Top 10 January Signings

jonjoward1998
Oct 7, 2025
7 min read

The January transfer window is mainly for the clubs who are struggling near the bottom of the Premier League so they can strengthen their squads to give them the best possible chance of staying up.

But it has also been used by clubs who are higher up the table including the bigger ones as they may want to strengthen their squad to give themselves a better chance of either winning the title or finishing in the top four.

The bigger clubs have used the January transfer window a lot over the years for those very reasons and the majority of players they've signed have made a big difference to them and have been big name players.

The last two January windows have however seen less activity than the windows that came before because of PSR restrictions which were brought in to prevent clubs from spending too much money and to make them more financially sustainable.

The upcoming January window is likely to be the same for that very reason but we could still see one or two players make a move to a big club like we did last season when Man City signed Omar Marmoush and Nico Gonzalez.

A lot of the greatest Premier League players have made a move in January including the players in the list.

Now here is the list:

Luis Suarez - Ajax to Liverpool - 2011

Nemanja Vidic - Spartak Moscow to Man United - 2006

Bruno Fernandes - Sporting Lisbon to Man United - 2020

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - Borussia Dortmund to Arsenal - 2018

Patrice Evra - Monaco to Man United - 2006

Virgil Van Dijk - Southampton to Liverpool - 2018

Bruno Guimaraes - Lyon to Newcastle - 2022

Andy Cole - Newcastle to Man United - 1995

Branislav Ivanovic - Lokomotiv Moscow to Chelsea - 2008

Edin Dzeko - Wolfsburg to Man City - 2011

Edin Dzeko - Wolfsburg to Man City

Dzeko had to be in tenth because he didn't make as big an impact as most of the players on the list did.

He did struggle when he first arrived at Man City as he netted just twice in 15 league games and a lot of tabloids were labelling him a flop.

But he soon found his feet in his first full season as he netted 14 goals and formed a good partnership with Sergio Aguero up top as City won their first Premier League title.

His goals played a key role in City winning the title that season just like they did two seasons later in 2014 where he netted 16 times as City won another title.

He scored 50 Premier League goals during his time at City where he proved himself to be a good squad player as he delivered both as a starter and an impact player from the bench.

Branislav Ivanovic - Lokomotiv Moscow to Chelsea

Ivanovic should probably be higher because of the career he went on to have at Chelsea.

But like Dzeko, he didn't make as big an impact as Chelsea already had some very good defenders at the club at the time he signed.

He didn't play at all when he first arrived due to a lack of match fitness due to the Russia League ending months prior to his arrival, and it took him a while to become a regular starter after being in and out of the team for most of his first full season.

But as soon as he became a regular starter, he went on to become one of the best all-round full backs in the Premier League by being good at both sides of the game in being a good one v one defender and always offering a threat going forward.

He won everything on offer during his time at Chelsea and he played a key role in almost every success he achieved during his time at Stamford Bridge.

But despite being as good as he was, he was somewhat underrated as he didn't always get the credit he deserved.

Bruno Guimaraes - Lyon to Newcastle

Guimaraes was one of Newcastle's first signings of the Saudi-backed ownership and he has been a revelation ever since.

He joined the Magpies when they were in the thick of a relegation battle and his performances during the latter part of that season played a key role in them pulling themselves well away from danger and up the table.

He's been an instrumental player in their rise up the Premier League as he's run games from midfield with his creativity and vision, and has also been brilliant at the defensive side of his game in making key interventions.

He's taken the Magpies onto another level ever since he's arrived and he's now their club captain and talisman.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - Borussia Dortmund to Arsenal

I was surprised that Aubameyang went to Arsenal as he arrived as one of the best strikers in Europe and was joining an Arsenal side who were nowhere near being title challengers after being at a Dortmund side who were Bayern Munich's closest challengers in the Bundesliga.

He was brilliant during his time at Arsenal and especially during his early years as he won a golden boot in his first full season and even carried the team at times with the goals he scored.

But his time at Arsenal didn't end very well as his performances levels dipped after signing that big new contract and he also had one or two disciplinary issues which saw him stripped from the captaincy and forced out of the club.

Luis Suarez - Ajax to Liverpool

Suarez did have some controversial moments during his time at Liverpool, but when he was focused on his football he was an incredible player to watch.

He was quick, agile, skilful, had an incredible first touch and could score any kind of goal and plenty of them.

He was incredible during the 2013/14 season with his 31 goals playing a massive part in Liverpool almost ending their long wait for a Premier League title.

Had he played in the Premier League longer and been less controversial, he might've been higher up the list.

Andy Cole - Newcastle to Man United

Cole had scored 9 goals for Newcastle in the season he joined Man United and he was signed to reinforce them in their title battle with Blackburn, who were top of the league at the time.

Cole scored 12 goals in the second half of that season, but his goals weren't enough as Blackburn would go on to win the title.

He went on to become a great player at United as he would score a load of goals and win five Premier League titles.

He went on to to become one of the greatest strikers the Premier League has ever seen during his time at United as he scored 93 goals and won five Premier League titles.

He also formed an incredible partnership with Dwight Yorke and the goals they scored together played a massive role in United winning the treble in 1999.

Patrice Evra - Monaco to Man United

Evra struggled when he first came to Man United starting off with a nightmare debut against Man City where he got hooked at half time.

But once he was fully adapted and settled into English football, he went on to become one of the top full backs in league and play a major role in every success he achieved at United.

He was a full back who was good at both sides of the game in being a solid one v one defender and being able to offer a threat going forward.

Nemanja Vidic - Spartak Moscow to Man United

It took Vidic time to settle into the Premier League when he first arrived but once he was properly settled, he went on to become one of the best central defenders in the Premier League.

He made United a much stronger team defensively once he was properly settled as he brought leadership and a toughness to the defence.

He also made the players around him better including Rio Ferdinand with whom be formed a strong partnership with.

His partnership with Rio was key to every success he achieved at United including the five Premier League titles they won.

He is one of a number of players who United haven't really replaced since he left.

Bruno Fernandes - Sporting Lisbon to Man United

Fernandes made an instant impact the moment he arrived at United as he gave them the creativity and goal threat from midfield they were lacking.

The impact he made in his first season was crucial to United finishing in the top four that season and he's made such a difference to them ever since.

He's carried United for pretty much the entire time he's been at the club and without him, who knows where they would be.

He's been by far their best signing since Alex Ferguson retired and his his goals and performances can back that up.

Virgil Van Dijk - Southampton to Liverpool

Van Dijk had to be my no.1 because of how big a difference he's made to Liverpool ever since he's been there.

The reds were conceding goals from pretty much everywhere before he arrived and he immediately tightened them up with his leadership and calmness on the pitch.

He was one of the signings that took Liverpool onto the next level from being a top four team to a team capable of challenging for the title by being that solid defender and leader at the back they were crying out for.

MY TOP 10: