The real reason why Man Utd, Chelsea & Co. haven't spent any money in January

Stefan Bienkowski

Updated: 23 May 2023 08:55 CDT
5 min read

Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba — © ProShots

When we look at a list of the 10 biggest spenders in the January transfer window to date, there are some notable omissions.

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Juventus and Barcelona make the top of the list, followed by mid-table Premier League hopefuls like Everton and Aston Villa. Newcastle and their new-found fortunes currently sit third.

Indeed, this is most certainly not a list of the 10 biggest clubs in European football. And there’s a very obvious reason for that.

After this season there will be a summer bonanza that could see clubs like Manchester United, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City, Real Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain all bidding on free players in the open market.

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A summer like no other is approaching

This January window has in many ways felt like a slight lull in a typical dramatic period of the season but that’s only because it’s the quiet before an almighty storm.

When this current season draws to a close, a number of Europe’s most talented players will become available for free and as such the biggest clubs across the continent have not only kept their powder dry in anticipation but are also shedding unwanted talent to make room in their wage bills.

That’s undoubtedly why Man City happily sold Ferran Torres to Barca, why Man Utd have allowed Anthony Martial to pursue his dreams in Spain and why Madrid were happy to let Raphael Varane, Sergio Ramos and Martin Odegaard all leave last summer.

© ProShots - Mbappe is expected to leave PSG for free in the summer

Which players are available?

And when we look at some of the players that will be available for free in the summer, it’s easy to see why these European giants are hedging their bets on big summer moves.

At the top of the list is undoubtedly Kylian Mbappe, who looks set to leave PSG and join Madrid ahead of next season.

However, even beyond the future moves of the French star, we also have Paul Pogba, Paulo Dybala, Franck Kessie, Antonio Rudiger, Niklas Sule, Ousmane Dembele and many, many more players that would under normal circumstances cost an entire fortune to sign.

As such, most of Europe’s biggest clubs are happy to keep their money in their pocket in January in the hope of snapping up some bargains in the summer.