Transfer Window Round Up – January 2018

February 2, 2018June 5, 2018 WeAreBrighton.com 0 Comments

It was a quiet January transfer window for Brighton and Hove Albion with only two players arriving but that was made up for by the fact that those two players could well address the striker shortage that has been going on since the summer of 2016.

First in through the door was Dutch striker Jurgen Locadia for a club record £14m from PSV Eindhoven, although we won’t see him in the stripes just yet as he has arrived with an injury that will keep him out until the middle of February.

Given the fact that we pulled out of deals to sign Raphael Dwamena and Renato Neto in the summer due to questions about their fitness that were thrown up at the medical stage, it was strange to see a player arriving with a knock, which either means the club were desperate to sign any sort of striker they could get their hands on in order to appease the fans or they think Locadia making an impact is worth waiting for.

Locadia wasn’t the only striker to arrive and the second needs no extra introduction as Leonardo Ulloa returned on loan from Leicester City until the end of the season. News song needed as we certainly won’t mention Murray any more…

In terms of leaving the club, Chris Hughton cleared three of his 174 wide men out with Kazenga LuaLua being released on a free transfer to join Championship relegation candidates Sunderland after three spells with the Albion spanning nearly eight years.

Jamie Murphy also left to join Rangers, the club he supported as a boy, on a loan deal which will become permanent for just over £1m at the end of the season and Izzy Brown had his loan terminated after suffering a season ending injury in the FA Cup third round victory over Crystal Palace.

Here’s the full run down of the Albion’s transfer business in January 2018

BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION PLAYERS OUT, JANUARY 2018:

*Jamie Murphy should tear up the Scottish Pub League with boyhood club Rangers*

Jamie Murphy – Rangers
The Scottish winger had fallen down the pecking order following the arrival of a couple of new wide players in the summer, having started only one Premier League match in 2017-18. A move to his boyhood club Rangers was a good fit for all parties and given the SPL is basically a pub league, he should do well there.

*Kazenga LuaLua’s move to Sunderland gives him a whole new fan base to block on Twitter*

Kazenga LuaLua – Sunderland
Followers of Kazenga LuaLua’s Twitter account – we’ve been blocked, unfortunately – will be aware that he has been looking for a move for over a year now and after two mixed loan spells with Queens Park Rangers, he has secured a permanent transfer in moving to join Championship strugglers Sunderland after the Albion agreed to terminate his contract.

*His loan spell at the Amex never worked out unfortunately for Izzy Brown*

Izzy Brown – Chelsea
A serious ligament injury sustained in the FA Cup third round win over Crystal Palace bought Izzy Brown’s Albion career to an end after only six months, the on loan forward returning to parent club Chelsea after a frustrating loan spell in which we rarely got to see any of the talents that had helped Huddersfield Town to promotion last season.

BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION PLAYERS IN, JANUARY 2018:

*£14m on one player – it is a far cry from signing Gary Hart*

Jurgen Locadia – PSV Eindhoven
Signed for a club record £14m, forward Jurgen Locadia arrives from PSV Eindhoven with a big price tag to live up to. His record (when fit) in Dutch football is good but then again so was Ricky van Wolfswinkel’s. It’s a big gamble, but if it pays off it end could being the signing that keeps Brighton in the Premier League.

*New lyrics needed – Leonardo Ulloa returns on-loan from Leicester City*

Leonardo Ulloa – Leicester City
Less of a gamble than Locadia is Leonardo Ulloa. The striker left the Amex in 2014 for Leicester City, where he helped the Foxes produce a great escape from relegation in his first season and then became a Premier League champion in his second. A proven forward at this level, he knows where the goal is and that will prove invaluable during his four month loan spell back with the Albion.

BRIGHTON AND HOVE ALBION JANUARY 2018 TRANSFER WINDOW SCORECARD

Positives:

We needed at least one striker and in the end we have managed to bring in two – Leonardo Ulloa is like-for-like with Glenn Murray while Jurgen Locadia offers more versatility with his ability to play wide.
The Albion managed to hold onto Lewis Dunk, although six months of Premier League football is probably not enough for one of the big clubs to take a gamble on him.
Players not good enough for Premier League football are off the wage bill, with Kazenga LuaLua and Jamie Murphy offloaded.

Negatives:

With Steve Sidwell no nearer a return to playing having spent the entire season so far out injured, we are light on central midfielders with only three available. That should have been addressed sooner than an 11th hour bid for Wigan Athletic’s Nick Powell.
Signings from the Netherlands are a notorious gamble – we’re looking at you, Elvis Manu – and the Albion have paid a big fee on Jurgen Locadia with no guarantee of success.