Transfer window: Which Premier League clubs had the best and worst January?
Has there ever been a January transfer window quite like that?
The goings-on at Chelsea will dominate the headlines but what cannot be overlooked is the fact the majority of teams within the Premier League did something.
They did so in the hope it would improve their chances in the second half of the campaign.
It is far too premature to declare a team of the transfer window given we are yet to see how these new players perform, but we can look at the business done by these clubs and try to make sense of it.
So that is what we’ll do.
Cancelo cancelled at City
On paper, Manchester City have weakened themselves by allowing Joao Cancelo to join Bayern Munich on loan. Considered by many to be one of the best full-backs in the world, the 28-year-old penned a new five-year deal with the club early last year.
He was quoted as saying: “There is nowhere better to play football and it’s a pleasure to work here. I have so much I want to achieve before my career ends, and Manchester City offers me the best chance of fulfilling my ambitions.”
A lot can change in the space of 12 months.
In fact, a lot can change in the space of a month. Cancelo was hauled off against Chelsea in early January having started as a wing-back. Pep Guardiola apologised to him afterwards but, according to reports, that decision soured the relationship.
The former Juventus full-back allegedly wanted to move and Guardiola made his thoughts clear by leaving him out of his starting XI in City’s last three matches.
After the 4-2 win over Spurs, the Catalan tactician accused his players of lacking passion. While the squad could be viewed as weaker, the dressing room could well be stronger and this could spark something on the pitch.
'Guardiola looks to inject hunger'
City didn’t even use the market to replace him. Instead, they are likely going to continue using Rico Lewis.
They did, however, add Maximo Perrone to their ranks. After bringing in a young midfielder with a point to prove, the reigning champions now have a number of these profiles within their squad as Guardiola looks to inject hunger into his squad again.
It is a risk but it could prove to be a masterstroke.
Depth the desire at Arsenal
Arsenal, on the other hand, made moves this month. Last year, they didn’t and it cost them a top-four place. This time, could it clinch a surprise Premier League title?
Jakub Kiwior boosts Mikel Arteta’s centre-back options but the real difference makers are further forward.
Firstly, the Gunners pounced to sign Leandro Trossard after missing out on Mykhailo Mudryk.
The Belgian, at 28, is much more of a short-term fix but that is all Arsenal really need right now. They just need some depth in attack to give them options if a game isn’t going to plan. It also allows them a little flexibility while ensuring Arteta can rotate.
It is a smart move. Low cost, low risk. Exactly how you could describe the deal to bring Jorginho to The Emirates, too.
Arsenal tried their best to pry Moises Caicedo away from Brighton but it wasn’t to be. They needed to strengthen that area but didn’t want to be ripped off paying for a player who wasn’t their top target.
'He could be one of the best signings of the window'
Jorginho isn’t Caicedo but he isn’t being asked to be. He can help the Gunners control possession and space in a different way to the 21-year-old, but it is still just as effective.
Arsenal bagged themselves an experienced midfielder with a winning mentality and Premier League experience for just £12m. It could prove to be one of the best signings of the window.
Arteta’s squad isn’t as stacked as Guardiola’s but Arsenal now have depth. That could be enough to get them over the line.
Two birds with one stone for Magpies
Carabao Cup finalists Newcastle weren’t as active as many believed they would be. They added Garang Kuol, Harrison Ashby and Anthony Gordon to their squad in what might be viewed as an underwhelming haul.
However, the arrival of Gordon could have a significant impact.
It immediately gives Eddie Howe more attacking options and means he doesn’t have to keep using Joelinton as part of a front three. The Brazilian can return to his midfield role, a position he has thrived in, and the Magpies will look better for it.
The £45m signing may only be one player but his introduction will benefit two areas of the team.
Man Utd go low risk, high reward
Manchester United lost Cristiano Ronaldo but gained a better-suited forward for Erik ten Hag in Wout Weghorst. That isn’t a sentence I thought I’d be typing in 2023 but it is true.
The Red Devils' new 6ft 6in frontman gives much more balance to the team and as a result they look a greater attacking threat. The Dutchman might not be the most prolific United striker ever but if his presence facilitates opportunities for team-mates, it doesn’t matter about individual numbers.
After losing Christian Eriksen to injury, the recruitment team moved swiftly to bring Marcel Sabitzer in on loan from Bayern Munich - a really clever piece of business.
It gives United the best chance of having a successful campaign without having to commit to anything long-term that could disrupt other plans. The definition of a low-risk, high-reward loan.
Spurs backing Conte?
Spurs made some big calls this month. Having signed right-wing-back Djed Spence in the summer for a reported £20m, they allowed him to leave on loan with Antonio Conte clearly not convinced by the former Nottingham Forest loanee.
The club also cancelled Matt Doherty’s contract in order for him to join Atletico Madrid, freeing up space for Sporting full-back Pedro Porro.
Now, Conte has a right-wing-back he trusts to rival Emerson Royal for a start and this should improve Spurs hugely.
This sequence of events alone does suggest the club are looking to properly back the manager in his pursuit of a top-four finish.
They also enhanced their attacking options after hijacking Everton’s move for Arnaut Danjuma.
Their forward line now looks fairly healthy with the Villarreal loanee joining Harry Kane, Heung-min Son and Richarlison as genuine first-choice options.
With Richarlison and Son struggling for goals this season, an additional threat in the attacking third was probably needed as a bit of insurance.
Reds needed short-term reinforcements
Liverpool shocked, well, everyone when they moved for Cody Gakpo on Boxing Day. It had been thought that a midfielder would be a priority for the Reds and the Dutch attacker was reportedly a top target for Manchester United.
However, another injury to Luis Diaz left Jurgen Klopp with limited options in attack, so Gakpo was signed. Fans waited for a new midfielder to join the former PSV man at Anfield but nothing materialised.
On one hand, more depth is a positive and, after Roberto Firmino suffered a setback when close to his return to the first-team picture, Liverpool were looking a little light in attack.
'More unbalanced now than in December'
The concerning thing for the Reds is they look more unbalanced now than they did before the start of the window, with Gakpo helping a struggling midfield which simultaneously blunts the attack.
Gakpo might prove to be a decent long-term purchase, but the 2019/20 Premier League champions needed short-term reinforcements.
Scattergun at Stamford Bridge?
What is there to say about Chelsea? They broke the British transfer record to sign Enzo Fernandez and spent £300m on a total of eight players this month. Bedding them in will be a challenge but these are all long-term projects, and not just because they needed to be to get around Financial Fair Play (FFP) rules.
All seven permanent arrivals were aged 22. If they all fulfil their potential, Chelsea won’t have to do that much in the market for the best part of a decade.
It is a high-risk move but if it works out as they expect, the Blues have some of the best talents in Europe signed up to as long as eight-year deals.
They have protected their value and can forecast their wage bill for future planning. The strategy also gives them the best shot of getting back into the Champions League if they do miss out this season.
At first glance, it does look like a scattergun approach but they addressed key long-term weaknesses to bring in right-back Malo Gusto (who won't properly join until the summer), central midfielder Fernandez, and left-winger Mykhailo Mudryk.
We’re yet to know whether Graham Potter can piece together a functional team made up of these new signings but there is, on paper at least, a balanced XI there.
Strange window for Brighton
Brighton lost top scorer Leandro Trossard and had to fight off interest from a host of clubs to keep an unhappy Moises Caicedo. It was reported the club wanted to sign Vitinha from Braga to replace Trossard but he ended up at Marseille.
So, no incomings and only one real outgoing and yet it has to be considered a successful window for the Seagulls.
Having rejected club-record bids for Caicedo, they sent a message to teams that they cannot be bullied into doing something they don’t want to do. In keeping the 21-year-old, they have given themselves the best chance of claiming a European spot next season.
That, in the long run, is better than £70m in the bank today. They likely pocket that for their No. 25 in the summer if they want it anyway.
Leeds back Marsch with players to suit
Leeds did some good business in January. They paid a club-record fee for the extremely talented Georginio Rutter, brought Max Wober in to replace Diego Llorente, who joined Roma on loan, and added Weston McKennie on loan.
They strengthened every area of the team and, more importantly, brought in players suited to Jesse Marsch’s system.
It sets them up nicely for the remainder of the campaign, especially now that Patrick Bamford is back from injury. They also managed to keep Jack Harrison despite interest from Leicester.
The quality they have added should be enough to see them navigate their way out of any potential relegation battle.
Forest fairly active again
Nottingham Forest weren’t quite as busy as they were in the summer but Steve Cooper did bring in six new faces. The experience they have added to their ranks could well be the difference between relegation and survival.
Keylor Navas and Felipe have a winning mentality while Chris Wood and Jonjo Shelvey have Premier League experience, knowing what it takes to stay in this league.
The most intriguing signing is Danilo. If they stay up and he impresses, he has the potential to turn a massive profit for the club.
Wolves stronger with good window
Wolves wasted little time adding players to their ranks to make it more of a Julen Lopetegui squad. Versatile goal threats in Matheus Cunha and Pablo Sarabia were recruited. The Spanish manager does like his wide players to be difference-makers in one-on-one duels, so these tick that box.
They also shored things up in midfield, adding Mario Lemina and Joao Gomes. This future-proofs them in a way.
The duo can familiarise themselves with things at the club in the latter half of the season before potentially displacing Joao Moutinho. There’s also uncertainty over the futures of Ruben Neves and Matheus Nunes, so getting Lemina and Gomes in now made a lot of sense.
Goncalo Guedes did depart but that was offset by the arrivals of Cunha and Sarabia. All in all, Wolves look much stronger and the playing profiles now align with what the manager wants.
Cherries and Saints plan for future
Backed by new investment, Bournemouth looked to bolster their chances of survival by dipping into the transfer market.
What is particularly interesting about those they have signed is that they all have huge resale value. If they impress in the Premier League, Hamed Traore, Antoine Semenyo, Dango Ouattara and Ilya Zabarnyi will all see their valuations increase.
They probably could hae done with some more Premier League experience as Traore, Ouattara and Zabarnyi will all need time to acclimate to the rigours of the English top-flight.
Having to do so during a relegation battle isn’t ideal, so while it might not help them immediately, this window should benefit the Cherries in the long run, regardless of if they fail to beat the drop.
Southampton seemed to take a similar approach by signing players who could be worth significantly more in a year or two. Though having said that, their approach in the summer was practically the same.
They are offering young, talented players the opportunity to play regular Premier League football (for now) while putting themselves in the shop window. It is an attractive proposition and that is how they were likely able to sign Carlos Alcaraz and Kamaldeen Sulemana.
They did boost their chances of survival, though, with the arrivals of experienced players James Bree, Mislav Orsic and Paul Onuachu.
They’ve given themselves an opportunity of beating the drop but have also set themselves up to immediately return if they are relegated.
Hoping for Dyche to deliver
Everton tried and failed to add to their squad during the final few days of the window. Despite having a medical, Danjuma opted for Spurs. Conor Gallagher rejected a move to Goodison Park while Sulemana favoured Southampton.
What they did, though, was nail the managerial appointment.
Following the sacking of Frank Lampard, they brought in Sean Dyche. He worked miracles with Burnley and this Everton squad is better than the one he had at Turf Moor. He will get them organised and make them extremely difficult to break down.
It sounds basic but if you aren’t conceding goals, you aren’t losing games; exactly the basics Everton need to embrace right now.
That will give them a greater chance of survival than any signing would have.