The best January Deadline Day transfers of all time

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 21 Feb 2025 08:20 GMT
• 4 min read

January Transfer Deadline Day often leads to big-money flops, with clubs across world football forced to pay huge fees in order to land their desired targets.

However, there are some exceptions and several players have turned into superstars following January Deadline Day moves.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through some of the best ever transfers completed on January Deadline Day.

READ MORE: The 10 most expensive January Deadline Day transfers of all time

Javier Mascherano - Loan (West Ham to Liverpool, 2007)

West Ham United shocked the football world when they completed the double signing of Carlos Tevez and Javier Mascherano from Corinthians in 2006, but neither stayed in east London for too long.

In fact, Mascherano only made seven appearances for West Ham and he joined Liverpool on loan in January 2007.

The Argentine was an instant hit at Anfield, playing a key role in their run to the Champions League final just months after his arrival. The deal became permanent in July 2008 and Mascherano eventually played 139 times for Liverpool before Barcelona signed him for €20m in 2010.

READ MORE: What are the most expensive transfers of all time? The 50 highest fees in history

Luis Suarez - €26.5m (Ajax to Liverpool, 2011)

Liverpool sold Fernando Torres to Chelsea in January 2011 and they signed Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll to combat the Spaniard’s departure.

While Carroll was a flop, Suarez was the best successor to Torres they could’ve hoped for. The Uruguayan scored 82 goals in 133 appearances for the Reds and he came within inches of firing the club to the 2013-14 Premier League title.

After several years of top performances, Liverpool sold Suarez to Barcelona for €81.7m following the 2014 World Cup.

John Stones - €3.5m (Barnsley to Everton, 2013)

John Stones was just 18 years old when Everton agreed a €3.5m deal to sign him from Barnsley in January 2013.

The centre-back had only made 28 first-team appearances for Barnsley, but Everton believed in his talent and he soon became an extremely important player at Goodison Park.

The Toffees then turned a huge profit when Manchester City paid €55.6m to sign the England star in 2016, with Stones developing into one of the world’s best defenders under Pep Guardiola.

Dele Alli - €6.6m (MK Dons to Tottenham, 2015)

Tottenham Hotspur spent €6.6m to sign MK Dons youngster Dele Alli back in 2015 and although he failed to win a single piece of silverware at the club, he was still a fantastic signing.

The ex-England international emerged as one of the world’s best wonderkids upon his arrival in north London and he soon established himself as a pivotal player under Mauricio Pochettino.

Dele scored 67 goals in 269 appearances for Tottenham, including a sensational volley against Crystal Palace, before leaving to join Everton in 2022.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang - €63.8m (Borussia Dortmund to Arsenal, 2018)

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang is one of the best transfers in Arsenal’s recent history, despite the fact he was eventually forced out of the club by Mikel Arteta.

The Gabon forward arrived with a huge reputation from Borussia Dortmund and he soon established himself as one of the best forwards in the Premier League.

Aubameyang scored 92 goals in 163 appearances for Arsenal, before joining Barcelona on a free transfer in 2022 after being stripped of the captaincy by Arteta.

Jarrod Bowen - €21.3m (Hull to West Ham, 2020)

Jarrod Bowen completed a €21.3m move to West Ham United on January Transfer Deadline Day in 2020 and the move has been an overwhelming success.

Bowen has become a fully-fledged England international since joining West Ham, while he guided the club to their first major trophy in more than 40 years when he scored the winner in the 2023 Europa Conference League final.

The Englishman became West Ham captain in 2024 and he has already racked up more than 200 appearances for the club.

Moises Caicedo - €4.8m (Independiente del Valle to Brighton, 2021)

Moises Caicedo was wanted by multiple top European clubs during his time at Independiente del Valle, but Brighton won the race for his signature in early 2021.

The Ecuadorian was subsequently loaned out to Beerschot, however he became an instrumental player at the AMEX Stadium upon his return.

Caicedo established himself as one of the Premier League’s best midfielders under Roberto De Zerbi, and after a huge battle with Arsenal and Liverpool, Chelsea won the race for his signature in 2023, paying a whopping €116m to sign him.