For a team looking to turn around the fortunes of their season, the January transfer window can be tricky to navigate. As the only opportunity to sign players over the course of the season (after the summer window closes), selling clubs hike up prices to a premium. Clubs are often reluctant to sell prized assets mid-season, knowing that replacements are hard to come by.
There are other difficulties too, such as the lack of the plethora of free transfers that are usually available in the summer, plus the fierce competition for any player that does find himself available. And if you do get your man, bedding him in to become a functioning asset of a side that has been together for months can also be a tricky endeavour. Hence the list of successful January transfers in Premier League history isn’t as long as you might expect.
Here we look back at some of the occasional success stories of the winter transfer window. Some of these players made an instant impact on their new club, either inspiring title glory or helping avoid financial calamity by staying in the division. But there are a couple of players here who went on to become bona fide legends for their new club, just going to show that a new January transfer can be for life, not just for the rest of the season!
Here are our top five!
1. Virgil van Dijk
Southampton to Liverpool (£75m in 2018)
It doesn’t get much better than this Yes, Liverpool paid an absolute fortune for van Dijk in the winter of 2018 (it was a world record fee for a defender at the time).But if you know with confidence that this is the player you need to transform yourselves into genuine title contenders, then this is what you must pay. And with van Dijk having won a Champions League and Premier League title at Anfield, the decision has been more than justified. The big Dutchman continues to be a colossus at the back for the Reds as the team looks to secure just a second Premier League title. His signing shifted the odds in Liverpool’s favor, turning them into favorites among the top sportsbooks.
2. Nemanja Vidic
Spartak Moscow to Man United (£7m in 2006)
It’s another defender next and a player who was as important to his side as van Dijk continues to be for his. There is no doubt that Vidic became a legend at Old Trafford, lifting no fewer than five Premier league titles. But the fact Alex Ferguson only paid £7m for the Serbian, and secured his services in January, must make this one of the most astute winter signings of all time. Vidic’s performances on the field often made United a strong favorite in many matchups, proving his immense value.
3. Luis Suarez
Ajax to Liverpool (£22.5m in 2011)
It’s another Liverpool winter acquisition next on this list, and a signing that almost instantly turned the Reds into title contenders with the online soccer betting sites. The fact that a Suarez-inspired side never climbed to the top is in no way the fault of the Uruguayan, who established himself as one of the most skilful and explosive strikers to ever play in England. 120 goal contributions in 110 Premier league games is simply ridiculous. But the fact he was signed in the same window as another Reds striker – Andy Carroll – just proves the fallible nature of shopping in January
4. Robert Huth
Stoke to Leicester (initial loan in 2015)
Very often players are signed to help keep their team in the Premier League. And that is exactly what Robert Huth did after joining Leicester City in 2015. The fact that the German was then instrumental in helping his side miraculously win the title the year after is still frankly ridiculous. Hands down one of the greatest winter signings in the competition’s history. And when Huth’s transfer was made permanent in the summer of 2015, it still only cost the Foxes a reported £3m. Amazing.
5. Clint Dempsey
New England Revolution to Fulham (£2m in 2007)
There were some higher profile signings that we could have picked for this list, but we just love the idea of a player arriving from a lower-key league for a marginal sum and going on to make himself a Premier League legend for his club.
Clint Dempsey arrived to little fanfare but undoubtedly became one of the best US imports to ever grace the league. To this day Dempsey remains Fulham’s highest ever Premier League scorer with 50 goals, and was also instrumental in leading the Cottagers to the Europa League final in 2010. It just goes to show that there are bargains to be found out there in the January transfer window.