What a player’s experience in the January transfer window is truly like

Nedum Onuoha spent 14 seasons in the Premier League with Manchester City, Sunderland, and Queens Park Rangers before concluding his career with MLS team Real Salt Lake. He joined ESPN in 2020, making appearances on ESPN FC, and has since served as ESPN’s primary studio analyst in England. His articles provide his insights on significant topics in football.

The concluding moments of a transfer window can be quite challenging for a professional footballer. When the possibility of changing clubs looms, those days and hours are filled with uncertainty, confusion, self-interest, and, at times, feelings of betrayal. A manager’s or director’s decision can drastically alter your circumstances, which is the stark reality of the football industry.

On transfer deadline day in August 2011, I anticipated leaving Manchester City, so I cleared out my locker at the training facility, placed my boots in a bin bag, shook hands with teammates and staff, and bid my farewells. These goodbyes were particularly difficult as I had been with the club since I joined at the age of 10, 15 years prior.

However, no transfer occurred, and I returned to City the following day, greeting everyone once more. I was aware that my chances of playing for the first team would be limited, and that I might find myself in the same predicament six months later when the January window opened.

And so it happened. When January arrived, Queens Park Rangers expressed interest in me late in the window. They had changed their manager since August—Neil Warnock had been succeeded by my former City manager Mark Hughes—and they wanted me to assist them in avoiding relegation from the Premier League. I was not entirely convinced about the move. However, as I have noted in previous columns, I was largely out of the first-team picture at City under Roberto Mancini, so I needed to find playing time.

My wife and I were living in Manchester, and I had heard of interest from Everton, which seemed to me a more favorable option both in terms of football and location. But I was informed that City had reached an agreement with QPR, and that was the end of the discussion. Consequently, I had to travel to London for a medical examination. I gathered my washbag, departed the training ground, and took a train 200 miles south.

Did I have a choice? Not really. Transfers hinge on who holds the leverage, and I had very little. I was not playing, but I felt a transfer was essential for me, and if Everton was not a viable option for City, I would have to proceed with QPR.

Thus, I underwent my medical, signed a contract, trained on Thursday, and was included in the squad for Saturday’s FA Cup match against Chelsea, QPR’s fiercest rivals, despite still being unfamiliar with some of my new teammates’ names.

I transitioned from my familiar life to an entirely new one within just 2-3 days.

Once the transfer was finalized, I had to quickly adapt, even though I had not played in months. There was no time for adjustment. As the new member of the squad, the team was struggling near the bottom of the table, and the atmosphere was tense due to the ongoing losses, with the expectation that I would help improve the situation.

I witnessed numerous conflicts among teammates as frustrations escalated. On one occasion, two seasoned players engaged in a physical altercation on the pitch because they had differing views on what was best for the team and themselves. One was a recent signing, while the other had been with the club prior to the transfer window, highlighting the difficulties of integrating new players with existing ones. Sometimes, that integration simply does not happen.

This is the football aspect of joining a team midseason, but there are also off-field implications. Like many others, I signed a contract that included a relegation clause, meaning if QPR were to be relegated, I would likely need to find another club in the summer. Simultaneously, I wanted to settle into a new area rather than spend 4-5 months essentially dividing my time between the training facility and a hotel.

Therefore, I signed a short-term lease on a house, uncertain if I would still be there in the summer. My wife accompanied me, which was a significant support, especially since we had been married for less than a year. At 25 and without children, this made the transition much easier.

Now, with three children, I cannot imagine making such a disruptive move if they had been around and in school, but this is a challenge many players, particularly older ones, must navigate.

This experience influenced my decisions regarding club transfers later in my career. At 31, I had the chance to move to the United States for a new experience in MLS, but by then I had a young family, which was a crucial consideration.

Having just left QPR at the conclusion of my contract after 6½ years at the club, they presented me with a contract that I knew I could not accept. It was a significant pay reduction, offering me a fraction of my previous salary, and I had just been named the Players’ Player of the Season as captain, making it a shocking situation. This felt like a betrayal, and I realized I needed to seek other opportunities.

The Player’s Perspective: Read more of Nedum Onuoha’s columns
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During the summer window, midway through the 2018 MLS season, I received two offers—one from LAFC and another from Real Salt Lake. LAFC indicated they would provide me with a deal for 2019 if I performed well during the remainder of the 2018 season. However, Salt Lake offered me a contract until the end of the 2018 season, with a guarantee for an additional year and an option to extend for 2020—essentially a 2½-year agreement.

Many would consider a choice between Salt Lake and Los Angeles to be straightforward due to the numerous advantages that LA and California present, but I believe I became the first player to turn down LAFC because I sought the certainty and stability that came with Real Salt Lake’s proposal. On that occasion, I held the leverage. I was able to make a decision that benefited me and my family, rather than being compelled into a move that served the club’s interests.

The objective was to spend 2½ years in the U.S. and then return to the U.K., which is precisely how it unfolded. I enjoyed my time in Utah and was fortunate that the leverage was in my favor during that transition.

However, many footballers do not have the luxury of planning for the long term. I have experienced the uncertainty of not knowing from one day to the next who my employer would be or where I would reside, and that is not an ideal situation.

Unfortunately, to dispel any misconceptions, only the elite players have the ability to dictate the course of their careers.

Nedum Onuoha was speaking to ESPN senior writer Mark Ogden