DEFENDING champions APOEL will hope their solitary signing of the January transfer window will give them a boost as they bid to defend the title, while their main rivals Omonia, Anorthosis and AEL all significantly strengthened their squads.
APOEL manager Ivan Jovanovic’s only signing of the window is the Portuguese midfielder Helder Sousa, who was definitely well scouted as he spent the last two seasons with Olympiakos Nicosia during which he played 44 games and scored four goals.
APOEL also tried to sign 21-year-old Portuguese midfielder Joao Pedro Pereira Silva, who is currently playing for Vitoria de Setubal, on loan from Everton.
The Nicosia giants reached an agreement over personal terms with the player, but Everton, who invested one million pounds in the player, were not prepared to let him go cheaply and changed their minds at the last moment, meaning the talented midfielder will remain on loan in the Portuguese Primeira Liga.
City rivals Omonia signed three new players: Brazilian striker Andre Alves, Israeli defender David Ben Dayan and French attacking midfielder Bryan Bergougnoux..
The 28-year-old Alves is one of the most prolific forwards to have ever played in the Hungarian national championship, hitting 55 goals in 91 games for Videoton FC.
Ben Dayan signed with the Greens from Israeli side Hapoel Tel Aviv, while Bergougnoux came on loan from the Italian club U.S. Lecce, with the Cypriot outfit having an option to ink him on a permanent deal at the end of the season.
Ronny Levy’s Anorthosis added five players in the winter transfer window with Moroccan winger Jaouad Zairi leading the way.
Most recently, Zairi played for Greek side PAS Giannina, while he also had a two-year spell with Olympiakos Piraeus.
Well-known Greek midfielder Giorgos Makris came to Larnaca from Atromitos and he will replace Serbian Nemanja Vucicevic, who has left the Ammochostos side.
The other thee signing are the experienced Georgian left back Davit Kvirkvelia, Brazilian defender Fabio Santos – who arrived from Corinthians – and Cypriot native Constantinos Laifis, who has played for the under-21s at Nottingham Forest.
Laifis has been practising with the team for some time now but was only registered to play for the club on Tuesday.
AEL bought young Portuguese international Hugo Sousa from Porto and got another Portuguese – Kaby – from Chelsea.
Both Sousa and Kaby are youngsters and they should be considered as investments in the future of the club.
The third signing for the Limassol outfit that keeps impressing is the experienced Angolan midfielder Gilberto.
