Top 10 most expensive January Deadline Day transfers

While some of these players were successes for their clubs, others failed to justify their price.

Deadline Day of a transfer window is one of the most exciting events in football. Several clubs frantically try to get last-minute deals over the line to strengthen their squad and meet the seasonal objectives. The same goes for players, who look for a move to another club in hopes of taking a step up in their career or reviving it.

The January transfer window on many occasions is a quiet one and not as busy as the summer window. But, in the recent past, several high-profile moves have taken place during this time. The likes of Philippe Coutinho, Virgil van Dijk and Fernando Torres among many others have switched clubs in January. So, in this article, we take a look at the top 10 most expensive winter Deadline Day signings.

10. Miguel Almiron- £21m

After impressing for MLS side Atlanta United, Almiron attracted attention from Europe and eventually signed for Newcastle United. The Paraguayan arrived on Tyneside in January 2019 for £21m, which remains the highest fee paid for a player from Major League Soccer. Miguel Almiron has shown glimpses of his talent, but is yet to hit the heights expected from him.

9. David Luiz- £21m

David Luiz enjoyed two great spells at Chelsea where he won multiple titles, including Premier League and Champions League. But, it is the centre-back’s first move that makes the list. The Blues signed the Brazilian defender from Benfica on Deadline Day of the 2011 January window.

Chelsea paid a fee of £21m to the Portuguese giants for Luiz’s services. This deal also saw Nemanja Matic move in the opposite direction.

8. Luis Suarez - £22.7m

One of the greatest strikers in Liverpool’s history, Luis Suarez makes the list after his January Deadline Day move in 2011. The Uruguayan forward arrived from Ajax for a fee of £22.7m and achieved great success.

Suarez spent three years with the Reds, before moving to Barcelona in 2014. The striker won multiple league titles and a Champions League with the Catalan club.

7. Lucas Moura- £25m

Lucas Moura has been one of the star players at Tottenham Hotspur since his arrival in 2018. The Brazilian spent five years at PSG before joining the Premier League team for £25m.

The dynamic winger led Spurs to the Champions League final in 2019. However, the Brazilian is yet to replicate the success from his Paris days.

6. Juan Cuadrado- £26.8m

Juan Cuadrado joined Chelsea for a total fee of £26.8m from Fiorentina on the January Deadline Day of 2015. However, the Colombian didn’t enjoy a successful spell with the Blues.

He made just one appearance for the London club in the Premier League. Cuadrado failed to impress then boss Jose Mourinho and was loaned out to Juventus in the summer. The Colombian played for the Bianconeri on loan till 2017, before making the move permanent.

5. Willian- £30m

The Brazilian is widely-known for his spell with Chelsea. But, before displaying his talent in the Premier League, Willian was spotted by Russian club Anzhi Makhachkala.

Willian made 10 appearances for them, scoring one goal, before financial restrictions in August 2013 forced Anzhi to transfer their entire squad. Following this, the Brazil international joined Chelsea. The club paid a fee of around £26.8m for the winger.

4. Jackson Martinez- £32m

After his performances at the 2014 World Cup for Colombia, Jackson Martinez caught the eye of several European clubs. Despite staying put at Porto for another year, he joined Atletico Madrid in June 2015. However, the high-profile move didn’t pan out for either party.

Following the disappointing spell, the Colombian left Atletico Madrid in the next transfer window. He joined Chinese side Guangzhou Evergrande on the January Deadline Day of 2016 for £32m, a record for an Asian team at the time.

3. Andy Carroll- £35m

The January Deadline Day of 2011 saw Liverpool spend huge on strikers to replace the departing Fernando Torres. One of the men tasked with the job was Englishman Andy Carroll. The forward joined the Reds from Newcastle United for a huge fee of £35m.

However, the former England international failed to justify that tag, as he struggled at his new team. After two disappointing seasons, Carroll joined West Ham on loan before making the move permanent.

2. Fernando Torres- £50m

A cult hero at Liverpool, Fernando Torres’ switch to Chelsea on the January Deadline Day of 2011 came as a shock to many. The Spaniard joined the Blues for a fee of £50m, which was back then the most expensive Premier League transfer of all-time.

But, the striker failed to produce his goalscoring best for the club. However, Torres scored a famous goal in the 2012 Champions League semi-final to knockout Barcelona as Chelsea, lifted the title that year.

1. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang- £56m

After lighting up the Bundesliga, Arsenal snatched Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund on the January Deadline Day of 2018. The Gunners paid a fee of £56m for the Gabon international, a club record fee at the time.

Aubameyang continued his goalscoring exploits, winning the Golden Boot award the following season. The striker is the quickest player to reach 50 Premier League goals for the club and sixth overall in the league. He also led Arsenal to an FA Cup triumph in the 2019-20 season.

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