably have to be patient.
It seems Real Madrid are about to announce a new sponsorship deal on Friday!
Now, there may not be too much in this but a reputable football magazine in England has suggested that Manchester City’s star striker Erling Braut Haaland would welcome a move to Madrid at some stage of his career as he is getting fed up with the cold and rainy weather in Manchester. That I can understand, but I would be surprised if the Norwegian was ready to move only two years after his arrival; particularly as he ripped up the Premier League records last season and helped the Sky Blues win an historic treble.
The La Liga 2024 betting odds back Los Blancos to win the title in May, so I guess Carlo Ancelotti will be happy to go with what he’s got. Real’s El Clasico rivals Barcelona are still delving in the market though, and they have been in a battle with Tottenham Hotspur in the pursuit of Swedish starlet Lucas Bergvall. The Blaugrana were in the box seat to sign the 17-year-old midfielder but Spurs have emerged as a late suitor for the Djurgardens player who has already won a senior Sweden call up in a friendly win over Estonia in January.
While they are hoping to get a midfielder in, Barca are trying to keep what they have already and the club has been presented with a transfer request from disaffected midfielder Oriol Romeu. The former Girona star has struggled for form, but the Catalans are unlikely to sanction a move so late in the day.
Barcelona may be busy; but this talk of Mbappe and Haaland is little more than footy gossip at the moment, so what solid La Liga 2024 news have we seen so far? Well, I’d say Atletico Madrid and Villarreal are the winners.
Atleti strengthen at the back
Diego Simeone knows how to put a defence together and the Atletico Madrid head coach moved on Wednesday to bring in cover for centre back Jose Giminez, who was injured in Los Rojiblancos’ victory over Valencia last weekend. He has actually raided the Mestalla for Valencia’s Brazilian defender Gabriel Paulista who has signed on loan to play for Los Rojiblancos for the rest of the campaign. The 33-year-old joined Los Ches in 2017 and has played 213 times for the club.
Giminez is expected to be out for three weeks and, with the Madrid derby and a Copa del Rey clash with Athletic Bilbao looming, Simeone has moved quickly.
Atleti also hoped to land striker Moise Kean from Juventus but the move seems to have broken down due to an injury concern. The player has struggled for game time in Turin and I Bianconeri was happy to let him go out on loan and a deal was agreed with Los Rojiblancos, but Kean’s fitness has come under question and the move is off…for now.
Villarreal have been busy in the market, bringing in two players from Wolverhampton Wanderers, Goncalo Guedes and Yerson Mosquera on loan, as well as centre back Eric Bailly from Besiktas, while shipping out struggling striker Ben Brereton Diaz to Sheffield United. Guedes in particular is an exciting capture; the attacking midfielder starred in four seasons for Valencia before moving to Wolverhampton and he is ready to impress again on familiar ground.
Two other moves have caught the eye as Manchester United has sent two players to La Liga. Right winger Facundo Pellestri has gone to Granada on loan after playing for Alaves last season, and midfielder Hannibal Mjebri has already arrived at Sevilla.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE FOOTBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
