The January transfer window has finally come to a close. As usual with transfer windows, some teams performed much better than others. As a Premier League fan, I'll be reviewing each squad's performance in the window and ranking them all compared to each other.
My favourite club, in particular had a nightmare window, but there were some very exciting signings elsewhere in the EPL.
With that being said, I'll be ranking each team's window and talking about what I expect with the majority of big transfers.
Let's begin at the 20th spot.
20. Leeds United
In: none
Out: RB Cody Drameh (loan)
Maybe Leeds deserve more credit for holding onto their best players, as winger Raphinha and midfielder Kalvin Phillips were both linked with moves away. However, I think their transfer window was brutal, as they needed signings and they didn't pursue anything.
A threadbare midfield and a lack of an experienced backup striker has exposed Leeds all season, leaving them just 7 points out of the relegation zone. A failed move for RB Salzburg's midfielder Brendan Aaronson was particularly devastating, as he would have added a great creative spark and potential cover for Raphinha if he departs in the summer.
I still expect that Leeds will stay up and keep their Premier League status, but if they do not, this window will be the reason why.
19. Arsenal
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (FC Barcelona, Twitter.com)
In: CB Auston Trusty ($2.1 million)
Out: RB Calum Chambers (free), CM Ainsley Maitland-Niles (loan), LW Folarin Balogun (loan), CB Pablo Mari (loan), CB Auston Trusty (loan), LB Sead Kolasinac (free), ST Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (free)
A common Arsenal meme is that of the "What Could've Been" XI. We've all heard that the likes of Kylian Mbappe, N'Golo Kante, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and even Cristian Ronaldo were close to playing for the Gunners. Arsenal fans are going to have to hope that Dusan Vlahovic doesn't join that list in the future.
They failed with bids for Alexander Isak and Vlahovic, while failing to sign a new midfielder after a loan deal for Arthur Melo collapsed late on in talks.
Due to their expectation that they would be able to make a few splashes in the market, they loaned out or sold a lot of their depth players. Pierre-Emerick Aubamyang is far from the player he once was and didn't even play in January, due to a disciplinary breach. However, he is Arsenal's best pure striker still, as evidenced by the fact that the Gunners went winless in January when he was out of the squad.
A Champions League challenge seems unlikely at this point.
18. Manchester United
In: none
Out: ST Anthony Martial (loan), CM Donny van de Beek (loan), CB Axel Tuanzebe (loan), RW Amad Diallo (loan)
Another team that are battling it out for a Champions League spot and yet failed to strengthen the club is Manchester United. They loaned out a lot of quality in January.
Though players like Donny van de Beek and Axel Tuanzebe likely wouldn't have gotten many minutes, Anthony Martial and Amad Diallo could've been key, especially after Mason Greenwood's disgusting acts leave him in a precarious position with both the law and his footballing career.
Ralf Rangnick is now going to hope that Jadon Sancho and Marcus Rashford's poor form this year has been a fluke and that Anthony Elanga is more than a flash in the pan.
United also have a tough Champions League draw against Atletico Madrid upcoming and their lack of depth could really hurt them.
17. Norwich City
Todd Cantwell (Sky Sports)
In: none
Out: LW Onel Hernandez (loan), LW Todd Cantwell (loan), ST Jordan Hugill (loan)
Nobody expected Norwich to do much in the window. They accomplished most of their business in the summer and were never really expected to make any signings in January. Nevertheless, they are still in a position where regulation is probable and they didn't boost their squad in any way.
You could argue that staying patient is a better route than what Watford did, which was make a bunch of signings that might not really move the needle. However, with a relegation race that is as wide open as it is this year, the fact that they didn't even make a loan move for a striker was surprising.
They seem to think that Adam Idah and Josh Sargent's recent breakthroughs will be enough to keep them in the Premier League, which I'm not too sure about.
The departure of Todd Cantwell was also a sad end to what had been a promising career with the Canaries.
16. West Ham
In: none
Out: none
Yet another team with Champions League football in mind, the Hammers simply waited too long before negotiating any signings.
On Deadline Day, talks were sparked up regarding $55 million moves for Leeds' winger Raphinha and Benfica's center forward Darwin Nunez, but the moves went nowhere. A return for Jesse Lingard was discussed, but the Manchester United board didn't sanction the Englishman's exit.
West Ham still doesn't have a legitimate striker option outside of Michail Antonio and they are still lacking a bit of creativity in midfield.
By hesitating with their moves, the Hammers may have sacrificed their best chance for Champions League football in many years.
15. Southampton
In: GK Willy Caballero (free)
Out: ST Dan N'Lundulu (loan)
The Saints didn't have to do much during the window, in all honesty. They are a surprisingly well-rounded side, but they do need an extra hint of quality. A more advanced midfielder would've been a smart investment, but nothing came out of it in the window. I think that maybe Southampton should've been a bit more aggressive; possibly going after Dele Alli would have been a good idea.
However, they should be safe and I can't fault them for going for a more boring approach. I did dock them a couple marks for not managing to sign exciting striker Armando Broja on a permanent deal, as it may be tough to pull that move off in the summer.
14. Watford
Hassane Kamara (Watford FC, Twitter.com)
In: GK Maduka Okoye ($6.6 million), LB Hassane Kamara ($4.4 million), CB Samir (free), CM Edo Kayembe ($1.5 million), LW Samuel Kalu ($3.3 million), CM Yaser Asprilla ($1 million)
Out: GK Maduka Okoye (loan)
Watford went all-in in a bid to keep themselves in the Premier League. They showed off Edo Kayembe, Samir and Hassane Kamara in a draw against Newcastle a couple of weeks ago, and they all performed quite well. However, we've all seen this sort of window in which a team on the edge of the relegation zone spends a lot of money on players that aren't Premier League-quality and they end up being relegated regardless.
That seems to be the position that the Hornets find themselves in, but I can't fault them for trying. Also, most of their signings were very young players with room to grow and flourish in the Championship if Watford end up getting relegated.
It'll be interesting to see how new manager Roy Hodgson works with this group of players.
13. Chelsea
In: LB Kenedy (recall), CM Dylan Williams (undisclosed)
Out: none
Chelsea were desperate for full-back options, as Ben Chilwell's injury left them without a top-class left wing-back. They failed to convince Lyon to part ways with loanee Emerson Palmieri, but they did recall Kenedy from Flamengo. I don't expect he'll be able to fill the obvious need that the Blues have at the position, but he's better than nothing.
Other than that, we didn't expect anything else from Chelsea. It was good that they didn't make any panic buys to catch up to Manchester City, as Chelsea' title hopes are lying face-down in a ditch at this point.
This Chelsea squad will clinch Champions League qualification and then head into a transformative summer with a very similar squad.
12. Leicester City
In: none
Out: CB Filip Benkovic (free)
Leicester were expected to make a signing at the center-back position, but they didn't overreact to the injury crisis they have in their back line and kept more-or-less the same team. Manager Brendan Rodgers understood that most of their center-backs would be returning fairly soon and midfielder Hamza Choudhury was capable of filling in on defense.
Nevertheless, for a team that was suffering from a disappointing first half of the season, I would've expected a little bit more, even if it was a simple depth piece.
11. Crystal Palace
Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace, Twitter.com)
In: ST Jean-Philippe Mateta ($12 million), ST Luke Plange ($110K)
Out: ST Luke Plange (loan)
Palace's place in 11th in this list reflects less so on their good window and more so on the poor windows from most other Premier League clubs. Just a few weeks ago, Palace were apparently keeping Jean-Philippe Mateta out of the squad, so that they didn't have to pay a fee over $10 million for his services on a permanent basis.
Thus, it was strange when they decided to make the loan move permanent and keep him at the club. They failed with a loan bid for Manchester United midfielder Donny van de Beek, which would have given the Eagles one of the better midfields in the league. They couldn't tempt Arsenal into selling Eddie Nketiah either.
Overall, not a great window, but not a complete disaster.
10. Tottenham
In: CM Rodrigo Bentancur ($21 million), ST Dejan Kulusevski (loan)
Out: CAM Tanguy Ndombele (loan), CM Giovani Lo Celso (loan), LW Bryan Gil (loan), CAM Dele Alli (free)
Antonio Conte will likely be disappointed with how this transfer window went for his Spurs side. Rodrigo Bentancur and Dejan Kulusevski are both good players coming from Juventus, but there must be a reason they were let go with so little resistance from Juventus' point of view.
A more attacking wing-back (a la Victor Moses at Chelsea) was a major target, as incumbent right-back Emerson Royal hasn't been very successful at Spurs since arriving from Barcelona in the summer. However, they were pipped to the signing of both Adama Traore and Luis Diaz, by Barcelona and Liverpool, respectively.
A new left-footed center back would have also been welcome, but Spurs were barely even linked with anybody for that position.
They also let a lot of skill in their midfield leave without getting any compensation back. The Dele Alli departure, in particular, is a big blow. He looked like a future superstar just a few years ago, but the Tottenham board had clearly given up on the Englishman.
9. Wolves
Hwang Hee-Chan (Tom Hopkinson, Mirror)
In: ST Hwang Hee-chan ($18 million), CF Jung Sang-Bin ($1.3 million), RW Chiquinho (undisclosed), CM Hayao Kawabe ($662K)
Out: CM Hayao Kawabe (loan), ST Leonardo Campana (loan), RW Adama Traore (loan)
The loss of Adama Traore doesn't hurt Wolves nearly as much as it would have a couple of years ago. The Spaniard was admittedly gaining form recently, but his finishing woes mean that if they can get a $35 million price tag for him in the summer, it wouldn't be a major loss.
They also signed RB Leipzig's forward Hwang Hee-chan on a permanent deal, which is a nice acquisition for Bruno Lage's side. He has fit like a glove in the 3-4-3 system and should be able to replicate some of Traore's offensive output for a lower price.
Youngsters Chiquinho and Hayao Kawabe both seem to be clever signings as well. Wolves could make a big profit on either of them a few years down the line.
8. Burnley
In: ST Wout Weghorst ($15 million)
Out: ST Chris Wood ($33 million)
Fair play to Burnley. They lost their talismanic striker Chris Wood to relegation rivals, Newcastle, early in the window. For most of the next few weeks, they were sniffing around a washed-up Andy Carroll to keep them in the Premier League. However, on Deadline Day, the Clarets pulled off an absolute coup by signing Dutch striker Wout Weghorst.
He's a very similar player to Wood, meaning he should adjust to Burnley's system fairly quickly. He has averaged 18 goals per year over his last three Bundesliga seasons with Wolfsburg. He helped them to a Champions League spot last year and even scored a key goal for the Netherlands in the group stage in the last Euros tournament.
I did dock Burnley marks for failing to sign Dinamo Zagreb's Mislav Orsic. He would've been an incredible signing for a squad lacking in creative output.
Other than that, it was a successful window.
7. Brighton
Kacper Kozlowski (Mikolaj Barbanell, Getty Images)
In: CM Kacper Kozlowski ($11 million), ST Deniz Undav ($7.7 million)
Out: ST Aaron Connolly (loan), CM Kacper Kozlowski (loan), ST Jurgen Locadia (free), CB Dan Burn ($17 million), CB Leo Ostigard (loan), ST Deniz Undav (loan)
The Seagulls continue to add promising youth players to their squad without actually improving in the present. Deniz Undav has been a goal machine in the Belgian league this year and he could've helped with Brighton's finishing woes, so their decision to loan him back to Union St. Gilloise for the rest of the season was perplexing.
I liked the signing of Kacper Kozlowski, though. He is tipped to be Poland's best player since Robert Lewandowski. Also, I called it. Like Undav, he was loaned to Union St. Gilloise in Belgium, but that decision is a bit more excusable due to his tender age.
They managed to hang on to star midfielder Yves Bissouma, despite concrete interest from Aston Villa. However, the loss of center-back Dan Burn will hurt. He's had a good season and Brighton didn't find any external fixes to his departure.
All in all, not great, but not bad for Brighton.
6. Everton
In: LB Vitaliy Mykolenko ($26 million), RB Nathan Patterson ($15 million), RW Anwar El-Ghazi (loan), CM Donny van de Beek (loan), CAM Dele Alli (free)
Out: LB Lucas Digne ($33 million)
Everton are in a dark place currently. They lost their manager in January and are languishing in 16th place in the Premier League table. However, they had an encouraging transfer window.
The obvious negative was Lucas Digne's exit. It was strange that they sold a full-time France international, simply because ex-manager Rafa Benitez didn't like him, and then sack Benitez a few days later.
Other than that, they spent some money in interesting ways.
I don't know what to make of Vitaliy Mykolenko. He's been capped 21 times by Ukraine and garned a lot of experience bombing down the left flank at Dynamo Kyiv, yet he is still just 22 years old. I figure that he will either be an excellent signing or an absolute flop.
Young right-back Nathan Patterson was brought in from Rangers. He won't play a big part this year, but from what I've read about him, he's a good long-term successor to Seamus Coleman.
Anwar El-Ghazi brings good depth on the wing and prevents Everton from needing to play Alex Iwobi, who is woeful in front of goal.
Their two midfield signings of Donny van de Beek and Dele Alli were the highlights. Dele could grow into a legend under new manager Frank Lampard and van de Beek was a Ballon D'Or nominee just a few years ago. They should both add a new dynamic to the Toffees in the middle of the park.
5. Manchester City
Julian Alvarez (Getty Images)
In: ST Julian Alvarez ($19 million)
Out: RW Ferran Torres ($61 million), Patrick Roberts (free), ST Julian Alvarez (loan)
I don't think enough people acknowledge how good Manchester City's capture of Ferran Torres was just a few years ago. For just about $25 million, he developed into a good center-forward for the Cityzens and became a key part of the Spanish national side. Just a couple years later, they flipped him for triple of what they originally spent on him.
To replace Torres in the future, they managed to sign Argentinian wonderkid Julian Alvarez, who has split lots of opinions on who he could grow to be. I haven't watched any of River Plate's games, so I don't have a verdict yet, but I expect he will grow to be a very good signing.
It'll be interesting to see if the Alvarez acquisition affects Manchester City's Erling Haaland pursuit.
4. Brentford
In: GK Jonas Lossl (loan), CAM Christian Eriksen (free)
Out: CM Mads Bistrup (loan), CB Charlie Goode (loan), CF Marcus Forss (loan)
Wow, what a coup. Christian Eriksen was one of the best midfielders in the Premier League during his stint with Tottenham Hotspur from 2013 to 2020. A somewhat ill-fated move to Inter (he still won a Serie A title, though) followed by a terrifying collapse at the Euros left him without a club, leaving Brentford to swoop in and grab him on a free transfer. This is a deal with minimal risk, but it could pay off massively for the Bees in the long run, as Eriksen is still just 29 years of age.
A loan move for FC Midtjylland's keeper Jonas Lossl was a smart move as well, as Brentford's current backup keeper Alvaro Fernandez has struggled to perform at the level of the injured David Raya.
Eriksen's signing is one of the best moves of the window and he'll help unlock the talents of Ivan Toney in a 3-4-1-2 formation.
3. Liverpool
Luis Diaz (Transfers, Instagram.com)
In: LM Luis Diaz ($50 million)
Out: RB Neco Williams (loan), CB Nat Phillips (loan)
The Reds didn't have to do any transfer business. They have a very complete squad with thin attacking depth the only real concern that needed to be addressed. However, Jurgen Klopp's side weren't messing around, beating Tottenham to the signature of Porto's winger Luis Diaz, who has been the best attacker in all of Portugal this season.
His arrival lessens the immediate need of contracts for Sadio Mane and Mohamed Salah. If one of those players leaves, the rapid Diaz can slot in and grow to become a true star.
Liverpool's trident of superstars that earned them a Premier League and a Champions League title is growing old. With signings like Luis Diaz already adding to a forward line with players like Diogo Jota, the Reds are doing a good job of finding the successor to their terrifying front line.
2. Newcastle
In: RB Kieran Trippier ($17 million), ST Chris Wood ($33 million), CB Dan Burn ($17 million), CDM Bruno Guimaraes ($46 million), LB Matt Targett (loan)
Out: GK Freddie Woodman (loan), CM Jeff Hendrick (loan)
The richest club on Earth is lying in the relegation zone with just two wins all season. It simply doesn't compute, but following the January transfer window in which the Saudi-owned club threw over $120 million around Europe for reinforcements, they look set to start picking up points.
Newcastle didn't make any glamourous attacking signings and they failed in their pursuit of two center-backs, Diego Carlos and Sven Botman, leaving their backline quite weak still. Nevertheless, Newcastle did the dirty work in the window, weakening relegation rivals Burnley by stealing Chris Wood, signing a decent full-back (Targett) and a great one (Trippier) as well as a future star midfielder in Bruno Guimaraes.
Trippier is a LaLiga-winning right back with a great passing range and impressive dribbling ability.
Wood will probably alternate with Callum Wilson as Newcastle's focal point in attack, but his signing gives them a striker with lots of experience in the EPL.
Former Toon defender, Dan Burn, also arrived in an under-the-radar deal that should improve Newcastle's poor defending.
Matt Targett was ousted after Lucas Digne arrived at Aston Villa, and though he isn't a superstar, he is completely dependable.
However, the obvious highlight was the signing of former Lyon CDM Bruno Guimaraes. He was heavily linked with Arsenal, but Newcastle pipped the Gunners to the move. He's widely anticipated to grow into a real superstar, due to his ball-carrying ability and defensive prowess. He immediately plugs a lot of holes in Newcastle's midfield.
Newcastle were very close to number 1, but they just barely miss out in my opinion.
1. Aston Villa
Philippe Coutinho (Lewis Oldham, Football 365)
In: CAM Philippe Coutinho (loan), LB Lucas Digne ($33 million), GK Robin Olsen (loan), RB Calum Chambers (free)
Out: ST Wesley (loan), LB Matt Targett (loan), CB Axel Tuanzebe (loan terminated), RW Anwar El-Ghazi (loan)
Yet another active transfer window for the Villans. The only signing that can rival Christian Eriksen to Brentford in terms of being an absolute coup is that of Philippe Coutinho to Villa. They won the race to sign Lucas Digne from Everton and added to their squad depth with Chambers and Olsen. All in all, it was an incredible month for Aston Villa.
In terms of departures, due to the new arrivals, players like Targett, El-Ghazi and Wesley simply didn't have a role at the club anymore and were loaned out where they might get more game time.
The signing of Calum Chambers from Arsenal was really underrated in my opinion, as he is a very capable backup at both the center-back and the right back positions.
Digne gives Villa a great passer down the left flank. He is very skilled and can put in crosses for both Danny Ings and Ollie Watkins. His ability in the air can also not go unnoticed.
The real star of the show, though, is Coutinho from Barcelona. The midfielder joined the Catalan club 4 years ago in a deal worth $130 million and now Villa have managed to pick him up for the next few months with no transfer fee. He showed his game-changing ability with a dramatic goal against Manchester United to salvage a point for Villa. His arrival gives Villa one of the best midfields in the Premier League, with Jacob Ramsey, John McGinn, Emi Buendia and Coutinho forming a very good spine.
In my opinion, Steven Gerrard's men were the squad that got the biggest boost in January.
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