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Quiet transfer window closes in Spain with few major moves

Xinhua, January 31, 2015 Adjust font size:

The winter transfer market for Spain came to a close at 11pm local time on Friday.

The month ended with the 20 clubs in the BBVA Primera Liga spending a total of 45 million euros, the vast majority of which was spent by just two clubs, Valencia and Real Madrid.

Meanwhile nearly all of the other deals in La Liga, with the exception of the purchase of Eric Baily by Villarreal and Bongonda by Celta Vigo are loan deals, although there are some famous names involved.

Enzo Perez at 25 million euros was the most expensive purchase of the month and the Argentinean strengthens a Valencia side which spend heavily over the summer.

Real Madrid are no stranger to big spending and the club invested a further 13 million on Brazilian midfielder Lucas Silva while Villarreal spent almost six million on Baily and Bongonda cost Celta 1.3 million euros from Belgium.

Among the important loan deals was the return of Fernando Torres to Atletico Madrid. 'El Nino' has received a rapturous reception on his return to the club where he began his career and has already scored goals against Barcelona and Real Madrid to hint that his long drought could at last be over.

As well as buying Baily, Villarreal sold central defender Gabriel to Arsenal for 20 million euros, plus the loan of Costa Rican international Joel Campbell, who replaced Cani, another player to join Atletico Madrid on loan.

Most of the loan activity has nevertheless taken place in the lower half of the table with Cordoba looking to have invested well in Bebe (a former Manchester United striker) and Edimar, while Oriol Riera joins Deportivo La Coruna from Wigan Athletic and Adrian Corlunga returns to Spain after a brief spell at Brighton. Endi