January Transfer Window Slams Shut

Now the dust on the January transfer window has settled, leaving some fans excited for the final hurdle, with others rueing missed chances of bolstering their side.

• Biggest Spender: Manchester City (£84m)

• Most Surprising Exit: Lucas Paqueta (West Ham to Flamengo, £36.5m)

• Late Drama: Crystal Palace reinvesting the Marc Guehi fee into an £83m attacking duo.

Arsenal

The Gunners had a relatively quiet window, focusing more on trimming the squad than adding to it. Their sole incoming was young prospect Evan Mooney from St Mirren for an undisclosed fee. On the departure side, Oleksandr Zinchenko moved to Ajax, and Osman Kamara joined Blackburn. The club also utilized the loan market heavily for their youth players, sending Ethan Nwaneri to Marseille and Louie Copley, Maldini Kacurri, and others to EFL sides.

Aston Villa

Unai Emery was busy, significantly strengthening his attacking options with the high-profile arrival of Tammy Abraham from Besiktas for £18.2m. The club also secured Brazilian talent Alysson for £10m and brought Douglas Luiz back on loan from Juventus. However, they sanctioned a notable departure for Donyell Malen, who joined Roma on loan with a £21.6m obligation to buy. Several youngsters, including Louie Barry and Samuel Iling-Junior, left on loan to continue their development.

Bournemouth

The Cherries made headlines with the massive £64m sale of Antoine Semenyo to Manchester City. To reinvest, they brought in Rayan from Vasco da Gama for a club-record £30.3m and added midfielder Alex Toth for £13m. Veteran keeper Fraser Forster joined on a free transfer to provide experienced cover, while Julian Araujo was the most notable name among the loan departures, heading to Celtic.

Brentford

Brentford’s primary investment was the £8.7m signing of Kaye Furo from Club Brugge. The rest of their window was defined by a major clearing of the decks; a staggering ten players left the club. Myles Peart-Harris and Paris Magoma made permanent exits, while Frank Onyeka (Coventry) and Gustavo Nunes (Swansea) were among those sent out on loan to the Championship.

Brighton & Hove Albion

The Seagulls saw a romantic return as Pascal Gross re-joined from Borussia Dortmund for a modest £1.2m. They also recalled Matt O’Riley and Caylan Vickers from their respective loans. The exit door was much busier, however, with Facundo Buonanotte heading to Leeds and Brajan Gruda moving to RB Leipzig on loan. Several other fringe players and prospects were sent out on temporary deals across the EFL.

Burnley

Burnley’s headline move was securing the experience of James Ward-Prowse on loan from West Ham to aid their midfield. Departures were the main theme elsewhere, with Hannes Delcroix and Joseph Bevan moving on permanently, and starlet Luca Koleosho heading to France with Paris FC on a temporary basis.

Chelsea

Chelsea’s window was uncharacteristically focused on "re-calls" and youth management. They brought back Mamdou Sarr, Caleb Wiley, and Kiano Dyer from loan spells and signed 17-year-old Yisa Alao from Sheffield Wednesday. The big news, however, was the release of Raheem Sterling and the loan departure of Axel Disasi to West Ham. Leo Castledine also made a permanent switch to Middlesbrough.

Crystal Palace

Palace were arguably the most aggressive team in the market. Despite losing Marc Guehi to Manchester City for £20m, they spent big to bring in Jorgen Strand Larsen (£48m) and Brennan Johnson (£35m). They also added depth with the loan of Evann Guessand from Aston Villa. Notable exits included Jesurun Rak-Sakyi and Romain Esse on loan, as the club looks to push for a top-half finish.

Everton

It was a conservative month at Goodison Park. The only incoming of note was the loan arrival of Tyrique George from Chelsea, alongside the recall of Harrison Armstrong. The Toffees focused on getting their youth players regular minutes, sending Francis Okoronkwo, Will Tamen, and Elijah Campbell out on loan to League One and League Two clubs.

Fulham

Fulham made a major statement by signing Oscar Bobb from Manchester City for £27m, a move seen as a massive coup for the Cottagers. This was balanced by the departure of Adama Traore to West Ham for an undisclosed fee. Luke Harris and Aaron Loupalo-Bi also left on loan to find more consistent playing time.

Leeds United

Operating in the market to bolster their creative ranks, Leeds successfully landed Facundo Buonanotte on loan from Brighton. To make room, they allowed Jack Harrison to head to Italy with Fiorentina on loan, while youngster Harry Gray joined Rotherham to gain senior experience.

Liverpool

Liverpool opted for a quiet January, making no major first-team additions. They did sign Mor Talla Ndiaye for the future and recalled James McConnell and Owen Beck to bolster squad depth. James Norris made his move to Shelbourne permanent, while Calum Scanlon and James Balagizi headed out on loan.

Manchester City

The reigning champions were the window’s biggest disruptors. They spent over £80m to bring in Antoine Semenyo (£64m) and Marc Guehi (£20m). To balance the squad, they sold Oscar Bobb to Fulham and Stefan Ortega to Nottingham Forest. Kalvin Phillips moved to Sheffield United on loan, and a host of youngsters were sent to various European clubs on temporary deals.

Manchester United

Manchester United’s January was defined by internal movement. They recalled no fewer than seven players from loan spells, including Harry Amass, Ethan Wheatley, and Toby Collyer. Most of these players were then re-distributed to different clubs for the second half of the season, such as Amass heading to Norwich and Wheatley going to Bradford City.

Newcastle United

Newcastle were the only club in the Premier League not to make a single senior signing. Their window was purely about outgoings, headlined by the permanent departure of long-serving captain Jamaal Lascelles to Leicester City. Several young players, including Joe White and Harrison Ashby, were sent on loan to Bradford City.

Nottingham Forest

Forest found value in the market, securing Luca Netz for £1.1m and goalkeeper Stefan Ortega for a bargain £500k. They also added height to their attack with the loan signing of Lorenzo Lucca. Their most significant exit was Arnaud Kalimuendo, who joined Eintracht Frankfurt on loan just months after his big-money arrival in the summer.

Sunderland

The Black Cats were extremely active as they look to solidify their position. They spent nearly £21m on Nilson Angulo and Melker Ellborg, while also adding Jocelin Ta Bi. However, they allowed a long list of players to leave, including Simon Adingra (Monaco) and Dan Neil (Ipswich) on loan, while Patrick Roberts and Jay Matete left on permanent deals.

Tottenham Hotspur

Spurs pulled off one of the signings of the window by bringing Conor Gallagher back to the Premier League for £34m. They also invested in youth with Souza (£13m) and Mason Melia. To facilitate these moves, they sold Brennan Johnson to Crystal Palace and sent a large group of fringe players, including Manor Solomon and Dane Scarlett, out on loan.

West Ham United

The Hammers underwent a significant rebuild. They sold star man Lucas Paqueta to Flamengo for £36.5m and moved on several others, including Luis Guilherme and Guido Rodriguez. In their place, they welcomed Taty Castellanos (£25.2m), Pablo Felipe (£20m), and Adama Traore, while also landing Axel Disasi on loan from Chelsea.

Wolves

Wolves looked to the South Coast for their primary reinforcement, signing Adam Armstrong from Southampton. They also added the exciting Angel Gomes on loan from Marseille. On the outgoing front, they allowed Marshall Munetsi to join Paris FC on loan and facilitated several moves for their younger players to the lower leagues.

Here are my top 5 top signings of the January 2026 window:

1. Antoine Semenyo (Bournemouth to Man City) – £64m

My top signing of the window. Semenyo has already exploded in to life at the Etihad, matching an old Emmanuel Adebayor record by scoring in four of his first five games. His power and clinical finishing have already made the £64m fee look like money well spent for a side chasing another title.

2. Marc Guéhi (Crystal Palace to Man City) – £20m

While Semenyo took the headlines, landing an England international center-back for £20m is arguably the best value-for-money deal of the month. With Guéhi’s contract at Palace winding down, City moved quickly to solve their defensive depth issues. He brings leadership, international-class and composure to a backline that was beginning to look thin.

3. Conor Gallagher (Atletico Madrid to Tottenham) – £34m

Spurs needed energy and tenacity in the middle of the park, especially with Rodrigo Bentancur sidelined. Gallagher’s return to the Premier League is a tactical masterstroke; his high-pressing style is a “perfect fit” for Thomas Frank’s system. Beating out Aston Villa for his signature was a major statement of intent for Tottenham’s hopes of improving their league form.

4. Oscar Bobb (Man City to Fulham) – £27m

For Fulham, this is a huge signing. Managing to secure one of the most technical young talents in Europe on a long-term deal is a massive coup for the London side. Bobb was signed to replace the departing Adama Traore. Fulham are hoping he will provide a level of creativity that could push Fulham into the European conversation.

5. Taty Castellanos (Lazio to West Ham) – £25.2m

With West Ham atruggling in the relegation zone, the arrival of Castellanos looks like it could be a “season-saver.” An aggressive, hard-working forward who excels at linking play, he offers a much-needed upgrade to the Hammers’ front line. His experience in Serie A and La Liga makes him a ready made addition for the Hammers high-pressure survival scrap.