At the end of a record winter transfer window, some Premier League clubs are delighted while others may be sorry for a missed opportunity.
We asked our fan community for an assessment of their team’s activities in January – and a rating out of 10…
Arsenal
Charlene Smith, AFTV
Rating: 9
We spent £50m and signed three quality players in Leandro Trossard, Jakub Kiwior and Jorginho, so I think we did some very good business. It’s also great that two of these signings already have Premier League experience. A successful showcase.
AstonVilla
Richard Sutherland, The Villa Park Podcast
Rating: 6
“Trust Emery” has been the phrase used by Villa fans this window, but January was a disappointing month. We eliminated various fringe players and loaned out a number of players under the age of 23.
But, signing only Alex Moreno and Jhon Duran, it seems like a big risk to wait until summer to land on Unai Emery’s targets.
Bournemouth
Tom Jordan, The back of the net
Rating: 9
It was a remarkable transfer window for Bournemouth, with six players – Dango Ouattara, Darren Randolph, Antoine Semenyo, Matias Vina, Illia Zabarnyi and Hamed Traore – entering. The additions were essential in our current situation, and now we’ve definitely given boss Gary O’Neil the tools to go for safety. We did really good business.
Brentford
Ian Westbrook, Beesotte
Rating: 8
It was a typical Brentford January transfer window – quiet, with no big starts. Only one player arrived – Kevin Schade, earlier this month. Club legend Sergi Canos and Charlie Goode have both left on loan, while Mads Bech Sorensen, Paris Maghoma and Tariqe Fosu have returned from old loan deals to start new ones.
Brighton and Hove Albion
Stuart Matthews, proud seagulls
Rating: 8
We only lost one good player in Leandro Trossard and luckily he went to Arsenal, not Chelsea. I’m glad we kept Moises Caicedo even though it looks like he will be out this summer. As always, the club spent little but gained a lot financially.
chelsea
Ross Mooring, Chelsea Fancast
Rating: 9
Another window for Todd Boehly and company, another money spree! Long-term contracts have been awarded to Enzo Fernandez and Mykhailo Mudryk to ease Financial Fair Play concerns, while Graham Potter must quickly find a formula to challenge for Champions League qualification. Thanks also to the outgoing Jorginho for his many years of award-winning service.
crystal palace
Jay Crame, eagles beak
Rating: 8
Palace operated under the radar and strengthened the squad with Naouirou Ahamada and Albert Sambi Lokonga. Box-to-box midfielder Ahamada has been hunted for some time and matches the recruitment policy. Lokonga was a surprise but could offer an extra dimension. It’s been nice – don’t panic, with two thoughtful additions.
Everton
Briony Bragg, This fan girl
Rating: 0.
What a catastrophic window. Sold Richarlison in summer, no replacement. Sold Anthony Gordon, no replacement. It’s not rocket science. If you’re going to sell any of your early XIs, they need to be replaced. Where was there evidence of a plan with weeks of preparation? Such a waste.
Fulham
Dan Crawford, End Hammy
Rating: 9
Fulham’s quiet January window shows just how well Los Blancos have done this season. No panic, but a reinforcement where boss Marco Silva wanted it, with cover at right-back from Cedric Soares and quality in central midfield from Sasa Lukic, who arrived from Turin. No one can complain.
Leeds United
Jess Fourness, His game too
Rating: 8
Finally, I can say that I’m delighted with our January transfer activity – for a change! The four quality additions in Max Wober, Georginio Rutter, Weston McKennie and Diogo Monteiro were badly needed. They will make the difference for us, which hopefully means a comfortable mid-table finish rather than fighting to avoid relegation.
Leicester City
Sam Holloway, LeicesterFanTV
Rating: 8
A change of pace from the lack of signings we have had in recent seasons with the arrival of Tete, Victor Kristiansen and Harry Souttar. Hopefully Leicester have worked their magic and they turn out to be some amazing signings like Riyad Mahrez or N’Golo Kante.
liverpool
Harriet Prior, The Anfield envelope
Rating: 4
Forward Cody Gakpo was a signing with both short-term gain and long-term potential, but ‘midfielder’ was the word on everyone’s lips. Another window closes without anyone stepping out the door, so finding solutions internally during a difficult season remains the only option. All the eggs are firmly in Jude Bellingham’s basket.
Manchester City
Ger Degan, Maine Road Hike
Rating: 4
Maximo Perrone has been signed from Argentina in what looks to be a signing for the future. But perhaps City’s most surprising deal was Joao Cancelo’s exit. Apparently, the Portuguese full-back wasn’t happy with his lack of playing time so it seems like the right decision – despite there being no obvious plans to replace him.
Manchester United
Alex Turkish, Stretford paddock
Rating: 8
United did their best with the cards they were dealt. Erik ten Hag’s budget was always going to be tight with a sale of the club’s brewery. On loan for Wout Weghorst and Marcel Sabitzer, he actually managed to improve two areas in terms of playing style.
Newcastle United
Pete Davey, LoadedMag NUFC
Rating: 7
We looked to the future and ensured steady progress in this window. The acquisition of Anthony Gordon has split the fanbase, but the potential is there and it’s clearly a team upgrade. Harrison Ashby is a solid substitute at the back who will learn from Kieran Trippier. Jonjo Shelvey starting without a midfield substitute was the only downside.
Nottingham Forest
Ben Dore, Doré on tour
Rating: 8
It was a great transfer window for Forest, who brought their experience and flair. Keylor Navas is undoubtedly world-class, Danilo and Gustavo Scarpa are exciting prospects, while Jonjo Shelvey and Felipe bring top-notch craftsmanship. You can’t say the owners haven’t supported us with nearly 30 entries since the promotion.
Southampton
Ray Hunt, In this number
Rating: 9
A powerhouse goalscorer topped Nathan Jones’ shopping list – and the club got away with it by snapping up the mighty Paul Onuachu on deadline day. He joined previous signings Mislav Orsic, Carlos Alcaraz and James Bree. A club-record fee of £22million for Kamaldeen Sulemana on Tuesday took the net spend to £60.9million. Money splashed, problems solved.
Tottenham Hotspur
John Wenham, Lilywhite Rose
Rating: 5
Although Tottenham have achieved their main target Pedro Porro, frustration remains as to why it couldn’t have been done on January 1 instead of 11 minutes before the deadline. Arnaut Danjuma adds competition, but where is the new goalkeeper, central defender and creative player?
West Ham United
Mia Claydon, Green street hammers
Rating: 4
Losing a handful of exciting youngsters and new signing Danny Ings to injury was a disappointing way to start the year. Harrison Ashby will be brilliant for Newcastle and it’s a shame it didn’t work out. Hopefully Ings’ injury is short-lived or we’re back to where we started 2023.
All the latest West Ham fan opinion, news and analysis
Wanderers of Wolverhampton
Dazzling Dave, Always Wolves Fan TV
Rating: 9
Julen Lopetegui’s pull was strong – Wolves wouldn’t have attracted the caliber of player they did otherwise. A small team was bolstered by much-needed leadership and experience. Craig Dawson adds stability; Mario Lemina bites; Pablo Sarabia and Matheus Cunha provide goal threat; and Joao Gomes is already a cult hero.
