There is no getting away from it. The start to the season has been underwhelming to say the least for Real Betis fans. With an expected win over Leganes, and a decent victory over Levante as the only good results so far this season, many Betis fans are looking at the winter transfer window as a time to strengthen the club, and hopefully, reinvigorate a team that has flattered to deceive so far.
New Sponsor, new signings?
With online broker easyMarkets recently becoming new sponsors at Real Betis, many fans are hoping that there will be some money to spend come January, where there are also expected to be some departures from the Benito Villamarin. With the defence leaking goals, and the attack having just as much trouble putting the ball in the back of the net, a shakeup of playing staff may not be the worst thing in the world for the Andalusian club.
The biggest shakeup could start at the top, with the manager rumoured to be facing the axe should the next few results go against Real Betis. With fellow strugglers Celta Vigo providing the only fixture in the next four games that looks realistic to win, barring a miracle, we could very well be looking at a team with a very different tactical approach, and as with any change at the top, a brand new view on what will be needed in January.
Defensive movement
Before knowing what will be needed at the start of next year, it is worth considering what players are rumoured to be targets for other teams in the January transfer window. The main rumour being that there could be a position available at right-back, as Emerson (a player co-owned by Betis and Barcelona) looks set to move to the Camp Nou full-time next summer at the latest. If Real Betis can keep hold of their man during the winter transfer window (which is what the vice president of the club is saying), it could give them enough breathing space to play for the next season without one of the players who is still putting in a good shift in a defence that is coming up short so far in the competition.
When it comes to transfers coming in, one rumour that has been marinating for a while now, surrounds the young Spanish goalkeeper Josep Martinez who currently plays for Las Palmas. Whether Betis will eventually get their man is not a certainty by any means, with Spanish giants Real Madrid and Premier League contenders Arsenal also eyeing the impressive young shot-stopper aswell. If Martinez joins one of the transfer rivals, it seems Betis are also keeping tabs on Andriy Lunin, a Real Madrid keeper who is currently on loan at Valladolid, although it is understood that Madrid are not keen on a permanent move, and would prefer another load spell for their player. This, of course, could change if they were to sign Martinez themselves.
Two big-name midfielders amongst the rumours
With Nabil Fekir only recently joining the club, Some may think it unlikely that we will see any movement in the midfield or attack this winter (that is unless there are transfers away from the club in this area), however, there have been some rumours circling in Argentina linking Betis to the 29-year-old Boca Juniors midfielder Ivan Marcone, while some media outlets are linking Betis with a move for Emre Can of Juventus. It must be said however, that the move for Can should be taken with a pinch of salt, as Barcelona and PSG have also been linked with the industrious midfielder.
Whatever happens in January, and whoever is in charge at Betis come the new year, we can expect to see some movement in and out of a club that is not performing anywhere near the standard that is expected of them. When you consider that William Carvalho and Nabil Fekir were two big names that joined Real Betis in the last two seasons, under the nose of some of the biggest clubs in Europe, there is no reason to believe Betis cannot pull off a signing or two that could raise not only a few eyebrows across Spain, but also their position in the Spanish top tier.