Top 10 Best January Transfer Window Signings in Premier League History

With the January transfer window upon us, it’s natural to speculate on which players will end up going where. It seems like quite an interesting task, given that all of us like to play fantasy football in our heads!

It’s worth mentioning that this window has seen a lot of top players arrive in Premier League clubs. However, several coaches feel that this does not give them the time to analyse and work on their shortcomings as much as they can in the summer window.

In this listicle, we rank the top ten best Premier League signings in the January window:

#10 GARY CAHILL (BOLTON WANDERERS TO CHELSEA)

Gary Cahill’s move from Bolton Wanderers to Chelsea for just £7m in January 2012 has to go down in history as being one of the best ever in the Premier League. Bolton were struggling to remain in the Premier League, and Cahill snatched at the opportunity to move to London with them.

He was surprised to see manager André Villas-Boas being sacked less than two months after he arrived. However, his successful tenure under Roberto di Matteo and José Mourinho yielded eight trophies. Two of them were Premier League titles and a Champions League in their famous 2011-12 season.

#9 SEAMUS COLEMAN (SLIGO ROVERS TO EVERTON)

Everton right-back Seamus Coleman, who’s grown up to become a club legend, arrived from his home country, Ireland’s Sligo Rovers, for just £60,000 by David Moyes. He was not a regular starter at first, although he has now amassed 426 appearances in all competitions for Everton.

Coleman’s longevity can be signified by the fact that he’s played under 11 managers at Everton since he arrived there as a fresh-faced 21-year-old in January 2010. He spent a season on loan with Blackpool but has been a regular for the Toffees ever since. Coleman will go down as a historic figure for Everton, given how much he contributed to the club’s cause.

#8 PIERRE-EMERICK AUBAMEYANG (BORUSSIA DORTMUND TO ARSENAL)

Former Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang made an almost immediate impact in the Premier League when he arrived from Borussia Dortmund in 2018. He ended his tenure at the Emirates Stadium with 92 goals in 163 appearances across all competitions.

For £56m, he was Arsenal’s record signing at the time, and he repaid the faith shown upon him consistently. Towards the end of his time at the club, his relationship with manager Mikel Arteta soured. In the final days, he left the Gunners as a free agent and joined Barcelona, later returning to England with Chelsea.

#7 PHILIPPE COUTINHO (INTER MILAN TO LIVERPOOL)

One of the biggest January signings Liverpool could have made in their history is that of Philippe Coutinho from Inter Milan. The Brazilian winger, known for his express pace and creativity, could take any defender by surprise, especially in one-on-one situations. He remained an enigma with 54 goals in 201 appearances in Red.

Coutinho is now playing club football in Brazil after having plied his trade for Barcelona, Bayern Munich and Aston Villa in Europe. When he arrived at Liverpool from Inter Milan for £8.5m, the Reds must have felt that they’d hit the jackpot. He had a wonderful time under Brendan Rodgers and Jürgen Klopp.

#6 KIERAN TRIPPIER (ATLETICO MADRID TO NEWCASTLE UNITED)

It must have seemed stupid to see Kieran Trippier – then among the best right-backs in the world – leave Atletico Madrid and join Newcastle United in 2022. His performances ever since have justified the move, and the England international is excellent at making piercing runs back and forth.

Trippier has already made 105 appearances for the Magpies across all competitions, even finding the net on four occasions. His versatility at the back and mastery over free kicks and other set-piece situations made him indispensable to Newcastle, especially after being taken over by a new ownership group.

#5 ANDY COLE (NEWCASTLE UNITED TO MANCHESTER UNITED)

Former England player Andy Cole won five Premier League and a UEFA Champions League title with Manchester United. He arrived at Old Trafford for a then-British record sum of £7m in January 1995. His arrival at Manchester United saw winger Keith Gillespie go the other way.

Cole scored a whopping 121 goals while wearing Red and eventually became one of the club’s legendary figures. Working under the famous Sir Alex Ferguson, Cole became a lethal striker who could score from virtually anywhere, either outside or inside the box.

#4 LUIS SUAREZ (AJAX TO LIVERPOOL)

Luis Suárez, one of the most enigmatic characters in modern football, moved to Liverpool from Ajax in 2011 for a big sum of £23m. He arrived at Anfield on the back of the controversy his ear-biting incident had generated in the Netherlands. That did not deter Liverpool.

He scored 82 goals in the 133 matches he played for the Reds and eventually went over to Barcelona for triple the price. Suárez flirted with controversy, wearing Liverpool colours when he was banned for biting Branislav Ivanovic in 2013.

#3 NEMANJA VIDIC (SPARTAK MOSCOW TO MANCHESTER UNITED)

Former Manchester United central defender Nemanja Vidic has to be one of the finest signings ever made in a January transfer window. The Serbian arrived at Old Trafford from Spartak Moscow in 2006 and went on to earn the status of a veritable legend of the sport.

Vidic was best remembered for forming an envious centre-back partnership with Rio Ferdinand, which formed the backbone of Sir Alex Ferguson’s last days at the club. His technical expertise and man-marking skills made him stand out from his opponents. He won five Premier League titles and a Champions League title in 2008.

#2 BRUNO FERNANDES (SPORTING TO MANCHESTER UNITED)

Current Manchester United captain Bruno Fernandes comes second on our list of top signings made in the January window. The Portuguese playmaker was highly sought after in the European market while plying his trade for Sporting CP. In the 2020 January window, Manchester United, under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, purchased him for £68m.

Fernandes has risen to become one of the finest players in the Premier League and regularly shows his class for the Red Devils. His creativity while unlocking opposition defences is incredibly well-known, as is his ability to take penalties with precision.

#1 VIRGIL VAN DIJK (SOUTHAMPTON TO LIVERPOOL)

Perhaps the best signing ever made in a transfer window in the Premier League is that of central defender Virgil van Dijk, from Liverpool from Southampton. Van Dijk was purchased by the gargantuan sum of £75mLiverpool received after selling Philippe Coutinho to Barcelona. In turn, this helped them set a base for their forthcoming success in both the Premier League and UEFA Champions League.

Ever since he arrived in 2018, van Dijk has become a cornerstone in the Liverpool defence and a veritable leader of men. His technical defending makes him extremely difficult to pass, as does his gigantic frame. The Dutchman is genuinely one of the best footballers of this generation. Liverpool were shrewd in purchasing him.

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