The big controversy: Premier League clubs spent a whopping £404.1m on new signings in January, making one club in particular stronger while others weakened.
Antoine Semenyo was the most expensive player to sign (Image: Marc Atkins/Getty Images)
And it was done. 33 days and £404.1 million later, the January transfer window has closed.
All 20 teams in the Premier League were in business, some far more than others. Manchester City spent the most on Marc Guehy and Antoine Semenho, with a combined £94m, £11m more than Crystal Palace, but only Manchester United and Newcastle failed to sign a player.
However, there was no shortage of stories, including speculation over Mo Salah’s future and Koby Mainu’s rise from underdog to irreplaceable. As usual, there was some drama on deadline day involving Dwight McNeil, Jean-Philippe Mateta and Sandro Tonali.
But which club has had the best period and which has had the worst? We asked Mirror Football Team for their verdict.
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read more: Liverpool is rated as having a better transfer window than Man United and Arsenal in the Premier League.read more: All Premier League transfers completed in January as window slams shut
john cross
This transfer window has produced one big winner and one clear loser. Manchester City did some great business by signing Marc Guehy in a deal worth up to £30m, but signing Antoine Semenyo for £64m was astonishing.
Signing a talented defender – England’s best central defender at the moment – for a bargain-basement fee, and also acquiring a proven Premier League winger for that fee, is a huge boost for Pep Guardiola. It’s great business to have two top players who have the potential to win big trophies this season, but can also play long-term, for a total of less than £100m.
But the biggest loser will be Crystal Palace. We lost our captain when we sold Guehi to City.
Jean-Philippe Mateta has since made it clear that he wants to leave and would have gone to AC Milan if it wasn’t for a medical, but his availability is now in doubt. Sure, they brought in Jorgen Strand Larsen, but the damage they did this month was devastating, with Oliver Glasner also announcing his departure in the summer.
Who are the winners and losers in the transfer market? Let us know your choices in the comments section.
Manchester City win race to sign Marc Gehi (Image: Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/Getty Images)
Andy Dunn
To be brutally honest, the January transfer window lacked any notable movement, which is why it was scrapped. However, as the only club to have taken the business seriously, it would have to be said that Manchester City took the best chance in signing Marc Gehi, a true international-class defender.
They also signed Antoine Semenyo, but I’m not as sure as many people think he will be successful at City. But Guehi has no choice but to be a good asset in the future, even if it takes him some time to get used to Josep Guardiola’s way of thinking.
Crystal Palace had by far the worst windows. Not only have they lost Guehi, but despite main striker Jean-Philippe Mateta not wanting to play for them, they have been unable to sell him due to physical issues. And the striker they signed, Jorgen Strand Larsen, was extremely expensive at an initial price of £43 million and has yet to break into one of the worst teams in the Premier League.
Crystal Palace paid Jorgen Strand Larsen £43m plus £5m in add-ons (Image: @CPFC/X)
Jeremy Cross
It may not have helped them close the gap on leaders Arsenal, but Manchester City were a big winner in terms of new signings as they showed off their financial muscle in the last transfer window. The additions of Marc Guech and Antoine Semenho add youth and great talent to Josep Guardiola’s side.
Guehi, in particular, has a price tag of no more than £30m and must be one of the bargains these days. Guehi’s move to Manchester was a huge part of what has been a shocking month for his former club Crystal Palace.
Apart from the turmoil surrounding manager Oliver Glasner, losing their captain and most influential member of the team to Peanuts is devastating to Palace’s business model. Palace, who have spent millions on Jorgen Strand Larsen, will also be happy to see the window slam shut, given the fact that Jean-Philippe Mateta has made it clear he wants to leave and would have left for AC Milan had he not failed a medical.
Jean-Philippe Mateta failed a medical on deadline day for AC Milan (Image: MB Media/Getty Images)
neil mcleman
It was a strange period that ended with more questionable decisions than the usual excitement. Manchester City had their best month on paper with the signings of Antoine Semenyo and Marc Guehy. They are probably the two best players in the Premier League who are not yet at a Champions League club.
But Sunday’s draw with Tottenham showed the pair have not solved all of Pep Guardiola’s problems. Crystal Palace were the ones who spent the most money. The FA Cup holders splashed out £83m after failing to invest enough in the summer, but results were weak.
This result only increases the likelihood that Oliver Glassner will leave before the end of the season. Losing Marc Gehi was a big blow – and they have yet to sign a new defender. Breaking a club record for the first time in signing Brennan Johnson appeared to clarify the south London club’s early intentions.
Despite the collapse of Jean-Philippe Mateta’s contract with AC Milan, it still makes no sense footballingly or economically to sign Jorgen Strand Larsen for £48 million in a seller’s market.
Brennan Johnson cost Crystal Palace £35m (Image: Jon Hobley/MI News/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
sam mead
I don’t know if winning in the transfer market is great flexibility, but there are always clubs that do the best business. Ironically, if you asked most people who won the summer transfer window, it would almost certainly have been Liverpool.
However, their recruiting efforts have transformed them from champions to a team competing for Champions League qualification. Something that emphasizes the fact that you won’t gain anything by winning in the transfer market. But if there’s any club in this January, it’s City, purely because they signed Semenyo and Guehi. Although there were no big signings during this period, Guardiola did acquire the best winger in the league and one of England’s elite defenders. The irony of course is that they are no closer to the title and are probably as far away as they were when January started. That being said, the two signings are the right players and will no doubt help the team for years to come. Nevertheless, very good business.
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