Premier League teams' January transfer window grades as Chelsea splash cash
The January transfer window has closed - leaving us with nothing better to do than review each Premier League club's comings and goings.
Chelsea were the biggest spenders of the window - spending nearly £300million on fresh talent. The Blues brought in Enzo Fernandez from Benfica for a British-record transfer fee of £107m and Arsenal target Mykhaylo Mudryk for a whopping £87m.
In comparison, Everton did not sign a single player - despite being in a relegation battle. Apart from the Toffees, every Premier League signed at least one player in the window to boost their hopes of success this season.
Here are our transfer window grades...
Arsenal: B+
This one is going to cause a bit of debate.
Marcel Sabitzer completes Man Utd transfer after last-minute deadline day dash
Although Arsenal failed to sign Mudryk and Moises Caicedo of Brighton, their transfer activity was impressive. Picking up an in-form Leandro Trossard from Brighton for £27m was a smart bit of business, as was the signing of Jorginho from Chelsea. Let's not forget that Jorginho was named the best player in Europe just 17 months ago.
The window did not go as well as hoped for Arsenal, but sporting director Edu deserves to be applauded for responding well to their setbacks. The Gunners have signed players who can hit the ground running - which is what you need in a title race.
Arsenal signed Jorginho on deadline day (Getty Images)Which team do you think did the best business in January? Let us know in the comments below!
INS: Leandro Trossard (Brighton, £27m), Jakub Kiwior (Spezia, £21m), Jorginho (Chelsea, £12m).
OUTS: Brooke Norton-Cuffy (Coventry, Loan), Miguel Azeez (Wigan, loan), Tom Smith (Colchester, loan) Marquinhos (Norwich, loan), Omar Rekik (Wigan, loan), Albert Sambi Lokonga (Arsenal, loan), Nathan Butler-Oyedeji (Accrington, loan), Cedric Soares ( Fulham, loan).
Aston Villa: C
It was a quiet window for Unai Emery's side, who did not need to splash the cash in January. They are 11 points from safety and will be planning for the summer.
Villa brought in exciting teenager Jhon Duran from Chicago Fire - who may be one for the future - and experienced defender Alex Moreno from Real Betis. They also did well to get £15m from West Ham for striker Danny Ings, who struggled to impress at Villa Park.
INS: Alex Moreno (Real Betis, £13m), Jhon Duran (Chicago Fire, £15m).
OUTS: Cameron Archer (Middlesbrough, loan), Tyreik Wright (Plymouth Argyle, Undisclosed), Danny Ings (West Ham, £15m), Frederic Guilbert (Strasbourg, free), Morgan Sanson (Strasbourg, loan), Louie Barry (Salford City, loan), Aaron Ramsey (Middlesbrough, loan), Marvelous Nakamba (Luton, loan).
Bournemouth: B-
This was the first transfer window since an American consortium completed a takeover of Bournemouth and that showed, as Gary O'Neil's side splashed the cash. It's hoped the likes of Dango Ouattara will fire them to safety, as they are 18th in the Premier League.
Man Utd deadline day live updates as Sabitzer completes loan move
INS: Dango Ouattara (Lorient, £20m), Darren Randolph (West Ham, free), Antoine Semenyo (Bristol City, £10.5m), Matias Vina (Roma, loan), Illia Zabarnyi (Dynamo Zagreb, undisclosed), Hamed Traore (Sassuolo, loan).
OUTS: James Hill (Hearts, loan), Jamal Lowe (QPR, loan), Will Dennis (Slough, loan), Emiliano Marcondes (Nordsjaelland, loan), Siriki Dembele (Auxerre, loan).
Brentford: C-
A boring window for Brentford fans. Perhaps the most exciting arrival was that of Romeo Beckham, who enjoyed a brief spell in their B team ahead of the new MLS season with Inter Miami. The Bees did not need to invest, in truth, as they are eighth in the table.
INS: Conor McManus (Bray Wanderers, undisclosed), Kevin Schade (Freiburg, loan), Byron Wilson (Coventry, Free), Romeo Beckham (Inter Miami, loan).
OUTS: Aaron Pressley (Accrington, Loan), Mads Bech Sorensen (Groningen, loan), Tariqe Fosu (Rotherham, loan), Charlie Goode (Blackpool, loan), Sergi Canos (Olympiacos, loan).
Romeo Beckham put Brentford in the spotlight (PA)Brighton: B-
Brighton fans will be relieved Arsenal failed in their pursuit of Caicedo, as his exit would have left them short in central midfield. Their only blemish of the window was Trossard's move to the Emirates - he will be big miss during their push for European football.
INS: Facundo Buonanotte (Rosario Central, £6m), Jamie Mullins (Bohemians, Undisclosed), Yasin Ayari (AIK, £3.5m).
OUTS: Aaron Connolly (Hull, loan), Reda Khadra (Birmingham, loan), Todd Miller (Doncaster, loan), Ed Turns (Leyton Orient, loan), Leandro Trossard (Arsenal, £27m), Antef Tsoungui (Lommel, loan).
Chelsea: B
It is hard to assess Chelsea's transfer window. On the one hard, they got their main targets - Fernandez, Mudryk etc. Todd Boehly was aggressive and blew his rivals out of the water - proving Stamford Bridge is still a popular destination for the Europe's hottest stars.
But on the other hand, they spent a fortune on unproven Premier League players. Will they be any good? They also failed to sign a top centre-forward and are handing out ridiculously long contracts. Right now, it feels as if they are adopting a scattergun approach.
INS: Mykhaylo Mudryk (Shakhtar Donetsk, £87m), Benoit Badiashile (Monaco, £35m), Andrey Santos (Vasco da Gama, £18m), David Datro Fofana (Molde FK, £10m), Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid, loan), Noni Madueke (PSV, £29m), Malo Gusto (Lyon, £26.3m), Enzo Fernandez (Benfica, £107m).
OUTS: Cesar Casadei (Reading, loan), Malo Gusto (Lyon, loan), Jude Soonsup-Bell ( Tottenham, undisclosed), Jorginho (Arsenal, £12m).
Crystal Palace: D+
Could Palace have been a bit more ambitious in the transfer window? They are only seven points above the relegation zone and a big signing could have made sure of their Premier League status. It will be interesting to see how Albert Sambi Lokonga gets on.
INS: Albert Sambi Lokonga (Arsenal, loan), Naouirou Ahamada (Stuttgart, undisclosed).
OUTS: Jack Butland ( Manchester United, loan), Killian Phillips (Shrewsbury, loan), John-Kymani Gordon (Carlisle, loan), Malcolm Ebiowei (Hull, loan), David Boateng (Dover, loan), Luke Plange (Lincoln, loan).
Everton: F
In all honesty, F is generous.
Everton have only got a grade because their transfer window was comedy gold. They tried (and failed) to sign Hakim Ziyech, Conor Gallagher, Iliman Ndiaye, Olivier Giroud, Michy Batshuayi, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Anthony Elanga and Ismalia Sarr on deadline day.
The funniest moment of Everton's window was when they failed to land Arnaut Danjuma, who rejected a move to Goodison Park when Tottenham offered him a spot on their bench. There is still a chance Andre Ayew could sign for Everton, which speaks volumes.
INS: None.
OUTS: Salomon Rondon (River Plate, free), Nathan Broadhead (Ipswich, Undisclosed), Tom Cannon (Preston, loan), Niels Nkounkou (Saint-Etienne, loan), Eldin Jakupovic (LAFC, free), Tyler Onyango (Forest Green, loan), Anthony Gordon ( Newcastle, £45m).
Sean Dyche will struggle to keep Everton up (Everton FC via Getty Images)Fulham: C
Fair play to Fulham for getting deals for Sasa Lukic and Cedric Soares over the line on deadline day. Perhaps Marco Silva's side should have been a bit more ambitious - with a potential top-seven finish at stake - but they should not face too much criticism.
INS: Sasa Lukic (Torino, £10m), Cedric Soares (Arsenal, loan).
OUTS: Anthony Knockaert ( Huddersfield, loan) Josh Onomah (Preston, free), Nathaniel Chalobah (West Brom, undisclosed), Josh Onomah (Preston, free).
Leeds: B-
Leeds are battling to stay up, so they did well to persuade Georginio Rutter and West McKennie to leave Hoffenheim and Juventus respectively. Whether Jesse Marsch is the right manager to keep Leeds in the Premier League remains up for debate.
INS: Georginio Rutter (Hoffenheim, £35m), Max Wober (RB Salzburg, Undisclosed), Weston McKennie (Juventus, loan), Diogo Monteiro (Servette, undisclosed).
OUTS: Mateusz Klich (DC United, free), Alfie McCalmont (Carlisle, loan), Leo Hjelde (Rotherham, loan), Cody Drameh (Luton, loan) Joe Gelhardt (Sunderland, loan), Diego Llorente (Roma, loan).
Leicester: B
Harry Souttar is a smart signing for the Foxes after his performances for Australia at the World Cup in Qatar, while bringing in Tete from Shakhtar is also a good idea. Leicester are just one point above the relegation zone, but they should have enough to survive.
INS: Victor Kristiansen (Copenhagen, £17m), Tete (Shakhtar Donetsk, free), Nathan Opoku (FDM Field Masters Sporting Club, undisclosed), Harry Souttar (Stoke, £15m).
OUTS: George Hirst (Ipswich, loan), Jakub Stolarczyk (Hartlepool, loan), Jarell Quansah (Bristol Rovers, loan), Ben Nelson (Doncaster, loan), Ayoze Perez (Real Betis, loan), Nathan Opoku (OH Leuven, loan), Marc Albrighton (West Brom, loan).
Liverpool: D-
Liverpool are 10 points behind Man Utd in fourth heading into the second half of the season, so they could have done with a few reinforcements. Yet they made just one signing - Cody Gakpo in a £45million deal from PSV Eindhoven at the start of the window.
Liverpool have struggled to compete with the likes of Chelsea in the market and their fans must be worried about where they will finish this term. To make matters worse, Gakpo is yet to score for the Reds - although it is too early to tell whether he will be a flop.
INS: Cody Gakpo (PSV Eindhoven, £45m).
OUTS: Jake Cain (Swindon, undisclosed). Jarell Quansah (Bristol Rovers, loan), Luke Chambers (Kilmarnock, loan), Fidel O'Rourke (Halifax Town, loan).
Cody Gakpo has not scored for Liverpool yet (AFP via Getty Images)Manchester City: D
Although Pep Guardiola's side are playing catch up in the title race - sitting five points behind leaders Arsenal having played a game more - they did not splash the cash in January. Their only signing was Maximo Perrone, who will be one for the future.
Man City also lost one of their best players in Joao Cancelo after he fell out with Guardiola. Whatever way you look at it, they are weaker without Cancelo. Guardiola's squad is still the strongest in the Premier League - but this must go down as a poor window.
INS: Maximo Perrone (Velez Sarsfield, £8m).
OUTS: Morgan Rogers (Blackpool, loan), Josh Wilson-Esbrand (Coventry, loan), Liam Delap (Preston, loan) Joao Cancelo (Bayern Munich, loan), Luke Mbete (Bolton, loan).
Manchester United: B-
Erik ten Hag was never going to have a lot of money with the Glazers selling up, but the Man Utd boss did well to bring in three smart signings in Jack Butland, Wout Weghorst and Marcel Sabitzer. The latter was a particular coup after Christian Eriksen's ankle injury.
A quick word on Cristiano Ronaldo. He was a distraction during the last few months of his United career and getting him off their books was a good decision by Ten Hag. The challenge for them now is finding a world-class striker to replace the legendary star.
INS: Wout Weghorst ( Burnley, Loan), Jack Butland ( Crystal Palace, Loan), Marcel Sabitzer (Bayern Munich, loan).
OUTS: Cristiano Ronaldo (Al-Nassr, Free), Charlie Savage (Forest Green, loan), Charlie McNeill (Newport, loan), Shola Shoretire (Bolton, loan), Di'Shon Bernard (Portsmouth, loan), Axel Tuanzebe (Stoke, loan), Ondrej Mastny (Portadown, loan).
Newcastle: C+
Everton fans may disagree, but Anthony Gordon will be a decent signing if he can regain his form from last term. Newcastle have also done well to move on the likes of Chris Wood, Jonjo Shelvey and Karl Darlow. The next chapter in their rise to the top has started.
INS: Garang Kuol (Central Coast Mariners, £300k), Amadou Diallo (Free), Anthony Gordon (Everton, £45m), Harrison Ashby (West Ham, £3m).
OUTS: Garang Kuol (Hearts, Loan), Joe White (Exeter, Loan), Chris Wood (Nottingham Forest, loan), Niall Brookwell (Darlington, loan), Jonjo Shelvey (Nottingham Forest, undisclosed), Karl Darlow (Hull, loan).
Nottingham Forest: B
Speaking of Wood and Shelvey, they are both smart signings for Forest. Steve Cooper's side are in a relegation battle and need experienced players, even if they are starting to pull away from danger. Forest fans will also be very excited about the arrival of Keylor Navas, who won the Champions League three times at Real Madrid.
INS: Gustavo Scarpa (Palmeiras, free), Danilo (Palmeiras, £16m), Chris Wood (Newcastle, loan), Felipe (Atletico Madrid, undisclosed), Jonjo Shelvey (Newcastle, undisclosed), Keylor Navas (Paris Saint-Germain, loan).
OUTS: Josh Bowler (Blackpool, loan), Loic Mbe Soh (Guingamp, loan), Ateef Konate (Oxford, loan).
Nottingham Forest have signed Keylor Navas (Harry Langer/Getty Images)Southampton: B
Nathan Jones will be happy with Southampton's business. Paul Onuachu, who stands at more than two metres tall, looks to be a good signing after scoring 16 goals in 19 league games for Genk this season. Saints fans will be hoping he is the man to fire them to safety.
INS: Mislav Orsic (Dinamo Zagreb, £8m), Carlos Alcaraz (Racing Club, £12m), James Bree (Luton, £750k), Kamaldeen Sulemana (Rennes, £22m), Paul Onuachu (Genk, £18m).
OUTS: Dynel Simeu (Morecambe, loan), Dan Nlundulu (Bolton, loan), Lewis Payne (Eastleigh, loan), Thierry Small (St Mirren, loan), Jack Turner (Braintree, loan).
Tottenham: C+
It was not the most exciting window for Tottenham, although the did manage to sign first-choice target Pedro Porro on deadline day. Getting rid of deadwood Bryan Gil, Matt Doherty and Djed Spence will also be a relief for Antonio Conte.
INS: Arnaut Danjuma (Villarreal, loan), Jude Soonsup-Bell (Chelsea, undisclosed), Pedro Porro (Sporting Lisbon, £40m)
OUTS: Bryan Gil (Sevilla, loan), Matt Doherty (Atletico Madrid, free), Djed Spence (Stade Rennais, loan).
West Ham: D-
The Hammers are in a relegation battle, but they made just two signings in January. One of them, Ings, has already suffered a knee injury and could miss several games over the comings weeks. David Moyes will be hoping he has enough to keep West Ham up.
INS: Luizao (Sao Paulo, undisclosed), Danny Ings (Aston Villa, £15m).
OUTS: Thierry Nevers (Bradford, Loan), Craig Dawson ( Wolves, £3.3m), Darren Randolph ( Bournemouth, free), Conor Coventry (Rotherham, loan), Will Greenidge (Colchester, loan), Pierre Ekwah (Sunderland, undisclosed), Harrison Ashby (Newcastle, £3m).
Wolves: B
West Ham's relegation rivals were a lot more aggressive in January - signing the likes of Matheus Cunha and Mario Lemina. Wolves also got rid of several players and have given their survival hopes a huge boost heading into the season's defining months.
INS: Matheus Cunha (Atletico Madrid, loan), Mario Lemina (Nice, £9m), Pablo Sarabia (Paris Saint-Germain, £5m), Craig Dawson (West Ham, £3.3m), Dan Bentley (Bristol City, £50k), Joao Gomes (Flamengo, £15m).
OUTS: Leo Bonatini (Atletico San Luis, free), Joe Young (Telford, loan), Leonardo Campana (Inter Miami, £2m), Connor Ronan (Colorado Rapids, £500k), Goncalo Guedes (Benfica, loan), Fabio Silva (PSV Eindhoven, loan), Matija Sarkic (Stoke, loan), Ki-Jana Hoever (Stoke, loan), Jackson Smith (Walsall, loan), Chem Campbell (Wycombe, loan).
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