Valencia and Atletico Spain's key movers in winter transfer window

Madrid clubs Real and Atletico were expected to be big Spanish spenders in the winter transfer window, after being hit with a signing ban for summer 2016 and winter 2017 by the ruling body FIFA for having underage foreign youngsters in their youth schemes.

However, last week these transfer bans were provisionally suspended because both clubs appealed against them, meaning that they could sign players this summer.

As a result neither was in a hurry to snap up players in the window which ended Monday, with Atletico however a little more active than Real. 

Even before FIFA announced the postponement, Real president Florentino Perez had said the whites would make no winter signings.

"We do not need to bring in newcomers because we already have the best players in the world," Perez said, with his habitual modesty.

The only move made by Real has been to loan the unwanted Denis Cheryshev to Valencia for six months.

Cheryshev was effectively 'persona non gratis' at the Estadio Bernabeu after causing Real to be thrown out of the Spanish Cup in December for playing when ineligible due to a suspension he picked up when on loan at Villarreal last season.

Atletico meanwhile brought in Argentine midfielders Matias Kranewitter and Augusto Fernandez, though the latter has already suffered a serious knee injury and will be out for around two months.

Leaders Barcelona have again not bothered to enter the winter market, something they have only done once in the past 10 years.

Barca coach Luis Enrique reportedly asked the club to sign Nolito from Celta Vigo and Denis Suarez from Villarreal, but the Catalan giants - who are trying to tighten up their budget - in the end didn't seal either deal.

Luis Enrique still had two January additions to his thin, weary squad in the form of midfielders Aleix Vidal and Arda Turan.

Both players came to Barca last summer, from Sevilla and Atletico, but were unable to play for their new club until January 1 because Barca were banned by FIFA from registering new players for two transfer periods until then, also in connection with under-age players.

In addition to Cheryshev, 12th-placed Valencia have taken Guilherme Siqueira on loan from Atletico, while offloading Yoel Rodriguez, Lucas Orban and Rodrigo de Paul.

Meanwhile, Sevilla have taken back defenders Diogo Figueiras and Federico Fazio, while Malaga have gone for Gonzalo Castro and Federico Ricca. 

GNA