The January transfer window is now closed and it’s fair to say that some clubs fared much better than others.
Long-winded sagas were a major feature during the window, with some of the transfers taking what seemed like a lifetime to complete.
Sportslens takes a look five of the top talking points from the transfer window.
Man City win the transfer window
City’s signing of defender Aymeric Laporte from Athletic Bilbao for a club record £57 million was their only major addition, but it was the deals that they didn’t complete that sent out the biggest message.
The Premier League leaders walked away from moves for Alexis Sanchez and Riyad Mahrez, showing that they weren’t prepared to go over their valuations of the players.
A 15 point lead at the top of the table highlights City’s dominance over their rivals and their considered approach to the transfer market is paying huge dividends.
Giroud a shrewd buy for Chelsea
Chelsea’s £17.5 million purchase of Olivier Giroud from Arsenal should prove to be a shrewd bit of business.
The Blues were linked with the likes of Andy Carroll, Edin Dzeko and Peter Crouch during January, but Giroud is a cut above that trio.
Wednesday’s 3-0 defeat at home to Bournemouth showed just how much Chelsea needed a striker and the French star should make his mark at Stamford Bridge.
Arsenal could rue defensive oversight
There was plenty of excitement amongst Arsenal fans over their signing of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund, but their failure to significantly strengthen their defence looks a big mistake.
The Gunners attempted to bring in Jonny Evans from West Bromwich Albion and he would certainly have improved their backline.
Arsenal looked fragile in defence at Swansea City on Tuesday and manager Arsene Wenger could be left to regret not strengthening his rearguard.
Liverpool still in transition
‘Next year will be our year’ has become a long-standing joke where Liverpool are concerned and their transfer business in January suggests it’s phrase that will stick for some time to come.
Philippe Coutinho sealed his inevitable move to Barcelona and despite being linked with numerous players manager Jurgen Klopp failed to bring in a replacement.
Liverpool’s transfer policy smacks of simply rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic and unless things change the club can forget about title challenges for the foreseeable future.
Moura will be a hit at Tottenham
Spurs’ £25 million signing of Lucas Moura from Paris Saint-Germain was their first during the January window since Dele Alli in 2015, but he has the ability to make a big impact with the London club.
PSG were desperate to offload the Brazilian to help them meet financial fair play regulations, but the reaction of the likes of Neymar to his departure tells you all you need to know about Moura’s quality.
Wednesday’s 2-0 victory over Manchester United moved Spurs just two points behind the top four and their new signing could be the man to lift them into a Champions League spot this term.
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