Ranking the Best 15 Value-for-Money Moves of the January Transfer Window
An exceptionally frantic January transfer window bore witness to a frenzied swapping of players between clubs, with big names moving for big prices.
The likes of Virgil van Dijk, Philippe Coutinho and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang stole the headlines as they won their desired moves—but not until their new clubs had stumped up exorbitant amounts of cash.
It's not all about the big spenders, though; bargains and value-for-money deals followed in the wake of these super moves, and this article is in praise of the 15 best.
When selecting the deals, we ruled out loan moves and free transfers, focusing on permanent, paid-for transfers.
15. Paul Baysse, Malaga to Bordeaux
1 of 15
Cost: £900,000, per Transfermarkt
If Girondins de Bordeaux get the best of Paul Baysse between now and the end of the season, this would be January's best deal. He cost them almost nothing, and he could help lead them toward stabilisation and away from the wrong end of the Ligue 1 table.
That said, the deal's success is dependent on which version of Baysse shows up. On his day, he's a dominant, monstrous centre-back. But his time at Malaga was a disaster, and he's suffered from injuries throughout his career.
It's a low-risk, high-reward gamble from Gus Poyet.
14. Anthony Lozano, Barcelona B to Girona
2 of 15
Cost: £1.6 million, per Transfermarkt
Anthony Lozano has proved himself to be an exciting attacking player on both the domestic and international stages, and Girona have landed themselves a nice, cheap player to back up their creator-in-chief, Portu.
Per Gill Clark of Barca Blaugranes, the Honduras international managed four goals and three assists from 20 appearances for Barcelona B this season, helping stabilise the team after years of mismanagement.
He's no household name, but if he can transfer the sort of form he showed at the 2016 Olympics to La Liga, £1.6 million will prove a bargain price.
13. Badou Ndiaye, Galatasaray to Stoke City
3 of 15
Cost: £15 million, per the Stoke Sentinel
Galatasaray's own mismanagement has forced a sale they did not want to make, and Stoke City can consider themselves the lucky beneficiaries.
Badou Ndiaye is the energetic, physical presence the Potters are crying out for, but don't underrate what the midfielder can do with the ball.
Capable of skipping around markers and shuttling forward, there are similarities to N'Golo Kante's style of play, but given his larger, leaner frame, perhaps Abdoulaye Doucoure is a more appropriate comparison.
12. Martin Terrier, Lille to Lyon
4 of 15
Cost: £10 million, per Transfermarkt
Martin Terrier won't join Olympique Lyonnais until the summer, as he's been allowed to complete his loan campaign with Strasbourg. This one will fly well under the radar, but the sooner you familiarise yourself with this name, the better.
Terrier scored a highlight-reel goal against Bordeaux earlier this season, dribbling the majority of the pitch and beating two helpless defenders before slotting home. This was his breakout moment, but he's been weaving forward to good effect all season and showcases intelligent decision-making with frequency.
11. Simon Terodde, Stuttgart to Cologne
5 of 15
Cost: £2.7 million, per Transfermarkt
Cologne appear to have struck gold in Simon Terodde, who cost them just £2.7 million in January. He has already scored three goals, and his presence on the pitch has directly led to a haul of seven points from a possible nine.
For relegation-threatened teams, reliable goalscorers are incredibly hard to come by, and they often have to pay through the nose to acquire them. Terodde bucks that trend, and one wonders whether Stuttgart—who aren't exempt from the same relegation battle in which Cologne are mired—have made a sizeable mistake here.
10. Hector Moreno, Roma to Real Sociedad
6 of 15
Cost: £5.3 million, per Real Sociedad
Hector Moreno was the final domino on the centre-back shuffle caused by Aymeric Laporte's switch to Manchester City. Inigo Martinez replaced him at Athletic Bilbao, leaving a hole in Real Sociedad's defensive line, and they moved quickly for Moreno, who had been on the outside looking in at Roma.
He returns to a league he knows reasonably well—he spent four years at Espanyol between 2011 and 2015—and will be an able replacement for Martinez. At 30, La Real have scooped up a good player in the prime of his career for a low price.
9. Sergio Gomez, Barcelona to Borussia Dortmund
7 of 15
Cost: £2.6 million, per ESPN
Borussia Dortmund are loading up on wonderkids; you can add Sergio Gomez to a pile that already contains Christian Pulisic, Alexander Isak and Jadon Sancho.
This latest recruit starred at the FIFA U-17 World Cup in October, and he was voted the second-best player at the tournament. He scored twice in the final, which Spain lost, showcasing a rasping left foot, remarkable technical ability and intelligent movement.
The route to the first team is far clearer at Dortmund than it is in Barcelona. This is a good choice from the player, and an excellent acquisition from the club.
8. Inigo Martinez, Real Sociedad to Athletic Bilbao
8 of 15
Cost: £28 million, per the Daily Mail
This is an intriguing transfer, as the path Inigo Martinez has decided to take is not often trodden.
Crossing the Basque divide, he's swapped Real Sociedad for Athletic Bilbao, jumping at the chance to replace Laporte, who joined Manchester City.
Because it was specified in a buyout clause, the £28 million fee is cheap relative to the market and his abilities, with Martinez in many ways being the ideal modern defender. The only knock on him is, at 5'11", he's a little short (he can jump, though).
7. Yerry Mina, Palmeiras to Barcelona
9 of 15
Cost: £10.4 million, per Barcelona.
It took a long time for Barcelona and Palmeiras to conclude negotiations over Yerry Mina, with the two clubs seemingly haggling over a spare million here or there. Given the transfer fee was so low, it's bizarre how it all played out.
But it's all in the books, and Mina is a Barca player. In him, they purchased a rare type of centre-back who can contribute in every phase.
He's strong, with his big frame allowing him to dominate in the box. He surges forward with the ball brilliantly and picks passes a la Gerard Pique. And his goalscoring record is quite remarkable (nine in 49 matches for Palmeiras and three in nine for Colombia); his set-piece threat is clear for all to see.
6. Ross Barkley, Everton to Chelsea
10 of 15
Cost: £15 million, per the Daily Telegraph
Ross Barkley's move to Chelsea in January was so cheap the mayor of Liverpool (an Everton fan) asked the police to investigate it, per Matt Law of the Daily Telegraph.
The price was so low because the 24-year-old had entered the final six months of his Everton contract, sealing the move he nearly made in the summer—for less than half the price.
This is a no-lose deal for Chelsea. At his best, Barkley is a game-changer, and securing a homegrown version for £15 million is smart business. At worst, he doesn't play much and is soon sold, but because he cost so little, you can bet a middling Premier League club would offer the Blues a chance to at least make their money back.
5. Lucas Moura, PSG to Tottenham
11 of 15
Cost: £25 million, per The Independent
For so long Tottenham Hotspur have needed an additional attacking body who can play in the advanced band, and finally chairman Daniel Levy has delivered the goods. True to form, he found an incredible deal that puts others of a similar ilk to shame.
Lucas Moura adds speed, dribbling and opportunistic finishing to a Spurs side that will appreciate those qualities. At 25, he likely has more room to grow.
4. Nicolas Tagliafico, Independiente to Ajax
12 of 15
Cost: €4 million, per Transfermarkt
Ajax fans were left rejoicing when Nicolas Tagliafico was announced as their newest signing; many were in disbelief that the club had finally opted to buy a natural left-back of the requisite quality.
The €4 million fee represents a bargain for someone of Tagliafico's quality, who proved himself one of the best left-backs—if not the best—in Argentina last year. His style goes against the grain of what you'd usually expect, too, with his defensive abilities arguably outshining his attacking ones.
3. Olivier Giroud, Arsenal to Chelsea
13 of 15
Cost: £18 million, per the Daily Telegraph
Duty of care to a stellar cast member or not, selling Olivier Giroud for just £18 million to a Premier League rival doesn't feel like a smart move on Arsenal's part.
He is 31, so some will point to that and anticipate imminent decline. But the Frenchman has been used so sparingly over the past two or three seasons that he should be fresher than his age suggests.
He also keeps himself in phenomenal shape; he's a rare target striker who seems to retain his sharpness and shape despite not being in the team. That's Chelsea boss Antonio Conte's dream signing, and he's landed him from a local rival for a relatively bargain fee.
2. Vincent Koziello, OGC Nice to Cologne
14 of 15
Cost: £2.6 million, per FourFourTwo
Vincent Koziello's progress has stalled since he launched himself on to the world stage in 2015-16, but still, £2.6 million is a steal.
Cologne have one hell of a task ahead of them if they are to escape relegation from the Bundesliga this season, but acquiring players like Koziello is a fantastic start.
He won't score the goals that will save them, but he will roll his sleeves up and muck in—a quality direly needed in Hennes VIII's home.
1. Marc Bartra, Borussia Dortmund to Real Betis
15 of 15
Cost: £9.5 million, per Transfermarkt
The reason Marc Bartra is such a bargain is wholly regrettable; the Associated Press reported that Borussia Dortmund took a "big concession" on his fee as they feel a special duty toward him after he was injured in an attack on the BVB team bus in April 2017 (h/t the Daily Mail).
They allowed him to move back to Spain to join Real Betis' exciting project just a few days after testifying in court against the German perpetrator. No one can blame him for wanting to close that chapter of his life and move back to the country where he was born and grew up.
Bartra is a good player—far better than a £9.5 million price tag would suggest. This is a fantastic, cheap deal.
All playing statistics via WhoScored.com.
.jpg?w=480 "Bills Steelers Football")
.jpg?w=600 "Downs: I Was Bored in CFB")
.jpg?w=600 "New Report on Stafford's Contract Status")