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With the January Transfer period now over in much of Europe, teams will no longer be able to do business to improve or change their squads for the remainder of the season. After a busy month filled with blockbuster moves, we will review each team's moves and quickly analyze their January window.
1. Arsenal
Dominating most of the headlines during the period, the Gunners had some big decisions to make in January. Resigning maestro Mesut Ozil and dealing with Alexis Sanchez were the two biggest areas of concern heading into the transfer window. Just days ago Ozil and the team agreed to a contract extension, one that would give Ozil 350,000 pounds a week for his services. Sanchez was dealt to rivals Manchester United in exchange for winger and United outcast Henrikh Mkhitaryan (for details on this move, check out our article What the Alexis Move Means for Arsenal and Manchester United). The club also parted ways with Francis Coquelin, Mathieu Debuchy, Theo Walcott, and front-man Olivier Giroud. London rivals Chelsea acquired Giroud, making way for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to join the Gunners from German giants Dortmund. Coveted by many teams in Europe, Aubameyang is a huge addition and has already contributed to the team, scoring his first goal against Everton. The connection between Mkhitaryan and Aubameyang will be deadly.
The additions of Mkhitaryan and Aubameyang more than fill the shoes that Alexis left, but they still do not address the weaknesses in the Arsenal squad. The club ideally needed a tough, rugged defensive midfielder, a big center back, and a new goalkeeper - three positions that have evaded Arsene Wenger for years. There is no question that the new additions will make the Gunners extremely fun to watch, but if they want to start winning titles, they will need to address their actual needs.
2. Bournemouth
The Cherries did little business at the mid-way point, sticking to the players they already have to get to the finish line and avoid relegation. They signed striker Lewis Grabban from Sunderland, only to immediately loan him to Championship side Aston Villa. Currently sitting at 10th in the table, they are only 5 points away from the relegation zone. Manager Eddie Howe has lead them this far, and has made them into a formidable side in the Premier League. Leadership from Callum Wilson, Harry Arter, and defender Steve Cook will be crucial to ensure their spot in the top flight. Bournemouth's future in the league has recently been questioned, but a recent 3-0 victory over Chelsea at Stamford Bridge has seemingly turned affairs around. Their quiet nature in January will either prove to be smart or reckless as they turn towards the final stretch of the season.
3. Brighton & Hove Albion
Scoring only 18 goals so far this season, Brighton were in need of goals heading into the January window. Addressing these inefficiencies, the Seagulls bought in striker Jurgen Locadia from PSV and former Premier League champion Leonardo Ulloa from Leicester City. Ulloa is somewhat of a proven commodity in the Premier League, but Locadia is a relative unknown, even with the promise he has shown. Locadia had 9 goals for PSV in the Eredivisie in only 15 games - heading to Albion in good form. Not since Leicester's first season in the Premier League has Ulloa found consistent minutes in the starting 11, primarily due to Jamie Vardy's rise. He should be a great addition to an Albion squad that is in desperate need of scorers and Premier League experience.
Now in 15th place and right in the middle of the relegation battle, Brighton needs to find goals immediately. Lucky for them, only eight points separate tenth place Bournemouth and 20th place West Brom, so a just a win or two can go a long way. Overall, it was a good transfer window for Brighton, who got a short-term fix in Ulloa, and possibly the future of their attack in Locadia.
4. Burnley
Starting off the season flying and in the top four, Burnley has now come down to earth a bit, sitting in 7th. In a very small 'middle pack' of the table with Leicester and Everton, Burnley are surely safe. However, their form has definitely dipped, not winning a game since December 12th - dropping points against lower-table Crystal Palace, Brighton, and Huddersfield along the way. Heading into the transfer period the club needed a spark, and found it in former Spurs and England winger Aaron Lennon. Though not the electric player he once was, Lennon is an exciting player for Burnley standards. Along with Lennon came midfielder Georges-Kevin Nkoudou from Spurs on loan. Both players have a lot prove, Lennon after a lackluster stint at Everton, and Nkoudou after not being able to break into the Spurs squad. Both could provide a spark for Burnley.
Banking on the strength of Tarkowski and Ben Mee in defense up to this point in the season, Burnley's weaknesses were beginning to come to light. Manager Sean Dyche will hope that additions of Lennon and Nkoudou will supply target-man Chris Wood with more scoring opportunities and add more goals. This will be crucial to Burnley's chances of remaining in the top ten.
5. Chelsea
After winning the Premier League title in his first season at the helm, Antonio Conte has hit his sophomore slump. This is of course to Chelsea standards, as the club now sits in fourth place in the table - 18 points behind leaders Manchester City. Conte and the Blues needed a successful transfer window to boost the squad heading into a busy few months, including a Champions League tie with giants Barcelona. Summer signing Alvaro Morata has been decent, but finding a backup for him that plays a similar style of play up top has been a struggle. Michy Batshuayi shows promise and has had great outings (including his goal that won them the title last season), but does not exactly tickle Conte's fancy. Going into January, bringing in a new striker was the priority.
Their first bit of business was signing Everton creative midfielder Ross Barkley, who had become somewhat of an outcast at the club. Although not exactly a necessity for Chelsea, there is no downside to the deal for the club. Fifteen million pounds for a talent such as Barkley is chump change for a club like Chelsea - who has bottomless Russian pockets. If he is great, they got him on the cheap - and if he is terrible, they will not miss the money.
Chelsea did get their striker, but not without some classic Premier League drama and banter. As the period went on, the forwards linked with the team became more and more ridiculous, from Andy Carroll to Fernando Llorente, to yes, Peter Crouch. By the end of the saga the Blues settled on front-man Olivier Giroud from the other side of London, getting a proven scorer who still has game to give. Giroud will be expected to go right into the Chelsea squad, and should fit in nicely with his new team. Batshuayi was loaned to Dortmund - who needed a replacement for Aubameyang. Although it was not without drama and ridiculous rumors, Chelsea added depth to their squad, and hopefully for them, more goals. However, their problems reach higher than the players on the pitch, with Conte and owner Roman Abramovich butting heads on how to run the club. Their relationship could determine the direction of the club.
6. Crystal Palace
Starting off the season terribly and in the deepest depths of the table, the Eagles have recovered under Roy Hodgson's leadership. With a talented squad including Christian Beneteke, Wilfried Zaha, Andros Townsend, and Mamadou Sakho, Palace have flown their way up to fourteenth place in the table. Though at the midway point in the season, not everything is hunky-dory in Croydon. Injuries have plagued the club in December and January, with Jason Puncheon, Scott Dann, Bakary Sako, Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Joel Ward, and Sakho all hurt. This made the January transfer window all the more crucial, and their moves were a bit interesting.
Fans were expecting a high-profile player to join the club, but instead Premier League unknowns were dealt in. Erdal Rakip was the first addition, with the hope that the 21-year old Benfica central midfielder would bring much needed depth to the position. The young Swede has impressed at the under 21 level and has Champions League experience with his boyhood club Malmo. The next two signings were defender Jaroslaw Jach and forward Alexander Sorloth - filling two must-need positions. Sorloth had scored 15 goals and provided 9 assists with FC Midtjylland before moving to Selhurst Park. The three new boys all fill gaps in Palace's team and are all under 23 years of age, so if they are successful, this January window will prove as a turning point for the club.
7. Everton
One of the most promising teams heading into the season, Everton has been a disappointment so far, not taking advantage of their wealth of talent. Previous signings such as Sandro Ramirez and Ashley Williams have not exactly lit up the League, putting them in need for additional firepower up top and a new center back to solidify the back line. They addressed both of these needs in the form of Theo Walcott, Cenk Tosun, and Manchester City defender Eliaquim Mangala. Walcott found himself on the outside looking in at the end of his stint with Arsenal, but still remained a super-talented attacker that needed more minutes. Everton has already began to reap the benefits of the move, with Walcott scoring both goals in their win over Leicester in his debut. Mangala could be a good move as well, yet he has been known to make a silly mishap or two while in the back. Time will tell with these specific investments, however Everton is still a season away at least from making any real noise.
8. Huddersfield Town
A team now in real danger of being relegated, David Wagner needed to work some magic in January to ensure that his squad would be able to hold off the bottom three. Huddersfield has earned only nine points since the start of December, putting them in poor form at the midway point. In lieu of this form, the Terriers added young defender Terence Kongolo and English midfielder Alex Pritchard from Norwich. Formally of Feyenoord, Kongolo has represented his country at the World Cup and has over 100 appearances in the dutch league - all at only 23 years of age. Struggling to keep the ball out of their own net as of late, Kongolo will be a very welcome addition and will help the back line massively. Pritchard is a talented attacking-minded midfielder that has been named to the Championship Team of the Year in the past. His introduction will bring more talent to the midfield and a player that will be desperate to prove himself on England's biggest stage. Sadly for Huddersfield, their new purchases may not be enough to save them.
9. Leicester City
Not poor enough to fall into the relegation battle, and not good enough to contend with the big boys, The Foxes are entering into a strange place in the Premier League. Years removed from their miraculous title winning season, the team's midfield has been gutted, with Ngolo Kante and Danny Drinkwater both moving to Chelsea, forcing Leicester to replace two irreplaceable pieces. It is only a matter of time before former player of the year Riyad Mahrez departs form the club, and as I write this he is being fined over 200,000 pounds for going on strike. Jamie Vardy has continued to be excellent, but finding a partner for him up top has evaded the club. Neither Islam Slimani or Ahmed Musa could take a tangible impact, resulting in the pair being loaned out during January. The club brought in Foussini Diabate, a 22 year old striker who had been playing in the French Ligue 2, and 17 year-old Callum Wright from Blackburn Rovers. Long-term Investments rather than immediate fixes, neither signings will make Leicester fans ecstatic. Once Riyad Mahrez is off the books, then Leicester will be able to make a blockbuster signing, but now that the window is closed, that will not be happening until the summer.
10. Liverpool
Leading up to the January window, Liverpool's activity was closely monitored, primarily due to two previously failed moves. The first of the two was the signing of Southampton defender Virgil van Dijk, who Liverpool had been (controversially) been pursuing for a while. This was a huge move for the Jurgen Klopp and the Reds, whose defense has been terrible at times (looking at you Lovren). Van Dijk will add skill and experience to the back line, but the pressure on him will be enormous. If he cannot deliver, the Liverpool faithful will let it be known. However, not until the team finds a consistent goalkeeper will the defence be adequate.
After nearly making a move to Barcelona in the summer, Philippe Coutinho stuck with the team due to Liverpool's refusal to sell. Though he continued to play well and did not make much noise, the move was imminent and Coutinho made his dream move to Barcelona in January to play with Messi and former teammate Luis Suarez. Arguably the biggest move of the period, Coutinho will be missed at Liverpool. Although, Liverpool will not sweat the loss too much with the emergence of star attacker Mo Salah, who is second in the league in scoring. An attack force of Sadio Mane, Roberto Firmino, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Mo Salah will be more than enough to make up the loss of Coutinho.
11. Manchester City
Often busy during any transfer period, Premier League leaders Manchester City were right at the center of many of the biggest rumors this January. Heavily linked with Arsenal runaway Alexis Sanchez, City became the favorites to gain his signature. Already with an embarrassment of riches, Sanchez would have only crowded the talented attack even further. Instead, Sanchez signed with cross-city rivals Manchester United, a loss that many City fans were not pleased with. With the recent injury to Leroy Sane, leaving him out 6-7 weeks, a new winger would have been handy. Last-minute rumors stated that Riyad Mahrez would make the move to the Eithad, but Leicester's asking price was reportedly outrageous - preventing a deal from going through.
The truth is that City was not in desperate need of new players, but that has never stopped them before. In an effort to bulk up their defense, the club signed Aymeric Laporte from Athletic Bilbao. The French youngster has world-class potential and has put out great performances for the Spanish side. Manchester City will hope that he can lead the defense for years to come and take the reigns from Vincent Kompany once his time is up. Laporte will join John Stones and Nicolas Otamendi in the defensive rotation, and is an upgrade Mangala - who was sent to Everton on loan. With a title run and Champions League run underway, Laporte's arrival could be massive.
12. Manchester United
As mentioned previously, Manchester United's marquee signing in January was the Chilean star Alexis Sanchez, who eyed a move away from the Emirates. He joins a now star-studded cast of attackers with Romelu Lukaku, Paul Pogba, and Anthony Martial. Not wasting time to get on the score-sheet, Alexis scored his first goal in his third appearance for United, pouncing on his own penalty miss to put Huddersfield down 2-0. For more details on Alexis' move to United, check out our article What the Alexis Sanchez Move Means for Arsenal and Manchester United.
The Red Devils did little business worth mentioning outside of the Alexis deal, which sent Mourinho outcast Henrikh Mkhitaryan the other way. Mourinho has a history of letting go of talented attackers for seemingly no reason, with Kevin De Bruyne and Mo Salah both in that category. For United's sake, hopefully they do not rue the sale of Mkhitaryan. The Alexis move sets up the club for a Champions League run this season and a title run next season, although how Mourinho manages all the personalities in the locker room may dictate their success.
13. Newcastle United
There may be no team in the Premier League in the midst a more tumultuous period on and off the pitch than Newcastle. With tensions rising between manager Rafa Benitez and ownership, there are uncertainties swirling around the famous club about the future of Benitez' tenure. After rumors of a ownership change began to rise, fans were hopeful that money would be injected into the squad to ensure their stay in the top flight. Benitez had been adamant on bringing in more talent to a squad that is not deep and lacking any star players. Although the team is full with Premier League-tested players, most of them are average or slightly above average at best. Scoring goals has been a real concern, with Ayoze Perez, Alexsander Mitrovic, Dwight Gayle, and Joselu all struggling to find the back of the net. To address these shortcomings, Newcastle finally made loan deals towards the end of the window.
Islam Slimani and Kenedy joined from their fellow Premier League clubs to help bag some goals for the Magpies. Slimani has been relatively quiet during his time with Leicester City, mostly due to Jamie Vardy's dominance at the position. A talented finisher that has scored at the club level in the past with Sporting CP and at the international level with Algeria, Slimani is a great signing for Newcastle. He has the potential to be the savior if they retain their spot in the league. Kenedy has found it difficult to get consistent minutes at his parent club Chelsea, who has a plethora of talent at the winger position. Benitez attempted to sign the 21-year old Brazilian in August, but the deal fell through. Kenedy will add speed, creativity, and skill to Newcastle left wing, giving the team another talented winger alongside Matt Richie. Both Slimani and Kenedy are great signings for the club - especially on loan.
14. Southampton
One of the most talented squads in the relegation battle, it is shock to many that Southampton have found themselves in this situation. Currently placed at 15th and only two points away from the bottom three, the club is far from safe. Though it was inevitable, Virgil van Dijk finally departed from the club in January, making his move over to Liverpool. This move is just another example of talented Southampton players moving to bigger clubs - Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert, Victor Wanyama, Nathanial Clyne - with Liverpool being the primary beneficiary. Van Dijk was a rock in the back, and his departure has resulted in Southampton having the second lowest number of clean sheets (5) in the league. However, the defense was not the area that the club addressed in the January transfer window.
With English striker Charlie Austin suffering from injury and Shane Long failing to score goals, the Saints signed forward Guido Carrillo from Monaco. Carrillo worked with manager Mauricio Pellegrino when the pair were at Estudiantes in Argentina, giving Carrillo a familiar face at his new club. The forward scored 15 goals in three years at Monaco, helping them win Ligue 1 in the 2016-17 season. Southampton was rumored to be interested in Spartak Moscow winger Quincy Promes, but could not seal the deal. This failure made Carrillo the only signing for the near bottom-dwellers. If Southampton can regain their form and get healthy, they will be safe - but this transfer period will not be the reason.
15. Stoke City
The Potters been been riding a very scary roller coaster all season, and the January transfer window was an opportunity to jump off. Parting ways with former manager Mark Hughes at the beginning of January, Stoke needed to make changes to re-energize the squad and the fanbase. Currently in 18th and in the relegation zone, dropping to the Championship would be disastrous for Stoke, who do not lack in talent at all. Attackers Xherdan Shaqiri, Jese, Eric Maxim Choup-Moting can all be lethal on the right day, and Jack Butland and Kurt Zouma in the back rounds out an overall talented squad. However, January moves were necessary to make a run to safety.
Badou Ndiaye made the move to Stoke from Galatasaray, giving the club a fast, energetic midfielder to join Joe Allen (the welsh Messi) in the middle of the park. The Senegalese midfielder only scored one goal in 17 appearances for Galatasaray, so this signing could potentially be another bust signing by Stoke. Right back Moritz Bauer and left back Kostas Stafylidis (on loan) joined Ndiaye and moved to the bet365 Stadium. These are not big name or blockbuster signings, but perhaps that is what Stoke needs, with many of their "star" signings such as Bojan, Afellay, and Saido Berahino failing to make a real impact. Sadly, Stoke is in real trouble and these particular signings may not be the cure to the problems. The skill of Shaqiri will be key going into the second half of the season.
16. Swansea City
Throughout much of October, November, and December, Swansea was a team in free-fall. Now on their third manager in the same season, the Swans have seemingly found their form, with big wins over Liverpool and Arsenal in January. However, they are in no way safe from the bottom, and do not have a deep squad. They have relied on big goals from center-back Alfie Mawson, but cannot afford to rely on him to supply the goals. Finding goals from their forwards has been hard to come by, and the team sits dead last in goals in the entire league. Wilfried Bony has failed to convert during his second stint with the club, and is set to miss the rest of the season with a torn ACL, along with Dutch midfielder Leroy Fer. Jordan Ayew has been one of the only bright spots going forward, tallying five goals and two assists.
The Swans added more firepower up top to create a connection with Ayew, and who better than his brother Andre. The more gifted brother came over from West Ham in January - beginning his second term with the club. Andre Ayew's presence will add energy and technical skill going forward, and is a familiar face fans will be glad to see. In wake of Leroy Fer's injury and the lack of adequate skill in the center of the midfield, Andy King joined the club from Leicester City. A former Premier League champion, King adds experience and reliability to the middle of the pitch, traits that Swansea will need throughout the final stretch of the year. Even with their great form and new signings, Swansea will very likely find themselves on the outside looking in, packing their bags for the lower league.
17. Tottenham Hotspur
With scoring leader Harry Kane, and a supporting cast of Dele Alli, Heung Min Son, and maestro Christian Eriksen, Spurs have one of the best front four in the league. The tightly-knit group is dominant when in form, but Mauricio Pochettino has failed to find adequate back-ups for Eriksen or Son to give them rest, while not compromising their attack up front. Erik Lamela is a skilled player, yet has not been able to put together consistent performances. Finding a talented attacking player to compliment the four was the priority going into January, and Spurs did just that. Castaway Brazilian Lucas Moura was signed from French giant PSG, giving Spurs the man they longed for. Still only 25 years old, Lucas has loads of experience - especially in the Champions League - which many of the young Tottenham players lack. Though Lucas will find it difficult to break into the starting 11, he will be expected to jump right into action. A busy February awaits the London club, with games against Newport County, Arsenal, and Juventus all within a week. The signing of Lucas was necessary in order to make a Champions League run this season, and to secure their place in the top four in the league. Expect him to make an immediate impact.
18. Watford
Heading into January there were few teams in worse form than Watford. From November to the start of January, Watford had only accumulated 13 out of 42 possible points, a startling turnaround from their great form they started the season in. This shocked many, as Watford possesses a strong squad with Premier League tested players. Poor results lead to Marco Silva's firing, a decision many players - including star Richarlison - did not agree with. Watford needed to find a spark, and they used the January window to do just that.
Their headline signing was Barcelona winger Gerard Deulofeu, who has found it difficult to break into the Barcelona team. Full of pace and the ability to be special at a moment's notice, Deulofeu has already impacted the team, possibly turning around the season. In their recent match against Champions Chelsea, Watford pummeled the London club, putting four goals past Thibaut Courtious. Deulofeu was magnificent in the match, speeding past defenders and bagging in a goal himself. All signs point to this being a smashing loan move for both Watford and Deulofeu. Do not be surprised if he signs a full time deal with the team once his loan expires. The club also brought in young winger Dodi Lukebakio and Didier Ndong from Sunderland (RIP) to add depth to the squad. Watford should not have worry about getting relegated to the Championship, and a good January window such as this all but solidifies their place in the top flight for next season.
19. West Brom
Poor West Brom. Known for years as a squad that played tough and "proper English football" under Tony Pulis, the Baggies are now a club without an identity. Now under control of Premier League journeyman Alan Pardew, West Brom have actually played worse, finding themselves all alone in 20th place in the table. Gaining only one win from August to January (like I said, poor West Brom), the club needed a successful January window more than any other team in the league.
For West Brom there were two priorities: bring in a striker to supply more goals, and hold on to coveted defender Jonny Evans. Shut out of the squad by Jurgen Klopp at Liverpool, Daniel Sturridge (pictured) joined the Baggies on loan, a signing that is a win for both sides. Sturridge is a proven scorer in the Premier League, and in desperate need of minutes. West Brom needs to score goals quick in order to stay up. Ready to prove he still has what it takes to score, Sturridge will jump right into the starting 11. His performances with West Brom will be a leading storyline in the latter portion of the season. West Brom also managed to hang on to Evans, who had been rumored with moves to the likes of Arsenal and Manchester City. Evans has been excellent in the back, preventing a bad team from letting even more goals in. However, the depleted squad is all but relegated at this point, and even the signing of Sturridge will not be enough to save them. They are surely down.
20. West Ham
After a busy summer transfer window that brought in Chicharito, Joe Hart, Marko Arnautovic, and Pablo Zabaleta, expectations were high for the Hammers. By January, the club found themselves in the relegation battle, with only Arnautovic looking like a decent signing. Manager Slaven Bilic lost his job early on, being replaced by David Moyes, who himself had been unsuccessful at his previous two jobs. Fans were in a frenzy, confused with the appointment. Injuries also plagued the club, as Andy Carroll, Michail Antonio, and Manuel Lanzini all missed time. The squad began to regain their form under Moyes in December, but questions were still present regarding their future in the Premier League. January needed to be a success.
Attacking midfielder Joao Mario was signed on loan from Inter Milan, where he had became unsettled. Joao Mario is arguably more talented than any other player on West Ham's roster, and is a slam-dunk of a signing. Having impressed at the Euro 2016 during Portugal's tournament win, Joao Mario found himself on the radar of some of Europe's biggest clubs. This made a move to West Ham a bit shocking (sorry West Ham fans). Once fully incorporated into the squad, he will be expected to supply Carroll and Chicharito for goals, and connect with Lanzini and Antonio in the midfield. Watch out for West Ham, because if Joao Mario clicks with the other stars on the team, the Hammers will propel up the table.
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