Transfer window power rankings: The 10 best signings of January

Cameron Smith

• 2 Feb 2024 13:52 GMT
• 6 min read

The January transfer window of 2024 was a pretty low-key affair but there were nevertheless some intriguing high-profile deals.

The window closed on 1 February, with teams scrambling in the final hours to make the necessary signings to help improve their fortunes for the rest of the 2023-24 season.

Following their January business, some clubs look in good shape ahead of the second half of this campaign.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through our top 10 transfers of the January window, assessing each transfer by the quality of the player, value for money, whether he was needed by the buying club and how likely they are to change that club’s fortunes.

10. Sacha Boey - Galatasaray to Bayern Munich (€30m)

Sacha Boey has been one of the best right-backs in Europe this season and Bayern Munich addressed their issue in that position by acquiring the Frenchman from Galatasaray.

The €30m fee seems fairly reasonable and Thomas Tuchel has been blessed by the addition of a two-way full-back with brilliant defensive instincts.

Boey isn’t a household name, but he will be a solid player for Bayern and provide competition for Noussair Mazraoui.

9. Radu Dragusin - Genoa to Tottenham (€25m)

Radu Dragusin was one of Serie A’s most impressive defenders in the opening few months of the 2023-24 campaign and his form attracted interest from both Tottenham Hotspur and Bayern Munich.

The former won the race for his signature and he made his debut against Man Utd at Old Trafford.

The Romanian is a vast upgrade on the now-departed Eric Dier and will be an excellent option for Postecoglou alongside first-choice centre-back pairing Micky van de Ven and Christian Romero.

8. Marcos Leonardo - Santos to Benfica (€18m)

Arsenal and Real Madrid were both interested in signing Marcos Leonardo before Benfica swooped and sealed an €18 million deal to sign the Brazilian forward.

Leonardo is still extremely young, but he is a deadly marksman in front of goal. He netted 54 goals in 168 senior appearances for Santos, despite leaving the club aged 20, and he scored in both of his first two league games for Benfica.

The Brazilian could be sold for huge profit in 2025, similar to how Benfica flipped both Darwin Nunez and Enzo Fernandez for huge fees.

7. Ian Maatsen - Chelsea to Borussia Dortmund (Loan)

Mauricio Pochettino never really fancied Ian Maatsen, despite the fact he was used fairly heavily in pre-season. The Chelsea manager evidently believed Maatsen wasn’t good enough defensively to play at left-back, and hence used him sporadically in a more advanced role.

However, in the Bundesliga, Maatsen’s attacking quality will be extremely useful at full-back and he will be a brilliant asset for Edin Terzic.

The Dutchman was superb on loan at Burnley last season and he provided an assist in just his second game for Dortmund.

6. Lucas Beraldo - São Paulo to PSG (€20m)

Paris Saint-Germain have spent a lot of money in recent years, but they have somewhat neglected the centre-back position in regards to investment.

However, they have fixed that by signing one of Brazil’s most talented defenders - Lucas Beraldo.

Beraldo is highly-regarded in his homeland and at just 20 years old, could become a fixture at PSG for years to come. The Brazilian is made his Ligue 1 debut at left-back against Brest and he has already amassed four appearances for his new club.

5. Jadon Sancho - Man Utd to Borussia Dortmund (Loan)

Two-and-a-half years after leaving Borussia Dortmund to join Man Utd, Jadon Sancho has returned to the Bundesliga outfit on a six-month loan deal and he marked his second debut with an assist for Marco Reus.

His time at Old Trafford was fraught with reports of disciplinary issues and Sancho was frozen out after a public bust-up with Erik ten Hag in September.

A move to Dortmund soon materialised and Sancho provided an assist on his second debut, before winning a penalty in his next appearance. The Englishman appears to have found his feet once again in Germany.

4. Gabriel Moscardo - Corinthians to PSG (€20m)

Chelsea were desperate to sign Gabriel Moscardo as they look to expand their South American contingent, but PSG have won the race to sign the young midfielder.

He is seen as one of the next big things to emerge from Brazil and is one of several youngsters to leave the country and move to Europe this month.

Moscardo is an extremely talented midfielder and PSG have signed a fantastic talent.

3. Vitor Roque - Athletico Paranaense to Barcelona (€40m)

Vitor Roque is considered to be Endrick's great rival for the number nine shirt in the Brazil national team and the pair will also be El Clasico enemies after Roque's €40m move to Barcelona in January.

The teenager was prolific during his time with Athletico Paranaense, and Barcelona fought off competition from across Europe to land him.

His record of 34 goals and 12 assists in senior football in Brazil suggests the Blaugrana have a potential gem on their hands. He scored his first Barca goal in a 1-0 win over Osasuna on 31 January.

2. Valentin Barco - Boca Juniors to Brighton (€9m)

Brighton & Hove Albion have done it again. The Seagulls have become renowned for their ability to develop South American youngsters (Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister are the most prominent examples) and they have now added Valentin Barco to their ranks.

The versatile Argentinian is capable of playing as a left-back or as a left-winger and was chased by Manchester City and Chelsea before Brighton agreed a deal with Boca Juniors.

Barco is one of the biggest talents in world football and Roberto De Zerbi's side have landed him for a mere €9m. Another huge profit will be coming Brighton's way if they decide to sell Barco in a few years time.

1. Arthur Vermeeren - Royal Antwerp to Atletico Madrid (€18m)

The fact Atletico Madrid were able to sign Arthur Vermeeren for just €18m is crazy.

The former Royal Antwerp star is the best player from his generation in Belgium and he was pursued by every top European club before Atleti appeared from nowhere and agreed a deal.

His Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) stands at €39.6m, but Atletico Madrid have signed him for less than half that amount. This is a bargain move and the Spanish giants have landed a legitimate wonderkid with sky-high potential.