The January transfer window is a strange old beast. Generally considered not as exciting as its summer counterpart, it has still witnessed some massive moves in the past.
2022 has been a little from column A and a little from column B, with a string of frustrating sagas being occasionally punctuated by blockbuster deals.
Here are the absolute best transfers we’ve seen this month – ranked and updated daily…
Chambers has left Arsenal / James Williamson – AMA/GettyImages
This one is not that exciting, we’ll give you that. But picking up some experienced defensive cover on a free transfer is pretty tidy business.
Chambers will help Aston Villa with their homegrown quota too.
Patterson is highly rated / Eurasia Sport Images/GettyImages
Everton stagnation over the past few years has been painful to watch and this is exactly the sort of signing they should be making to kickstart themselves back into life.
Young, dynamic and full of potential, signing Nathan Patterson could pay off massively in the future.
Who knew Wood had a release clause? / Stu Forster/GettyImages
By signing Chris Wood, Newcastle killed two birds with one stone.
Not only did they boost their survival chances by bringing in a proven Premier League goal-getter, they also significantly weakened a direct relegation rival in Burnley.
Smart.
Mykolenko is Digne’s replacement / Matthew Ashton – AMA/GettyImages
Much like with Patterson, signing Vitaliy Mykolenko represents a much-needed shift in Everton’s recruitment strategy to identifying young stars they can develop and then hopefully sell on for a profit.
The 22-year-old arrives at Goodison Park with bags of senior experience already and is one to watch over the rest of the season.
Trippier has bags of experience / Stu Forster/GettyImages
On the surface, swapping the La Liga champions for a relegation-threatened Premier League side was a pretty strange move from Kieran Trippier.
However, by all accounts the player just wanted to be closer to his family in the north of England. His homesickness has proved to be a massive win for Newcastle, who have snapped up a top-class defender for very little money.
Martial was keen on a move / Fran Santiago/GettyImages
Anthony Martial was so keen to join Sevilla he agreed to a paycut.
Just imagine if he fires Julen Lopetegui’s side to the title. What a story that would be…
Digne fell out with Rafa Benitez / James Gill – Danehouse/GettyImages
Aston Villa wasted little time capitalising on Lucas Digne’s falling out with then Everton manager Rafa Benitez, snapping up the Frenchman with plenty of time to spare.
Often mentioned in conversation about the best full-back in the division, Digne could prove to be a difference maker for the super-ambitious Villans.
Gosens has finally left Atalanta after much speculation / Marco Luzzani/GettyImages
Robin Gosens’ goal and assist numbers over the past few years are pretty staggering.
In him and Ivan Perisic, Inter now have one of the deepest left sides in world football. We cannot wait to see how he gets on against Liverpool in March.
Coutinho was excellent on his debut / James Williamson – AMA/GettyImages
Philippe Coutinho banished any doubts over the suitability of his Premier League return with a delightful debut against Manchester United.
Signing him permanently is likely to be a real struggled but in the short term Villa fans are likely to have a lot of fun watching Coutinho dazzle in the West Midlands.
Torres could be Barcelona’s starting striker for the next decade / Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/GettyImages
Barcelona have not got many transfers right in recent years but there is a lot to like about this one.
Although Ferran Torres did not blow us away during his spell at Man City, he was showing signs of developing into an extremely exciting centre-forward prior to getting injured in the Nations League.
If Barcelona can play to his strengths they may have found the man to lead their attack into a promising new era.