9 Strange Transfers in the January 2019 Window

The January transfer window can often be a strange period of the season.

Before the Christmas trees are even down, clubs are panic buying failed strikers, refusing to sell their own star names midway through the campaign, while attempting to hush unsettled squad members who are desperately trying to force through a move.

Therefore, it can often result in several surprising transfers, and January 2019 was no different. Here are nine of our favourites.

Brahim Diaz to Real Madrid The Spanish youngster had only played a handful of games for Manchester City but oddly emerged as one of Los Blancos’ main targets in January. Madrid were so keen on his signature that they were willing to pay £15m for a player who could have been signed for nothing next summer. Diaz went almost immediately into Santiago Solari’s squad for Madrid’s La Liga clash with Real Betis and has already played three games for the reigning European champions. Well, at least City have learnt from their Jadon Sancho experience…

Kiko Casilla to Leeds

It wasn’t just incomings in the Spanish capital that were peculiar. While Real selling their third-choice goalkeeper was not strange, Casilla’s decision to join Leeds United was somewhat out of the ordinary. Given that the 32-year-old stopper has played over 40 games for Madrid, and was once a regular starter for Espanyol in La Liga, few could have expected him to drop down to second-tier football, let alone move to the Championship. Rumours that evil crook Marco Bielsa kidnapped him remain unconfirmed.

Kevin-Prince Boateng to Barcelona Boateng’s career is like a Fifa Pro Club player managed by people of differing ability over the years, and not just because he has been known by several names in that time, one being ‘Prince’. While playing for Tottenham, Dortmund and AC Milan in the past, his last three clubs before Barcelona had been Las Palmas, Eintracht Frankfurt and Sassuolo. Yet somehow, at the age of 31, Boating has earned a move to the Nou Camp for the remainder of the season. Also, he’s now a striker, as if someone just pressed ‘edit’ and changed his position.

Ashley Cole to Derby It might have been a surprise to some that Cole was still playing at all, let alone for Derby. The full-back, who many consider one of the best that has ever played in the Premier League, was last at LA Galaxy, where he’d spent the last three years. When it was announced earlier in the season that Cole had been released by the MLS side, most assumed he would be enjoying his retirement in Los Angeles. Instead he has chosen to move to the Midlands. Erm, good choice Ashley lad.

John Obi Mikel to Middlesbrough Another former Chelsea man to move to the Championship was John Obi Mikel. The Nigerian represented the Blues for 11 years before spending two seasons with Chinese side Tianjin Teda. However, in some senses the move is completely logical given Tony Pulis’ love for possession-based football, right? Mikel, as a renowned sideways passer should really slip seamlessly into the team and help build Middlesbrough’s attempts to play out from the back…

Cedric Soares to Inter The Portuguese international has quickly gone from a struggling Premier League side to a club who were just minutes away from the last 16 of the Champions League. While admittedly, Cedric was one of the stronger players in the Southampton squad he has been far from impressive this season and Inter’s decision to sign the defender is surprising. Even more peculiar is Southampton allowing him to leave on an initial loan, with an option to buy.

Josh Maja to Bordeaux Maja could well be the first player to ever move from League One to Ligue 1. It seemed inevitable that the striker would leave Sunderland this window with speculation linking him to a host of Premier League clubs. However, instead, Maja ended up at Bordeaux. The 20-year-old explained the reasons behind his decision by stating he feels he will be a regular starter with the French side, who boast experienced attackers Jimmy Briand, Yann Karamoh and Andreas Cornelius. There is no possible way Maja will end up on the bench for the remainder of the campaign, or spend next year on loan in the Championship. It’s almost unimaginable.

Bakary Sako to Crystal Palace After being released by Crystal Palace last summer Sako joined West Brom on a free in October, yet just over three months later the winger has again returned to the Eagles. Roy Hodgson must have been mightily impressed with Sako’s showings, in all of his two Championship starts for Albion. Maybe he’s now built up enough fitness to play one whole game a month, maybe he’s learnt how to do more keeps-ups, or maybe the 30-year-old has agreed to pay Palace, not the other way round. Anyway, for some unbeknownst reason Hodgson thinks it’s a good idea to bring Sako back.

Peter Crouch to Burnley In joining Burnley, the 64-year-old has now played for 39 different clubs. Well, close to that number anyway. Crouch’s move to the Clarets is baffling for a number of reasons, mainly that he has scored just three goals in his last 47 league games, and just one in the Championship all season. Yet, Sean Dyche has need for a replacement for Sam Vokes, and with Stoke begging anyone within 100 miles to sign the striker, Burnley have, for some reason, taken them up on that offer.