A look at the 10 BIGGEST January transfer window signings ever
Philippe Coutinho’s move from Liverpool to Barcelona in 2018 remains the crazy benchmark for splurges in the January window, but it’s also a reminder that the first month of the year isn’t always the best time to go shopping. Let’s count the top 10 down.
Note: there’s a degree of dispute around all transfer fees due to factors like inflation, currency conversions, conditional payments and conflicting reports. Our approach was to cross-reference with respected publications and include potential add-ons (where disclosed).
10) Bruno Fernandes - £55m (Sporting to Man United, 2020)
It’s safe to say that this one has panned out pretty well for the Red Devils. Bruno’s directness, aggression, leadership and sixth sense for a killer pass make him a pivotal piece in the puzzle, and he’s a machine with his output.
After his strike at Crystal Palace, he’s now been directly involved in exactly 100 goals for United from 154 appearances. That’s a superb return for a playmaker. One of the best in the world in his position, of that there is no doubt, even though he went off the boil a bit in late 2021 and half of 2022. Erik ten Hag is likely to build his revolution around Bruno.
9) Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - £56m (Borussia Dortmund to Arsenal, 2018)
Even though things ended acrimoniously between the Gabonese striker and the Gunners, it shouldn’t be forgotten that he was an absolute goal-machine during his time at the Emirates. A match-winning double against Chelsea in the 2020 FA Cup final will undoubtedly go down as the highlight of his Arsenal career and he will be remembered fondly by Gooners around the globe. 92 goals in 163 appearances is the tally of an elite striker who was at the peak of his powers.
8) Diego Costa - £57m (Chelsea to Atlético Madrid, 2018)
With 19 goals in 3 years during his second stint in Spain's capital, this move worked out better for Chelsea than it did for Atléti. That being said, Costa did start the 2018 Europa League final, a match which Atléti won convincingly against Marseille despite manager Diego Simeone’s touchline ban, so he did have some continental silverware to show for his efforts. Incidentally, Thomas Partey and Fernando Torres were both introduced as substitutes that evening against Marseille.
7) Aymeric Laporte - £57.2m (Athletic Bilbao to Man City, 2018)
Very few central defenders around the globe are as comfortable on the ball as Man City’s left-footed converted Spaniard. He’s also quick, anticipates danger, has brilliant positional awareness and scores crucial goals from set-pieces. In Laporte’s first half-season at the Etihad, City went on to win the league with a record tally of 100 points. He has scooped a total 4 EPL titles, 1 FA Cup and 3 EFL Cups already under Pep Guardiola, so his switch to England has certainly paid off, even if European silverware still eludes him.
The ex-Athletic Bilbao man has been out of favour since the turn of the year, but did start City’s most recent league win over Wolves where they kept a clean sheet, their only shutout in any of the last 3 league outings. At 28, it’s safe to assume that Laporte is approaching his best years, if he can stay fit.
6) Christian Pulisic - £57.6m (Borussia Dortmund to Chelsea, 2019)
The man from Hershey, Pennsylvania – who was sent back to Dortmund until the end of the 2018/19 season – has had a difficult time in London. The USMNT talisman has enjoyed hot streaks in front of goal and experimented with blonde streaks in his hair, but more often than not he’s been played out of position and it’s shown. With the host of new arrivals at Stamford Bridge in wide attacking areas, Pulisic’s days at Chelsea could be numbered. He’s still only 24 though, so the next move will be vital for his career and it’ll be intriguing to watch that unfold.
5) Oscar - £60m (Chelsea to Shanghai Port, 2017)
The Brazilian playmaker was still only 25 when he made the switch to Shanghai. It immediately made him one of the best-paid players in world football, as the Chinese Super League attempted one of many power plays to become more relevant in the global football scene. Signed by Chelsea as a number 10, Oscar was transformed into a gritty, high-press player by José Mourinho at the Blues.
Perhaps Mourinho would have found it amusing when Oscar sparked a mass brawl during a Super League game in June 2017, an incident which earned him an 8-game ban. Chinese football hasn’t reached the heights that it set out to, but Oscar is still there. It’s been a strange career for a clearly talented player who won the last of his 48 Brazil caps back in 2015.
4) Dušan Vlahović - £66.6m (Fiorentina to Juventus, 2022)
Arsenal pushed hard to sign the Serbian striker from Fiorentina but their efforts were hijacked by Juventus at the last minute. With the Italian giants having just been docked 15 points this season, they may have a scramble on their hands to make the top 4. If they don’t, it might be worth keeping an eye out for a few high-profile exits. 22-year-old Vlahović has scored 21 and 24 goals in his last 2 Serie A campaigns respectively, and he’s got 6 this season after just 10 appearances. It’s no wonder that Juve pushed the boat out for him.
3) Virgil van Dijk - £75m (Southampton to Liverpool, 2018)
Many observers laughed this move off at the time, but the towering Dutchman became the cornerstone of a mighty successful team that swept all before them in the 2018/19 UCL and 2019/20 EPL. At his best, Van Dijk has been the epitome of cool, calm and collected. VVD and goalkeeper Alisson helped Liverpool become a global force again, reminding us that it’s not just expensive attackers that transform teams. Van Dijk went 70 EPL games and almost 5 years before tasting his first league defeat at Anfield as a Red.
2) Mykhaylo Mudryk - £88.5m (Shakhtar Donetsk to Chelsea, 2023)
Undoubtedly the BIGGEST and most fascinating transfer so far this year, Chelsea’s new 22-year-old Ukrainian winger dazzled on debut for the Blues at Anfield in an otherwise forgettable football match. It’s still early days, but the signs are good from a player who’s lightning quick and comfortable on both feet. He’ll certainly give full backs something to think about. Arsenal missed out on yet another BIG-name target after the Gunners were convinced they had Mudryk in the bag, and they’ll be hoping this one doesn’t come back to bite them.
1) Philippe Coutinho - £142m (Liverpool to Barcelona, 2018)
Barcelona are still counting the cost. From start to finish, it just never worked out after Barça shelled out an initial £108m for the Brazilian. To add insult to injury for the Catalans, they even reportedly had to add £4.5m to the bill when Coutinho won the UCL while out on loan at Bayern Munich, and he even scored a brace against them when Bayern humiliated Barça 8-2 in the quarter-finals while still on their books.
Coutinho showed flickers of brilliance in his first few games for new club Aston Villa after his January switch last year, but in the 2022/23 EPL season he’s yet to score or create an assist and hasn’t started a game since 10th October. January 2018 will forever be remembered as the month when Liverpool sold Coutinho and got Virgil van Dijk and, later that year, Alisson with the money, and had change to spare.
There’s still time for Europe’s wealthiest clubs to make one final splash this month. Who will it be?