Market closed, but not for everyone: here’s who can still buy
The winter inbound market for Serie A clubs closed its doors at 8 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 2, aligning with the major European leagues. Germany, France and England followed the same timetable, while in Spain it was midnight, by a slightly wider margin but still without going beyond Monday. Belgium and Denmark also archived their winter session, as did the Saudi Pro League, which has often influenced the balance of the European market in recent years.
Even so, despite the lockout of major tournaments, the international market is far from over. Indeed, in several other contexts, there is still room to operate, with the possibility that some clubs will attempt the latest inbound coup coming right from the Italian Serie A. It is a scenario that clubs in the beautiful country are actually already familiar with: when the domestic market is closed, the only real concern now is to avoid losing pieces without being able to replace them, a perspective that is certainly not reassuring in view of the last part of the season.
Among the most important leagues with the market still open is the Dutch one: in fact, the Eredivisie has opted for a slightly delayed closure, giving clubs an additional one-day window to sort out their rosters. In Portugal, the market will remain open until February 4, a not insignificant detail for those with established relationships with clubs such as Benfica, Porto or Sporting, which are often active in the final days. Even wider is the margin in Turkey, Greece and Austria, where the deadline is set for Friday, Feb. 6. Clubs in these three leagues, in recent years, have frequently fished in Italy, convincing mostly players looking for space. Even longer, then, is the market window in Switzerland, which closes on Feb. 16, and in Croatia, where they can operate until Tuesday, Feb. 17.
Although they have completed their operations, therefore, Italian clubs will have to remain vigilant. Clubs in leagues whose market is still open could knock for profiles considered outgoing, but also for players who have found little minute playing time in the first part of the season. And should an’offer be deemed unwinnable, the risk would be to lose an element with no possibility of replacing him.
The Italian winter soccer market is therefore closed, but the international context indicates that something can still happen: in the next two weeks there could still be shocks capable of changing the balance of Serie A rosters, which will only be able to be said to be definitive after the middle of the month.
