Best January transfers 2022 - ranked

There have been some big deals this month
There have been some big deals this month / Juan Manuel Serrano Arce, James Williamson/AMA, Emmanuele Ciancaglini/Ciancaphoto Studio - Getty Images
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The January transfer window is a strange old beast. Generally considered not as exciting as its summer counterpart, it has still witnessed some massive moves in the past.

2022 has been a little from column A and a little from column B, with a string of frustrating sagas being occasionally punctuated by blockbuster deals.

Here are the absolute best transfers we've seen this month - ranked and updated daily...


20. Dejan Kulusevski - Juventus to Tottenham - loan

Dejan Kulusevski, Ismael Bennacer, Alessandro Florenzi
Kulusevski will be looking to get back to his best / Marco Luzzani/GettyImages

Just scraping onto the list is Tottenham's acquisition of Dejan Kulusevski.

He has struggled to show his best in recent times, but if he can rekindle the form that saw him win Serie A's Young Player of the Season Spurs will have a serious talent on their hands.

19. Nathan Patterson - Rangers to Everton (£12m)

Nathan Patterson
Patterson is highly rated / Eurasia Sport Images/GettyImages

Everton stagnation over the past few years has been painful to watch and this is exactly the sort of signing they should be making to kickstart themselves back into life.

Young, dynamic and full of potential, signing Nathan Patterson could pay off massively in the future.

18. Adama Traore - Wolves to Barcelona (loan)

Adama Traore
Adama was a Tottenham target too / AFP7/GettyImages

"One day, perhaps in the not-so-distant future, everything will click into place and Adama Traore will become the best winger in the world."

A former member of the 90min parish used to utter this phrase once a day. Who knows, maybe this time he'll be proved right?

17. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - Arsenal to Barcelona - free

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang
That's quick! / Naomi Baker/GettyImages

His time at Arsenal ended on a seriously sour note, but get him in the right system and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang can still score goals.

He could easily fire Barcelona to Europa League glory this season...

16. Chris Wood - Burnley to Newcastle (£25m)

Chris Wood
Who knew Wood had a release clause? / Stu Forster/GettyImages

By signing Chris Wood, Newcastle killed two birds with one stone.

Not only did they boost their survival chances by bringing in a proven Premier League goal-getter, they also significantly weakened a direct relegation rival in Burnley.

Smart.

15. Vitaliy Mykolenko - Dynamo Kyiv to Everton (£12m)

Vitaliy Mykolenko
Mykolenko is Digne's replacement / Matthew Ashton - AMA/GettyImages

Much like with Patterson, signing Vitaliy Mykolenko represents a much-needed shift in Everton's recruitment strategy to identifying young stars they can develop and then hopefully sell on for a profit.

The 22-year-old arrives at Goodison Park with bags of senior experience already and is one to watch over the rest of the season.

14. Matt Targett - Aston Villa to Newcastle - loan

Matt Targett
A solid addition / Clive Brunskill/GettyImages

Perhaps understandably, Newcastle bringing Matt Targett in on loan did not attract too many headlines.

That does not make it a bad signing. Targett is evidently an upgrade on Paul Dummett and the deal does not break the bank. Nice.

13. Rodrigo Bentancur - Juventus to Tottenham (£17m)

Rodrigo Bentancur
Bentancur has been a mainstay of the Juventus team in recent years / Marco Canoniero/GettyImages

Tottenham's transfer window was far from vintage. Spurs missed out on several top targets but did partly redeem themselves with the addition of Rodrigo Bentancur.

While not being the complete midfielder, he does the dirty work effectively and can be a potent creator at times.

12. Kieran Trippier - Atletico Madrid to Newcastle (£12m)

Kieran Trippier
Trippier has bags of experience / Stu Forster/GettyImages

On the surface, swapping the La Liga champions for a relegation-threatened Premier League side was a pretty strange move from Kieran Trippier.

However, by all accounts the player just wanted to be closer to his family in the north of England. His homesickness has proved to be a massive win for Newcastle, who have snapped up a top-class defender for very little money.

11. Julian Alvarez - River Plate to Man City (£14m)

River Plate v Racing Club - Professional League Cup
The next Aguero? / Anadolu Agency/GettyImages

Relentless transfer window winners Manchester City are at it again, snapping up the South American Footballer of the Year for a comically low price.

Alvarez is far from the finished article but his potential is scary.

10. Anthony Martial - Man Utd to Sevilla (loan)

Anthony Martial
Martial was keen on a move / Fran Santiago/GettyImages

Anthony Martial was so keen to join Sevilla he agreed to a paycut.

Just imagine if he fires Julen Lopetegui's side to the title. What a story that would be...

9. Wout Weghorst - Wolfsburg to Burnley (£12m)

Wout Weghorst
Weghorst is very Burnley / Stuart Franklin/GettyImages

This could easily be the best signing of the window is Wout Weghorst can hit the ground running for Burnley.

Could Newcastle live to regret opting for Chris Wood over the towering Dutchman, whose scoring record has been consistently impressive this season.

8. Christian Eriksen - Brentford (free agent)

Christian Eriksen
A real coup for the Bees / Marco Canoniero/GettyImages

Brentford have added another player to their ever-growing Danish contingent, snapping up Christian Eriksen on a free following his departure from Inter.

This is some signing for Thomas Frank, provided Eriksen doesn't take too long to get his match sharpness back.

7. Lucas Digne - Everton to Aston Villa (£25m)

Lucas Digne
Digne fell out with Rafa Benitez / James Gill - Danehouse/GettyImages

Aston Villa wasted little time capitalising on Lucas Digne's falling out with then Everton manager Rafa Benitez, snapping up the Frenchman with plenty of time to spare.

Often mentioned in conversation about the best full-back in the division, Digne could prove to be a difference maker for the super-ambitious Villans.

6. Robin Gosens - Atalanta to Inter (loan)

Robin Gosens
Gosens has finally left Atalanta after much speculation / Marco Luzzani/GettyImages

Robin Gosens' goal and assist numbers over the past few years are pretty staggering.

In him and Ivan Perisic, Inter now have one of the deepest left sides in world football. We cannot wait to see how he gets on against Liverpool in March.

5. Philippe Coutinho - Barcelona to Aston Villa (loan)

Philippe Coutinho
Coutinho was excellent on his debut / James Williamson - AMA/GettyImages

Philippe Coutinho banished any doubts over the suitability of his Premier League return with a delightful debut against Manchester United.

Signing him permanently is likely to be a real struggled but in the short term Villa fans are likely to have a lot of fun watching Coutinho dazzle in the West Midlands.

4. Bruno Guimaraes - Lyon to Newcastle (£43.2m)

All smiles from the Brazilian
All smiles from the Brazilian / NUFC

Newcastle tried all month for a marquee signing and they finally got one in the form of Bruno Guimaraes.

Beating the likes of Arsenal and Juventus to the midfielder's signature, Guimaraes is set to be the lynchpin of the Magpies side for years to come.

3. Ferran Torres - Man City to Barcelona (£50m)

Ferran Torres
Torres could be Barcelona's starting striker for the next decade / Juan Manuel Serrano Arce/GettyImages

Barcelona have not got many transfers right in recent years but there is a lot to like about this one.

Although Ferran Torres did not blow us away during his spell at Man City, he was showing signs of developing into an extremely exciting centre-forward prior to getting injured in the Nations League.

If Barcelona can play to his strengths they may have found the man to lead their attack into a promising new era.

2. Luis Diaz - FC Porto to Liverpool (£50m)

Luis Diaz
A long time coming for the Reds / Quality Sport Images/GettyImages

Liverpool have been derided for their lack of transfer activity in recent times, but they appeased their fans this window with the big-money acquisition of Luis Diaz.

This was not just a ploy to keep the fans on side though, Diaz has the potential to set the Premier League alight over the next few years.

1. Dusan Vlahovic - Fiorentina to Juventus (£75m)

Dušan Vlahović
Vlahovic will take the number 7 / Ivan Romano/GettyImages

Juventus look far from the decade-dominating giants that they've become known for this season.

They've really struggled to find the net following Cristiano Ronaldo's departure, so in true Juve fashion, they've gone and bought the best striker in Serie A.