The Changing Transfer Market – Sensible January Transfers From The Blues!

The signings of Kevin De Bruyne and Oriol Romeu show that the club is navigating an evolving transfer market with more innovative and risk adverse strategies to land the players we want at the right price.

It shows that we are trying to find players before they become superstars and have a £50m price tag on their head at £5-7 million we can afford to have a few minor flops compared to hedging 20-35 million on just one player.

Each of these deals were slightly different with Oriol Romeu signed with a buy back clause whilst Kevin De Bruyne will be loaned immediately back.

Oriol Romeu – Buy Back

Despite his almost immediate emergence as a first team candidate it is important to not that we only paid a pittance for him compared to previous signings.

This is however counterbalanced by the fact that he has a structured buy back option with original club Barcelona which means that should they convince the player they can have him back at a snip.

Only with a club the size of Barcelona with such a rich academy would we look to get into such a deal, normally I would expect us to be brokering deals the other way round.

Selling youth players that are not likely to make it in next two or three years but giving us options should they exceed career expectations is a prudent way to do business and there are reports that we have this option with Gokhan Tore.

Kevin De Bruyne – Loan Back

This deal has drawn criticism from many as we do need players for now, but for the future this is not a bad way of doing business, securing the talent at a lower price whilst letting them get regular game time in an environment they are comfortable in.

This may frustrate when the team is struggling but it is not a bad move when looking long term.

Patrick Bamford – Buy Them Young

At just 18 £1.5m is a lot of money for someone with only 12 minutes of football, but this is a deal that works for both clubs.

Nottingham Forest got a reward for developing the player and we got a young talent, only time will tell if he pops but with English players so expensive it is worth taking a punt on certain players.