The 2017/18 January transfer window came with its own drama as some players snubbed clubs while others threw tantrums where the deals failed to go through. For the new signings, they are expected to take some time to adjust and adapt in new settings.
Ducor Sports will assess how the new signings have adapted to their new environment in the first three months with focus majorly on Africans and Second generation Africans.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Gabon/Arsenal)
His 57m move from Borussia Dortmund to Premier league side Arsenal was welcomed by fans across the globe. His performances for Arsenal have shown that he was a good buy as he has managed three goals and one assist in his six appearances for the club.
Benik Afobe (DR Congo/Wolverhampton)
The Congolese is on loan at Wolverhampton wanderers from Bournemouth with 9 appearances, 4 goals and has been man-of-the-match once.
Fousseni Diabate (Mali/Leicester City)
He signed for Leicester City from Gazalec Ajaccio and in his 8 appearances, has scored two goals. Both goals came in the FA Cup.
Ahmed Musa (Nigeria/CSKA Moscow)
Currently on loan at CSKA Moscow from Leicester City, the Nigerian has made six appearances in the Premier Liga and the Europa League scoring one goal.
Islam Slimani (Algeria/Newcastle United)
On loan to Newcastle United from Leicester City, the Algerian has struggled for fitness and is yet to feature for the Magpies.
Badou Ndiaye (Senegal/Stoke City)
Signed for Stoke City from Galatasaray for £16million and has since made six appearances and assisted once.
Andre Ayew (Ghana/West Ham)
He re-signed for Swansea after a frustrating season at West Ham. He has made 6 appearances at the club but is yet to score a goal.
Diafra Sakho (Senegal/Rennes)
He moved to Rennes from West Ham and in his 8 appearances for the Ligue 1 club, has scored 3 goals.
Florentin Pogba (Guinea/Genclegrbirligi Ankara)
Florentin was released by St-Etienne and moved to Genclegrbirligi Ankara appearing only three times.
Michy Batshuayi (Belgium/Borussia Dortmund)
On loan from Chelsea to Borussia Dortmund, Batshuayi has hit the ground running as he has already managed 8 goals and one assist in 11 appearances for the Bundesliga outfit.
The analysis wouldn’t be complete without including the swap of the January transfer window which included Alexis Sanchez and Henrikh Mkhitaryan. Sanchez snubbed Manchester City for rivals Manchester United, a move that saw him become the highest paid player in the Premier League. He has since made 10 appearances in all competitions scoring three goals, two of those scored in the FA cup.
Since joining Arsenal, Mkhitaryan has managed 2 goals and 6 assists in 11 Premier League and Europa appearances.
Whereas some players have gelled in well with their new respective teams, others continue to struggle three months in. Different circumstances affect players differently for example, one could attribute Sanchez’s underperformance to the pressure to justify the huge wage bill or the manager ‘not knowing how to use him’ question with regards to players like Andre Ayew who had played at their current club before. What could be the cause for this under performance?
