January transfer window almost over
Tuesday is deadline day in the January transfer window, and the English Premier League’s biggest spenders are weighing last-ditch efforts to bolster their squads.
record-setting transfer period
Chelsea Football Club has already had a record-setting transfer period and is still in deep negotiations to bring even more expensive players to Stamford Bridge. League leaders Arsenal also made a key signing of multi-time European champ Jorginho, while others are quickly putting pen to paper.
As the money continues to be dished out, VegasSlotsOnline News has put together a list of the five most expensive January transfer windows for all EPL clubs.
Chelsea 2023 – $358m
In the spring of 2022, Chelsea was sanctioned due to its owner, Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich, who was later forced into selling the club. While many competitors thought that could spell the end of the team’s dominance, they have bounced right back with consecutive record-setting spending sprees.
twice as much as the next-highest January club spend in EPL history
After spending close to $300m in the summer window, Chelsea has spent $358m which, spoiler alert, is nearly three times as much as the next-highest January club spend in EPL history. That hefty total was cemented by the last-minute transfer of World Cup winner Enzo Fernandez from Benfica.
22-year-old Mykhalo Mudryk also ate up a huge chunk of the spend with nearly $76m up front as one of eight new players to join the team.
Newcastle 2022 – $123m
Newcastle United became the wealthiest club in the world by a wide margin in 2021 after being bought by an investment group led by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, which has assets worth an estimated $630bn.
The new owners wasted no time and shattered the club and, at the time, league spending record with five crucial January transfer window signings. Those moves helped the Magpies leap out of a relegation scrap and into an 11th-place finish, and they now find themselves third in the table.
Brazilian midfielder Bruno Guimarães cost the most, but has been a worthy investment and quickly became one of the best controlling midfielders in the league.
Liverpool 2018 – $92.5m
Liverpool’s enormous spend came from just two player transfers, one of whom has not even made a senior appearance for the club. That player is Tony Gallacher, who cost $246,000 from Falkirk F.C.
The other player was Virgil van Dijk, previously of Southampton. Liverpool was able to fund the sale and launch its era of dominance after making close to $150m from Barcelona for midfielder Philippe Coutinho.
Liverpool went on to win the EPL, FA Cup, and Champions League
With van Dijk in the side, Liverpool went on to win the EPL, FA Cup, and Champions League, among various titles. The big Dutchman also went on to finish second in the Ballon d’Or voting, marking the highest finish by a defender since Fabio Cannavarro won the honor in 2006.
Chelsea 2011 – $92.3m
One of Chelsea’s most famous transfer windows came in January 2011. They only made two signings, but both went on to be featured heavily in a Champions League-winning side.
Torres’ $61.5m price tag marked a new British transfer record
The two players were Fernando Torres, by way of Liverpool, and David Luiz, by way of S.L. Benfica. Torres’ $61.5m price tag marked a new British transfer record (at the time), while Luiz was seen as a serious gamble coming from a lesser league.
Torres did not ultimately recapture the blistering form he found at Liverpool, but he did have a successful career with the Blues, as did Luiz.
Manchester City 2018 – $75m
Man City is often thought of as the EPL’s rich of the rich, but their January spends have been comparatively low to the other top clubs. However, they made a lot of noise with their 2018 winter additions.
The powder-blue Citizens spent a majority of their budget on Athletic Bilbao center-back Aymeric Laporte, who was past the point of being a young prospect, but was still ascending into one of the world’s best.
Man City also brought in winger Jack Harrison from satellite club New York City FC, but that did not hold as much importance as Laporte. The France-born Spain international never ascended into the tier of the best defenders in Europe, but he did add much-needed solidarity to the club’s back line.