European football had some great moves during this summer transfer window, some moves were expected and some actually surprised us, and with a few Mexican players making some big moves, a countdown seems to be in order. Let’s take a look at the top five transfers for Mexican players to European clubs.
Number 5:
Raul Gudiño
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 18
Transfers From: C.D. Guadalajara (Chivas)
Transfers To: F.C. Porto
Contract: 10 Month Loan (Option to Buy)
Gudiño may not be a big name in the football world but he has made a wonderful impression in youth competition. He helped Mexico reach the U-17 World Cup final in 2013 and even saved two penalties in the semifinal penalty shootout against Brazil. Even though Mexico was defeated by Nigeria in the final (Nigeria was then disqualified for utilizing overaged players), this young goalkeeper attracted the interest of many big-name European clubs and has now made his move to Portugal to play alongside his fellow countrymen Diego Reyes and Hector Herrera. His move at such an early stage in his career has landed him at number 5. Photo Credit: http://deportes.publimetro.com.mx/
Number 4:
Guillermo Ochoa
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 29
Transfers From: A.C. Ajaccio
Transfers To: Malaga C.F.
Contract: Permanent (Free) Transfer, 3 Year Contract
Last season, Ochoa played for former Ligue 1 side Ajaccio and demonstrated why he is the starting goalkeeper for the Mexican international squad. He had wonderful performances against some of the biggest names in football such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Edinson Cavani. With French side Ajaccio being relegated and Ochoa’s contract expiring at the end of last season, many European clubs took an interest in signing the Mexican international. Ultimately Malaga was able to offer Ochoa the best deal and lure him to La Liga, but because Malaga is not a bigger Spanish team and Ochoa was signed as a free transfer, he is number 4 on the countdown. Photo Credit: Getty Images
Number 3:
Jonathan Dos Santos
Age: 24
Position: Center Midfielder
Transfers From: F.C. Barcelona
Transfers To: Villareal C.F.
Contract: Permanent Transfer, 5 Year Contract
Jonathan Dos Santos was scouted by Barcelona at a young age, and developed as a player at one of the best youth academies in the world, La Masia. Jonathan gets the number 3 spot because he is a young and talented player whose transfer to another club has been awaited by many. Last summer there were rumors that Premier League giants, Liverpool, were the most interested in Jonathan, creating a huge buzz around the young player. Now, Dos Santos has finally made his transfer to another club. Villareal may not be as big as Liverpool, but it is a club where he will fight for first team football nonetheless. It’s time for Jonathan to show us what he’s got. Photo Credit: news-futbol.blogspot.com/
Number 2:
Raul Jimenez
Age: 23
Position: Striker
Transfers From: Club America
Transfers To: Atletico Madrid
Contract: Permanent Transfer, 6 Year Contract
Raul Jimenez had been on the rise for a few seasons now. He scored to help eliminate the Netherlands in the semi-finals of the Toulon tournament in 2012 and was also a part of the U-23 squad that took the gold at the London Olympics that same year. He is the number 2 transfer because of the huge jump that he made from the Liga MX to the reigning Spanish champions and because of the obvious improvement in his skill level throughout the past few years. He has already participated in two matches for “Los Colchoneros” and seems to already be adapting to La Liga. Although he has a long road ahead of him, there is no doubt that he will play a key role at Atletico. Photo Credit: CONCACAF
Number 1:
Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez
Age: 26
Position: Striker
Transfer From: Manchester United
Transfers To: Real Madrid
Contract: Season Loan (Option to Buy)
You may be thinking, “Why is Hernandez number one on the list?” Well, there are two main reasons for this. The first is obvious; Real Madrid. The reigning European champions made an effort to sign Hernandez, and let’s be honest, Real Madrid doesn’t sign just anybody. They are one of the biggest names in football and arguably one of the best teams in the world. The second reason is that Chicharito has something big to prove. Chicharito struggled to find first team football in the Premier League but has proven time and time again that he can get results. Under Sir Alex Ferguson, Hernandez had a successful run at Old Trafford, cementing his name as a Premier League “supersub”.
At the end of 2013, Hernandez was the third most efficient striker in Premier League history with an average of 128.2 minutes between goals. The only other strikers who have ever been more efficient than Chicharito are Thierry Henry (121.8 minutes per goal) and Sergio “Kun” Aguero (118.1 minutes per goal). When David Moyes took over as manager at United, Chicharito received less and less playing time, and even began to lose playing time at the international level. The trend of little playing time seemed to continue for “Little Pea” under Van Gaal. Hernandez finally has a chance to show the world that he can still perform, and he now also has a chance to regain his spot on the Mexico international squad. All eyes will be on Chicharito. Photo Credit: MLSSoccer
(Featured image: Mexican FA)