Winter Transfers Review 2023
7 min
Image: Unsplash.com
The January transfer window has been closed for business for a while, and it was another busy few weeks for clubs around Europe. Once again – and to the surprise of no one – Premier League clubs were responsible for the biggest outlay, as the likes of Chelsea, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur bolstered their squads for the challenges that lie ahead.
Several players who had impressed during the November and December international tournament earned moves up the food chain, while others left their teams in search of more regular game time.
We have reviewed the January transfer window, looking at the most significant deals, the big losses and players to watch going forward.
10 Biggest Transfers Of January Window
10. Azzedine Ounahi, Angers to Marseille
One of the stars of the tournament at the end of last year, Ounahi was always likely to depart Angers before the end of the winter window. The Morocco international has stayed in Ligue 1, but he will now be playing for a club much closer to the top of the table.
A talented ball-carrier with good vision, Ounahi should bring more guile and invention to the Marseille midfield. Expect him to go into the starting XI straight away.
9. Arnaut Danjuma, Villarreal to Tottenham Hotspur
Danjuma looked set to swap Villarreal for Everton in January, with a deal agreed between all parties. However, Tottenham entered the race at the eleventh hour and succeeded in swiping the forward from under the noses of their domestic rivals.
The Netherlands international, who scored 16 goals in all competitions last term, will add strength in depth to the Spurs frontline. Danjuma is initially on loan, but Tottenham have an option to buy him at the end of the campaign.
8. Jorginho, Chelsea to Arsenal
Jorginho looked set to leave Chelsea when his contract expired in the summer, so the Blues decided to cash in on the Italy international during the transfer window. A fee of £12m means this is also a good deal for Arsenal, who were desperate to secure another midfield option after Mohamed Elneny suffered an injury setback.
Jorginho arrives in north London with a wealth of experience that will come in handy as Mikel Arteta’s men attempt to hold off Manchester City in the Premier League title race.
7. Joao Felix, Atletico Madrid to Chelsea
It was clear several weeks ago that Felix would be among the high-profile transferred players in the mid-season market. Despite his undoubted quality, the Portugal international has never looked like a particularly good fit for Diego Simeone’s Atletico Madrid.
Unlike the aforementioned Danjuma deal, Chelsea do not have an option to buy Felix once the loan contract runs out at the end of the season. The forward might therefore only be in west London for a matter of months.
6. Marcel Sabitzer, Bayern Münich to Manchester United
Manchester United were forced into action after Christian Eriksen sustained an injury that would keep him out for around three months. That unwelcome development left Erik ten Hag with one fewer midfielder in his ranks, so United hastily agreed to sign Sabitzer on loan from Bayern Münich.
“I feel that I am at my peak as a player, and that I can contribute a lot of experience and energy to the squad,” the Austrian said of the move.
5. Cody Gakpo, PSV to Liverpool
One of the very first signings in the winter transfer market, Gakpo officially joined Liverpool on January 1. It had previously been reported that Manchester United were in pole position to land the Dutchman, but their arch-rivals beat them to his signature in the end.
Gakpo has had a quiet start to life at Anfield, with Liverpool enduring a tough January on the pitch. Still only 23 and an impressive performer for the Netherlands in November/December, Gakpo will no doubt make his mark in time.
4. Mykhailo Mudryk, Shakhtar Donetsk to Chelsea
Mudryk was a transfer target for Arsenal dating all the way back to the summer, and they renewed their interest in the Ukrainian as soon as the market reopened for business at the beginning of 2023.
But amid haggling between the Gunners and Shakhtar Donetsk over the terms of the deal, Chelsea stole in and met the selling club’s demands. That meant Mudryk was suddenly off to Stamford Bridge rather than the Emirates Stadium, much to the chagrin of Arsenal supporters.
3. Memphis Depay, Barcelona to Atletico Madrid
Depay barely played for Barcelona in the first half of the 2022/23 season, so he was always likely to seek pastures new in January. However, it was something of a surprise to see him pop up at Atletico Madrid, notwithstanding their need to replace the outgoing Joao Felix.
Depay will feel he has something to prove after being let go by Barcelona just 18 months after he moved to the Camp Nou. The Netherlands international is an ideal age at 28 and he could prove to be an important player for Atletico.
2. Joao Cancelo, Manchester City to Bayern Münich
Joao Cancelo has been one of Manchester City’s standout performers over the last couple of seasons, and he began the current campaign as a guaranteed starter. But a falling-out with Pep Guardiola saw him lose his place in the team recently, before City agreed to loan him to Bayern Münich towards the end of January.
Cancelo is a wonderfully gifted footballer who can play at right-back, left-back or further forward. He will be an asset for Bayern for the remainder of the season, and perhaps beyond – the German side have an option to buy.
1. Enzo Fernandez, Benfica to Chelsea
Chelsea set a new British transfer record when they agreed to pay almost £107m for Fernandez in the final few days of the winter window. That is an extraordinary sum for a player who only moved to Europe last summer.
Fernandez caught the eye at the World Cup, where he helped Argentina lift the trophy for the first time since 1986. Benfica insisted they would only sell the midfielder if Chelsea triggered his release clause, which is what they eventually did.
Most Expensive Transfer Window Ins/Outs
| Player | From | To | Fee |
| Enzo Fernandez | Benfica | Chelsea | €121m / £106.8m |
| Mykhailo Mudryk | Shakhtar Donetsk | Chelsea | €70m / £62m |
| Anthony Gordon | Everton | Newcastle United | €51m / £45m |
| Cody Gakpo | PSV | Liverpool | €42m / £37m |
| Benoit Badiashile | Monaco | Chelsea | €38m / £33.5m |
| Noni Madueke | PSV | Chelsea | €35m / £31m |
| Vitinha | Braga | Marseille | €32m |
| Malo Gusto | Lyon | Chelsea | €30m / £26.5m |
| Georginio Rutter | Hoffenheim | Leeds United | €28m / £24.8m |
| Kamaldeen Sulemana | Rennes | Southampton | €25m / £22m |
Who Lost Their Biggest Players?
Everton
Everton only lost one first-team player in the January transfer window, as Anthony Gordon departed for Newcastle. The offer of £45m was too good for the Toffees to turn down given their financial difficulties, but new manager Sean Dyche has inherited a tough situation.
It is not just that Everton lost Gordon but that they were the only Premier League club that did not sign a single player. Currently 16th in the standings, a relegation battle awaits.
Shakhtar Donetsk
Domestic football in Ukraine is still ongoing despite Russia’s invasion, with Dnipro-1, Shakhtar Donetsk, Dynamo Kyiv and Zorya Luhansk all in with a chance of winning the Premier League title at the time of writing.
Shakhtar will aim to do so without their former star player Mykhailo Mudryk, who joined Chelsea. However, the club was at least able to donate £20.5m of the transfer fee to the Ukrainian war effort.
PSV
PSV lost two of their key men in Cody Gakpo and Noni Madueke in last month’s market. Ruud van Nistelrooy would no doubt have preferred to keep hold of the pair as his team compete for the Eredivisie title, but the economic reality dictated that they had to be sold.
PSV also waved goodbye to Bruma, Philipp Max and Marco van Ginkel, but Fabio Silva, Thorgan Hazard and Patrick van Aanholt all arrived at Philips Stadion.
New Football Hopefuls in 2023
Danilo (Nottingham Forest)
Nottingham Forest were active again in the winter window, bringing in six new faces to aid their battle against relegation from the Premier League.
Perhaps the most interesting arrival was that of Danilo, who won two Copas Libertadores with former club Palmeiras. The 21-year-old is a holding midfielder who is thought to be on Brazil’s radar.
Noni Madueke (Chelsea)
One of many players to rock up at Stamford Bridge in January, Madueke’s transfer was somewhat overshadowed by deals involving Mykhailo Mudryk and Joao Felix.
The England Under-21 international is back in the city of his birth and he should help to freshen up an attack which has struggled this season.
Last updated: June 8th, 2023
