9 January transfers you might have missed: Kagawa, Shoretire, Thauvin… | OneFootball

The January transfer window can sometimes be rather quiet. Not this year. There were a number of big-money deals in a dramatic month, particularly for Premier League clubs.

You already know that Enzo Fernandez signed for Chelsea for a British transfer record fee. Then there were the likes of Wout Weghorst, Jorginho, Mykhailo Mudryk and Anthony Gordon.

But what about the transfers that came and went without dominating the headlines? Here are nine mid-season deals you might have missed.

Shinji Kagawa

We’d forgive you for not knowing that Kagawa has been in Europe since leaving Manchester United in 2014.

The 33-year-old former Japan international had five years back at Dortmund and went on to represent Besiktas, Real Zaragoza, PAOK, and – most recently – Belgian outfit Sint-Truiden.

Thirteen years after leaving, Kagawa’s moving back to where it all began – J League side Cerezo Osaka, for whom he scored 57 goals in 127 appearances between 2006 and 2010.

Terem Moffi

one of the top scorers in Europe’s major leagues this season.

If you’d spent your January refreshing the gossip columns, you’ll have been aware that Moffi was linked with a number of Premier League clubs, including West Ham and Southampton.

In the end, he’s ended up staying put in Ligue 1 – instead, moving to Nice, to join a squad that includes the likes of Kasper Schmeichel, Ross Barkley, Aaron Ramsey and Nicolas Pepe.

Marquinhos

Arsenal signed the teenage Brazilian in the summer with the hope that they’d snagged the next Gabriel Martinelli.

Marquinhos looked lively in pre-season and scored on his Gunners debut in the Europa League but unlike Martinelli has had to be patient for opportunities and has only been on the periphery of Mikel Arteta’s senior Gunners squad.

The highly-rated young prospect will be tasting regular football out on loan at Championship side Norwich City in the latter half of the 2022-23 campaign.

The Canaries are chasing a play-off spot and it’ll be worth keeping an eye on how Marquinhos progresses at Carrow Road. Could he a part of both promotion-winning and title-winning teams?

Florian Thauvin

Once a Newcastle flop, Thauvin was superb after returning to Marseille in 2016, peaking with 22 Ligue 1 goals in 2017-18.

But he’s dropped off the radar somewhat over the last 18 months, having followed in the footsteps of fellow Frenchman Andre Pierre Gignac in the lesser-trodden path to Mexican giants Tigres.

Thauvin scored eight goals in 38 appearances in Liga MX and is now ready to return to the European game, signing for Serie A club Udinese, having found out his contract with Tigres had been terminated when he was locked out of their training ground. Ouch.

Lining up alongside ex-Everton winger Gerard Deulofeu, we expect Udinese’s frontline to be frustrating but occasionally absolutely brilliant.

Denis Suarez

Such is his career of back-and-forths, it’s all too easy to have lost track of one-time Arsenal loanee Suarez.

He’s actually been relatively settled since 2019, making over 100 appearances back at boyhood club Celta Vigo, but he appears to have fallen out of favour under former Sheffield Wednesday and Swansea coach Carlos Carvalhal.

The winger is nearly 30 – where does the time go, eh? – and we’re starting to doubt he’ll unlock the potential he once showed in the youth ranks at Barcelona and Man City. He’s just joined Espanyol on loan.

Shola Shoretire

The Carrington academy graduate won Manchester United’s Jimmy Murphy Young Player of the Year back in 2020-21 and became one of the youngest players to debut for the club back in February 2021.

But further opportunities have been few and far between. It’s all too easy to have missed the fact he joined Bolton Wanderers in mid-January and has already made three appearances for the League One club.

Azzedine Ounahi

One of the breakout stars of the World Cup was linked with Leeds United and Serie A champions-elect Napoli throughout January.

Ounahi has one of Morocco’s best players in their fairytale run to the semi-final, but his club Angers look doomed for the drop – rock bottom of Ligue 1, seven points adrift.

His performances in Qatar put him in the shop window and Angers took advantage by reportedly demanding over €20million from Leeds and Napoli.

In the end, he did make an eyebrow-raising, somewhat under-the-radar move, joining Marseille for a fee believed to be approximately €10million. Bargain.

Cyle Larin

One of Canada’s best players has departed Scott Parker’s Club Brugge to join Ronaldo-owned Real Valladolid on loan. Football in 2023 is wild, isn’t it?

Larin scored a belting match-winning header on his La Liga debut against Villarreal.

Viktor Tsygankov

Tsygankov has joined his international team-mates Mykhailo Mudryk (Chelsea) and Illya Zabarnyi (Bournemouth) in leaving the Ukrainian Premier League amid the country’s struggles.

The Israel-born winger scored 94 goals in 236 appearances for Dynamo Kyiv and has now joined Michel’s exciting Girona side. Definitely one to watch.