By Ayodele Odumade Over the years, after the advent of the Bosman Ruling, the January transfer window is one of the most anticipated times in football in Europe. The reason for this is that it gives the clubs a chance to freshen up the team with new talents, and at the same time it provides them with an opportunity to move some players on, to balance their books.
Looking at the window carefully though, the question continually asked by critics is if the transfer window is actually worth it or is it just all hype? The answer lies in a bit of both.
If a club like Barcelona is looking for a striker in the January window, the aim is to try and find a striker they can use in the European Champions League, who is not already cup tied. This may or may not be possible if the player is bought from a club who are also participating in Europe. In comparison, this issue does not arise in the August window because the group stages of the Champions League do not commence until September. However, the fact that a player is cup tied will not necessarily discourage clubs from buying such a player because they could use him solely in the league and might just be forward planning for the following season.
What effect do these January transfers have on clubs in Europe? Sometimes it makes the players over priced because the selling club knows that the buying club desperately needs the player in question. Some clubs may decide to wait till the end of the season when they might be able to obtain the services of the player at a “cheaper price�.
However, sometimes it may be cheaper to purchase a player identified in the January window because a bidding war may arise with other clubs for the player in question at the end of the season. It must also not be forgotten that agents play a big part in the transfer of players. January is usually a busy time for them because they represent the selling club, buying club and the player. Sometimes there might even be a conflict of interest where the agent may represent more than one side in a 88