Over the years, the January transfer window has come to be seen as a risky time in the season to some, with panic buys and back-up targets being traps that teams sometimes fall into, not to mention the difficulty of players trying to adapt to a new environment mid-season.
That’s not to say that the January window doesn’t have its fair share of success stories as well though, with a flurry of transfers in this year’s mid-season window meaning that we saw everything from rip-roaring successes to absolute disasters.
Half a season on from the end of the winter window, with the players having a mix of impacts from transformative to none, here are our picks for the top five January transfers this season.
Top 5 January transfers this season
5. Dan Burn (Newcastle United)
It will be of little surprise that we begin with a Newcastle United player, after the Magpies enjoyed a highly positive January window that saved their season.
A ball playing centre back was among the priorities for Newcastle boss Eddie Howe, and he got his wish on deadline day when the team signed Brighton and Hove Albion defender and North East native Dan Burn. Burn featured 16 times for Newcastle from February onwards, starring in the heart of a much-improved defence. With Burn in the side, Newcastle conceded 18 goals in 16 games, an average of 1.12 per game, compared with 44 in 22 without him, a relegation-level rate of two per game.
Without question one of the key reasons why Newcastle beat the drop.
4. Rodrigo Bentancur (Tottenham Hotspur)
The appointment of Antonio Conte as Tottenham manager in November was destined to change everything for the North London side, and the Italian showed he meant business in the January window by making two significant signings.
The first of those was Uruguayan midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur, brought in from Juventus. Since coming in, Bentancur has been near-immovable in the middle of the park, being one of the crucial central midfielders in Conte’s famed 3-4-3 formation.
The South American star played a big part as Spurs climbed the table to reach the top four, with his impressive range of passing and solid tackling catching the eye in midfield. Bentancur also has four assists to his name, highlighting just what an excellent all-round footballer he is.
3. Bruno Guimaraes (Newcastle United)
Among the flurry of transfers that Newcastle made in January, the likes of Kieran Trippier and Bruno Guimaraes were the pair highlighted as the marquee signings to usher in a new era at St James’ Park. Whilst Trippier has had a few moments of quality interspersed with many injury frustrations, Bruno has fully lived up to the hype, establishing himself as a Premier League star.
Brought in from Lyon, it didn’t take long for the midfielder to catch the eye with his knack for flair in the middle of the park. Introduced into the team gradually by Eddie Howe, Bruno soon caught fire with some spectacular performances, registering five goals and an assist between mid-March and the end of the season.
Already a fan favourite in the North East, it looks like Bruno’s success at Newcastle is only just beginning.
2. Luis Diaz (Liverpool)
And now we move onto the two players who have received by far the highest amount of recognition and plaudits since moving to the Premier League in January. There’s been plenty of debate between fans about who should be at the top of the list for this year’s mid-season signings, but in second place we go for Liverpool’s Luis Diaz.
Brought in from Porto after a brilliant first half of the season in the Primeira Liga, Diaz instantly settled into life on Merseyside with his mesmerising skill and eye for goal. The Colombian notched four goals and three assists for Liverpool in the Premier League in just under 1000 minutes of action, being a key influence behind the Reds’ exceptional form in the second half of the season.
Perhaps the biggest compliment we can pay Diaz is that he has walked into one of the best teams in the world and hasn’t looked out of place at all – a truly exceptional player.
1. Dejan Kulusevski (Tottenham Hotspur)
At the top, who else could it have been besides Tottenham’s Dejan Kulusevski?
Brought in from Juventus alongside Bentancur, Kulusevski has been absolutely sublime in the Premier League, with five goals and eight assists to his name in the English top flight already. Kulusevski’s form has led to Spurs scoring far more goals in the second half of the campaign than they managed before his arrival, and he looks to be an equal match to Harry Kane and Son Heung-Min rather than a junior partner to the pair, underlining the level he is performing at.
Initially brought in as a loan signing, Kulusevski’s permanent transfer to Spurs now looks to be more or less wrapped up, and there’s little doubt that the Sweden international will continue to showcase his quality next year in one of the most fearsome front threes in the Premier League.
