10 Biggest Steals of the January Transfer Window

In the transfer market, calm and quiet aren't always bad things.

The January transfer window didn't provide the fireworks of a year ago. No deals approached the £50 million Chelsea spent on Fernando Torres, or the £35 million Liverpool dished out for Andy Carroll.

But excellent signings abounded. You just had to know where to look.

Today we're bringing you 10 of the very best; 10 deals that we think are absolute steals for the teams involved.

Have another? Tell us in the comments.

Thiago Motta

From: Inter Milan

To: PSG

Fee: €10 million

Brazilian-Italian midfielder Thiago Motta sealed a late move from Inter to PSG on deadline day despite repeated avowals throughout January that he was going nowhere.

PSG had to spend €10 million to acquire him, but that will turn out to be money well spent. As Goal.com points out, Thiago Motta was one of Inter's most important players, despite the lack of consensus about his abilities:

"

The Brazilian-born Italy international may have been a figure to split opinion while in Milan, but the statistics are remarkable. With him in their midst, Claudio Ranieri’s side boasted a win percentage of 90; without the 29-year-old, they mustered just 20% when he was at the club, and the midweek draw against Palermo means that that figure has fallen yet further.

Goal.com later added:

While adding strength, physicality and a scoring threat to the midfield, there can be little doubt, however, that the centre of PSG’s midfield was not the area that most urgently needed addressing.

"

The stats support the point. With Motta in the lineup, Inter won nine out of 10 league matches this season. Without him, they won twice, drew three and lost six in 11 outings.

Granted, both figures were probably also influenced by Inter's awful start to the season and then the arrival of Claudio Ranieri. But there is no doubt that Motta is a quality midfielder—one that will help PSG's push for the Ligue 1 crown.

Nikica Jelavic

From: Rangers

To: Everton

Fee: £5.5 million

At the time of his departure from Rangers, Jelavic led the Scottish Premier League with 14 goals this season. Now he gets a chance to prove himself in the big leagues, and it only cost Everton £5.5 million up front.

This seems like a win-win situation. Everton needed another option up front. Jelavic wanted to test himself at the highest level ahead of Croatia's Euro 2012 campaign.

Papiss Demba Cissé

From: Freiburg

To: Newcastle

Fee: Around £10 million

It might not sound like a steal at £10 million, but Newcastle's acquisition of Papiss Cissé could turn into one of the Premier League's best signings of the season.

Cissé already forms a striking partnership with Newcastle's Demba Ba at the international level with Senegal. Now the two will try to translate that to the club level.

The move has already started paying dividends, with Cissé scoring on his debut in a victory over Aston Villa. Newcastle will be hoping it's the first of many for the 26-year-old, who scored 37 times in 65 appearances for Freiburg.

Together with Ba, who has already struck 16 times in the league this season, Cissé could give Newcastle a superb return on their investment, which was financed by the £35 million sale of Andy Carroll last winter.

Jadson

From: Shakhtar Donetsk

To: Sao Paulo

Fee: Thought to be €4 million

Jadson, a 28-year-old attacking midfielder, spent about seven years in the Ukraine, scoring 41 league goals and helping lead Shakhtar to five league titles.

Back in his native Brazil, he'll line up with younger talents like Lucas Moura and experienced professionals like Luis Fabiano. Sao Paulo might be the biggest winner, though, after paying only a reported €4 million for a player who had drawn far-flung interest last summer.

Gylfi Sigurdsson

From: Hoffenheim

To: Swansea City

Fee: Loan

Swansea City signed Icelandic international midfielder Gylfi Sigurdsson on loan early in the transfer window. The attacking midfielder has already appeared five times, scoring once in a man-of-the-match performance and has grabbed two assists.

Sigurdsson fits well with Swansea's attractive playing style and, as a loan player, represents a bargain. Hoffenheim reportedly broke Reading's transfer record to acquire him last year.

Ravel Morrison

From: Manchester United

To: West Ham United

Fee: Up to £1 million

If—and this is a very large if—Morrison can straighten himself out (and the latest evidence suggests not), the £1 million West Ham paid Manchester United for him will seem like a bargain. After all, there's no doubting his talent.

If not, even that modest sum will represent a waste nearly as colossal as that of Morrison's talent.

David Pizarro

From: AS Roma

To: Manchester City

Fee: Loan

Pizarro is a steal for a number of reasons. For one thing, the experienced 32-year-old midfielder played under City boss Roberto Mancini at Inter during the Nerazzurri's treble-winning campaign of 2005-06.

For another, he'll provide cover for holding midfielder Yaya Touré, who has been away on international duty with Ivory Coast and won't return until the end of the month. And that will be true even when Touré returns.

And it won't cost much for City—only Pizarro's wages until the end of the season.

Robbie Keane

From: Los Angeles Galaxy

To: Aston Villa

Fee: Loan

"We should have a massively motivated boy on our hands," said Aston Villa boss Alex McLeish upon signing Robbie Keane on loan from the MLS' Los Angeles Galaxy on Jan. 12.

McLeish was apparently right. Keane scored twice and "inspired" Villa to a 3-2 win over Wolves on Jan. 21.

In five total appearances so far, Keane has scored three times with one assist. That has prompted stories linking the Republic of Ireland international with a permanent move.

Alex

From: Chelsea

To: PSG

Fee: £4 million

Alex was a outcast at Stamford Bridge. But the Brazilian international defender's physical style and experience should work well in Ligue 1 with PSG.

If it doesn't work out, PSG only paid £4 million.

Taye Taiwo

From: AC Milan

To: QPR

Fee: Loan

Taye Taiwo had made just eight appearances with AC Milan this season, but with 48 international caps to his name, Taiwo will bring plenty of experience to QPR as they battle to avoid relegation.

The Nigerian had also been linked with Arsenal—who really could have used a fullback.