The Best Premier League January Transfers of all Time

The January transfer window is a tricky proposition. While it accords teams the chance to bring in reinforcements, it also acts as a source of distraction for several other teams.

Numerous high-profile managers have been critical of the said window with the mid-season transfer dealings a potential source of disruption for clubs.

Yet, quite a lot of clubs burn the midnight oil in January to get deals over the line. And as is the case with each transfer window, the Premier League clubs spend substantially more than their continental counterparts.

Though the English clubs have endured their fair share of dubious signings over the years, they have also made some intelligent acquisitions in the said period.

Thus, in honour of the smart pieces of business through the window’s chequered history, we would take a closer look at the best January transfers of all time.

Honourable Mentions:

#10. Clint Dempsey (New England Revolution to Fulham, 2007)

#9. Mikel Arteta (Real Sociedad to Everton, 2005)

#8. Javier Mascherano (West Ham to Liverpool, 2007)

#7. Pierre Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund to Arsenal, 2018)

#6. Philippe Coutinho (Inter Milan to Liverpool, 2013)

#5. Virgil Van Dijk (Southampton to Liverpool, 2018)

Van Dijk has been a colossus at the back for Liverpool

In the winter of 2018, Van Dijk joined the Reds in an eye-watering deal worth £75m. The Dutchman, though, has looked to be worth every penny since his arrival on Merseyside.

Before the defender made his debut for Liverpool, the Reds were all over the shop defensively. The pair of Lovren and Matip had failed to inspire and with a shaky rear-guard, Klopp’s men found it tough to string together a run of good results.

Yet, this term, Liverpool has been the meanest defence with only 14 goals being conceded across 24 games. Though the likes of Robertson and Alisson have contributed to the new-found solidity, there is no denying that Van Dijk is the glue that keeps the defence together.

Strong in the air and in the tackle, Van Dijk is one of the most complete defenders on the planet currently. Moreover, he is deceptively quick across the grass and rarely ever gets out-paced.

In addition, he is extremely accomplished on the ball and has been a vital cog in Klopp ingraining his philosophy at Anfield.

Though Van Dijk hasn’t laid his hands on a trophy yet, Liverpool, led by the defender, look primed to end their Premier League hoodoo this term.

And don’t be surprised if the Dutchman helps Liverpool challenge for many more major honours in the years to come.

#4. Nemanja Matic (Benfica to Chelsea, 2014)

Matic was a vital part of two title winning teams at Chelsea — Matic was a vital part of two

Matic’s life came full circle in the winter of 2014 when he was again packing his bags for West London. After initially being a part of Chelsea’s set-up since 2009, he was sold to Benfica in 2011.

Yet, in 2014, Chelsea realised their mistake and re-acquired the giant Serbian in a deal amounting to £21m.

Matic had an instant impact in his second coming at Chelsea and quickly established himself as the Blues’ midfield general. In his first full season back, he catapulted Chelsea to the league title.

A couple of years later, he formed a wonderful partnership with N’Golo Kante as Antonio Conte and Chelsea won the league in the 2016-17 season.

A towering presence in midfield, Matic’s ability to recycle possession distinguished him from his defensive midfield peers.

Currently at Manchester United, the Serbian enjoyed a stellar career at Chelsea where he won the Premier League twice and the League Cup once.

Though Chelsea has made many an error in the transfer market, bringing Matic on board surely wasn’t one of them.

Thus, he gets onto our list with ease.

#3. Patrice Evra (AS Monaco to Manchester United, 2006)

The 2005-06 Premier League title belonged to Jose Mourinho and his Chelsea, just like the 2004-05 season. However, in a bid to rein in the West Londoners, Sir Alex Ferguson made a last ditch attempt in January 2006.

The legendary manager acquired two defenders: Patrice Evra and Nemanja Vidic. Though the latter hit the ground running, the former had initial teething problems.

Yet, as the years passed, the Frenchman established himself as arguably the best left-back in the world and wrote his name into the Manchester United history books.

Signed from AS Monaco for a meagre £7m fee, Evra specialised in defending and was a tough nut to crack. Several wingers tried to get change out of him but failed. Moreover, as he became accustomed to the ‘United style of play’, he developed his attacking play to transform into a marauding full-back.

By the time Evra was done at Old Trafford, he had won the Premier League five time while he was also a part of Champions League winning team of 2007-08.

Though Evra is surely not the most flamboyant player on our list, he definitely was one of the most effective going around.

After all, one doesn’t always need to prioritise extravagance over efficiency.

#2. Luis Suarez (Ajax to Liverpool, 2011)

In January 2011, Liverpool embarked to do three deals. The first saw them selling their star striker to Chelsea for nearly £50m. With the money from the Torres deal, they decided to bring in two strikers: Luis Suarez and Andy Carrol.

While the former was arguably Liverpool’s greatest ever signing, the latter competes in a short list to be the worst ever.

Coming back to the Uruguayan, he appeared for the Reds on 110 occasions in the league and made the net bulge 69 times.

Yet, what most people would recall about Suarez was the forward’s scintillating form in the 2013-14 season. The striker nearly single-handedly powered Liverpool to the title.

However, in the end, his 31 league goals weren’t enough as Liverpool infamously contrived to let the title slip from their grasp.

Though Suarez embroiled himself in a controversy or two, there can be no qualms about him being one of the most talented forwards to have graced the Premier League.

Blessed with the ability to create a goal out of nothing, the Uruguayan was a joy to watch in a Liverpool shirt and turned defences inside out with his sumptuous displays.

Thus, it is just a shame that Suarez could only enthral the audiences in England for three and a half seasons.

Yet, there can be no doubt that he was simply one of the outstanding winter signings.

#1. Nemanja Vidic (Spartak Moscow to Manchester United, 2006)

Vidic was a rock at the back for Manchester United

Alongside Evra in 2006, Vidic was the other defensive signing Sir Alex indulged in. Though Manchester United were unable to catch the runaway Chelsea train that season, they unearthed a gem in Vidic.

For years, Vidic and Ferdinand formed a rock-solid partnership at the heart of Manchester United’s defence and led the club to unparalleled success.

While Vidic was at United, he won nearly every trophy on offer with the FA Cup being the only exception. To supplement his five Premier League titles, he won the FA Community Shield the same number of times, the League Cup on three occasions. However, his crowning glory was the victorious Champions League campaign in 2007-08.

A tough tackler by trade, Vidic was rarely out-muscled in a duel and was as difficult a defender to get around as any. Moreover, his infectious commitment led others around him to scale greater heights.

The January transfer window is a notoriously hard time to draft in world-beaters. Yet, Sir Alex managed to pull a rabbit out of his hat with Vidic.

For his time at the Theatre of Dreams, the Serbian would definitely go down as one of the greatest defenders to have ever plied his trade in the Premier League.

Thus, without a shadow of a doubt, he takes the top spot on our list.

Edited by Aaditya Narayan