The seven most expensive January transfers in Premier League history, including Enzo Fernandez and Virgil van Dijk agreeing record-setting moves to Chelsea and Liverpool.
Top-flight teams in England have fluttered millions upon millions in recent winter markets in a move to improve. But not every deal has proven as successful as Liverpool signing Van Dijk for a world-record fee for a defender. Managers also like to claim January is a tough market.
Clubs must weigh up rocking their boat with a mid-season move with finding the player who takes them to another level. Chelsea have often been among the clubs prepared to spend in January and even feature four times in the seven most expensive Premier League transfers…
1) Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool to FC Barcelona, January 2018)
Liverpool were involved in the most expensive January transfer in Premier League history to date, though, when they sold Philippe Coutinho to FC Barcelona. The Blaugrana broke their bank to sign the Brazilian in January 2018 for an initial £105m rising to £142m with add-ons.
The upfront fee for the midfielder’s transfer also marked a British record at the time. He also made Liverpool a huge profit, having joined from Inter Milan in January 2013 for £8.5m. The Rio de Janeiro native left Anfield after recording 54 goals and 45 assists in 201 appearances.
But Barcelona’s seismic investment did not work out for the Catalan giants. Coutinho’s move from Liverpool backfired hugely for the Blaugrana as he only penned 25 goals and 14 assists in 106 games. They also sent the playmaker on loan to Bayern Munich for the 2019/20 term.
Coutinho had helped Barcelona win back-to-back La Liga titles in 2017/18 and ‘18/19 before joining Der FCB. Yet his return to Camp Nou never saw Coutinho live up to his price tag. They would cut their losses in May 2022 and sold him to Aston Villa for £17m after his initial loan.
Aston Villa had hired Coutinho on loan in January 2022 to reunite the midfielder with Steven Gerrard in Birmingham. But after scoring six and assisting three goals in 43 games, they sent him on loan to Al-Duhail. He will spend the 2023/24 season at the Qatar Stars League squad.
2) Enzo Fernandez (SL Benfica to Chelsea, January 2023)
SL Benfica held Chelsea to ransom in January 2023 as the Premier League side targeted the transfer of Fernandez. The Blues eventually spent £107m on the midfielder, who had cost As Aguias just €10m (£8.5m) rising to €18m (£15.5m) the prior July when departing River Plate.
Fernandez secured Benfica a vast profit on the back of FIFA naming the San Martin-born ace as the Young Player of the Tournament at the 2022 World Cup. He also helped Argentina win their third World Cup title in Qatar after scoring one goal and assisting another in seven ties.
Chelsea’s managerial merry-go-round of Graham Potter, Frank Lampard and, now, Mauricio Pochettino have all kept Fernandez as a key part of their team since his transfer. But it took Fernandez 31 Premier League appearances before the midfielder scored his first Blues goal.
3) Mykhailo Mudryk (Shakhtar Donetsk to Chelsea, January 2023)
Chelsea had already secured one of the most expensive January transfers in Premier League history before signing Fernandez in 2023, as well. The Stamford Bridge outfit paid Shakhtar Donetsk an initial £62m rising to £89m after add-ons to sign Mykhailo Mudryk that January.
Blues chiefs bet big on the Ukraine winger to fend off rival interest from Arsenal in his move. Mudryk was highly sought after among London’s elite after scoring 12 and assisting 17 goals in 44 Shakhtar Donetsk games. His haul included three goals in 12 Champions League ties.
Yet Chelsea’s transfer looked like a mistake during most of 2023 as Mudryk failed to live up to the fee. The forward took until his 21st Premier League appearance to score his first goal. Mudryk has also produced an array of useless displays where he has lacked an end product.
4) Virgil van Dijk (Southampton to Liverpool, January 2018)
Liverpool welcomed Van Dijk to Anfield in January 2018 after agreeing a £75m transfer with then-Premier League rivals Southampton. The Reds and Saints reached an agreement about the deal – which was also a world-record fee for a defender at the time – in December 2017.
Van Dijk had come close to joining Liverpool in the previous summer sales. But his move was worth the wait as the centre-half took Jurgen Klopp’s defence to another level. He was often one of the best defenders around the world before suffering an ACL injury in October 2020.
Few strikers could beat Van Dijk as he presented a formidable wall on Merseyside. His role in Klopp’s backline was also a fundamental aspect behind Liverpool sealing their first top-flight title in 30 years in 2019/20. But Van Dijk is still yet to get back to his levels before the injury.
5) Oscar (Chelsea to Shanghai SIPG, January 2017)
As well as ranking highly for the fees Chelsea have paid on transfers in Januarys, the Premier League team also feature amongst the top five for the sale of Oscar to Shanghai SIPG. They accepted a £60m offer from the Chinese outfit in December 2016 to sell him during January.
The Brazilian departed Stamford Bridge having played in 203 games across all competitions. He also left west London on the back of scoring 38 times and assisting 37 goals. Oscar is at Shanghai SIPG – now called Shanghai Port – today and is the Super League outfit’s captain.
6) Christian Pulisic (Borussia Dortmund to Chelsea, January 2019)
The January 2019 transfer window went off with a bang when Chelsea agreed on terms with Borussia Dortmund for Christian Pulisic to move to the Premier League. Blues chiefs reached a deal for a £58m move but allowed the USMNT talent to stay in Germany until the summer.
Pulisic was 20 years old at the time but eventually left the Westfalenstadion having played in 127 games. He also offered BVB 19 goals and 26 assists but often struggled for consistency in Germany. The winger’s move to Chelsea would also not secure Pulisic a long-term home.
Chelsea cut their losses on Pulisic in July 2023 after accepting a £20m offer from AC Milan. It brought the curtain down on a Stamford Bridge career that returned 145 appearances for 26 goals and 21 assists. Pulisic further only started in 58 of his 98 Premier League games.
7) Aymeric Laporte (Athletic Bilbao to Manchester City, January 2018)
Liverpool were not the only Premier League side to seal an expensive transfer for a defender in January 2018. Manchester City also bet big that month when signing Aymeric Laporte for £57m. His move from Athletic Bilbao was also a club record sum for the Citizens at the time.
Yet unlike Van Dijk, Laporte is already no longer in the Premier League. Al Nassr paid £23.5m to sign the Spain international in August 2023. He quit Etihad Stadium having lifted 12 major honours under Pep Guardiola, including five Premier League titles plus a Champions League.
Laporte also lifted the EFL Cup four times and the FA Cup twice before leaving the Citizens in 2023. His switch to Al Nassr closed out an Etihad Stadium career featuring 180 games for 12 goals and four assists. But Laporte opened 115 of an aviable 158 Premier League games.
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