By Jake Glavies
Adam Johnson heads to Man City/photo credit: Lee Smith/Action Images
The Premier League transfer window closed with a slight thud rather than a bang today.
The biggest true transfer of the day came as Manchester City brought in former England U-21 winger Adam Johnson from Middlesbrough. Johnson, who’s scored 11 goals in 25 English League Championship matches this season, was widely regarded in England as one of the best players not playing in the Premier League. The move cost City a reported $11 million; Johnson will be under contract until 2014.
At just 22 years old, Johnson still has a lot of growing to do. Playing under the tutelage of Roberto Mancini should help expedite his maturation. That being said, Johnson will have to fight for every minute he gets at City.
In the hopes of making a push for the Championship playoffs, Middlesbrough took to the Scottish Premier League, bringing in strikers Scott McDonald of Celtic and Lee Miller of Aberdeen. The pair will bring experience and power to The Boro, combining for 197 league appearances and 79 goals.
Victor Moses will also make the move from the Championship to the top flight, as he jumps from Crystal Palace to Wigan on a three-and-a-half year contract. The forward had been linked with a number of notable European clubs, including Arsenal and Barcelona, but at just 19 years old, Moses may have been viewed as too inexperienced to make such a move. So far this season he’s turned in six goals in 18 appearances. Midfielder Marcelo Moreno also joined the team on a loan deal Monday.
In what could be the final move of his career, 32-year-old Benni McCarthy made the switch from Blackburn Rovers to West Ham for an undisclosed fee. The South African will look to regain his form with the Hammers leading up to this summer’s World Cup.
The most notable loan deal of the day came when Robbie Keane – who has fallen out of favor at Tottenham and also lost his starting job to Peter Crouch – signed to move to Celtic until the end of the season. After leaving Spurs for a short stay at Liverpool, Keane rejoined Harry Redknapp’s squad but couldn’t regain the form that led to some 80 goals in 200 appearances at White Hart Lane. Keane will be joined by other transfer day signings Diomansy Kamara, Edson Braafheid and Paul Slane.
Other moves on transfer day included: Spurs defender Alan Hutton to Sunderland on-loan for the rest of the season; West Ham inks Leeds striker Mido to loan deal and also signs AS Saint-Etienne’s Ilan.
