Football analyst and trainer Pavel Stipidi predicted some eye‑catching moves in Spartak Moscow after the club appointed Tomas Amaral as its new sports director. He described the expected transfers as “ridiculous,” and his take centered on the move that shook the winter market: Manfred Ugalde joining Spartak from Twente. The pundit’s stance, shared with Euro-Football.Ru, framed the season as one where Amaral’s strategy could redefine Spartak’s shopping mindset and overall competitiveness.
Stipidi recounted a personal bet over a box of cognac with a circle of veteran players about what would happen under Amaral. He claimed he told his friends that the club would secure a high‑profile, perhaps unexpected, purchase within a month, and that the gamble would prove true once Spartak announced a signing capable of altering their attacking dynamic. The moment Ugalde arrived confirmed the prediction, and Stipidi joked that perhaps a second round of cognac would be due once the paperwork and the public reaction settled. The anecdote adds color to the winter saga surrounding Spartak and its ambitious recruitment plan.
Ugalde’s move at the tail end of January 2024 came with a reported fee of €13 million plus a €2 million potential bonus. The forward had featured in 25 matches across all competitions for Twente in the season up to that point, recording nine goals and seven assists. This statistical profile positioned him as a versatile attacking option for Spartak, capable of contributing both goals and assists in a league known for its physicality and tactical variation. Observers noted that his transition could help Spartak diversify its attacking options and add pace, technical variety, and an edge in attacking transitions to the squad’s evolving system.
Regarding the broader transfer window in the Russian Premier League, the winter market opened on January 25, 2024, and was scheduled to close on February 24, 2024. At the moment, Krasnodar led the league with 38 points and a strong defensive record, while Zenit stood two points behind in second place, followed by Dinamo Moscow in third with 32 points. These standings provided context for Spartak’s aggressiveness in the market, underscoring the urgency to consolidate a title challenge and secure a place in European competition in the following season. The window’s cadence—opening, closing, and the timing of premium signings—is crucial for clubs seeking to recalibrate their squads mid‑season, especially in a league where financial constraints often shape decision‑making and risk tolerance.
Earlier reports from the Netherlands alleged a resignation at Twente following the agreement with Spartak, illustrating how the transfer ripple effect can touch players, clubs, and staff alike. Such developments are common in modern football, where a single high‑profile move can trigger a cascade of back‑office changes, reputational considerations, and strategic recalibrations across leagues. The ongoing narrative around Ugalde’s arrival is thus part of a broader pattern of cross‑border transfers that keep the European football ecosystem dynamic and externally visible to fans and analysts alike.