January Transfer Window: Winners and Losers so Far

So fleeting is the January transfer window that we are almost halfway through it already.

While the amount of business actually conducted in this month of the season usually increases exponentially until the frantic denouement of deadline day, some clubs have not messed around and have already made moves.

While mid-season transfers will usually boost the clubs making the signings, losing players or inactivity in the window is to the detriment of other clubs.

Here are some of the clubs who could be seen to be either winners or losers at this point in the January transfer window.

Winners: Wolfsburg

Bundesliga champions just three seasons ago, Wolfsburg have enjoyed little fortune since they lifted the title in 2008.

This season they are sitting in the table, and manager Felix Magath has not wasted any time in acting to engineer a turnaround.

The Wolves have already made seven signings this year, chief among them 22-year-old French striker Giovani Sio from Swiss club Sion, and Portuguese winger Vierinha (pictured) from PAOK Thessaloniki.

Winners: Borussia Dortmund

Elsewhere in Germany there has been a deal which has really put the cat amongst the pigeons.

When Borussia Möenchengladbach attacker Marco Reus began starring for them on a regular basis, it seemed inevitable to all and sundry that he would end up joining Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich in the summer.

Everyone that is, except for reigning champions Borussia Dortmund. They beat Bayern to the punch by sealing a deal to bring the highly talented 22-year-old to the Westfalenstadion in the summer, thereby upsetting the natural order of things in Germany. 

Not only have they made a move which enhances their future prospects, but they have so far managed to successfully bat away any interest in their own home grown starlet, Mario Goetze.

Winners: Aston Villa

Unsurprisingly, Villa have hardly been the most entertaining or high-scoring team since Alex McLeish took over last summer.

Striker Darren Bent has not quite been able to maintain the exemplary goal scoring form which contributed so much to the club staying up last season, and they have recently slid down into the bottom half of the table.

So the completion today of the loan signing of Robbie Keane from LA Galaxy will be a welcome boost for the Birmingham club. He may only be available for six Premier League games, but the Irishman with more than 120 goals in the competitor to his name is a decent short-term addition who could help them back into the top 10 before he jets back off to the US.

Winners: Everton

Another temporary import from the MLS, USA national team captain Donovan is now in his second spell at Goodison Park.

Donovan proved very popular on his last stay on Merseyside, and he will once again add some much-needed creativity to the Toffees, who are one of the lowest-scoring sides in the Premier League.

The 29-year-old may just be the man to help Everton's misfiring Tim Cahill finally get back among the goals. His next match? A trip to Villa Park to face Galaxy teammate Robbie Keane.

Winners: Arsenal

The final of three transatlantic loanees to return to the Premier League, and by far the most eye-catching.

Henry has arrived at a time when Gervinho and Marouane Chamakh have both departed for the African Cup of Nations, and the psychological boost he has given the club is as important as anything he may achieve on the pitch over the next two months.

While one goal against Leeds in the FA Cup does not necessarily prove he is the Henry of old, his mere presence makes upcoming fixtures against Manchester United, AC Milan, and Tottenham for less of an imposing prospect than they might otherwise have been.

Winners: Blackburn Rovers

Sat bottom of the Premier League table they may be, and with their fans planning more protests against their manager and owners during this Saturday when Fulham visit Ewood Park, but January has so far been a good one for Rovers.

Not because they have brought in a slew of new faces to help them haul their way out of the relegation, but because they have so far been able to fend off interest in some of their best players.

Big defender Chris Samba has been the subject of interest from Tottenham, QPR, and now Fulham (who have just been taken over by Mark Hughes, the man who signed Samba for Blackburn), promising young Spanish midfielder Ruben Rochina has been linked with a move back to his homeland and the highly-rated Junior Hoillett has any number of suitors from the upper echelons of the table. 

But, for the time being at least, they all remain at Steve Kean's disposal. 

Winners: Genoa

After a good showing last season, Genoa began this term on the back foot when they lost their manager Gian Piero Gasperini to Inter Milan. 

Gasperini lasted just five matches in charge of the Nerazzurri, and Genoa's form has also suffered. They currently sit 12th in Serie A.

So the signing of World Cup-winning striker Alberto Gilardino is something of a coup for them. The 29-year-old, who appeared to lose his mojo in his final six months at Fiorentina, could provide the goals to steer the Rossoblu clear of any potential danger and back up the table. 

Winners: Tottenham Hotspur

Spurs have one of the deepest squads and one of the most settled first teams in the Premier League, and that has helped propel up to joint second in the table past the midway point of the season.

The quality of their first team allowed them to field many of their young players in the Europa League last year, and now they have sent out a clutch of their most talented prospects out on loan.

Goalkeeper David Button, winger Andros Townsend (pictured), and striker Harry Kane have gone out to Championship clubs Doncaster, Leeds, and Millwall respectively, moves which will aid their development greatly and either turn them into potential stars of the future for Spurs or at least make them more saleable assets in the summer.

Losers: Bayern Munich

Sitting top of the Bundesliga, three points and 10 goals clear of their nearest rivals, is not a bad place for Bayern to be at the midway point of the German season.

But the fact they gazumped in their attempts to sign Marco Reus from Borussia Möenchengladbach by Dortmund will have been a blow to their pride, more than a 4-0 win over the India national team during the winter break can offset.

The Bavarian giants are never shy when it comes to spending big in the transfer market, and they may be moved to a bout of retail therapy to make themselves feel better.

Losers: Anzhi Makhachkala

During the summer, the nouveau-riche Russian club was the name on many football fans lips. No mean feat, considering it's a bit of a tongue twister.

After the signings of Samuel Eto'o, Roberto Carlos, and Yuri Zhirkov proved they meant business, you could have made up quite a team of the names linked with a move to Dagestan.

However, Anzhi have been conspicuous by their absence from the transfer gossip columns this winter. The Russian window does not actually open until the last weekend of January, but by then most major European clubs will be settled and focused on the season run-in, making it more difficult for Anzhi to flex their financial muscle before the summer. 

Losers: Manchester United

While the return of Paul Scholes was a pleasant surprise, the recalling from retirement of a 37-year-old raises more questions than it answers.

The calling of Scholes out of retirement is perhaps a symptom of United's inability to compete in the transfer market this season, a worrying development considering the spending power of 'noisy neighbours' and title rivals Manchester City.

Not only do they have a dearth of creativity in midfield to contend with, the loss to injury of Nemanja Vidic for the rest of the season and the poor recent form of Rio Ferdinand means that the heart of defence is another area in need of urgent attention. However, it seems unlikely that either problem will be decidedly addressed this month, and the defending champions will have to soldier on for the rest of the campaign.

Losers: Arsenal

That's right, Arsenal are both winners and losers this month. The return of Henry has bolstered the club's attacking options and given the fans a boost, as would the potential signing of Salomon Kalou, but there is greater concern further back up the pitch.

The Gunners currently have a real injury crisis on their hands at full-back, made worse by the news that now young Francis Coquelin is out for the foreseeable future.

Arsene Wenger may be loath to open his chequebook and make hasty signings for the second window in a row, even with Lyon's Aly Cissokho available, so in the interim he would rather field a patched-up defence at a vital time in the season.

Losers: Chelsea

Andre Villas-Boas has already started clearing out the squad as he looks to instigate a change in the company. 

Nicolas Anelka has already left for China, with defender Alex and forward Salomon Kalou potentially following the Frenchman out of Stamford Bridge.

However, the uncertainty over Didier Drogba's future will only increase this month while he is not even on the same continent, while the impending signing of Gary Cahill is unlikely to have an immediate effect on the team's defence as it deals with a transition in style.

Losers: Bolton Wanderers

Speaking of Cahill, his proposed move to west London will leave something of a significant hole in the Bolton back line.

No team other than bottom side Blackburn has conceded as many goals in the league as the Trotters so far this season, and Cahill's departure will only weaken them further.

The relatively inexperienced Dedryck Boyata and the hapless David Wheater—who has picked up two straight red cards in just seven league appearances this season—are not exactly the players Owen Coyle will want to turn to to plug the gap, and quality centre-backs who are available in January are thin on the ground.

Losers: Barcelona

It may seem odd to place the reigning European and Spanish champions as losers in the January transfer window, considering they rarely make signings in mid-season and they brought in Cesc Fabregas and Alexis Sanchez in the summer.

But with striker David Villa likely to miss the rest of the season with a fractured leg, and the team dropping five points behind title rivals Real Madrid as they drop points against lesser teams, they could do with some fresh blood to inject some extra impetus into the team.

The excellent Jonathan Wilson recently wrote a piece contemplating the 'three-year rule' which often sees great teams begin to diminish after their third season at the top. Barca look in danger of falling foul of that theoretical stumbling block.

Losers: Paris Saint-Germain

Since PSG were taken over by their new, super-rich Middle Eastern owners, things have been on an upward trajectory.

They brought in several new faces, including Argentina starlet Javier Pastore for a huge fee, and they have marched to the top of Ligue 1.

However, it has not all been plain sailing. The manner in which they replaced Antoine Koumbouare as manager with Carlo Ancelotti left a nasty taste in the mouth, but it was the disappointment surrounding David Beckham which has left the club with egg on its face.

PSG were so certain of completing their very public signing of the former England captain that they had arranged a lavish welcome ceremony for him before he confirmed he would not be moving to Paris.

On top of that, now AC Milan striker Pato has publicly stated that he will not be joining Les Parisiens this month.