By Reuters
Manchester City easily topped the spending charts in the January transfer window with the signing of Spanish midfielder Nico Gonzalez on Deadline Day to complete a busy month for the ailing Premier League champions.
City have endured a testing time on the pitch and sit fifth in the Premier League table with their hopes of a record-extending fifth successive domestic championship in tatters.
But the rebuild appears to have started in earnest with more than 180 million pounds ($223.58 million) spent by Pep Guardiola’s outfit — more than the combined amount paid by the other 19 English top-flight clubs in a relatively quiet window.
City’s spending was the second-biggest outlay ever worldwide by a club in the January transfer window behind Chelsea’s 274 million pounds in 2023, according to Transfermarkt.
City paid Porto 60 million euros ($62.06 million) for 23-year-old Gonzalez — their fourth major signing in the window.
Defender Abdukodir Khusanov joined from Lens for 33 million pounds, Egypt forward Omar Marmoush arrived from Eintracht Frankfurt for 59 million pounds while defender Vitor Reis was signed from Palmeiras for 29 million pounds.
It is quite a change of direction by City who usually do not feel the need to make big signings in mid-season. The last time they made a significant signing in January was 2018 when they brought in Athletic Bilbao defender Aymeric Laporte.
While fullback Kyle Walker left to join AC Milan on loan, Guardiola will be content that his squad has been bolstered for the second half of a campaign that features a looming Champions League playoff against Real Madrid for a last-16 spot.
While City splashed the cash, Premier League leaders Liverpool made no signings and second-placed Arsenal also failed to bolster their forward line despite injuries to Gabriel Jesus and Bukayo Saka.
Aston Villa cashed in on Colombia striker Jhon Duran for whom Al-Nassr paid 64 million pounds but manager Unai Emery will be satisfied that Manchester United forward Marcus Rashford joined last week on loan.
Three-times Champions League winner Marco Asensio has also arrived at Villa Park on loan from Paris St Germain in a deal completed on Deadline Day.
SPURS SIGNINGS
Injury-plagued Tottenham Hotspur began the transfer window by signing Czech goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky from Slavia Prague for 12 million pounds and concluded it by agreeing to take winger Mathys Tel on loan from Bayern Munich.
Manchester United fans may be left wondering whether they have been weakened in the window with Anthony also going out on loan to Real Betis and no forwards coming in.
Champions League qualification hopefuls Nottingham Forest have often been frenetic in past January windows but this time spent virtually nothing. Some of their rivals in the battle to qualify for Europe did strengthen though.
Brighton & Hove Albion signed Paraguayan midfielder Diego Gomez from Inter Miami for 12 million pounds and also spent 20 million pounds on Greek defender Stefanos Tzimas, who will stay at Nuremberg for the rest of the season.
Previous big spenders Chelsea kept their powder dry while Newcastle United were also inactive in January, both wary of staying within Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR).
Of teams involved in the Premier League relegation battle, Wolverhampton Wanderers strengthened their defence with Emmanuel Agbadou joining from Reims and Burkina Faso international Nasser Djiga signing on Deadline Day from Red Star Belgrade.
Elsewhere in Europe it was a quiet month of trading although Paris St Germain did buy exciting Georgia winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia from Napoli for 70 million euros ($72.25 million)and handed him the number seven shirt vacated by Kylian Mbappe.
