Brazilian keeper Heurelho Gomes is one of 31 players to arrive in the Bundesliga from abroad over the winter transfer period, swapping Spurs for Hoffenheim on loan
Brazilian keeper Heurelho Gomes is one of 31 players to arrive in the Bundesliga from abroad over the winter transfer period, swapping Spurs for Hoffenheim on loan

Solid rather than spectacular

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Frankfurt - Economic prudence was the key for Germany's Bundesliga clubs during the second transfer period of the 2012/13 season, which closed at 18:00 CET yesterday (January 31st).

One in five a club academy product

In all, 46 players will be turning out for new employers in the top flight over the remainder of the campaign, along with 43 more in Bundesliga 2. By comparison, the 2011/12 winter transfer window saw 85 players move club all-told - 45 in the Bundesliga, 40 in Bundesliga 2. You can find a complete overview of the Bundesliga moves .

The overall proportion of players with German citizenship remains steady at 64 percent, as does that of those who came up through the club academies (20 percent). The foreign nation with the highest number of footballers in Germany's top two divisions is still southern neighbour Austria (with 31), followed by Brazil (29) and France (23).

Overall, the Bundesliga was looking abroad to freshen up its ranks this winter. Of the 46 new arrivals at the 18 clubs, 31 came from outside of Germany. In Bundesliga 2, by contrast, 27 intra-German deals were completed, with 16 players moving from abroad. 32 players in all took their leave of Germany for leagues elsewhere.

With the close of the second transfer window, 1037 professional footballers, with an average age of around 25, are now registered to play in the Bundesliga and Bundesliga 2.