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The winter transfer window is now officially shut. Deadline Day (31 January) was typically chaotic, with a flurry of moves going through, and numerous deals collapsing at the last moment. Arsenal's Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang decided to arrive in Barcelona earlier than expected, but was hit with a rude shock as his potential move threatened to collapse.
Fortunately for the Gabon striker, the Blaugrana did eventually get their man. Meanwhile, Juventus, who looked down and out for the season, hit back with a superstar signing. However, there was no such joy for many teams in England, as numerous London clubs endured a difficult month in the market.
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As the dust settles after a frantic deadline day, here is a look at five clubs who enjoyed a successful winter transfer window:
#5 Everton
Although Everton's tumultuous manager search was in the spotlight, the Merseyside club had a good transfer window, bringing in six players. The sale of Lucas Digne to Aston Villa will hurt, though, especially, as Rafa Benitez, who decided to bench the Frenchman in the first place, has now been sacked.
New head coach Frank Lampard's first signing as Toffees boss was Donny van de Beek on loan from Manchester United. There is no option to buy, though, and the Dutchman is expected to return to Old Trafford at the end of the season.
Dele Alli is another high-profile arrival, and was signed on loan from Tottenham Hotspur, and Everton could make the move permanent in six months' time.
Anwar El Ghazi joined from Aston Villa on loan, while 22-year-old Ukrainian left-back Vitaliy Mykolenko was the most expensive signing at £21 million. Nigel Patterson was the youngest signing, with the 20-year-old right-back arriving from Rangers for £12.5 million. Young goalkeeper Billy Crellin, signed from Fleetwood for an undisclosed fee, rounds off the arrivals.
Everton have endured a shocking season so far. They are languishing in 16th in the league table, and are winless in their last five games. With the team accumulating only 19 points from 20 games, Lampard's immediate concern will be to avoid a relegation dogfight.
#4 Aston Villa
Steven Gerrard and Aston Villa were the epitome of efficiency this winter window, identifying the right players and getting bargain deals over the line nice and early.
They signed French full-back Lucas Digne from Everton in a £27 million deal, while Anwar El Ghazi moved the other way on loan. Out of favour left-back Matt Targett also left the club, and was loaned to Newcastle United.
Philippe Coutinho was the marquee signing, joining on a loan move from Barcelona till the end of the season.
Villa will have the chance to make the move permanent, if they wish, for £33 million at the end of the season. Another astute signing was the acquisition of defender Calum Chambers from Arsenal on a free transfer. Robin Olson has also arrived from Roma on loan, and will act as Emiliano Martinez's deputy.
With four new additions to their squad, Aston Villa hope to break into the top half of the Premier League table. They are currently on 26 points from 21 games.
#3 Juventus
Despite enduring a difficult start to their 2021-22 campaign, things are looking up for Juventus. The Bianconeri will be very happy with how their winter window went. Dusan Vlahovic and Denis Zakaria, signed from Fiorentina and Borussia Monchengladbach respectively, are the two new arrivals in Turin.
The deal for the Serbian forward was a terrific piece of business, as Vlahovic was among the most in-demand players in the world. Juventus held off strong pressure from Arsenal to complete a £73.5 million signing, and now have a world-class 22-year-old forward in their ranks.
Meanwhile, 25-year-old Swiss midfielder Denis Zakaria has faced his fair share of injury troubles of late. However, at £7.75 million, it seems like an absolute steal for the powerful defensive midfielder.
More importantly, Juventus have managed to offload multiple players and have cleaned up their wage bill, as a result. Rodrigo Bentancur joined Tottenham Hotspur, who paid £17 million for the 24-year-old Uruguay midfielder.
He was joined by 21-year-old Dejan Kulusevski, who heads to London on an 18-month loan. Spurs will shell out £8.5 million as a loan fee, and have the option to make the Swedish winger's move permanent for £29 million in 2023.
The Bianconeri also finally got rid of Aaron Ramsay and his wages, with the Welsh international joining Scottish side Rangers on loan. Juventus are currently fifth in the Serie A table, with 42 points from 23 games. A title push, though, seems unlikely, considering they are 11 points behind leaders Inter, who have played a game less.
#2 Barcelona
After a woeful end to 2021, Barcelona approached the January transfer window full of purpose. Their efforts have yielded results, with the Blaugrana welcoming three new signings to the Camp Nou.
Ferran Torres was the standout acquisition, arriving from Manchester City for a hefty £50 million fee. The Spanish forward has impressed in his early days at the club. He is only 21, and has ample room for development.
Adama Traore also sealed a shock return to the Camp Nou from Wolverhampton Wanderers. The former Barcelona youth product has arrived on a loan deal, and the club have the option to make it permanent for £25 million in the future.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is another unexpected signing, although the Blaugrana are yet to officially confirm his arrival. Details of the move are yet to be revealed, but the deal may contain a permanent option as the Gabon forward is highly unlikely to be welcomed back at Arsenal.
The club also finally managed to offload Philippe Coutinho and his enormous wages to Aston Villa. Barcelona would now like to put that behind them and close the door on what will be looked back on as one of the worst transfers in history.
#1 Newcastle United
In January, no team was busier in the transfer market than Newcastle United. The Magpies were linked with nearly every big player, from Ousmane Dembele to Donny van de Beek.
The English club also faced lengthy negotiations as other teams attempted to make the most of the Magpies' new ownership (the Saudi Public Investment Fund) and desperation to avoid relegation.
Newcastle ended the winter window with five new signings, spending nearly £92 million. Atletico Madrid's 31-year-old English right-back Kieran Trippier was the first signing (£13.5 million). He was followed by New Zealand striker Chris Wood from Burnley, with the 30-year-old arriving for £27 million.
Defensive midfielder Bruno Guimaraes was the most impressive acquisition, with the 24-year-old Brazilian joining from Lyon for nearly £38 million. Brighton & Hove Albion's centre-back Dan Burn was signed for £13.5 million, while left-back Matt Target came in on loan from Aston Villa.
As a result, Magpies manager Eddie Howe has a brand-new defensive line to work with. Newcastle are in real danger of being relegated, as they have accumulated just 15 points from 21 games. They have won only two league fixtures so far, and are 18th in the table. Howe's men, though, are just one point behind 17th-placed Norwich City, and also have a game in hand.
