Paul Kennedy of Soccer America recaps the January transfer window, which was highlighted by significant action and movement yesterday.
So much for English club owners becoming parsimonious. On the final day of the January transfer window, Chelsea spent $120 million to acquire Spaniard Fernando Torres and Brazilian defender David Luiz. In the first transfer since Boston Red Sox owners took control of Liverpool, the Reds shelled out all the money they got for Torres and then some to sign Andy Carroll from Newcastle and Luis Suarez from Ajax.
Torres wanted out at Anfield and finally got his wish when Chelsea agreed to buy him for an English record $80 million.
“It’s my dream to win the Champions League and I’m sure I can, playing for Chelsea,” he said. “I think all my teammates share that dream with me. This is the target for every footballer -- to try to play for one of the top clubs in the world and I can do it now. It has been two, three, four very, very hard days for me but I can now say that I am a Chelsea player.”
David Luiz's on-again, off-again transfer featured three trips to the Lisbon airport. A move from Benfica to Chelsea was called off for the first two, but papers were signed shortly before Monday night's deadline allowing to join the Blues.
The four deals were among six involving EPL clubs to top $25 million in January.
Bosnian Edin Dzeko went from Wolfsburg Manchester City for $46 million, while Aston Villa paid a club record $29 million for English striker Darren Bent.
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