Top 10 Biggest January Transfer Deals

January 6, 2016

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Over the summer transfer windows big clubs normally make marquee signings, hoping to clinch titles with their help. But we all know how dynamic football is, and circumstances can change in an instant. That’s why January transfer deals can be so crucial to keep clubs in the running for trophies, and sides with grand ambitions are not afraid to splash the cash.

Some of the biggest football transfers were completed in winter windows, as clubs with carte blanche are known to go all-out for stellar names. Check out the list below for the most expensive January transfer deals.

Nemanja Matic (Benfica to Chelsea 2014) – £21 million

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Matic was first a registered player with Chelsea from 2009 until 2011, however he didn’t play much, and was later loaned to Dutch side Vitesse. He was subsequently traded to Benfica plus £21 million in a deal that saw David Luiz go in the other direction. But the 2014 January transfer deal brought him back to Chelsea from the Portuguese outfit in a deal reported to be worth the same amount they paid for David Luiz, according to Sky Sports. Since then he has showcased great skill on the ball on many occasions, although in the current season he has not been as effective.

Juan Cuadrado (Fiorentina to Chelsea 2015) – £22 million

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As Mourinho sold Schurrle to German side Wolfsburg in the 2015 January transfer deal, he had plenty of cash to add reinforcements to his team. Cuadrado made a strong impression during the 2014 World Cup in Brazil and a number of clubs were reportedly looking to snap him up. Chelsea came out on top after paying £22 million for his services, according to The Telegraph. The Colombian was a fearsome winger with great pace during his time in Florence, however things went sour for him with The Blues. After being used sparingly in the title-winning campaign, Mourinho loaned him out to Juventus for the 2015-16. Once summer comes we’ll see whether he’ll stay or go back to Chelsea.

Luis Suarez (Ajax to Liverpool 2011) – £23.5 million

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Liverpool agreed to sell Torres to Chelsea, so they were desperate to add attacking reinforcements to their squad. That’s where Carroll and Luis Suarez came in. The Uruguay international had been firing on all cylinders for Ajax since 2007, with his best season being 2009-10 when he managed to bag an incredible 49 goals in all competitions. Kenny Dalglish departed with £23.5 million to acquire his services, and after a slow start to his Liverpool career he went on to become a fearsome striker in the Premier League. In his last two seasons before leaving for Barcelona, he found the back of the net an impressive 61 times across all competitions.

Darren Bent (Sunderland to Aston Villa 2011) – £24 million

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Bent transferred to Aston Villa in a 2011 January transfer deal worth a total of £24 million from Sunderland. For his previous club he scored 24 goals in the Premier League in the 2009-2010 season, and the following half season (2010-2011) saw him bag 8. However, once he put on The Lions’ shirt things didn’t go as well as everyone had hoped. He struggled with form and injuries, so he was in and out of the team on three loans, which resulted in only 25 goals 72 appearances for the club. Bent was eventually released from his contract in 2015 summer to join Derby Country permanently.

David Luiz (Benfica to Chelsea 2011) – £21 million (plus Matic)

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Chelsea were the defending champions after clinching the 2009-10 title, however the following season they were in desperate need of reinforcements in a number of areas. After endless rounds of negotiations, Abramovich finally relented to Benfica’s demands for the imposing Brazilian defender. They agreed to buy Luiz for £21 million, while also attaining the services of Nemanja Matic. He made a slow start in The Blues shirt, but managed to improve his game over time. He was later sold to PSG in 2014 summer for a stunning £50 million – a world-record fee for a defender.

Edin Dzeko (Wolfsburg to Manchester City 2011) – £27 million

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Manchester City bought a number of players in the summer of 2010, but as the season progressed it became apparent they needed to add more quality to the squad. During his time at Wolfsburg, Dzeko made a name for himself as one of the best strikers in the Bundesliga. That’s why City paid a cool £27 million to sign him. It’s fair to say that his time with The Sky Blues was a fruitful one, finding the back of the net 72 times in 189 appearances. He in particularly helped them lift the Premier League titles in 2012 and 2014 – seasons in which he scored countless important goals. He is now plying his trade on loan for AS Roma where his stay may become permanent in the summer.

Wilfred Bony (Swansea City to Manchester City 2015) – £28 million

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Manuel Pellegrini won the title in his first season (2013-14) with Manchester City and he wanted to add some depth to his squad in the middle of last season. Over 2013-14, Wilfred Bony scored a total of 25 goals across all competitions for Swansea City, with 16 of them coming in the Premier League. With these stats he was hot property, but nobody snapped up him up in 2014 summer, but City came calling in January of next year with a £28 million offer. Despite having a great goalscoring record with his former side, he wasn’t able to replicate that success with The Sky Blues. Now in his first full-season, he is still struggling to find his form, managing to only find the back of the net on 4 occasions in the top flight.

Andy Carroll (Newcastle to Liverpool 2011) – £36 million

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Andy Carroll is the ideal striker for any club in terms of his physical presence. He stands at 1.93m (6 ft 4 in), which gives him the ability to hold back defenders and have a better chance at goal. It worked for him when he played for Newcastle, where he scored 11 goals in the first half of the 2010-11 season. After that many clubs were circling around trying to get him to sign, but in the end Liverpool made a bid of £36 million which was accepted by Newcastle. Unfortunately, we never got to see any of his previous goalscoring abilities after he made that transfer. In 58 appearances for The Reds he scored only 11 goals, not justifying the fee that was paid for him.

Juan Mata (Chelsea to Manchester United 2014) – £37.1 million

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Juan Mata was among the fans’ favorite during his time at Chelsea. He showed amazing technique and speed, which troubled the opposing defenders when they faced him. But when Mourinho came back to the club for his second stint in 2013, the Spanish maestro wasn’t in his plans for the future and was imminently sold to Manchester United for a whopping £37.1 million. The January transfer deal upset many Chelsea supporters who enjoyed seeing him do wonder on the ball. Since his move to the Red Devils, he’s had his ups and downs. There have been signs of his great talents at times, however with a fee that big everyone expected something a little more extraordinary.

Fernando Torres (Liverpool to Chelsea 2011) – £50 million

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Abramovich was in the hunt for a striker to add competition to Chelsea’s strikers, namely Didier Drogba. Fernando Torres had just won the World Cup with Spain in 2010 and was among the biggest names in football. He enjoyed a marvelous record with Liverpool, finding the back of the net on countless occasions. But when Chelsea agreed to pay The Reds a British record of £50 million and offer the Spaniard a contract of around £180,000 per week, it became evident where this was heading. After making the switch to the London side, he made 18 appearances in the rest of the season, however he bagged only a single goal in all of those matches. His following season was also tumultuous, finding his name of the scoring charts a mere 6 times in 32 appearances in the Premier League, although he managed to clinch a Champions League medal as Chelsea defeat Bayern Munich in an epic final. Ne never managed to find himself on the field after transferring to Chelsea, and his goalscoring abilities have virtually diminished, which make him arguably the biggest flop in football.