You’d like to think that Ruben Amorim made some kind of stirring speech in the overtures of Manchester United’s Premier League clash against Liverpool.

The Portuguese manager struggled to gel with the stricken Old Trafford squad when replacing Erik ten Hag, whose worn-out system was well past its sell-by date when he was finally put out of his misery in October.

Newcastle United thrashed the Red Devils in their backyard to put the final nail in the coffin in 2024, a fitting and admittedly poignant end to the year. If Amorim believes in such symbolism, he’ll be inspired by his side’s start to January—and then some.

Anfield was silenced through United’s spirit, energy and optimism. The visitors were well worth their point on the fourth and perhaps unlucky not to have struck an incredible victory. Then, latterly, Arsenal failed to topple ten-man Man United in the third round of the FA Cup, with Altay Bayindir starring between the sticks and saving Kai Havertz’s spot kick in the shootout.

Oh, there’s a long road ahead, with some important and winnable (quote-unquote) fixtures coming up. Manchester United have restored something that has been lost for quite some time. It’s intangible, something that takes root when individual parts come together to create something more than its 11-man makeup.

Change will be required in some areas, though, with Joshua Zirkzee perhaps already expendable.

Joshua Zirkzee's Man United future

INEOS backed Ten Hag in the summer market, forking out £36.5m for Zirkzee, who had been crowned the 2023/24 Serie A Player of the Year with Bologna.

Bologna qualified for the Champions League and were generally considered a wonderful surprise package, but Zirkzee has found that the pace and intensity in England stands as a stark difference to that of Serie A football.

As such, rumours have already piled up that the 23-year-old is headed for a premature exit, with Caught Offside even claiming that he has informed his agent to search for a new club. There are things to like about the Dutchman but with four goals from 29 matches, he definitely hasn’t been up to speed – quite literally in numerous instances.

Should Zirkzee leave, United will need a replacement, and Amorim seems to have the perfect player in mind.

Transfer Focus

Mega money deals, controversial moves and big-name flops. This is the home of transfer news and opinion across Football FanCast.

Man United chasing Champions League star

GIVEMESPORT revealed at the weekend that Paris Saint-Germain’s Randal Kolo Muani is at an impasse with Tottenham Hotspur, for Daniel Levy is characteristically hesitant about accepting an obligatory buy option in a loan package stretching to the end of the season.

This could allow Man United – and Juventus who are both actively chasing a move – to steal ahead in the race for the wantaway forward. A loan deal could give the Red Devils some financial breathing room while improving the squad for the business end of the season, though a £50m fee would need to be paid come summer.

It’s all gone a bit wrong in Paris for the France international, but he’s still an immensely talented forward who could thrive in this new Old Trafford system.

What Randal Kolo Muani would bring to Man United

The Athletic’s David Ornstein has already confirmed that Man United have held exploratory talks regarding a deal for Kolo Muani, but as we can see, interest is fierce for his signature and hesitation may be fatal.

Striker Kylian Mbappe hailed Kolo Muani, 26, as the “complete” forward, but with just 11 goals from 54 appearances at PSG since signing, it’s clear that he needs to search for pastures new, unfavoured by Luis Enrique.

Much of his time at the club has been spent on the bench – or coming off it during the second half. Kolo Muani does, though, maintain a fluent positional sense that could see Amorim deploy him across a number of frontline roles, something that could pay dividends for a United side looking to improve their dynamics up top.

It’s something that has foiled Zirkzee’s early efforts to succeed in the Premier League, for the 6 foot 4 talent is not consistent enough. He’s powerful and able to manipulate the spaces in and around the final third, though it’s clear that United need more energy and Kolo Muani could provide that in an environment that values his skills.

In 2022/23, for example, Kolo Muani scored 23 goals and added 17 more assists for Eintracht Frankfurt, principally fielded as a centre-forward and hailed by talent scout Jacek Kulig for being “on fire” in the Bundesliga.

German legend Lothar Matthaus also remarked that he “has the mark of a future superstar” during his time in the country, tearing opponents to shreds.

Zirkzee impressed with his intelligence and link-up play for Bologna last term but he still only scored 12 goals across 37 outings. The Netherlands international isn’t wasteful in front of goal, rather, he struggles to find clear-cut chances with all that regularity.

Of course, we can look at Kolo Muani’s numbers in France and surmise that United would be taking something of a risk, bringing him over the Channel.

But this is a player who tore German football to shreds when he was valued. The Frenchman’s energy and pace is exactly what Amorim’s system needs, still ranking among the top 12% of forwards across Europe’s top five leagues over the past year for assists and the top 9% for successful take-ons per 90, as per FBref.

The time is now. Sir Jim Ratcliffe won’t want to watch Kolo Muani spearheading a Tottenham Hotspur resurgence over the coming months and needs to get this one done.

Saved by Bayindir: Amorim must upgrade on 4/10 Man Utd dud who won 0 duels

Ruben Amorim led his Manchester United side to an FA Cup triumph over Arsenal.

5

By
Ethan Lamb

Jan 12, 2025

Everton are now pushing to sign a £83m midfielder this month, but they are set to face competition for his signature from their Premier League rivals, according to a report.

Everton eyeing new midfielders for Moyes

Back in December, it was reported that two of Sean Dyche’s main aims in the January transfer window were to bring in a new right-back and winger, meaning they are still likely to be considered priority positions under the helm of new manager David Moyes.

However, the Toffees clearly feel signing a new central midfielder could aid their survival chances this season, as they are now in talks over a deal for Brighton & Hove Albion’s Jakub Moder, who has found game time difficult to come by for the Seagulls.

Newcastle Untied’s Sean Langstaff has also been identified as a January target, with the 27-year-old now in line to become Moyes’ first signing.

The Merseyside club have been looking at midfielders since the summer, and at one point they were targeting Palmeiras’ Ricardo Rios, but the Colombian ultimately ended up remaining in Brazil.

Everton eye "creative" Newcastle academy graduate as Moyes' first signing

Eddie Howe once said he has a “really nice way of linking play”.

2 ByBarney Lane Jan 13, 2025

Now, however, there has been a development in Everton’s pursuit of Rios, with Caught Offside reporting they are pushing hard to get a deal over the line in the January transfer window.

It is unclear how much Palmeiras would be looking to receive for the 24-year-old, but there is a €100m (£83m) release clause in his contract, so he is unlikely to come cheap, especially considering he has just put pen to paper on a new deal.

Interest from elsewhere could also drive the midfielder’s price up, with Premier League rivals Tottenham Hotspur and Nottingham Forest also in the running for his signature, having been impressed with his consistency in the Brazilian Serie A.

What Rios could offer Everton

Scout Ben Mattinson has previously given an overview of what type of player the Colombia international is.

Back in the summer, Mattinson also explained that the central midfielder has “sky high potential”, but wasn’t ready for a big move due to a lack of experience.

However, the former Flamengo man continued to impress last season, being ranked as the fifth-best performing player in the Palmeiras squad by WhoScored, and he places in the 89th percentile for tackles per 90 over the past year, compared to his positional peers in similar leagues.

It would be a risk to sign Rios, given that he is unproven outside Brazil, but his performances last season indicate it could be a gamble worth taking assuming that release clause number is whittled down, as Moyes looks to steer Everton to safety.

Injuries have forced England and South Africa to tweak their line-ups for Oval Test

Andrew Miller07-Sep-2022Big PictureThe Hundred is done and dusted… now back to more traditionally minded short-form thrills. England and South Africa have been in hyper-drive during a compelling but erratic Test campaign – a crushing innings victory apiece to date, with neither match surviving beyond the third day. And as we head to the decider at the Kia Oval, all bets are off as to which version of either team will turn up. Not to mention for how long.And yet, arguably, the version of England that so captured the imagination in early summer has not really turned up at all in this series. Ben Stokes’ Baz-Brawlers were battered off the park by South Africa’s shock-and-awe seamers in the Lord’s Test, losing in little more than six sessions after being inserted for the first and only time in six Tests this summer. Then, when Dean Elgar erroneously chose to switch tactics at Old Trafford, it was a noticeably more chilled approach in England’s only innings, as Bens Stokes and Foakes took their time (relatively speaking) to drive home the advantage that their own bowlers had already won for them.Still, as Brendon McCullum and Co. would doubtless argue, their aggression in those early-season wins against New Zealand and India has been misrepresented. What really marks this new-look Test team out from its cagey predecessors is not the speed with which they’ve gone about their work, but the positivity – be that with the bat or in the field, with consistently attacking fields even in moments of adversity, and in attack and defence alike, hence the praise for Zak Crawley’s doughtily compiled 38 from 101 balls last week. It wasn’t an innings that will silence the wider doubts about his place, but as far as the team hierarchy are concerned, the proof is in the result that it helped to set in motion.The challenge to England’s batters is bound to be redoubled this week, however. For there’s surely no way that Elgar will make the same mistake twice, and undermine the potency of his four-pronged seam attack to shoehorn in an extra spinner. Simon Harmer’s off-the-boil display in the second Test was exacerbated by the fact that he did the bulk of his work on day two rather than days four and five, as a springy surface persistently pined for the absent left-armer Marco Jansen, whose cloud-snagging offerings would surely have been the better bet to back up the trio of early wickets from his fellow seamers.It is shaping up, therefore, as another important toss – with rain in the offing and cloud cover likely, both teams may be equally keen to bowl first on Thursday morning. Even allowing for Elgar’s stoic agenda-setting up top, South Africa’s batting is uncomfortably brittle, all the more so now that Rassie van der Dussen has been ruled out with a broken finger. Ryan Rickelton has been confirmed as his replacement, after a season of healthy returns for Northamptonshire, while Khaya Zondo may yet join him in the middle-order, where Aiden Markram has gone 15 innings and counting without so much as a fifty, and where Keegan Petersen, for all his fighting qualities at Old Trafford, is still awaiting his first Test hundred.Related

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Harry Brook prepares to take his chance, as Ollie Pope hopes his Test life begins at 30 caps

England, meanwhile, wouldn’t like their own preference for batting second to be framed as a defensive measure, but their surety of purpose when reacting to a score already on the board is palpable. And they may be all the more minded to look before they leap, given that they too will be shorn of a key presence due to injury – Jonny Bairstow’s bizarre golfing mishap has robbed the Test team of their most vibrant player of the summer, and caused the black sheep Alex Hales to be herded back to the T20 flock too.Into the mix, therefore, comes the debutant Harry Brook – the coming man, by all accounts, a player whose early-season form for Yorkshire earned him a call-up for McCullum’s very first Test squad back in May. He’s played just two first-class games since then, but he also featured in South Africa’s warm-up match down in Canterbury last month, where his pitch-perfect 140 from 170 balls propelled England Lions to a crushing innings win (they have been quite the feature of this tour). At the age of 23, he could hardly be more ready for his chance, but with the likes of Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje lined up to greet him, he could hardly have asked for a more potent welcoming committee either.Form guideEngland WLWWW (most recent first)
South Africa LWWWWIn the spotlightFittingly it was Ollie Robinson who applied the coup de grace in the second Test, bowling Lungi Ngidi for his third wicket in the space of 13 new-ball deliveries, as England rushed to victory on the third afternoon. His second-innings figures of 4 for 43 were the best by any bowler in the match, and vindication for the decision to push him up past Stuart Broad to take over as Anderson’s new-ball partner. After an extraordinarily torrid six months, in which back spasms, indigestion, toothache and Covid had all conspired to keep him out of the Test set-up, the early evidence is that Robinson has returned leaner and meaner than ever before, with his pace consistently pushing past a sharp 85mph, and his fabled accuracy undiminished. This week is a big chance to back up that encouraging new beginning.Ryan Rickelton has a highest score of 42 in two previous Tests against Bangladesh, but he comes into the series decider as well prepared as he could hope to be, after a successful early season with Northamptonshire – a team he secured by chance when his old schoolfriend Ricardo Vasconcelos tapped him up for a short-term gig. He repaid the faith with two hundreds and four fifties in eight first-class innings, and now hopes that the conditions at The Oval prove as amenable as those at Wantage Road and Cheltenham.Team newsIn his now-familiar fashion, Stokes announced England’s team 24 hours out from the start of the match, and confirmed Brooks’ debut in place of the injured Bairstow. That is the only change to the XI that won so handsomely at Old Trafford, meaning that Matthew Potts misses out for the second match in a row, now that Robinson has reaffirmed his frontline credentials. Asked if he had been tempted to mix things up further, Stokes was emphatic in his response. “No. The way in which we’ve operated this summer has been with three seamers, me as a fourth and a spinner. The performance we put in last week, it would be pretty hard to change the team from there.”England: 1 Alex Lees, 2 Zak Crawley, 3 Ollie Pope, 4 Joe Root, 5 Harry Brook, 6 Ben Stokes (capt), 7 Ben Foakes (wk), 8 Ollie Robinson, 9 Stuart Broad, 10 Jack Leach, 11 James AndersonRickelton steps in for his third Test cap as South Africa cover off the loss of the injured van der Dussen. Speaking ahead of the game, Elgar hinted at further tinkerings but wouldn’t be drawn on exactly what. He did, however, reference the likelihood of damp conditions, which rather implies a return for Jansen. Zondo is waiting in the wings if Markram’s struggles prove to be terminal.South Africa (possible): 1 Dean Elgar (capt), 2 Sarel Erwee, 3 Keegan Petersen, 4 Aiden Markram / Khaya Zondo, 5 Ryan Rickelton, 6 Kyle Verreynne (wk), 7 Marco Jansen, 8 Keshav Maharaj, 9 Kagiso Rabada, 10 Anrich Nortje, 11 Lungi NgidiPitch and conditionsAfter the hottest summer in UK history, autumn is upon us with a vengeance this week. Damp conditions are forecast throughout the Test, with an inevitability of delays, not least on Thursday when London is set for a series of showers. Paradoxically, this may only help to speed up the game as a whole, given the potency of both seam attacks in such conditions.Stats and trivia South Africa have lost four of their five Tests at The Oval since readmission, including their first post-apartheid visit in 1994 when Devon Malcolm famously took 9 for 57. However, their one victory at the venue was scarcely less memorable – an innings-and-12-run trouncing in 2012, when Hashim Amla made 311 not out. A South Africa victory would secure their third series win out of their last four tours of England, following 2008 (2-1) and 2012 (2-0). England won 3-1 on the team’s last visit in 2017. Dean Elgar needs 66 runs to reach the 5,000 milestone in Tests.Quotes”The whole summer has just been great. We’ve changed the way in which England Test cricket in particular has been viewed, and one thing I’m very proud of is the way we’ve captured the imagination. It would be nice to finish the summer off and win the series as well.”
“There’s definitely going to be a winner. The styles of cricket we’ve been playing, there is definitely going to be a result. I am pretty confident there’s going to be a victor. Going into this Test one-all, it’s pretty much like a World Cup final for us.”

Everton made the decision to part ways with Sean Dyche earlier this month and that left them in the market to bring in a manager who would be capable of helping them to avoid relegation from the Premier League.

The Toffees made the relatively swift decision to bring David Moyes back to Goodison Park for a second spell at the club, coming in for their next league clash with Aston Villa, which ended in a 1-0 defeat.

They have, however, won their last two matches in the Premier League and are now seven points clear of the relegation zone, whilst also having the Merseyside derby as their game in hand.

The highlight of Moyes’ return so far has been the 3-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur at Goodison Park, which was his first win back at the club.

Whilst it has been a terrific start for the Scottish head coach, who moved on from West Ham United at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, he could still want to add more quality to his squad in the coming days.

The January transfer window is set to officially slam shut at the start of next week and the Toffees are reportedly looking at possible additions to the group.

Everton considering new Chelsea loan

According to Football Insider, Everton are looking at what they can do with Armando Broja before the end of the window as they consider sending him back to his parent club Chelsea, due to his ongoing injury issues.

The report claims that the two clubs are in talks over the possibility of the Albania international returning to Stamford Bridge, to be replaced by another loanee from the Blues.

It states that left-back Ben Chilwell, and midfielders Carney Chukwuemeka and Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall are potential options to join the Toffees on loan for the second half of the season.

The outlet reveals that talks are ongoing between the two Premier League clubs to agree a separate loan deal for one of those three players, although it does not reveal whether or not there is a frontrunner at this moment in time.

Football Insider adds that Moyes has targeted several positions that he would like to strengthen before next week’s deadline; central midfielder, centre-forward, and left-back.

Transfer Focus

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Chilwell is one of the three players they are in talks with Chelsea over a potential loan deal for, which means that they could fill the left-back position by bringing the former England international to Goodison Park before the end of the January transfer window.

Everton do, of course, already have a first-choice left-back who has been a regular in the team in recent seasons – Ukraine international Vitaliy Mykolenko.

Vitaliy Mykolenko's form for Everton

The 25-year-old defender, who joined from Dynamo Kyiv in January 2022, has had mixed success throughout his three years at Goodison Park so far.

Mykolenko has looked like a competent defender who can provide a solid option down the left flank at times, with 3.1 tackles and interceptions per game in the Premier League this season, but he is also susceptible to poor moments.

The Ukraine international has been dribbled past 0.9 times per match on average this season and has made one error that directly led to a shot for the opposition and given away a penalty, which shows that he has made mistakes and that opposition players have found it too easy to dribble past him.

Along with his defensive liabilities, Mykolenko has let himself down with his lack of quality at the top end of the pitch from a left-back position.

Mykolenko’s creative struggles

Premier League

Big chances created

Assists

24/25

0

0

23/24

2

0

22/23

1

0

21/22

0

0

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, the Everton left-back has offered very little in the final third from a creative perspective, with zero assists in his Premier League career, spanning three years to date.

This suggests that the Toffees could improve their team by bringing in a left-back who is less likely to make defensive mistakes, whilst also providing a threat when pushing on into the opposition half.

Why Everton should sign Ben Chilwell

Firstly, it has to be acknowledged that signing Chilwell on loan from Chelsea would be a short-term risk because he missed 33 games through injury last season and has been out-of-favour under Enzo Maresca this term.

This means that Everton would be bringing in a player who has not played much football over the past 18 months. However, that could also be seen as an opportunity for both parties, as the defender would get an opportunity to finally play regular football, and Moyes could look to get him back to his best.

Chilwell, who was dubbed “exceptional” by Brendan Rodgers, has played 169 Premier League matches in his career for Leicester and Chelsea combined and has been capped 21 times by England, which suggests that the experience is there for him to be able to hit the ground running at Goodison Park.

In his two seasons with at least 20 appearances in the Premier League for the Blues, the 27-year-old ace caught the eye with his play at both ends of the pitch.

Ben Chilwell (Premier League)

20/21

22/23

Appearances

27

23

Goals

3

2

Assists

5

2

Error led to shot/goal

0

0

Penalties committed

0

0

Duel success rate

57%

51%

Stats via Sofascore

As you can see in the table above, Chilwell has the potential to offer a threat at the top end of the pitch, having produced five goals and seven assists in those two seasons combined, without making any major errors defensively.

These statistics suggest that he could come in as a big upgrade on Mykolenko, particularly in possession, as the current Toffees defender has offered close to nothing in that regard.

Of course, Chilwell’s lack of game time over the past 18 months, with just 13 Premier League appearances since the start of last term, is a concern and that is why he may be available on loan in the first place.

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Posts ByDan Emery Jan 28, 2025

It is a gamble that could be worth it for the Toffees, though, as he has the quality to come in as a big upgrade on Mykolenko if he can stay fit and hit his stride.

Wrexham director Humphrey Ker has been jokingly taunted by Wrexham stars such as Paul Mullin and James McClean ahead of his London Marathon attempt.

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• Thousands taking to the streets in English capital
• Reynolds & McElhenney's fellow director taking part
• Wrexham stars making playful jokes at Ker's expense

• WHAT HAPPENED?

  Ker, who has worked alongside Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney at SToK Racecourse since a remarkable takeover was completed by Hollywood actors in 2021, is due to race 26 miles across the English capital on Sunday.

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  He has been busy fundraising, with prominent figures in North Wales vowing to provide sponsorship money for good causes. Many have, however, seen the funny side of 42-year-old Ker agreeing to join thousands of other professional and amateur runners in taking on a marathon challenge for 2025.

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  WHAT HUMPHREY KER & WREXHAM STARS SAID

  Ker has, in a light-hearted video, given fans a glimpse of the support – or lack of – that he boasts behind the scenes at Wrexham. The likes of Mullin and McClean have joked that the club’s community director may “die” while attempting to successfully navigate the streets of London.

There have been some enormous January transfer window signings throughout history, but which ones have been among the most expensive?

The summer window is generally seen as teams’ main opportunity to bring in new faces, allowing for stability before a new season gets underway.

January also affords them an opportunity to bolster their squad midway through the campaign, splashing the cash in the process.

Solanke, Man Utd duo, Kvaratskhelia: The 14 biggest signings of 2024/25

There have been some eye-watering sums of money spent on players this season, but who has been the most expensive addition?

ByHenry Jackson Jan 22, 2025

Here are the 12 most expensive January window signings in history, including some big-money Premier League additions.

Rank

Player

Signed for

Year

Fee

Philippe Coutinho

Barcelona

2018

Enzo Fernandez

Chelsea

2023

Mykhailo Mudryk

Chelsea

2023

Virgil van Dijk

Liverpool

2018

Bruno Fernandes

Man Utd

2020

Dusan Vlahovic

Juventus

2022

Omar Marmoush

Man City

2025

Oscar

Shanghai SIPG

2017

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia

PSG

2025

Christian Pulisic

Chelsea

2019

Aymeric Laporte

Man City

2018

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Arsenal

2018

12 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang Borussia Dortmund to Arsenal (£56m)

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang was one of Europe’s hottest strikers when Arsenal snapped him up on deadline day in January 2018, and he didn’t disappoint at the Emirates following a record-breaking £56m move in what was Arsene Wenger’s final Gunners recruit.

The former Borussia Dortmund man found the net 92 times in 163 appearances, which is a stunning return, and Mikel Arteta must wish that he had such a potent attacking player in his squad right now.

Arsenal's most expensive signings of all time

The Gunners have spent generously in recent years.

ByCharlie Smith Sep 5, 2025 11 Aymeric Laporte Athletic Club to Man City (£57m)

Manchester City boosted their defence in Pep Guardiola’s second season in charge as they romped to Premier League title glory in 2018. Arriving just months after the likes of Kyle Walker, Bernardo Silva and Ederson, Aymeric Laporte’s arrival for a club-record fee was a true statement of intent.

The Spain international fully justified the £57m paid to Athletic Club for his services, winning five Premier League titles during a trophy-laden period before leaving at the start of the 2023/24 campaign.

10 Christian Pulisic Borussia Dortmund to Chelsea (£58m)

Christian Pulisic arrived at Chelsea as one of the most exciting young players in Europe, with an enormous amount expected of the American following his £58m switch from Borussia Dortmund. However, it’s fair to say that he never hit the heights many expected.

He is now plying his trade at Milan, where the USA international is enjoying one of his best seasons, as he leads the Rossoneri’s league goals and assists charts at the time of writing, with WhoScored ranking him as their second-best player in Serie A behind Rafael Leao.

9 Khvicha Kvaratskhelia Napoli to PSG (£59m)

Khvicha Kvaratskhelia completed a reported £59m move from Napoli to PSG in January 2025, where he will no doubt hope to be their most exciting attacking player since Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe and Neymar were all at the club.

The Georgian departed despite Antonio Conte’s side being in another title race in Serie A, opting instead to write his own legacy in Paris. His big-money deal is likely worth more than the reported £59m all told, as add-ons were not disclosed at the time of his transfer.

8 Oscar Chelsea to Shanghai SIPG (£60m)

Oscar left Chelsea to join Chinese outfit Shanghai SIPG midway through the 2016/17 season, meaning he missed out on enjoying the Blues’ march to Premier League glory a year after surrendering their crown to Leicester City.

Of course, there may have been more than footballing reasons behind the Brazilian’s decision to up sticks and leave for China, but he did at least bring his former club a cool £60m windfall.

Chelsea's most expensive sales of all time

A look at the record departures from Stamford Bridge.

ByCharlie Smith Oct 8, 2025 7 Omar Marmoush Frankfurt to Man City (£63m)

With Manchester City toiling in the 2024/25 Premier League campaign, Pep Guardiola opened his chequebook to sign three big-money players – the most significant of whom being former Frankfurt striker Omar Marmoush.

The Egyptian arrived at the Etihad Stadium as a player in red-hot form, with only Harry Kane scoring more goals than him in the German Bundesliga upon his departure.

City’s deal for the forward was for an initial £59m, but this could rise to £63m when factoring in add-ons.

6 Dusan Vlahovic Fiorentina to Juventus (£66m)

Dusan Vlahovic’s big-money move from Fiorentina to Juventus for an initial £58m – rising to £66m – was seen as a significant piece of business when it went through in January 2022, with plenty of teams interested in his signature.

Unfortunately, he has arguably yet to repay Juve fully, with his most recent goal returns for La Viola prior to his switch remaining the most impressive.

Vlahovic netted 20 in 24 in the 2021/22 campaign before the Turin giants got their man; his highest tally for his current club is 18 in 38 appearances last term.

5 Bruno Fernandes Sporting CP to Man Utd (£67.7m)

Manchester United have had an up-and-down time since Bruno Fernandes’ arrival in 2020, but the Portuguese playmaker has consistently stood out as their most reliable attacking player.

The Red Devils captain has registered over 150 goals and assists combined for the Premier League giants, showing what a constant source of end product he has been.

His deal signed in 2020 was for an initial £47m, but add-ons were set to take it to £67.7m.

The 17 players with the most assists in 2024

Who has been the best creative maestro this year?

ByHenry Jackson Jan 2, 2025 4 Virgil van Dijk Southampton to Liverpool (£75m)

Has there ever been a more influential January signing than Virgil van Dijk? When the Dutchman joined Liverpool from Southampton for a whopping £75m in January 2018, some raised their eyebrows, but he has become one of the greatest centre-backs in history.

Van Dijk has won the Champions League and Premier League with Liverpool, as well as other trophies, and he still feels like his side’s most important player in their title charge this season.

3 Mykhailo Mudryk Shakhtar Donetsk to Chelsea (£89m)

With all due respect to Mykhailo Mudryk, there arguably hasn’t been a worse value-for-money incoming winter signing in Premier League history. His deal was meant to be worth up to an eye-watering £89m, though it is highly doubtful that £27m of add-ons will come into effect.

The winger has been a huge flop for Chelsea, barring smatterings of quality, and has scored only 10 goals in 73 matches for the Blues, also chipping in with a paltry nine assists.

His career in west London took an even worse turn in December 2024 when he tested positive for a banned substance, suspending him from football altogether.

Todd Boehly's worst transfers at Chelsea… so far

There are plenty to choose from, but who has been Boehly’s biggest mistake at Stamford Bridge?

2 ByStephan Georgiou Aug 23, 2024