January is often described as the grimmest month of the year, but it can also be a time of renewal, a moment to make a fresh start. And for football clubs, the opening of the January transfer window provides an opportunity for clubs to breathe new life into their disappointing campaigns and invest for the future.
Manchester City are set to make another huge statement in 2026 after splashing our on £180-million worth of talent last January as they lead the race to sign Antoine Semenyo. Manchester United, meanwhile, were also linked with the Bournemouth forward and cannot afford to not look for opportunities to strengthen their squad and put up a serious challenge for Champions League football.
It will be equally fascinating to see whether the Red Devils cave in to Kobbie Mainoo's demands to go out on loan or if a club tests their resolve with an outright bid for the out-of-favour England midfielder, while Joshua Zirkzee continues to be linked with a move back to Serie A.
Liverpool will also be one to watch when the window opens. They could do with strengthening their squad even after shelling out £440m in the summer as doubts still linger over Mohamed Salah's future while Alexander Isak, their British-record signing, has just broken his leg. Boosting the defence is a bigger priority for Arne Slot, though, with Ibrahima Konate's contract about to expire while Marc Guehi, whom they almost signed in the summer, is potentially available as Crystal Palace face their final opportunity to cash in on their captain before his deal ends.
Managers often complain that the winter window offers little value compared to the summer, when the bulk of business is done, and yet some of the most shrewd transfer moves have been made in the first month of the year.
Here, GOAL breaks down the top 10 January transfer window signings in Premier League history…
- Getty Images
10Seamus Coleman (Sligo Rovers to Everton, £60,000)
In terms of value for money, you could make the case that Seamus Coleman is the best signing in Premier League history. David Moyes plucked the full-back from League of Ireland side Sligo Rovers in January 2009 for £60,000 ($76,000) – and no, we haven't missed out a zero or two.
Coleman could not have an instant impact as he had to undergo surgery on an infected blister on his toe almost immediately after joining Everton, and he later joined Blackpool on loan for half a season. But he has remained a Toffee since August 2010, playing under 11 managers.
He has made 433 appearances for Everton while contributing to 57 goals, breaking down to £138 per appearance and little more than £1,000 per goal or assist. He has also been one of their most consistent performers as well as their most loyal and passionate, resisting no small amount of big moves to stay with the club which he has captained since 2019.
Injuries have limited the 37-year-old to just three short-lived Premier League appearances this season, but he remains one of the Toffees' best-loved players.
Advertisement
- Getty
9Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Borussia Dortmund to Arsenal, £56m)
It was always expected that Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang would end up at Real Madrid when he left Borussia Dortmund, but Arsenal were the willing beneficiaries when he left the German side in January 2018. He was the Gunners' record signing at the time, but quickly set about repaying his £56m fee with a stunning 10 goals in 13 Premier League games.
He kept it up in the next two seasons, scoring 60 times in all competitions while almost single-handedly firing Arsenal to win the FA Cup in 2020, netting twice both against Manchester City in the semi-finals and Chelsea in the final.
Things started to go wrong, however, after he signed a lucrative new contract, and just 16 months later he saw that deal torn up after falling foul of Mikel Arteta's disciplinary regime. Aubameyang subsequently joined Barcelona for free then had a miserable spell at Chelsea, but has revitalised a stalling career with two spells at Marseille that sandwiched a season in Saudi Arabia.
Despite the ugly end to his time at the Emirates Stadium, Aubameyang still goes down as one of the most impactful January signings of recent times.
- Getty Images
8Gary Cahill (Bolton Wanderers to Chelsea, £7m)
Gary Cahill left relegation-fighting Bolton Wanderers for Chelsea in January 2012, but he initially must have thought he had swapped one crisis club for another when Andre Villas-Boas was sacked less than two months after he had arrived. Cahill, however, began to thrive under interim boss Roberto Di Matteo and came into his own in the Champions League, where he helped Chelsea pull off a dramatic comeback win over Napoli, knock out Barcelona at Camp Nou – after John Terry had been sent off – and then see off Bayern Munich in their own stadium to win the trophy for the first time.
Cahill was no one-season wonder, though, and he was crucial to Chelsea's subsequent league title successes under Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte. He won a total of eight trophies with the Blues and was named in the PFA Team of the Year on three occasions. Not bad at all for £7m.
ENJOYED THIS STORY?
Add GOAL.com as a preferred source on Google to see more of our reporting
- Getty Images Sport
7Kieran Trippier (Atletico Madrid to Newcastle, £12m)
Many people questioned Kieran Trippier's motives when he left La Liga champions Atletico Madrid in January 2022 to join struggling Newcastle just weeks after the club's Saudi takeover. He endured a nightmare debut, too, as lower-league Cambridge United knocked the Magpies out of the FA Cup in the third round.
Trippier, however, proved to be a transformative figure for Newcastle, an inspirational leader who continued to travel with the team to matches in his first season even after sustaining a serious ankle injury as they survived under Eddie Howe.
Once recovered, he spearheaded Newcastle's charge to the Carabao Cup final in 2023 and to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in 20 years. His form has fluctuated since then, but he still played his part in 2024-25 as Newcastle returned to Europe's premier club competition and won a first major English trophy in 70 years.
Trippier has contributed to 30 goals for the Magpies, outstanding numbers for a defender, while his experience and defensive qualities have helped sustain Howe's side's rise to become one of the top teams in the league again after decades in the wilderness.
