MY ACCOUNT
The January transfer window is a timely opportunity for Premier League sides to make much-needed improvements to their squads.
Whether that be at the top of the table, where title contenders are fine-tuning their challenges, or at the bottom, where struggling sides are desperate to kick-start their survival bids.
The mid-season window has proved to be a huge success for many of the top clubs over the years.
Read on as we turn the spotlight on some of the Premier League’s greatest January transfers.
Luis Suarez
Luis Suarez moved from Ajax to Liverpool in 2011 for a fee of £22.8million — a transfer that turned out to be a spectacular deadline-day swoop for the Merseyside club.
The Uruguayan netted 69 times in 110 appearances in the Premier League during his four seasons with the Reds, adding 40 assists along the way.
Ultimately, the South American failed to help Liverpool land their long-awaited league title before joining Barcelona — but he left with plenty of admirers at Anfield.
Nemanja Vidic
One of the greatest centre-backs to grace the Premier League, Nemanja Vidic joined Manchester United the same month as fellow Old Trafford favourite Patrice Evra.
Arriving from Spartak Moscow in 2006 for a mere £7.5m, Vidic went on to form a formidable partnership with Rio Ferdinand.
In his eight-year spell at United, the Serbian centre-back won five Premier League titles — along with the Champions League in 2008.
Bruno Fernandes
When it comes to buying an impact player during the January window, there have been few better than United’s purchase of Bruno Fernandes.
The Portuguese talisman took the Premier League by storm when he arrived in January 2020.
The Red Devils paid £47m to secure the services of the Sporting maestro, with Fernandes following the same path as compatriot Cristiano Ronaldo had back in 2003.
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
Another player to make our top tier of January signings is ex-Arsenal forward Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Joining the Gunners from Borussia Dortmund in 2018 for a club-record fee of £56m, Aubameyang’s iconic front-flip celebration was a regular sight for the Emirates faithful.
Having ended the 2018-19 season as joint-top scorer with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, the Gabon international went on to fire his side to a FA Cup win the following campaign, scoring a decisive brace against London rivals and current employers Chelsea at Wembley.
Virgil van Dijk
Virgil van Dijk concluded a lengthy transfer saga when he finally made the move to Liverpool from Southampton in January 2018.
Shouldering the burden of a £75m price tag — a world-record fee for a defender — the Dutchman made an immediate impact, scoring the winning goal in an FA Cup victory over Merseyside neighbours Everton.
From there, Van Dijk went on to play an indispensable role in Liverpool’s Champions League and Premier League triumphs.
Costly mistakes
Before you go, it is only right we highlight the fact that some January signings have not met expectations.
Fernando Torres made the move to Chelsea from Liverpool in 2011 for a fee of around £50m, but only amassed 20 Premier League goals in four seasons in a blue shirt.
Andy Carroll left Newcastle to join Liverpool for £35m the same year. Another who did not live up to his price tag, the injury-prone forward scored just six league goals before exiting Anfield.
Perhaps the most underwhelming January transfer, Alexis Sanchez left London for Manchester in 2018 in a swap deal that saw Henrikh Mkhitaryan go to Arsenal as Sanchez joined United.
The Chilean scored a meagre three league goals during a miserable spell at Old Trafford and eventually joined Inter Milan on a free.
