Does the Winter Transfer Window Need to Be Amended?
The winter transfer window can be complex.
There are certain aspects that add intricacies to the period.
Loans, clubs not wanting to let go of their player mid-season, and difficult contract negotiations are widespread throughout the window.
The Sports Gazette spoke with Alexander Ndace, a FIFA licensed agent in Nigeria, who recently passed the newly formulated exam for agency, about the chaos of the winter transfer window.
Ndace currently has two players in his agency preparing for trials with undisclosed clubs in Norway. Filling the needs for specific clubs’ recruitment teams becomes another aspect of business.
“When these agents get to secure deals for their clients they take advantage of the midseason transfer period to address certain needs or recruitments.
“It’s a very dynamic and fast paced environment. “It’s about availability and permutations. Is this person available? Can they play? Will they actually fit into our coaches’ tactics and methods of play? There are so many back and forths. It’s very chaotic actually,” Ndace says.
Players have personal needs to meet too. Some are in search of short-term moves for more playing time, moves to a bigger league with higher wages, or for a better fit in their personal lives.
Borussia Dortmund recently completed a loan deal to re-sign Jadon Sancho until the end of this season
It serves as a stark reminder that footballing considerations are not the only factors facing players when they move.
Ndace has seen instances where players move to also be closer to their family.
“I’ve even seen a player go out on loan because his wife was about to have a baby and he needed to stay closer to her,” Ndace says.
Players that are searching for playing time can be forced into a revolving cycle of looking for new clubs.
“I know a player that has moved three continents in three years.
“For the recruitment department it’s a red flag. Why are you moving so much?” Ndace says.
On a collective level, teams have specific preferences, too.
Teams in the midst of extraordinary seasons so far, can be left in tough positions. For example, Bayer Leverkusen have gone on a 26 match unbeaten run this season and currently sit at the top of the league. Girona, a club in La Liga, are enjoying a remarkable season so far, as well. The team is currently first in the table and have only lost one match at this point in the season.
Bayer Leverkusen extended their unbeaten run after beating FC Augsburg on January 13th
Clubs are reluctant to let go of their key players or sporadic performers that are providing an impact to the team weekly.
“So, striking the right balance between strengthening the squad and sustaining competitiveness is very crucial,” Ndace says.
From an agent’s perspective, the level of clubs spending in January can provide intrigue. In the previous winter transfer window, a record amount of $1.57 billion was spent. It remains to be seen if that total amount will be eclipsed in this current window. The amount of spending offers insight into other facets of the market. Bigger clubs that can afford to spend extensive amounts often bring in players for huge transfer fees and wages.
New ownerships and the desire to spend heavily are imperative to analyze when examining the total spent in the last year’s winter transfer window. Todd Boehly’s ownership group, Clearlake Capital, took control of Chelsea in May 2022. In the first winter transfer window under the group’s control, Chelsea spent over $350 million. It is a total that topped the Premier League and eclipsed more than all the teams in Europe’s top five leagues combined.
Ndace believes the extensive spending from all the top clubs and not just Chelsea needs to be monitored closely alongside the guidelines of Financial Fair Play.
“Not every team should be able to participate.
“There should be a threshold. If in the summer you spent a given amount, you shouldn’t be able to participate. If you have to spend like 500 million euros, that means you spent a lot of money already.
“You’ve settled your squad already. You can go to your academy and bring out replacements. You don’t have to enter the market to get another player.
“We need to hold these clubs accountable. If we have an academy and players are coming through the ranks we should be able to use these players once in a while. You are actually killing the opportunity for another player who is looking to step up,” Ndace says.
Amendments may need to be implemented in the winter transfer window to create balance in spending. It could be vital in determining how clubs develop their squads in the future.
