Best January transfers 2022 – ranked

Business

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…


Nathan PattersonNathan Patterson

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.

Chris WoodChris Wood

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.

Vitaliy MykolenkoVitaliy Mykolenko

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.

Kieran TrippierKieran Trippier

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.

Anthony MartialAnthony Martial

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…

Lucas DigneLucas Digne

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.

Robin GosensRobin Gosens

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.

Philippe CoutinhoPhilippe Coutinho

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.

Ferran TorresFerran Torres

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.

Dušan VlahovićDušan Vlahović

Vlahovic will take the number 7 / Ivan Romano/GettyImages

Juventus look far from the decade-dominating giants that they’ve become known for this season.

They’ve really struggled to find the net following Cristiano Ronaldo’s departure, so in true Juve fashion, they’ve gone and bought the best striker in Serie A.