Several high-profile deals happened during the 2023 January transfer window as Premier League clubs tried finding those couple of signings that would help them push to achieve their goals.
Chelsea were the biggest winner of the recently concluded January transfer window, spending more than all the teams in Serie A, Ligue 1, and the Bundesliga. Nottingham Forest were busy as well, signing seven players on top of 22 acquisitions in the summer, while league leaders Arsenal bolstered their squad with three additions.
That said, let us take a look at the top five signings of the Premier League’s January transfer window.
5. Keylor Navas—PSG to Nottingham Forest
All that matters for Nottingham Forest are staying up, and the hierarchy and manager Steve Cooper have tried bolstering their hopes with seven additions during the winter window. One of those signings that have caught the eye the most is that of Keylor Navas, who arrived on loan from Paris Saint-Germain on deadline day.
With Dean Henderson injured for a few weeks, Forest and Steve Cooper had to find someone to fill that gap and they have undoubtedly brought in one of the most decorated goalkeepers of this generation in Keylor Navas.
Tired of acting as a deputy to Gianluigi Donnarumma at PSG this season, Navas has jumped at the opportunity to move to England and play for a highly prestigious club. There’s no doubting his winning mentality and pedigree, but how much impact will the veteran Costa Rica international have at the City Ground remains to be seen.
4. Cody Gakpo—PSV Eindhoven to Liverpool
Cody Gakpo was already on the move to England in the 2022 summer transfer window before he changed his mind at the last moment. After his exploits with PSV Eindhoven earlier this season were followed up by an eye-catching World Cup in Qatar, the forward’s departure from the Eredivisie became inevitable.
Liverpool quickly closed a £35m deal to sign Gakpo before the winter market opened, beating Manchester United to his signature. However, it hasn’t been plain sailing for the Netherlands international in England as he is yet to score in his five appearances for Liverpool.
3. Pedro Porro—Sporting CP to Tottenham
The transfer was on, off and then back on again—the Pedro Porro saga finally came to an end in the best interests of all parties involved.
Tottenham finally sealed the signature of Porro after long and energy-sapping negotiations with Sporting CP. Porro, formerly on the books of Man City, shone against Spurs in Sporting’s two Champions League group stage clashes earlier this season.
The Spaniard is an enterprising and committed wing-back with solid technique and a great engine, someone who is an upgrade on Emerson Royal and would add some much-needed quality in the final third from wide areas for Spurs. Antonio Conte will hope Porro makes an instant impact and helps his team get into the top four at the end of the season.
2. Mykhaylo Mudryk—Shakhtar Donetsk to Chelsea
It was another wild transfer window from Chelsea’s new owners, one that saw them spend a staggering £288 million on eight brand-new recruits. One of the players who was part of the Blues’ crazy spending spree was Mykhaylo Mudryk.
Mykhaylo Mudryk looked destined for Arsenal but Chelsea gazumped them with an £88 million offer and a lengthy eight-year contract. The Ukrainian looks like a superstar in the making, and his brief cameo against Liverpool at Anfield was a timely teaser of what he is capable of.
Having dazzled in the Champions League back in the autumn, Mudryk will be raring to salvage Chelsea’s underwhelming 2022/23 campaign.
1. Enzo Fernandez—Benfica to Chelsea
Chelsea manager Graham Potter had made Enzo Fernandez his priority midfield target after the player’s exploits at the 2022 World Cup. And after arduous and complex negotiations with Benfica for 20 hours, Fernandez joined Chelsea in a British club-record £106m deal on deadline day.
The 22-year-old’s performances at the World Cup with Argentina undoubtedly made Chelsea push extremely hard for this signing, with the young midfielder playing a crucial role in helping his country lift the coveted gold. Fernandez will currently fill the void left by Jorginho, whilst possessing the talent and qualities to be the perfect successor to N’Golo Kante.
I am Rohan Sengupta from one of the busiest cities in India, Mumbai. A Journalism graduate with a keen interest in sports, football is something I simply cannot live without and writing, discussing and analyzing the game is what I do 24*7.
