Top 10 most expensive transfers of January 2023

A number of big moves happened in this transfer window

Several high-profile deals occurred during the January 2023 transfer window as teams prepared to bolster their rosters for the second half of the season. In addition to Joao Felix, Jao Cancelo, and many more, we also witnessed Cristiano Ronaldo sign his massive contract with the Saudi Arabian Club Al-Nassr.

With a winter budget of almost £200 million, Chelsea FC have spent more than all the teams in Serie A, Ligue 1, and the Bundesliga. Here are the 10 most costly transfers of the month, ranging from well-known players to those on the rise:

10. Danilo: Palmeiras to Nottingham Forest – £17.8m

Danilo, a Brazilian football midfielder, is 18 years old. In January, Danilo moved from Palmeiras to Nottingham Forest. Despite the fact that the 21-year-old Brazilian youngster has been associated with Arsenal for some time, it was unexpected that Nottingham Forest would sign him. He's committed to the team for the next 6.5 years, and his talent in the Premier League should be fascinating.

9. Andrey Santos: Vasco Da Gama to Chelsea – £18m

Andrey Santos, a 21-year-old Brazilian national, is a central midfielder for his national team. Santos has signed with Chelsea FC for the next season after spending the previous year with Vasco do Gama. He's a box-to-box midfielder who scored 8 goals in 33 games for Vasco last season, helping them win promotion from Brazil's second division. He's also played for Brazil's Under-20 national team. He will likely need time on loan before making his Chelsea debut, despite signing a 5.5-year contract with the club.

8. Dango Ouattara: Lorient to Bournemouth – £20m

Dango Ouattara is a Burkinabè football player who is 20 years old and plays as a forward. He moved from Lorient to AFC Bournemouth in January. He is the initial player the club's new owner, Bill Foley, has brought in. This Burkina Faso player signed a contract for five and a half years after scoring six goals in 18 games in Ligue 1 this season.

7. Leandro Trossard: Brighton to Arsenal – £21m

Belgian winger Leandro Trossard is 28 years old. In the January transfer window, Trossard moved to Arsenal from Brighton. He has been on a tear recently and publicly stated that he is above Brighton's level. Arsenal is acquiring a versatile attacker with Premier League experience, so he'll be a good signing after they missed out on Mudyrk.

6. Georginio Rutter: Hoffenheim to Leeds – £24.8m

Georginio Rutter is a French football player who is 20 years old and plays as a Forward. In January, he moved from 1899 Hoffenheim to Leeds United. This is likely to be the most money Leeds United has ever paid for a player, and fans will be hoping that he is as good as the club paid for him. Leeds will hope that he does better in the Premier League than in the Bundesliga, where he scored 11 goals in 61 games.

5. Noni Madueke: PSV Eindhoven to Chelsea – £30.7m

Twenty-year-old winger/attacking midfielder Noni Madueke hails from England's footballing elite. In January, he made a move from PSV to Chelsea FC. Chelsea has continued their buying spree into the new year, having bought the England U-21 winger for a substantial fee. The FFP considerations need a contract length of seven and a half years.

4. Benoit Badiashile: Monaco to Chelsea – £34m

The French national team's center defender, Benoit Badiashile, is 22 years old. This past January, he made a move from Monaco to Chelsea FC. Badiashile has signed a contract with Chelsea that will keep him at the stadium until 2030 and pay him £90,000 weekly. For asset protection and to appease the FFP police, Chelsea and Todd Boehly appear to institute a new policy of more extended contracts.

3. Cody Gakpo: PSV to Liverpool – £37.2m

Dutch football player Cody Gapko, 23, primarily plays as a forward. He moved from PSV to Liverpool in January. Liverpool closed an agreement to sign Gakpo before the transfer market opened, beating out Manchester United after his stellar World Cup performance. He secured a six-year contract that will pay him £120,000 weekly.

2. Mykhaylo Mudryk: Shakhtar Donetsk to Chelsea – £62m + £26.5 add-ons

Mykhaylo Mudryk, 22, is a winger for the Ukrainian national football team. In January of this year, he transferred to Chelsea FC from Shakhtar Donetsk. Many outlets said that he was interested in joining Arsenal specifically. However, Chelsea swooped in at the last minute and signed him to a seven-and-a-half-year deal with an additional year's option.

1. Enzo Fernandez: Benfica to Chelsea- £106.8m (British-record transfer deal)

Enzo Fernandez, an attacking midfielder, has been acquired by Chelsea from Benfica for a British record fee of £106.8 million. Jack Grealish was acquired from Aston Villa by Manchester City 18 months ago for a hefty sum. He has now signed an eight-and-a-half-year contract at Stamford Bridge. The 22-year-old, who joined Benfica for about £10m last summer, has signed an eight-and-a-half-year term at Stamford Bridge that would keep him there until the summer of 2031. All of January, Chelsea had been negotiating with Benfica to sign the World Cup winner, but the Portuguese club would not budge until Chelsea met the €120 million release clause.