[New post] Chelsea shine, Arsenal strengthen for title push, Liverpool and Everton slacking – Every Premier League club’s transfer window from worst to first
Joe Brophy posted: " The transfer window has closed on one of the most dramatic January deadline days in Premier League history. England's top-flight teams have now concluded their business for the winter as they look to achieve their goals in the second half of t" talkSPORT
In solidarity with their Merseyside rivals, the Reds also had a baffling window in which they ignored a glaring hole in their team.
The £37 million capture of Netherlands international Cody Gakpo at the start of January was originally seen as a coup for manager Jurgen Klopp.
But Liverpool fans wouldn't have been quite so pleased had they realised then that his arrival wouldn't be followed by ANY midfielder.
Zero goals or assists in five games hasn't helped Gakpo distract supporters from their ninth position in the league, with miserable defences of both cup competitions as well.
Klopp admitted in August that he needed a new midfielder only for Arthur Melo to arrive and only play 13 minutes for their under-23 side so wasting the last chance to get one before the summer considering the position Liverpool are in is unexplainable.
Liverpool signed Gakpo in January, but that was the sum total of their spending
18. Man City 2/10
Pep Guardiola rarely makes big signings in the winter market, not that the City boss ever needs to considering where his teams typically are.
A drop in their usually high standards this term, however - five points behind leaders Arsenal - may have led some to believe he would spend.
City did beat Wolves and Newcastle to the £8.2m capture of highly rated Argentine midfielder Maximo Perrone from Velez Sarsfield.
Disregarding Cancelo's obvious qualities, full-back has also been a problem area for City this term with central defenders Nathan Ake and Aymeric Laporte forced to deputise out of position.
Cancelo stunned fans by swapping City for Bayern Munich
17. Brentford 3/10
It's telling that the highest profile signing was the arrival of David Beckham's son Romeo on loan to their B side from Inter Miami II.
The Bees' terrific campaign in which they find themselves up in eighth meant not much would have been needed to add to their squad.
Freiburg forward Kevin Schade was brought in on an initial loan deal ahead of a club-record £20m permanent move in the summer.
Brentford failed to tie goalkeeper David Raya down to a long-term contract, while prospective loan target Djed Spence headed to Rennes.
Schade has been backed to shine in London
16. Aston Villa 3/10
Unai Emery has overseen an upturn in results since succeeding Steven Gerrard as manager, but Villa have one eye on the teams below them that have spent big.
Attack-minded defender Alex Moreno was brought in early on, but a number of other targets slipped through the club's grasp.
Reported moves for Watford's Ismaila Sarr and former Arsenal man Matteo Guendouzi failed to materialise.
And Danny Ings' switch to West Ham has put 19-year-old Jhon Duran under pressure to shoulder the goalscoring burden should Ollie Watkins suffer an injury.
Moreno swapped LaLiga for the Premier League
15. Crystal Palace 4/10
Eagles manager Patrick Vieira called on the club to back him with signings - and they did...just perhaps not the ones he originally wanted.
Palace wanted to bring Aaron Wan-Bissaka back to Selhurst Park but were reluctant to meet Manchester United's £25million asking price.
Conor Gallagher was another who could have returned but he ultimately stayed at Chelsea and Naouirou Ahamada arrived alongside Arsenal misfit Albert Sambi Lokonga instead.
To add to Vieira's unhappiness, talisman Wilfried Zaha was ruled out for six weeks with a hamstring injury and a hopeful late swoop for Wan-Bissaka's Red Devils teammate Anthony Elanga fell flat.
Zaha is also among the host of key players coming to the end of their Palace contracts who are yet to agree new deals.
Lokonga has started just two Premier League matches this season
14. West Ham 4/10
The Hammers were in a unique situation in January, having been one of the biggest summer spenders by splashing £170m on eight players.
But for one reason or another it's not clicked for David Moyes' men so far and they're languishing just one point above the relegation zone.
West Ham did manage to avoid Michail Antonio following Craig Dawson out of the exit door, but the club still look short at full-back.
Ings was seen as the solution to West Ham's goal problem
13. Fulham 5/10
The Cottagers are another club who didn't need a busy transfer window, sitting up in seventh after an incredible season.
But boss Marco Silva would have benefitted from further depth in central midfield, with only Sasa Lukic arriving from Torino.
A proposed move for Sheffield United's Sander Berge failed to come to fruition, while back-up for Aleksandar Mitrovic is thin on the ground.
Silva did manage to reunite with Cedric Soares, whom he worked with at Sporting Lisbon, after a protracted deal with Arsenal went through at the eleventh hour.
Silva bolstered his ranks after a stunning start to the season with Fulham
12. Newcastle 5/10
The Magpies are often expected to be among the major players in every transfer window ever since their big-money takeover.
Yet boss Eddie Howe showed much more restraint in January, choosing instead to trim the deadwood from his bulging squad.
Chris Wood was allowed to leave for Nottingham Forest where Jonjo Shelvey ultimately ended up joining him on deadline day.
A significant £45m was departed with to bring Gordon from Everton, while poaching West Ham starlet Harrison Ashby was a coup.
However, Newcastle failed to bring in a midfielder to replace Shelvey and dream top target James Maddison stayed put!
Newcastle have unveiled Ashby (L) and Gordon
11. Man United 6/10
The Red Devils' start and end to the January window was done in decisive fashion, with the cancelling of Cristiano Ronaldo's contract making headlines around the world.
With any long-term solutions to United's striker issue having to wait until the end of the season, the club did at least move to add Wout Weghorst as a stop-gap.
Jack Butland was signed in similar fashion as goalkeeper cover, while Wan-Bissaka was retained despite speculation over his future.
But perhaps the most impressive part of United's window came in the reactionary way they pounced for Bayern Munich midfielder Marcel Sabitzer on loan once news of Christian Eriksen's injury became clear.
Sabitzer could prove to be an ideal replacement for the injured Eriksen
10. Brighton 6/10
It's a mark of how good the Seagulls scouting department is that the arrivals of two teenage midfielders Yasin Ayari and Facundo Buonanotte have already became players worth keeping an eye on.
In truth, the club's transfer window can be summed up as a success overall for keeping wantaway Moises Caicedo out of Arsenal's clutches.
Having been backed into a corner over allowing Leandro Trossard to join the Gunners, Brighton ensured Caicedo would not be following suit despite two formal bids and one formal Instagram post.
The seaside outfit may regret their decision not to bring in a new forward though in time, with interest in Portuguese striker Vitinha cooling following a positive injury update on Evan Ferguson.
Arsenal failed to convince Brighton to part with Caicedo
9. Leicester 6.5/10
The Foxes were very much in danger of being in the same spot on this list as they are in the Premier League before a flurry of activity.
Having failed to record a Premier League win since the last game before the World Cup break in mid-November, reinforcements were key.
But manager Brendan Rodgers saw both James Maddison and Youri Tielemans stay at the club, while Nathan Opoku is a long-term investment.
Australia's World Cup hero Harry Souttar was a big statement on deadline day, while Tete's arrival on the right wing will free Maddison to operate more centrally.
A doomed push to get Leeds winger Jack Harrison from Leeds coupled with an inability to shift deadwood Jannik Vestergaard and Caglar Soyuncu to follow Ayoze Perez stops Leicester being even higher.
Maddison staying will be a huge boost for Leicester
8. Tottenham 6.5/10
Manager Antonio Conte had been crying out for a new right-wing back, as evidenced by Matt Doherty and Djed Spence both leaving on deadline day - the former permanently and the latter on loan only months after joining.
Sporting Lisbon's Pedro Porro, whose loan deal was announced minutes before the deadline, finally looks to be the solution.
Yet none of the other problem areas in the squad seemed to have been addressed, with a goalkeeper to challenge Hugo Lloris, a central defender to partner Cristian Romero and a creative midfielder to fill the void long since left by Eriksen left until the summer.
And plucking themselves Arnaut Danjuma from under Everton's noses could prove most opportune considering Heung-min Son's troubles this term, while £60m Richarlison is still waiting on a first Premier League goal.
Spurs fans had a happy ending to the transfer window with Porro arriving
7. Wolves 7/10
Manager Julen Lopetegui wasted little time identifying the weaknesses in his squad during his first ever Premier League transfer window.
The west Midlands outfit flexed their new-found pull in the market with the captures of Matheus Cunha and Pablo Sarabia from Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain respectively.
Dawson has the leadership and experience to fill the void left by captain Conor Coady last summer, with the midfield is now packed.
Joao Gomes snubbed a late hijack attempt from Lyon to move to Molineux, while Mario Lemina has returned to England after spells at Southampton and Fulham.
But a failure to recruit an out-and-out goalscorer may prove to be a missed opportunity in time, with Raul Jimenez and Diego Costa managing a combined ZERO Premier League goals in 15 appearances.
Wolves triggered a clause in Cunha's contract to make the move permanent after three games
6. Southampton 7.5/10
The Saints have been crying out for a new frontman for years, with Che Adams flattering to deceive in his task to replace Ings.
But the club came through with the £18m capture of Genk striker Paul Onuachu, who is the top-scorer in this season's Belgian league.
With Southampton's problem area addressed, fans can get excited about record signing Kamaldeen Sulemana after the Ghanaian chose St Mary's over relegation rivals Everton.
Manager Nathan Jones already had fresh attacking impetus on the left to help the 20-year-old, with Mislav Orsic arriving earlier in the window.
5. Arsenal 7.5/10
Coming into this season, Arteta may not have planned to invest heavily in January but his side's current situation forced his hand.
Arsenal are flying high at the top of the Premier League and were seeking reinforcements to help seal a first Premier League title in almost 20 years.
Cover on the wing, central defence and a holding midfielder to ease the burden on Thomas Partey following Mohamed Elneny's injury were all identified - and Arsenal did in fairness bring in all of those players.
However, none of those proved to be the club's top targets, with Chelsea successfully snaring Mykhailo Mudryk away after weeks of the Ukrainian publicly angling for a switch to the Emirates.
Trossard was signed instead and has impressed, but the Gunners failed with multiple bids to land his Brighton teammate Caicedo, and so Jorginho followed Willian, David Luiz and Petr Cech in moving from Chelsea.
Jorginho is hoping his big-game experience can help Arsenal win a first league title since 2004
While initially the gamble looked to have backfired massively, Steve Cooper has slowly but surely steered his team up the table.
A double Brazilian swoop for Palmeiras pair Danilo and Gustavo Scarpa added to the squad nicely, while Newcastle duo Wood and Shelvey have great experience of relegation battles.
Atletico Madrid defender Felipe was a shrewd acquisition to provide cover for defensive injuries, and the same could be said in goal.
Goalkeeper Dean Henderson's muscular problem saw Forest attract PSG star Keylor Navas with a last gasp loan deal before the deadline.
Wood helped Newcastle avoid relegation when he signed for them in January 2022
3. Bournemouth 9/10
The Cherries £120m takeover last month provided renewed optimism around the south coast and the new owners have certainly put their money where their mouth is.
Manager Gary O'Neil has been armed with the creative central midfielder he'd been desperate for, in the form of Ivory Coast ace Hamed Traore.
Matias Vina has also joined on loan to add to Lorient winger Dango Ouattara, Ukraine centre-back Illya Zabarnyi and West Ham goalkeeper Darren Randolph.
And Bournemouth, who have struggled for goals whenever Dominic Solanke has been missing, managed to beat out Crystal Palace for Bristol City forward Antoine Semenyo.
Had they managed to complete their audacious swoop for Vina's Roma teammate Nicolo Zaniolo then it would have been a perfect window.
Bill Foley has backed the manager as Bournemouth look to stay out of relegation trouble
2. Leeds 9/10
If the Jesse Marsch project ultimately fails to be a success, it won't be because the board at Elland Road didn't back their manager.
Max Wober was snapped up from his former club Red Bull Salzburg while the American links at the club proved invaluable in convincing Weston McKennie to swap Juventus for Leeds.
Mateusz Klich and Diego Llorente were both cleared off the books while Harrison was kept out of Leicester's clutches.
The only thing missing for Leeds would perhaps have been another defensive signing to shore up their leaky backline.
Leeds fans will be hoping Rutter can solve their striker woes
1. Chelsea 10/10
It couldn't have been anyone else!
On the pitch this year it's been a 2/10 for the Blues, who are down in tenth and out of both domestic cup competitions already.
But a record breaking January will go a long way towards propelling them back to the top, with £600m spent over the last two transfer windows.
A British record £115 million deal for Benfica's World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez was pushed through at the last minute as their EIGHTH signing.
He joins Mudryk [£88.5m], Benoit Badiashile [£35m], Joao Felix [loan], Noni Madueke [£29m], Andrey Santos [£11m], David Datro Fofana [£10m], and Malo Gusto [£26.3m].
Graham Potter, who was also able to see unwanted Hakim Ziyech and Jorginho depart, will now have the unenviable task of ensuring he turns a perfect window into a perfect second half of the season...
Chelsea have broke new ground in the January transfer window, spending over £300m, £115m of it on Fernandez
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