The 10 most expensive transfers of the January window

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 2 Feb 2024 13:47 GMT
• 3 min read

Vitor Roque was the most expensive signing of the 2024 January transfer window, thanks to his move from Athletico Paranaense to Barcelona.

The Brazilian attacker is widely regarded as one of the most promising youngsters in world football and Barcelona pounced by agreeing a €40 million deal in 2023. However, Roque had to wait until January 2024 to join the club.

Thanks to his €40m move, Roque was the priciest signing of the January transfer window and is also now Barca’s joint-14th most expensive addition of all time. He scored his first Blaugrana goal in a 1-0 win over Osasuna on 31 January.

Sacha Boey is second on this list after Bayern Munich paid €30m to sign him from Galatasaray.

Romanian defender Radu Dragusin is the third most expensive signing of the 2024 January window, courtesy of his €25m transfer from Genoa to Tottenham Hotspur. That fee could rise to €30m if add-ons are met, however.

Behind Roque, Boey and Dragusin is Eljif Elmas. He is fourth on this list after leaving Serie A side Napoli to join Bundesliga outfit RB Leipzig for €24m.

The North Macedonia star was purchased as a replacement for Leipzig club legend Emil Forsberg, who has moved to MLS. Elmas scored 19 goals in 189 appearances for Napoli after joining the Italian club from Fenerbahce in 2019.

In fifth place is Renan Lodi. He left Marseille to join Saudi Pro League side Al-Hilal for €23m.

English midfielder Adam Wharton sixth, due to his €21.2m move from Blackburn Rovers to Crystal Palace. The fee could rise to €25m in the future.

Lucas Beraldo was the joint-seventh most expensive signing of the January transfer window. He left Brazilian side Sao Paulo to join Paris Saint-Germain for €20m. Beraldo, a talented centre-back, was previously linked with a move to Liverpool.

Fellow Brazilian Gabriel Moscardo went down the exact same path and also joined PSG for €20m, though he arrived from Corinthians after previously being courted by Chelsea.

Atletico Madrid signed Arthur Vermeeren for €18m from Royal Antwerp and that fee places him in ninth.

Brazilian youngster Marcos Leonardo completes the top 10 after his €18m transfer from Santos to Benfica. Arsenal were keen on landing him before he agreed to move to Portugal.

The biggest signings of the January 2024 window