Chelsea had a bust winter transfer window having spent a whopping GBP 323 million on eight players, and that includes the likes of Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudryk among others.
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Chelsea were the biggest spenders during the 2023 January transfer window as the Blues made five of the top eight winter signings. The Premier League outfit, who are struggling at the 10th position in the points table, brought in a set of new and exciting players to bolster their chances of finishing in the top four, under the stewardship of head coach Graham Potter. Chelsea paid a Premier League record fee of GBP 106.7 million to sign Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernandez from Benfica, while he will join the likes of Mykhailo Mudryk, Nini Madueke, Davide Datro Fofana and Joao Felix in the Blues’ revamped front line. Once again Premier League were at the forefront of the spending spree, with a GBP 815 million January spending. .
For all our English-speaking Blues 🎶👇
“This is La T y La M for Enzo.
From Argentina to England, with the smile of someone that won the third title, a world champion, you already know who it is:
Enzo Fernandez, he’s off to London” https://t.co/XSNQKcBHHG
— Chelsea FC en español (@ChelseaFC_Sp) February 1, 2023
The 22-year-old midfielder played a key role in Argentina’s World Cup triumph in 2022 and he won the Best Young Play Award in Qatar. The winter World Cup resulted in Benfica adding an extra dimension to Fernandez’ release clause, and Chelsea were the only club capable of meeting it. The Blues initially failed to sign the youngster in the January transfer window, but the Portuguese club eventually confirmed that Fernandez has put pen to paper on an eight-and-a-half-year deal with the West London club, on the deadline day. He is the top-ranked player in the Portuguese top division this season, having recorded stunning numbers in the middle of the park: Passes completed (1446), Progressive Passing (105), Successful Switches of play(30), successful long passes (161), Passes into final third (248). He is very good with the ball at his feet and can play a key role during quick transitions from defence to attack.
Both Arsenal and Chelsea wanted to bring in the Ukrainian winger Mudryk but the Blues eventually got the signature of the 22-year-old, having been forced to pay a mammoth GBP 89 million if certain bonuses are paid. As of now, Chelsea have paid only GBP 62 million for the former Shakhtar Donetsk player. He has signed an eight-and-a-half-year contract which is officially hell of a lot. The youngster is a tactically gifted player who reads the game very well. He isn’t the best when it comes to having the ball at his feet, but the Ukrainian has a great first touch and has got the intelligence to move into attacking positions and thereby impact the game. Meanwhile, Mudryk has scored seven goals and recorded six assists in the Ukrainian Premier League this season. Apart from the domestic performances, the youngster has been impressive in the Europa League, having registered three goals and two assists from six outings.
Newcastle United have been one of the most impressive clubs in the English top flight this season, recording 10 wins, nine draws and one defeat from 20 matches, to be sitting at the third place in the Premier League standings. The Magpies haven’t gone on spending spree this winter, and have rather been sane in their transfer activity despite becoming uber-rich, following the takeover by Saudi Arabia based PIF. However, the Anthony Fordon signing for GBP 45 million from Everton certainly looks like madness. The 22-year-old winger has recorded just seven goals and three assists in 65 Premier League matches. Gordon’s most obvious position is the left wing, where he likes to cut inside on his right foot and attack the goal directly. However, the youngster is versatile enough to play on both the flanks. Godon has the pace and power to run in behind and take on defenders. His off-the-ball movements are also very impressive. If he could add more goals and assists to his game, the 21-year-old could prove to be a vital cog in the Magpies lineup.
