Turkish giant Galatasaray won’t waste any time in getting their new Dutch international Wesley Sneijder folded into the mix at the historic Istanbul sports club.
News broke only Sunday that Sneijder, the dynamic Dutch international midfielder, so big a part of the Holland’s second-place finish in the 2010 World Cup, had moved from Inter Milan to Galatasaray for about $10 million.
The clubs say Sneijder is already in Turkey for an afternoon physical. The club has confirmed the move, with some stories out of Europe reporting this as a three-and-a-half year agreement. That would bind Sneijder to Galatasaray until 2016, right about the time he turns 32.
Sneijder moved to Milan from Real Madrid back in 2009 for about $20 million.
Barring something unforeseen, Sneijder’s move could be the most significant of the winter transfer window. Frank Lampard moving away from Chelsea would probably be a bigger story; that seems more likely to happen this summer, with Major League Soccer’s LA Galaxy looking as likely a landing spot as anywhere else.
A move for Manchester City bad boy Mario Balotelli would certainly raise a ruckus.
And there are talented young players like Crystal Palace’s Wilfried Zaha who could make major transfer news. (Especially if he moves to Old Trafford.)
But given Sneijder’s resume, the destinations involved and his general place in the game over the last 8-10 years (at Ajax, Real, Inter and for the Netherlands), this is probably your big transfer tale for the month.