Yann Sommer, Joao Cancelo and Julian Ryerson in the Bundesliga Transfer XI of winter 2023
With Yann Sommer, Joao Cancelo and Daley Blind thwarting attacks, and Julien Duranville, Paxten Aaronson and Kasper Dolberg launching them, the Bundesliga winter transfer best XI has talent throughout the side.
bundesliga.com highlights the standout arrivals in Germany's top flight over the past month…
Yann Sommer
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 34
Country: Switzerland (80 caps)
From: Borussia Mönchengladbach
To: Bayern Munich
We dive right in with arguably the most significant signing of the transfer window. Manuel Neuer's unfortunate skiing accident that left him with a broken leg forced Bayern to enter the market, as they otherwise would only have had Sven Ulreich as a senior goalkeeper in their squad. Sommer, who set a new Bundesliga record earlier in the season by making an astonishing 19 saves against Bayern, is a proven top-flight custodian and has gone straight into the side since arriving.
Watch: Sommer's top 5 saves
Joao Cancelo
Position: Full-back
Age: 28
Country: Portugal (41 caps)
From: Manchester City
To: Bayern Munich (on loan)
A deadline-day recruit of the highest order, a new right-back was not what most pundits had on the radar for Bayern at the start of the month. Yet the ongoing absences of fellow right-backs Noussair Mazraoui and Bouna Sarr, coupled with Cancelo's unexpected sudden availability, made it a deal that was too good to turn down. Julian Nagelsmann purred that Cancelo "has a different profile to what we already have" and also hailed his attacking prowess. It could launch the reigning Bundesliga champions into a new dimension.
Watch: The major January moves
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Moritz Jenz
Position: Centre-back
Age: 23
Country: Germany
From: Lorient
To: Schalke (on loan)
What do you do if you're bottom of the league and have one of the leakiest defences around? You bring in reinforcements - and that's exactly what Schalke have done. "Two important qualities define Moritz's game: speed and strength in the tackle," said head coach Thomas Reis. "He defends on the front foot, is a good passer and will help us improve." Without wishing to put too much pressure on a player nicknamed "Mercedes Jenz", the 23-year-old's no-nonsense approach could yet prove to be the difference between staying up or not.
John Brooks
Position: Centre-back
Age: 30
Country: USA (45 caps)
From: Benfica
To: Hoffenheim
Brooks only left the Bundesliga in summer 2022 when he swapped Wolfsburg for Portugal, but a lack of playing time - he featured just five times for Benfica - prompted the towering former USMNT centre-back to seek opportunities elsewhere. Hoffenheim were more than willing to accommodate him, having gone off the boil following a strong start to the season and with persistent injury problems at the back. The left-footer's experience, calm demeanour and top-level know-how can only benefit Andre Breitenreiter's side.
Julian Ryerson
Position: Full-back
Age: 25
Country: Norway (15 caps)
From: Union Berlin
To: Borussia Dortmund
Ryerson's versatility in being comfortable on both flanks was a huge plus for Dortmund, who moved to add cover for the injured Thomas Meunier as well as giving Raphael Guerreiro the chance for a breather every now and then. A marauding full-back who enjoys getting forward and delivering accurate crosses into the box, the Norwegian will surely link up well with returning target man Sebastien Haller. Ryerson's goal on just his second outing in Black-and-Yellow in the 2-1 win over Mainz on Matchday 17 gave a glimpse of what he's capable of.
Watch: Ryerson helped BVB to victory in Mainz
Thomas Delaney
Position: Central midfield
Age: 31
Country: Denmark (72 caps)
From: Sevilla
To: Hoffenheim (loan)
Winless in the league since Matchday 10 in mid-October and plagued by injuries, Hoffenheim opted for experience in the transfer market as they look to pull away from the relegation zone. "At all his previous clubs, Thomas has proven that he's a real leader," said sporting director Alexander Rosen. "His qualities as a leader are important, because that's what we're lacking right now through all of our injuries." The kind of player to never knowingly have shirked a tackle, Delaney adds some serious bite to the Hoffenheim midfield.
Daley Blind
Position: Central midfield / centre-back / left-back
Age: 32
Country: Netherlands (99 caps)
From: Free agent
To: Bayern Munich
Another fine piece of business by Bayern, signing Blind for free in response to the season-ending injury that Lucas Hernandez sustained at the World Cup. Able to play in central defence, defensive midfield or at left-back, the former Ajax and Manchester United player's very presence on the bench is reassuring. The Bundesliga leaders know they're covered in the event of any further injury mishaps.
Watch: Daley Blind - welcome to Bayern!
Julien Duranville
Position: Winger
Age: 16
Country: Belgium (two U19 caps)
From: Anderlecht
To: Borussia Dortmund
The youngest player on this list by a few years - not that age has ever been a deterrent to Dortmund - there is a huge buzz surrounding Duranville. While fellow teenagers Youssoufa Moukoko and Jude Bellingham made their marks on the side this season, the young Belgian is more in the mould of a Jadon Sancho or Christian Pulisic - who both became household names on the wing at BVB. Don't expect head coach Edin Terzic to be shy about giving Duranville a chance to shine over the coming weeks.
Paxten Aaronson
Position: Attacking midfield
Age: 19
Country: USA (one cap)
From: Philadelphia Union
To: Eintracht Frankfurt
The younger brother of Leeds United and USMNT attacker Brenden, Paxten is of a similar ilk. Quick, skilful and with a keen eye for the killer pass, Aaronson made his debut as a professional at just 17 in the MLS. His displays for the USA at the CONCACAF U20 Championship last summer - where he scored seven goals and was named as the tournament's best player - indicate just how explosive he can be. He has not yet made a competitive appearance for Frankfurt, but only because he was called up to the USMNT sernior team for the first time. He won't have an easy time ousting Mario Götze, Daichi Kamada and Jesper Lindstrom from the Frankfurt side, but - having made his USA debut against Colombia in January - he's certainly got the potential to do so.
Watch: Paxten Aaronson - Frankfurt’s American prospect
Kelvin Yeboah
Position: Forward
Age: 22
Country: Italy (four U21 caps)
From: Genoa
To: Augsburg (on loan)
If Augsburg's new loan signing comes anywhere close to having the impact his uncle Tony did with Saarbrücken, Frankfurt and Hamburg, then they will be more than delighted with this bit of business. Born in Ghana, Yeboah grew up in Italy before taking his first steps in the professional world in Austria - helping WSG Tirol to promotion to the top flight in the 2018/19 season. After grabbing headlines the following year with a four-goal haul in a cup tie against Austria Vienna, he moved to Sturm Graz in winter 2021. Twenty goals in 45 appearances and 12 months later, Italian side Genoa called. Yeboah, however, failed to find the net in 17 games in the second half of that campaign. Relegated to Serie B, he scored once in 11 second-tier appearances in 2022/23 before arriving in Germany. Yeboah - and Augsburg - will hope he can follow in uncle Tony's goal-filled footsteps.
Kasper Dolberg
Position: Forward
Age: 25
Country: Denmark (40 caps)
From: Nice
To: Hoffenheim (on loan)
As a teenager Dolberg got sixteen goals in just 29 Eredivisie matches for Ajax and a further six in 13 Europa League games to help the Dutch club reach the 2016/17 final. Since, however, he has not managed to top that, netting 11 times twice in a single league campaign for Ajax and then Nice, whom he joined in 2019. Persistent injury problems have stifled his progress, and though a loan move to Sevilla earlier this season saw him feature in the Champions League, he didn't score in eight appearances for the Spanish outfit. A player of undoubted talent, with intelligent movement and a velvet first touch, could Dolberg’s switch to Germany and Sinsheim - where he joins international teammate Delaney - unlock it all?
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