Every Premier League Club’s Best and Worst January Signing of all Time

Since it’s introduction in 2004, the January transfer window has seen Premier League clubs make their fair share of hits and misses in the market. Despite the known perils of the winter window, clubs are still drawn into making mid-season signings – perhaps looking for a striker to fire them away from relegation danger, or a resolute defender to impact the race for the Champions League places.

Clubs are loath to sell key players in the middle of the season, so buying teams run the risk of overpaying. However, if they get it right, a big signing can turn an entire team’s season around.

GIVEMESPORT has named below the best and worst January window signing in the history of each Premier League club.

Arsenal

Best – Martin Odegaard (loan)

Martin Odegaard arrived at Arsenal on loan from Real Madrid in January 2021. Quickly establishing himself as a key playmaker in Arsenal’s first team, the move was made permanent in a deal worth around £30million in the following Summer window.

Now Arsenal’s club captain and an established presence in a title-contending team, Odegaard is an example of a January transfer made with the future in mind rather than a panic purchase.

Worst – Kim Kallstrom (loan)

In contrast to Odegaard, the 2014 deal for Kim Kallstrom was a short-term move to paper over cracks in the squad. Arsenal sat second in the Premier League table, just one point behind leaders Manchester City. After a series of injuries to key midfield players, Kallstrom was brought in on the deadline to fill in the gap.

A medical flagged that Kallstrom was carrying a serious back injury, but Arsenal decided to sign him anyway. The Swede made just four appearances as Arsenal’s injury-depleted squad limped to a fourth place finish in the table.

Aston Villa

Best – Ashley Young (£8m)

In the middle of a transition period under Martin O’Neil during the 2006/07 season, Aston Villa found themselves just five points from the relegation zone prior to the signing of Ashley Young. The signing from Watford had an immediate impact, lifting the club to a comfortable mid-table finish.

Young, like Villa, used this as a springboard for greater things, winning the PFA Young Player of the Year award in 2009 and making the PFA Team of the Year twice at Villa before netting the Midlands club a tidy profit with a £17 million transfer to Manchester United.

Worst – Jean Makoun (£6m)

Signed to strengthen a struggling Gerare Houllier’s struggling Aston Villa side, midfielder Jean Makoun did little to help the team beat the drop.

The goals of Darren Bent, a contender for Villa’s best January signing, carried the side away from relegation, whilst Makoun contributed little. His red card for a poor tackle on DJ Campbell in a crucial match against Blackpool is the most enduring memory of his time at Villa Park. After nine appearances in 2010/11, the Cameroon international failed to make a further Premier League appearance for the club.

Bournemouth

Best – Kieffer Moore (4.5m)

It’s rare that a player who didn’t start a single match in the season would be considered a great signing, but such was Kieffer Moore’s impact from the bench in 2021/22 that he ranks as one of Bournemouth’s most important signings.

Initially restricted by injuries, Moore notched four goals from four substitute appearances to end the season, including a promotion clinching goal against Nottingham Forest. He then played a part in keeping the Cherries in the Premier League the following season.

Given the riches on offer for promotion to the Premier League, Moore’s contribution to such crucial goals paid his relatively modest fee off many times over.

Worst – Lewis Grabban (£8m)

One of the strangest January signings, Lewis Grabban had only been sold by Bournemouth two years previously and had hardly set the world alight at new club Norwich. That didn’t stop the Cherries from splashing £8million on the striker in a bid to avoid the drop.

Although they did manage to escape relegation, Grabban was a peripheral figure. The striker failed to score a single Premier League goal in his second spell at the club before leaving on loan to Reading.

Brentford

Best – Christian Eriksen (free transfer)

It’s not often that a player of Christian Eriksen’s quality becomes available in January, let alone on a free transfer. However, the Denmark international needed a club to re-estbalish himself after his cardiac arrest at Euro 2020. Brentford provided that home for him and were rewarded with half a season of top class midfield play.

The Bees won 7 of the 10 games Eriksen played as he helped them to stabilise their position in midtable. Despite his departure for Manchester United in the summer window, seeing a player of his class in a Brentford shirt will live long in the memory of the club’s fans.

Worst – Calum Willock (£200,000)

Savvy Brentford are rarely active in the January transfer market, and for good reason when you consider the struggles of Calum WIllock. In the 2005/06 season, the club were pushing for promotion from League One but had lost star striker DJ Campbell to the Premier League’s Birmingham City.

Callum Willock was the man chosen to replace the departing star with Brentford’s £200,000 outlay large for a League One club. He struggled, scoring just once as automatic promotion slipped away from the Bees during the second half of the season.

Brighton

Best – Moises Caicedo (£4million)

Although he didn’t make an immediate impact on the first team squad, you would be hard pushed to find a better piece of January business than Brighton’s January 2021 purchase of Moises Caicedo from Independiente del Valle. After a bit part role in the squad and then a loan to Beerschot in Belgium, the Ecuadorian returned to Brighton ready to make a name for himself.

An outstanding 2022/23 season followed, leading to a £115million transfer to Chelsea. This was a £100million-plus increase from the fee reportedly paid by Brighton, although Independiente were entitled to a 20% cut of the profits. The Seagulls found incredible value during a window in which other clubs often overpay.

Worst – Jurgen Locadia (£15million)

Speaking of overpaying, Brighton made a rare mistake in the transfer market by paying a premium price for PSV Eindohoven’s Jurgen Locadia.

Struggling for goals in the first half of their debut Premier League season, Brighton turned to the Dutch forward for a reliable source of goals. Unfortunately, Locadia scored just three times in 31 Premier League appearences, with veteran Glenn Murray vastly outperforming the record signing.

Chelsea

Best – Branislav Ivanovic (£9million)

A relative unknown upon signing, Branislav Ivanovic ended his Chelsea career with three Premier League titles and a Champions League winners medal.

Like Moises Caicedo, Ivanovic is another player who did not make an immediate impact on the team. The Serbian was eased into the side before becoming a key fixture in the team for the best part of a decade. For that fee Ivanovic surely goes down as one of Chelsea’s best bits of business.

Worst – Mykhailo Mudryk (£62million)

In January 2023, Mykhailo Murdyk arrived at Chelsea for a massive transfer fee. The Ukrainian international had been at the centre of an alleged bidding war between Chelsea and London rivals Arsenal leading to an inflated January price tag.

Just five goals and overall underwhelming performances were topped off by Murdyk testing positive for the banned substance Meldonium. The winger faces a four-year ban and Chelsea face a big loss on their January signing.

Crystal Palace

Best – Wilfried Zaha (£6million)

On the final day of the 2015 winter transfer window, Crystal Palace made Wilfried Zaha’s loan move to return to Selhurst Park permanent. This turned out to be one of the best transfer deals in the club’s history as Zaha improved upon a promising showing in the first half of that season.

Zaha won Crystal Palace’s Player of the Season award for the next three seasons running, often being the difference between Premier League survival and relegation.

Worst – Alexander Sorloth (£9million)

More a case of a poor fit than a poor player, Sorloth’s time as a Crystal Palace player was unsuccessful. The Norwegian failed to score in 16 appearances.

He did, however, find success elsewhere, with a strong spell on loan at Trabzonspor allowing Palace to sell the player on for a profit. That he is considered their worst January signing is testament to Palace’s strong record in the winter window, with the likes of Luka Milovojevic, Jean-Phillippe Matteta and Adam Wharton strengthening the team.

Everton

Best – Seamus Coleman (£60,000)

On January 1st 2009 Everton signed right-back Seamus Coleman from Sligo Rovers for just £60,000. 15 years later and the Irishman is still at the club.

Having passed 400 appearances for the Toffees the fullback has surely been worth every penny of Everton’s modest outlay.

Worst – Cenk Tosun (£27m)

For the price of 450 Seamus Colemans, Cenk Tosun proved to be a huge flop at Goodison Park.

Signed from Besiktas to replace the hole left by the summer departure of Romelu Lukaku, the striker struggled to adapt to the Premier League. Ten goals in 50 appearances was not the return Everton were looking for from such a large outlay. Tosun eventually returned to Turkey on free transfer.

Fulham

Best – Clint Dempsey (£2m)

Dempsey’s 2006/07 transfer was more than justified when he scored the only goal in a 1-0 Fulham victory over Liverpool to keep the London side in the Premier League.

But the Cottagers also got six seasons of excellent service from the American attacker, and he remains their record Premier League goalscorer. They even made a profit on the deal after his transfer to Tottenham Hotspur for £6million. Easily their best January purchase.

Worst – Kostas Mitroglu (£12m)

In contrast, Kostas Mitroglu managed only three appearances for Fulham after his January 2014 transfer.

The Greek forward arrived at struggling Fulham in a rich vein of form with a Champions League hattrick to his name. Injuries and lack of fitness limited his availability and the Cottagers were relegated without any contribution of note from Mitroglu. After a spell on loan they eventually sold the forward to Benfica for a £5million loss.

Ipswich Town

Best – Jonathan Walters (£100,000)

Irish forward Jonathan Walters made the jump from League Two Chester to the Championship but made the transition to the higher level look easy.

Walters quickly established himself as a key player at Ipswich, winning Player of the Season in 200/08 before earning a £2.75million to Stoke.

Worst – Alan Quinn (£600,000)

The midfielder arrived at Ipswich in January 2008 with high expectations, expected to add creativity to Ipswich’s midfield in the middle of a promotion push.

The signing from Sheffield United ultimately proved to be disappointing, producing mediocre displays as Ipswich missed out on the playoff positions. Quinn’s time at the club was underwhelming rather than outright poor. He retired in 2010 after his contract expired.

Leicester City

Best – Riyad Mahrez (£450,000)

When the Algerian winger arrived at the King Power stadium in January 2014 few could have foreseen what would come.

Mahrez was the creative force behind the 2015/16 Premier League title win. He was awarded both the PFA Players’ Player of the Year and PFA Fans’ Player of the Year awards for his role in the most unexpected of Premier League title wins.

Leicester then sold Mahrez to Manchester City for £60million. A huge profit on arguably one of the greatest January transfers ever.

Worst – Harry Souttar (£15million)

The Australian centreback arrived from Stoke City in January 2023 with a growing reputation. Expected to steady the defence and lead the Foxes away from relegation trouble, Souttar struggled.

Leicester were ultimately relegated with the third-worst defensive record in the league. The following season, Souttar struggled to find a spot in the team under Enzo Maresca. In August 2024, he was loaned to Sheffield United in the Championship having only played 16 games for the club he joined for £15million.

Liverpool

Best – Luis Suarez (£22.8m)

Liverpool’s other great January signing, Virgil Van Dijk, may be the toughest omission on this list. However, such was the brilliance of Luis Suarez that his January 2011 arrival is too difficult to leave out.

The Uruguayan’s genius kept Liverpool relevant at a time when they could easily have drifted into midtable obscurity. His performances in the 2013/14 season may be the best seen in a single Premier League campaign, almost dragging Liverpool to an unlikely Premier League title.

After one controversy too many, Liverpool cashed in on the forward for a then club record sale of £65million to Barcelona.

Worst – Andy Carroll (£35million)

In the same 2011 window that saw Suarez’s arrival at the club, Liverpool saw fit to spend £35million on Newcastle’s Andy Carroll.

This signing seemed like something of a panic buy after Fernando Torres left for Chelsea in the same window. Liverpool, flush with cash from that sale, then overpaid for the Geordie forward.

Whilst Carroll was not outright disastrous for Liverpool, his style of play meshed poorly with the expectations of a top Premier League side. He eventually departed the club to West Ham for £15million, a £20milliom loss on the fee the Reds paid to Newcastle just two and a half years previously.

Manchester City

Best – Aymeric Laporte (£57million)

Manchester City typically haven’t spent as lavishly in the winter window as they have most summers. However the £57million they spent on Atheltic Bilbao’s Aymeric Laporte was money well spent.

Whilst injuries meant he was often in and out of the team, Laporte was a key player in several Premier League title triumphs, making 180 appearances during the most successful run in the history of the club.

Worst – Wilfried Bony (£25million)

After a strong start to the 2014/15 season and nine goals in 20 appearances, Swansea’s Wilfried Bony caught the attention of Manchester City.

However, he never came close to justifying the £25million fee Manchester City paid for his services. Six goals in 36 Premier League appearances represented a meager return across his season and a half at City. He was eventually sold back to Swansea for less than half the fee City had paid the Welsh club.

Manchester United

Best – Nemanja Vidic (£7m)

The January 2006 signing of Serbian defender Nemanja Vidic surely goes down as one of the best signings in Manchester United history.

Vidic’s famed partnership with Rio Ferdinand was the bedrock for several title-winning United sides and also claimed a Champions League. The Serb is considered one of the greatest defenders in Premier League history.

Worst – Alexis Sanchez (Swap for Henrikh Mkhitaryan)

The Chilean winger arrived with great fanfare from Premier League rivals Arsenal in the winter of 2018. However, Sanchez brought little of his Arsenal performances to Old Trafford.

Sanchez looked devoid of his usual passion and struggled to a mere three goals in 32 Premier League appearances for United. This was a paltry return on his £350,000 a week wages, let alone the £35million transfer fee. His wages were finally off United’s books when he moved on a free transfer to Inter Milan in August 2023.

Newcastle United

Best – Bruno Guimareas (£40m)

The Brazilian midfielder arrived from Lyon in one of the first statements of intent from Newcastle’s wealthy new owners. Guimaraes quickly made his fee look good value, embedding himself in the heart of Newcastle’s midfield as they qualified for the Champions League.

Now captain of Newcastle, Guimaraes has drawn admiring glances from elsewhere. However, Newcastle would demand a fee far in excess of the price they paid for their number 39.

Worst – Jean-Alain Boumsong (£8m)

A transfer so strange it became the subject of a football corruption inquiry. The French center-back had joined Rangers on a free transfer just months before Newcastle paid £8million to the Scottish side for his services.

Boumsong’s inconsistent performances would make him a cult figure among Newcastle supporters. Notoriously error-prone Boumsong moved to Juventus in Serie B for £3.3million just 6 months into his 5 and a half-year Newcastle contract.

Nottingham Forest

Best – Chris Wood (loan with obligation to buy)

Despite a slow start to life at the CIty Ground, Chris Wood’s goals have proved pivotal in securing Nottingham Forest’s status as a Premier League club.

Now in his second full season for Forest, Wood is in the form of his life. His 12 goals in just 20 appearances have helped Forest into top four (and arguably even title) contention.

Worst – Jonjo Shelvey (£5m)

The former Liverpool and Newcastle central midfielder’s Forest career was a swift one.

After just eight appearances for the club, Shelvey was dropped for poor performance. This led to a fall-out with manager Steve Cooper, after which Shelvey never played for the club again. The England international left to join Turkish side Caykur Rizespor on a free transfer just months after signing for Forest.

Southampton

Best – Ryan Bertrand (£10m)

At the end of the winter window in 2015, Southampton made their loan signing of Chelsea’s Ryan Bertrand a permanent deal.

Bertrand was Southampton’s starting left back for seven seasons and was named in the 2014/15 PFA Team of the Year. He was also rewarded with 18 England caps over the course of his Southampton career. A consistent performer who more than justified the fee paid to Chelsea.

Worst – Guido Carillo (£19m)

Tall and strong in the air, much was expected of big money signing Guido Carillo. However, the forward had a fatal flaw. He couldn’t score.

No goals in10 appearances for Southampton, followed by a couple of mediocre seasons at Leganes in La Liga. The forward left on a free transfer to Elche just two seasons after signing for the Saints.

Tottenham Hotspur

Best – Jermain Defoe (£7m)

Daniel Levy is not usually involved in big January transfer deals but in February 2004 Spurs completed the signing of young striker Jermain Defoe.

64 goals and a Tottenham Player of the Year award later, Spurs would go on to recoup the fee paid by selling Defoe to Portsmouth.

Defoe would later return to Spurs and solidify his status as a club icon by hitting double figures in three more seasons.

Worst – Hossem Ghaly (£1.5m)

January 2006 saw the arrival of one of the more controversial players in Tottenham’s recent history. Ghaly struggled to adapt to the Premier League and he will best be remembered by Spurs fans for an incident in May 2007.

Substituted off after initially being subbed on, Ghaly reacted poorly, throwing his shirt to the floor in disgust. Tottenham fans chanted “You’re not fit to wear the shirt” at the Egyptian midfielder who would never play for the club again.

West Ham United

Best – Dean Ashton (£7m)

Ashton’s career was unfortunately cut down in it’s prime by repeated injury issues, but it’s worth remembering how good he was for the Hammers after his January 2006 transfer.

Leading the West Ham attack with a mixture of goals and hold up play, Ashton was pivotal to a team that came within seconds of lifting the 2006 FA Cup. Injuries hampered his career from then on, but the high points mean he is still held in high regard by West Ham fans.

Worst – Savio Nserenko (£9m)

January 2009’s signing of Savio Nserenko would not be as fruitful. The German youth international was signed to replace the threat of Manchester City-bound Craig Bellamy.

After failing to score in 10 appearances, Nserenko was swiftly sold to Fiorentina in the summer window for a big loss. The winger never hit the heights of his early career, ending up playing in Kazakhstan and the German amateur leagues.

Wolverhampton Wanderers

Best – Mattheus Cunha (loan with obligation to buy)

The Brazilian forward has lit up Molineux this season with 10 goals already in the Premier League. His January 2023 loan deal was made permanent for a reported £44million fee.

This is a hefty price tag, but the forward has proven his worth at Wolves. At 25 years old, the striker is attracting interest for potentially another big-money move in the future, although Wolves have verbally agreed a new contract. Without him, the Midlands club would be in even bigger relegation trouble this season. If Cunha scores the goals to keep them up, then he has paid off his fee many times over.

Worst – Willian Jose (loan)

It takes something for a loan deal to be considered Wolves’ worst January transfer, but Willian Jose was so poor in his spell in the Midlands that he can’t be overlooked.

One goal in 17 games from the Brazilian in an unremarkable spell meant there was never any chance that Wolves would activate the £20million option to buy him permanently.