The January transfer window has arrived and clubs around Europe are starting to do business.
In the Premier League, pace-setters Liverpool have already signed Takumi Minamino from Red Bull Salzburg in a bargain £7.25million deal, while Danny Drinkwater completed a loan move to Aston Villa from Chelsea after an unsuccessful six month stint with Burnley.
Some say the January window is a bad time to do business, with teams over-paying for sub-standard players.
But since its introduction in the 2002/03 season, which of the English top-flight’s current clubs have made the best signings? talkSPORT has assessed the business done by each club and found out…
LATEST FOOTBALL NEWS
Arsenal – Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
What a brilliant signing this has turned out to be.
The Gabon international needed absolutely no time to adjust to the Premier League following his £56m move from Borussia Dortmund in 2017 and he is unquestionably one of the most lethal strikers in the division.
Aubameyang has already scored 45 Premier League goals in 70 games for the Gunners and he picked up the Golden Boot, albeit shared with Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane, in his first full season at the Emirates.
If Unai Emery did anything right, it was to sign the prolific striker.
Aston Villa – Ashley Young
Villa secured the signing of Young from Watford for £8m in what was a masterful piece of business from Martin O’Neill.
The winger made his name in the Midlands, scoring 38 goals and adding 59 assists in 190 appearances for the club.
He was one of the most dangerous wingers in the league in his heyday and his superb displays drew interest from Man United and Sir Alex Ferguson, who snapped him up in 2011 for £17m.
A close rival for this award would be Darren Bent, who netted 21 times in 60 appearances at Villa Park following his move from Sunderland in 2011.
Bournemouth – Steven Fletcher
With the Cherries deducted 17 points at the start of the 2008/09 campaign, it was always going to be a battle for Bournemouth to stay in the Football League.
And, with Eddie Howe’s side scrapping for their lives, he brought back home-town hero Fletcher from non-league Crawley Town.
The forward played a key role as the team survived the threat of relegation and, fittingly, it was he who got their winner against Grimsby in late April that guaranteed their safety – it was also his 100th goal for the club.
He then helped them earn promotion to League One the following year and had a stand named after him at Dean Court in 2010 while he was still an active player, and then played a role in getting the team promoted into the Championship in 2013. The rest, as we all know, is history.
Brighton – Dale Stephens
Spanish boss Oscar Garcia did not even manage a year as manager of the Seagulls but he helped them maintain their play-off standards after the departure of Gus Poyet in 2013.
One of the things he will forever be praised for on the south coast is his decision to bring in Stephens from Charlton in January 2014.
Stephens has been excellent in helping the club finally break their promotion hoodoo, and ever since they have been a great addition to the Premier League, making close to 200 league appearances for the south coast side.
Burnley – James Tarkowski
In the past, Sean Dyche has brought in some brilliant signings such as Charlie Austin, Ashley Barnes, Kieran Trippier and Michael Keane, but none have been more important than Tarkowski.
The 27-year-old was signed from Brentford in 2016 and has gone become one of the most important members of the Clarets’ XI ever since.
The Englishman has risen up the Football League to become a fully-fledged England international at Turf Moor.
You’d have been hard tasked to find many people who could have predicted his rise to the top while he was plodding around at Oldham.
Chelsea – Branislav Ivanovic
The Serbian defender proved to be a superb addition at Stamford Bridge following his move to the club from Lokomotiv Moscow for £9.7m in 2008.
After a tough start to life in west London, he finally made a big impact under Carlo Ancelotti and went on to become one of the Premier League’s top right-backs, while also being able to fill in at centre-back too.
Current Blues boss Frank Lampard labelled the player ‘a beast’ after he scored Chelsea’s winner in the 2013 Europa League final, a year after missing the Champions League final due to suspension.
Crystal Palace – Wilfried Zaha
The Ivory Coast winger helped the Eagles earn Championship promotion in his final season before leaving for Manchester United in 2013.
However, he struggled at Old Trafford and was loaned out twice, playing just four times for David Moyes before returning to Selhurst Park on loan in August 2014.
After impressing in south London, a deal was made permanent in the following transfer window, with Zaha now Palace’s all-time record Premier League goalscorer.
However, he could be about to leave the club with Chelsea frontunners to land him this month.
Everton – Seamus Coleman
The right-back will always be considered one of the best bargain signings following a £60,000 move from Sligo Rovers in 2009.
He’s been a hit ever since reaching these shores – making an impressive 256 appearances in the division – and he remains a very important member of Everton’s squad.
The 31-year-old has featured in 13 matches so far this season, but has had his minutes limited due to the arrival of French defender Djibril Sidibe from Monaco.
Leicester – Riyad Mahrez
Landed for £400,000 from Le Havre in 2014, the Algerian was priceless at the King Power.
His skilful, direct dribbling, and his connection with Jamie Vardy saw the Foxes win the Premier League title in the 2015/16 season, while he won the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award in that campaign.
He’s since been named African footballer of the year, finished seventh in the battle for the Ballon d’Or, and also won a domestic treble with Manchester City.
Liverpool – Luis Suarez
It could be very soon that Virgil van Dijk swoops in to claim this title but at the moment talkSPORT is giving Suarez, signed from Ajax in 2011, the nod.
Suarez was unplayable in Liverpool’s title challenging season in 2013/14, netting what was then a record 31 goals in the Premier League campaign.
Having scored a staggering 61 times in 110 Premier League games, the Barca man is also holding off Philippe Coutinho, Daniel Sturridge and Javier Mascherano to be named the Reds’ greatest January signing.
Manchester City – Aymeric Laporte
The Frenchman signed for a club-record £57m from Athletic Bilbao in 2018 and it has turned out to be a brilliant piece of business.
Laporte has been an imperious figure for City under Pep Guardiola, playing an instrumental role in their treble-winning season last term.
Injury this season has hampered his progress, but for us he pips Edin Dzeko as City’s best January signing, despite the Bosnia striker also winning two titles at the club and scoring 72 goals in 189 appearances.
Manchester United – Nemanja Vidic
It took some time for the Serb to settle after joining from Spartak Moscow in 2006 but he eventually formed one of Europe’s best defensive partnerships with Rio Ferdinand.
He went on to win five Premier League titles, and three League Cups, as well as the 2008 Champions League and 2008 FIFA Club World Cup, and earned several individual accolades before quitting the club in 2014, followed by a season with Inter.
Newcastle United – Martin Dubravka
Rafael Benitez was desperate to be backed by Mike Ashley the January transfer window in 2018 and was granted his wish.
Kenedy joined on loan from Chelsea, Islam Slimani arrived on loan from Leicester, but most importantly Martin Dubravka was signed permanently from Sparta Prague.
The Magpies went into 2018 just one point clear of the relegation zone, but Dubravka then kept ten clean sheets in the Premier League this calendar year to keep them up.
Norwich – James Maddison
The England playmaker signed for the Canaries on February 1, 2016 on a three-and-a-half-year contract for an undisclosed fee, but was immediately loaned back to Coventry for the remainder of the season.
Maddison was given regular starts in the team during the 2017/18 season and was named Norwich City’s Player of the Season at the end of the underwhelming campaign, as well as receiving a nomination for the EFL Championship Young Player of the Season award.
In 2018, he signed for Leicester for £20m and has become one of their most important players, scoring 13 goals in 46 appearances for the Foxes.
However, Brendan Rodgers now faces a battle to keep the playmaker at the club, with Man United reportedly keen to bring him to Old Trafford.
Follow our live transfer blog – HERE
Sheffield United – Oliver Norwood
The midfielder had been at the club on loan from Brighton for the start of the 2018/19 season but the move to make it permanent in January has proved to be a masterstroke from Chris Wilder.
Norwood played an instrumental part in Sheffield United’s promotion to the Premier League, having been named in the Championship Team of the Season.
The 28-year-old has since continued to be an important member of the first team, having featured in all 21 of the Blades’ Premier League games this season.
Southampton – Jose Fonte
Signed from Crystal Palace seven years ago when the Saints were in League One, Fonte helped the club return to the Premier League in 2012.
The Portuguese defender has twice been named the club’s Player of the Season and earned international recognition while at St Mary’s, which saw him win Euro 2016 last summer playing a key role in the final.
Tottenham – Jermain Defoe
In two different January transfer windows, Defoe landed at Spurs.
In 2004 he joined from West Ham to embark on a four-year spell at White Hart Lane, where he proved himself a sharpshooter with 64 goals.
He was sold to Portsmouth in 2008 but signed again a year later by Harry Redknapp, and this five-year spell saw him net a further 79 times, helping the club into the Champions League for the first time, and breaking Martin Chivers’ European goalscoring record before departing for Major League Soccer side Toronto FC.
He remarkably returned to Spurs for a third time before eventually joining Sunderland for two years and then Bournemouth for a season.
Now, he is now plying his trade with Rangers and is making a good job of it too, scoring 19 goals in 31 league appearances for Steven Gerrard’s side.
Watford – Abdoulaye Doucoure
The Senegalese powerhouse has been as solid as a rock for the Hornets since his £10m move from Rennes in 2016.
He spent the first six months away from the club on loan at Granada but in recent years he has been one of Watford’s most important players.
Doucoure’s brilliant displays at the heart of midfield has seen him recognised by other top European clubs, including Paris-Saint Germain, who were tempted to buy him last summer before opting instead to sign Idrissa Gueye from Everton.
West Ham – Bobby Zamora
The ex-England international may never have been the most glamorous name, but he did well in his time at Upton Park.
Zamora scored 13 Championship goals in his first full campaign with the club and scored the winner in the 2004/05 play-off final as the Hammers got promoted back to the Premier League.
The next season he helped the club reach the FA Cup final, but missed a penalty in the shoot-out against Liverpool. In the end he scored 40 goals in 152 appearances for the club before joining Fulham in 2008.
Wolves – Raul Jimenez
The Mexican forward was loaned to the Wanderers from Benfica in the summer of 2018 and this has proved to be a big turning point in his career.
Jimenez has arguably been Wolves’ best signing in the last few years, scoring some hugely important goals and generally making his name as one of the best forwards in the league.
The 28-year-old struck 13 times for Nuno Espirito Santo’s side last campaign in their brilliant return to the top flight, and he has continued his good form this season having found the net eight times already.