Winter transfer window: After finding a new home, these stars quickly adapted and showed their value. Some of them even had a significant impact on their new teams during the second half of the season.
Let’s rank the top 10 most successful winter transfers in the English Premier League in the past decade with Transfer In Football.
Top 10 successful deals in the winter transfers window in the Premier League
10. Wilfred Ndidi | KRC Genk – Leicester City | £17 million | 2017
Joining Leicester at the age of 21, Wilfred Ndidi immediately demonstrated the qualities needed for a defensive midfielder.
Nowadays, the Nigerian midfielder is considered one of the best in the Premier League in his position. In the 2019/20 season, he recorded 129 successful tackles, tied with Aaron Wan-Bissaka of Man United.
9. John Stones | Barnsley – Everton | £3 million | 2013
Everton discovered John Stones’ talent while he was playing in the Championship with Barnsley. In the winter transfer window of 2013, he officially joined The Toffees.
Stones fully developed his potential at Everton and gradually established himself in the starting lineup at the club and the England national team.
In 2016, John Stones transferred to Manchester City and helped Everton earn £50 million.
8. Nemanja Matic | Benfica – Chelsea | £22 million | 2014
In January 2014, Chelsea decided to spend £22 million to buy Matic back from Benfica. While playing for The Blues, the Serbian midfielder quickly secured a regular starting spot due to his stability.
He also won 2 Premier League titles with Stamford Bridge’s team. After 151 appearances for Chelsea, Matic joined Manchester United in 2017 for a transfer fee of £40 million.
7. Gary Cahill | Bolton – Chelsea | £7 million | 2012
In 2012, amidst Bolton’s crisis, Chelsea decided to spend £7 million to acquire Gary Cahill’s services. At their peak, Cahill and John Terry formed a solid center-back duo, challenging all forwards in the Premier League.
The English center-back made 290 appearances for The Blues, winning 8 major titles, before leaving in 2019.
6. Aymeric Laporte | Athletic Bilbao – Manchester City | £57 million | 2018
After establishing himself in La Liga, Laporte continued to shine when he switched to playing football in the Manchester City shirt.
As a left-footed center-back, the French player not only completed his defensive duties but also showed his excellent attacking ability.
However, due to frequent injuries, Laporte was not guaranteed a consistent playing position.
5. Philippe Coutinho | Inter Milan – Liverpool | £8.5 million | 2013
Coutinho’s name is mainly associated with his time at Liverpool. Joining The Kop in the winter transfer window of 2013, the Brazilian midfielder created a brand for himself due to his ability to control the game and his long-range solid shots outside the penalty area. After 6 seasons in England, Coutinho scored 54 goals.
In 2018, the 1992-born midfielder joined Barcelona with a £105 million fee. He was unable to maintain his status as the brightest star, but later, the Anfield team also brought in two other quality players, Virgil van Dijk, and Alisson Becker.
4. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang | Borussia Dortmund – Arsenal | £56 million | 2018
Impressed by Aubameyang’s performance at Dortmund, Arsenal decided to pay £56 million to recruit the Gabonese striker from Dortmund, making him the most expensive contract in the club’s history at the time. He is also one of the Arsenal record signings of all time.
Aubameyang demonstrated a perfect role as the center forward of Arsenal. He scored 75 goals in 125 appearances for The Gunners.
However, the situation did not go smoothly for Auba in the latter months at Arsenal. He then had to leave to join Barca.
3. Bruno Fernandes | Sporting CP – Manchester United | £47 million | 2020
Not long after arriving at Old Trafford, Bruno Fernandes immediately demonstrated his huge influence at MU. The Portuguese midfielder’s all-round play and fiery fighting spirit helped MU navigate a tricky period in the 2019/20 Premier League season.
In the following season, Bruno’s bright performance continued to be maintained. He ended the 2020 year with 18 goals and 14 assists in the top tier of English football.
Currently, even though he is no longer as explosive as before, Bruno remains a crucial player for MU.
2. Luis Suarez | Ajax – Liverpool | £22.8 million | 2011
Despite some controversies off the pitch, Luis Suarez is still one of the best strikers Liverpool has ever owned.
The Uruguayan striker has faced some disciplinary issues during his time at The Kop but still established a remarkable goal-scoring record with 82 goals in 133 appearances. In 2014, Suarez joined Barcelona for a transfer fee of £65 million.
1. Virgil van Dijk | Southampton – Liverpool | £75 million | 2018
In 2018, Liverpool surprisingly spent £75 million to bring van Dijk from Southampton, which initially faced criticism from the public. However, van Dijk’s performance at Liverpool has proved that the Dutch center-back was worth every penny The Kop spent. It is a record of Virgil van Dijk transfer fee in his career.
With great physicality and excellent situational awareness, Van Dijk quickly turned himself into a nightmare for every opposing attack. He continuously won individual and team awards.
What do you think about these top 10 successful deals in the winter transfer window in Premier League? Let’s comment below! Don’t forget to visit Transfer In Football frequently to update the latest news about the winter transfer window 2022 – 2023.