From Arsenal to Tottenham: Four of my favourite January Premier League signings
Premier League teams spent big during the January transfer window but which players represent the best value for money and biggest improvement for their new clubs?
With 67 first team transfers coming into the Premier League according to Sky Sports’ January Transfer Window Tracker, teams in England’s top-flight spent a combined figure of £780m this month.
To put that sum into context, that’s a figure that represents a bigger outlay in terms of transfer fees than all Ligue 1, Bundesliga, Serie A and La Liga teams combined.
As we know by now, Chelsea were the largest spenders overall during a window that also saw the Stamford Bridge side smash the British transfer fee record by signing Enzo Fernandes for a cool £107million from Portuguese outfit Benfica.
But for this list, we’re looking for two things predominantly:
The best value deal in terms of fee purchased for.
The most intelligent signings in terms of addressing the need of a team to improve them during the second half of the season.
In no particular order, here’s the list.
Jorginho - Arsenal (£12million)
Let’s start with perhaps the most controversial transfer on this list, one that saw Italian midfielder Jorginho swap the blue of Chelsea for the red of Arsenal on deadline day.
It’s fair to say that the 31-year-old wasn't first on The Gunner’s recruitment list this winter with sporting director Edu Gaspar twice attempting to sign Brighton’s Moises Caicedo for a huge sum but as a £12million alternative, this acquisition feels like a really astute capture for the title hopefuls.
To start, Jorginho brings plenty of experience with him to the Emirates - both at club level and internationally - something that is vital given how young Mikel Arteta’s side currently are and the pressure that the rest of the campaign will test them with.
There’s also other aspects of this deal to note. Jorginho will likely only be a back up option for Arsenal, a player who can come off the bench to help see out results, plus the fee of £12million honestly isn’t that much within Premier League football these days. Additionally, only signing an 18-month deal makes it easy for all parties to split in the future if this transfer doesn’t work out well.
Talking about his role within Mikel Arteta’s side, Jorginho will likely cover for Thomas Partey and adds great depth given Mohamed Elneny’s recent season-ending injury.
Despite playing a different role to Partey, the former Chelsea man actually stacks up well in terms of form.
In the Premier League this campaign, Jorginho actually ranks higher per 90 minutes than Partey for interceptions (1.48 to 1.23), tackles won (1.62 to 1.42), duels won (5.34 to 4.97) and times winning possession (8.36 to 8.01).
Granted, Partey is a far more mobile midfielder, especially when looking at his progressive carries average per match compared to Jorginho (6.33 to 4.78) but for £12million, I just feel like this is a really sensible transfer that ultimately makes Arsenal substantially stronger in midfield.
SEE ALSO: What can Jakub Kiwior bring to Arsenal after his winter move from Serie A side Spezia?
Weston McKennie - Leeds (Loan - £35million permanent option)
If Leeds United are going to beat the dreaded Premier League drop this season, this is the sort of transfer they needed to make this January.
With just four wins through 19 league outings this season and having conceded 33 times in the process, American boss Jesse Marsch will be hoping that fellow compatriot Weston McKennie can add some much-needed quality into the midfield mix for the remainder of the campaign.
Immediately joining on loan on deadline day from Italian giants Juventus, The Whites also have a future option to make the deal permanent for around £35million including add-ons.
With bags of versatility which has seen him play everywhere from right midfield to centre back to date in his career, McKennie has now found a home in the heart of midfield at both club and international level with the USMNT.
Mostly deployed as an all-action, box-to-box styled midfielder, the Little Elm native has shown glimpses of brilliance during his time at Juventus in particular.
It’s fair to say that since joining the Serie A outfit back in the summer of 2020, McKennie has suffered with some rather up-and-down form, playing his best campaign in Turin immediately under manager Andrea Pirlo.
He’s arguably struggled to hit those highs from a statistic perspective ever since but overall, his underlying numbers are still extremely solid in relation to a mid-table Premier League outfit like Leeds.
His three years in Serie A saw him average 4.95 ball recoveries, 4.36 duels won, 1.35 interceptions and 4.54 progressive carries per 90. Offensively, he registered 1.2 chances created and attempted 1.31 shots on average too.
To give that context, that’s a very similar output to fellow American and new club teammate Tyler Adams’ performances with Leeds this campaign who has arguably been the Whites player of the season thus far.
McKennie’s nine goals in 41 senior international caps also highlight a player who could play in a more advanced role if needed, one that he could be deployed in if Marsch opts for a McKennie - Roca - Adams trio in the centre of the park to really sure things up.
If McKennie is to be a success at Elland Road however, he’ll simply have to hit the ground running to warrant the Yorkshire club exercising their future optional transfer fee for him.
Marcel Sabitzer - Manchester United (Loan - No buy option)
When the news of Christian Eriksen’s upcoming three month spell on the sidelines through injury was announced, it was pretty clear that Manchester United had to move quickly to remedy the problem.
With little hesitation, they turned their attention to Bayern Munich midfielder Marcel Sabitzer who subsequently joined the top four hopefuls on a straight loan deal for the rest of the season.
Given the very short timeframe Erik ten Hag and his staff had to work with following Eriksen’s diagnosis, on paper this looks like a really solid signing, one which should help to fill the void quite handily at Old Trafford.
By his own admission, Sabitzer would likely say that his time in Bavaria with Bayern hasn’t gone quite to plan since his move from fellow Bundesliga side Leipzig in the summer of 2021.
In the season and a half since that move, the Austrian - the first to play in United’s history when he makes his debut - has started just 19 matches across all competitions. He’s also recorded just four goal contributions (two goals, two assists) in 51 outings for the German champions during that stint.
But that shouldn’t really alarm United fans as it’s much more due to a lack of real playing time - just 1932 minutes in a season and a half - as it is Sabitzer’s decline in ability over that time period.
When comparing Eriksen’s Premier League form to Sabitzer’s Bundesliga record this season, the stats per 90 are actually quite well matched overall.
As much as Eriksen shines offensively when compared, Sabitzer proves a much more well-rounded option in midfield, something which could prove important given that Bruno Fernandes should be able to pick up some of the attacking slack left by the Dane’s omission.
Whilst both Eriksen and Sabitzer record similar progressive carry numbers, the Austrian wins out in duels won (5.33 to 1.74), interceptions (1.44 to 0.48), tackles won (2.02 to 0.6) and duels success percentage (55.2% to 35.4%).
Not too bad for a loan signing that some pundits are labelling as a ‘panic move’.
Pedro Perro - Tottenham (Loan - £40million obligation)
If you ask any Spurs fan about their main weakness so far this season in terms of position, I bet a good majority would point to right wing back.
A crucial role in manager Antonio Conte’s formation and system, Emerson Royal has been the London side’s main starter there this campaign but his performances have been hit and miss to say the least.
With Djed Spence leaving the club on loan to Rennes on deadline day and Matt Doherty having his contract terminated in order to join Atletico Madrid, a big money move was needed in order to fill the gap.
Up step Sporting and former Manchester City - I bet not many of you realised that.. - wing back Pedro Porro.
Brought to Spurs initially on loan, albeit with an obligation to make the transfer permanent for £40million in the future, Porro really addresses a key weakness in the side and even though the transfer fee looks substantial in writing, he should prove to be worth every penny in the long term.
This season with the Lisbon side, Porro has produced 14 direct goal contributions through 26 competitive appearances, 11 of which have come as assists.
As such, the 23-year-old Spaniard will bring real attacking quality to Spurs’ right flank, something that can be highlighted through a glance at his stats per 90 this campaign on FBRef.
With 2.64 attempted shots, 0.40 assists and 4.84 shot-creating actions on average per outing, he’s currently showcasing the best attacking form of any right wing back in world football.
If that form can transition to North London then Tottenham will have a serious talent on their hands.
Four honourable mentions
Kamaldeen Sulemana - Southampton (£22million)
It’s definitely a big price tag as £22million but Sulemana is actually the sort of player that Southampton need to pull themselves out of the drop zone. Tricky, unpredictable and quick, Sulemana should add plenty to the Saint’s attack in terms of explosiveness.
Illia Zabarnyi - Bournemouth (£24million)
Another big price tag but another really good signing for one of the Premier League’s most likely relegation candidates. 20-year-old Illia Zabarnyi should help plug the gaps at the back for The Cherries who have leaked far too many goals this campaign. Strong in his duels and with the composure to play out from the back relatively well, Zabarnyi has a big future ahead of him.
Andrey Santos - Chelsea (£11million)
Still only 18-years-old, Chelsea’s signing of Andrey Santos has gone really under the radar given their busy January transfer window. Brought in from Brazilian side Vasco De Gama, Santos has already made 37 senior appearances in football and has left his mark at the Sudamericano U20 tournament of late by netting four goals in four outings from midfield.
Pablo Sarabia - Wolves (£4.4million)
This feels like a real coup for Wolves given the transfer fee and the huge amount of experience Sarabia will bring with him to Molineux. With 26 international caps for Spain to his name and previous stints at Sporting, PSG and Sevilla which have all seen him feature heavily in the Champions League, Sarabia’s versatility and quality could really help new boss Julen Lopetegui pull Wolves further away from the relegation spots.