Transfer news: The best January transfer signings in each position – Premier League and Champions League winners included

The January transfer window is just two weeks away, and there are set to be some huge mid-season moves between clubs across Europe.

The Premier League will undoubtedly be the biggest spenders in the new year, however, there have been some great bargains through the years.

Here, Transfer News Blitz’s writers Edward Moss and Harry Whitfield have delved through the archives to create a team of the best January transfer signings, considering price, impact and quite a bit of nostalgia.

GK: Shay Given, Newcastle to Man City, £6million

When you think of classic Premier League goalkeepers, one of the first names that should come to mind is Shay Given.

After making 463 appearances for Newcastle United, establishing himself as one of the best shot-stoppers in the league, Manchester City swooped in to sign the Irishman in 2009.

Given played 69 times during a successful two-year spell at City before moving on to Aston Villa.

The now 48-year-old is currently the assistant manager at Championship outfit Derby County.

RB: Seamus Coleman, Sligo Rovers to Everton, £60,000

Undoubtedly the most value-for-money signing in this team, Seamus Coleman made the move to Merseyside for £60,000 in 2009.

The 36-year-old, who is currently still at the club, has made 424 appearances for Everton and has cemented himself as a Toffees legend.

CB: Virgil van Dijk, Southampton to Liverpool, £70million

Another player who had to be part of this team was Virgil van Dijk, who signed for Liverpool from Southampton in 2018.

The 33-year-old has won the Champions League, Premier League, FA Cup, EFL Cup, Community Shield, Super Cup and Club World Cup whilst at the Merseyside outfit – that mouthful of trophies speaks for itself.

With Liverpool currently at the top of the Premier League table, the Dutch defender could soon be adding another medal to his collection.

CB: Gary Cahill, Bolton to Chelsea, £7million

Initially, we had Nemanja Vidić in this spot, but we just could not leave Gary Cahill out of this side for pure nostalgia – sorry, Man Utd fans.

Instead of playing the six-foot-three-inch defender up front like Troy Deeney cooking up his infamous team of the week, we slotted him into the back four.

In 2012, Chelsea brought in Cahill for just £7million from Bolton Wanderers to form one of the most iconic defensive partnerships in the league with John Terry.

The now 38-year-old won the Champions League, two Europa Leagues and two Premier Leagues, among other titles, making him one of the most underrated players in the Blues’ history.

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LB: Marcelo, Fluminense to Real Madrid, £6.5million

Arguably the best left-back of all time, any fee Real Madrid paid for the Brazilian would have been a bargain.

Marcelo spent 15 years at the Bernabeu, playing an astonishing 546 times in the famous white strip.

The 36-year-old’s trophy cabinet shows just how good the defender was, which included five Champions League titles - it’s safe to say that Madrid got their money’s worth in 2007.

RM: Riyad Mahrez, Le Havre to Leicester City, £450,000

Riyad Mahrez, who debatably has the best first touch in Premier League history, joined Leicester City for just £450,000 in 2014 when the club were in the Championship.

The rest, they say, is history, as the Algerian went on to eventually lift the Premier League title with the Foxes before being sold on to Man City for £60million.

CM: Kevin De Bruyne, Chelsea to Wolfsburg, £18million

The year is 2014, and Chelsea has sold youngster Kevin De Bruyne to Bundesliga side Wolfsburg for just £18million, which would turn out to be one of the biggest fumbles in world football.

The Belgian took the Blues’ rejection personally, setting the German top flight alight with 57 G/A in 73 matches before Man City swooped in to turn the midfielder into one of the best players on the planet.

I’m sure that Chelsea will still be kicking themselves for this one…

CM: Bruno Fernandes, Sporting to Man Utd, £54million

Maybe this will make up for Cahill’s inclusion over Vidić - Manchester United’s Bruno Fernandes is one of the most successful January signings in recent years.

Since signing from Sporting, the 30-year-old has torn it up at Old Trafford, scoring 85 goals and contributing 76 assists in 257 games.

The United captain will be hoping he can lead the Red Devils into a new era of success under new boss Ruben Amorim.

LM: Ashley Young, Watford to Aston Villa, £9.65million

Ashely Young moved from Watford to Aston Villa for a mouth-watering £9.65million in 2007, which was huge money at the time.

In four-and-a-half years, Young was superb at Villa Park, contributing 87 G/A.

His form did not go unnoticed, with Sir Alex Ferguson bringing the winger to Manchester in 2011.

Overall, the now 39-year-old was a brilliant signing for Villa and will forever look iconic in claret and blue.

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ST: Erling Haaland, RB Salzburg to Borussia Dortmund, £17million

Surely, the Borussia Dortmund higherups have a price on their head in Austria because the Bundesliga side committed daylight robbery in 2019 when they bought Erling Haaland for just £17million.

The Norwegian took Germany and Europe by storm, scoring an unbelievable 86 goals in 89 matches for Dortmund.

Haaland has, of course, continued his evolution into a literal goal-scoring machine at Man City, who he joined in July 2022.

ST: Klaas-Jan Huntelaar, Heerenveen to Ajax, £7.5million

Klaas-Jan Huntelaar played for several of Europe’s elite teams, but despite being linked with a move to Arsenal in every single transfer window, never played in the Premier League.

The Dutchman burst onto the scene with Ajax, who signed the striker from fellow Dutch side Heerenveen.

To say Huntelaar made an instant impact is an understatement, as he scored 16 goals in 16 games after joining Ajax in January 2006.

Two-and-a-half years and 81 goals later, the six-foot-one-inch forward secured a move to Real Madrid for a fee of £22.3million.

Follow all the latest January window rumours and deals with Transfer News Blitz, and follow us on BlueSky as we continue to tell it like it is when it comes to transfer talk.

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