
We
look at the top 10 biggest deals of the January transfer window, from
Wilfried Bony to Manolo Gabbiadini.
1) Wilfried Bony – Swansea City to Manchester City (£28m)
Manchester City boosted their strikeforce with the £25m acquisition of the
Premier League’s top scorer in 2014, Wilfried Bony. The Ivory Coast
international – whose arrival at the Etihad has been delayed due to his
Africa Cup of Nations commitments – has won praise from City boss Pellegrini
for his skill, intelligence and power.
2) Juan Cuadrado – Fiorentina to Chelsea (£26.1m)
Premier League leaders Chelsea completed the biggest deal of the window as
they strengthened their squad for the run-in with the £27m capture of Juan
Cuadrado. The Colombian winger brings versatility to the Blues' attack, with
Sky Sports pundit Thierry Henry saying: "He can beat anyone at any time and
he’s a proper winger also – that’s something you don’t see often now, guys
that want to go down the line and beat people and cross. That’s what you
want if you’re a striker, so I think he will be a special player.”
3) Andre Schurrle – Chelsea to Wolfsburg (£22m)
To help fund an expensive move for Cuadrado, Chelsea agreed to sell Schurrle
to Wolfsburg for £22m. The German World Cup winner impressed in flashes
during his spell at Stamford Bridge, but struggled to hold down a regular
place in the first XI. Should Chelsea win the Premier League, Schurrle's
goal in the 1-1 draw at the Etihad in September will have been a crucial
moment.
4) Enzo Perez – Benfica to Valencia (Undisclosed – approx £20m)
Perez was linked with a move to Manchester United back in the summer, before
finally leaving Benfica at the start of January to join Valencia for around
£20m. The 28-year-old midfielder - who played three matches at the World Cup
including the final - has made four appearances for his new club and claimed
his first assist in the 3-1 win against Sevilla.
5) Gabriel Paulista – Villarreal to Arsenal (£14m)
"He is a real defender, who wants to defend," said Arsene Wenger after
securing Gabriel Paulista for £13.5m from Villarreal. The 24-year-old
defender is still considered to be a raw prospect, having made only 45
appearances in Europe so far, but convinced Wenger with his strong
statistical showing in the Gunners' scouting report. "I cannot tell you all
but he has good stats,” said the manager.
6) Bernardo Silva – Benfica to Monaco (Undisclosed – approx £12m)
Following an impressive first half of the season on loan at Monaco, Silva
secured a permanent move to the Ligue 1 club on a four-year deal halfway
through January. The 20-year-old attacking midfielder has chipped in with
three goals so far as he learns his trade from compatriot Joao Moutinho, and
will hope to be a thorn in Arsenal's side in the forthcoming Champions
League clash.
7) Lucas Silva – Cruzeiro to Real Madrid (Undisclosed – approx £11.5m)
Silva was hot property after helping Cruzeiro to back-to-back Brazilian
league titles, with Real Madrid eventually securing his services for a
reported fee of £11.5m. The 21-year-old, who was named the best volante
(defensive midfielder) in his home country last year, has been told to bulk
up by Carlo Ancelotti, but the manager has backed him to make an impact. "He
has defensive characteristics, a good shot and an excellent range of
passing," said Ancelotti.
8) Seydou Doumbia – CSKA Moscow to AS Roma (£10.85m)
After being linked with a number of Europe's leading clubs over the past few
years, Doumbia has finally departed CSKA Moscow for Serie A title hopefuls
Roma. The striker is currently involved in Ivory Coast's Africa Cup of
Nations campaign, but Roma will hope he hits the ground running on his
return. Doumbia's brace in CSKA's 2-1 victory over Manchester City at the
Etihad in November highlighted his finishing ability, while he also notched
in the 2-2 draw in Moscow.
9) Ryan Bertrand – Chelsea to Southampton (£10m)
In the final few moments of Transfer Deadline Day we learned Southampton had
signed Chelsea defender on a permanent deal after the full-back had
impressed on loan in the first half of the season. We understand the
transfer fee to be in the region of £10m, which might raise a few eyebrows -
but, remember, this is a player who made his Champions League debut in the
final for Chelsea against Bayern Munich in 2012, which they won on
penalties.
10) Manolo Gabbiadini – Sampdoria to Napoli (£9.75m)
Rafa Benitez's Napoli snapped up Gabbiadini following the forward's eight
goals in 14 matches for Sampdoria. The 23-year-old has been capped twice by
Italy after an impressive stint with the Under-21 team in which he averaged
a goal every other game.