From waste to austerity: signings fall 76%

The winter transfer market is a week away from closing and LaLiga has barely made a move. The pandemic continues to wreak havoc on club accounts and after a very slow summer in terms of transfers, the month of January is the same. Primera teams have reduced their purchases by 75.56% compared to the 2020 winter market.

So far in January, Only eleven arrivals have been made to LaLiga Santander teams. Last winter, 45. Although some more signing still needs to be closed. How can Papu Gómez arrive at Sevilla. Meanwhile, nine teams have already moved to reinforce their squads. Those who have been the most Getafe (with Kubo and Aleñá on loan from Madrid and Barça) and Celta (with the additions of Augusto Solari and Aarón Martín). Some have had to resort to the market after seeing how one of their soccer players took the suitcases and left. This is the case of Atlético, which after Diego Costa's goodbye signed Moussa Dembélé from Lyon. Identical situation in San Sebastián, Real Sociedad has signed Carlos Fernández, from Sevilla, after the departure of Willian José to the Premier.

But with little volume of transfers, little volume of money. Of the eleven incorporations, only three have been a purchase, while seven have been loans and only Aleix García has arrived free at Eibar. For now, LaLiga clubs have only spent 14.24 million euros. 89.41% less than a year ago, when they disbursed € 134.6M. While in this market the most expensive signing has been that of Carlos Fernández for 9 million, last season there were transfers for higher amounts: Reinier (30), Alcácer (23), De Tomás (22.5) and En Nesyri ( twenty).

Clubs must take care of their piggy bank due to the coronavirus crisis. LaLiga wanted to start putting people in the stadiums at the beginning of 2021 to give a reduction to the teams' accounts. The arrival of the 3rd wave, with the threat of the British strain and the positives and deaths triggered, does not make us very optimistic about that achievement. The bosses had planned to meet with the CSD last week to discuss this issue, but the summit has been postponed. Meanwhile, LaLiga maintains its austerity policy and avoid waste. Although in other competitions they act differently. “Let's not look at what the others in Europe do, we will see their accounts shortly. In the Premier they have maintained the level of hiring and have had income problems. Then we will have to see the ratios,” Tebas warned a few months ago.

The president of LaLiga asked the clubs to tighten their belts and pointed out to the media that they should do so especially in terms of the salaries of their players. “At the end of the season, a cash problem can be generated in the clubs. To avoid this, you have to adjust the wage bill and adjust the debt. Whoever exceeds the salary limit this season will pay it in the next “. A message that was intended even for the two greats of Spain: “They have to have a transition year.”

Some statements that explain the calm with which the clubs have carried this winter market. Most cannot afford expenses. And to do so they would have to follow the saying: “Let out before entering.”