As January arrives, the global transfer rumour mill is only beginning to pick up speed as the focus returns to the club scene following the conclusion of the FIFA World Cup in December.
Clubs around the world have had more than a full month to plot their January transfer window moves and how to improve themselves for the stretch run of the European season or the start to the league campaign in other regions of the world.
Most of Europe's leagues still have a long way to go in 2022/23, meaning that January will prove to be a crucial month for many who feel the need to strengthen their squads.
Below are the details for when the winter window opens in different leagues across the world, and some of the key players and clubs who could be active in the January market.
MORE: Why did Liverpool sign Cody Gakpo? Explaining the transfer, position, long-term plans
When does the January transfer window open and close?
The transfer window opening and closing dates for every country in the world is tracked by FIFA online. We highlight a few of them below:
Premier League (England)
- The Premier League's winter window will span all of January 2023, opening at midnight on January 1 and closing on January 31 at 23:00 GMT.
- These dates and times also apply to EFL clubs, who returned to competitive action a few weeks before their top-flight counterparts in December.
Bundesliga (Germany) & Ligue 1 (France)
- Like England, the top three divisions in Germany see their winter windows open on Sunday, January 1 at midnight, closing at 23:00 local time on Tuesday, January 31.
- Ligue 1 and Ligue 2 in France are following the same dates as Germany and England.
La Liga (Spain) & Serie A (Italy)
- The winter window for La Liga in Spain will open a day later than England's, on Monday, January 2, but it will close on the same date of Tuesday, January 31 at 23:00 local time.
- Italy's Serie A, B, C and D will also see their window open on January 2 and close on Tuesday, January 31 at 23:00 local time.
MORE: Top 10 World Cup transfer targets: Bellingham, Gvardiol and more
Transfer windows beyond Europe: Key leagues in Australia, North America, South America
Australia
- The A-League Men season, which spans from October to May, returns to action during the latter stages of the World Cup, and the transfer window, taking place in Australia's summer, spans from January 11 until February 8, 2023.
USA & Canada
- The 2023 MLS season gets underway in February and teams in the USA and Canada have a few months to build their squads given this constitutes their primary transfer window, while summer is the secondary window.
- FIFA notes that the window in the USA and Canada will run from January 31 to April 24, 2023.
Argentina and Brazil
- The 2023 Primera Division in Argentina gets underway on January 27 and spans until early August. Their first transfer window of the season lasts just under a month, starting on January 23 and closing on February 22, 2023.
- The Brasileirao's 2023 window runs from January 10 to April 1, 2023.
Who could be on the move this January?
Particularly in Europe, the World Cup break granted an extended period for clubs to rest much of their squads, as well as providing a chance for fringe players to train their way into contention while many teams' stars are currently in Qatar. As a result, we're not expecting a mass movement of players and money in January... although the winter window does have a record of being predictably unpredictable.
One player on the move is Cristiano Ronaldo. Having agreed to leave Manchester United by mutual consent, one of the best players to have ever graced a football pitch was available for free, with only his predictably enormous wages a stumbling block for most clubs.
His much-publicised fallout with the Red Devils' hierarchy may also have put some clubs off chasing his signature – but when on-song, the 37-year-old is still a lethal finisher and a man most people would want playing alongside them.
The 38-year-old has now joined Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia on the most lucrative contract ever seen in football.
Netherlands forward Cody Gakpo attracted interest from Southampton, Leeds United and Manchester United in the summer transfer window, ultimately joining Liverpool in a move announced by the club on December 30 for a fee of between £35 million ($42.5m) and £45m ($54.5m).
