Aubameyang, Diaz and the top five Janaury transfer signings

FT Desk

• Updated: 24 Mar 2022 05:46 CDT
• 8 min read

With just a few months left of the 2021/22 season, a number of Europe’s biggest leagues are beginning to enter their final stretch and come to a conclusion.

As such, we’ve now had around three months of football to decipher which clubs have managed to pull it together since the turn of the year and, crucially, which risky deals in the January transfer window have ended up paying off down the line.

There were a number of interesting transfers and loans in January, but here are five of the best ones to date.

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5. Luis Diaz (Porto to Liverpool)

Liverpool are often very careful in the transfer window, which is why their decision to make a surprise move for Porto forward Luis Diaz in January and sign him for the best part of €50 million was so unexpected.

However, any concerns over the new Anfield signing have been quickly put to rest, with the player proving to be just as effective in the Premier League as he was in the Portuguese top flight, having already bagged two goals in his first 12 appearances for the club.

4. Dejan Kulusevski (Juventus to Tottenham)

It’s fair to say that Dejan Kulusevski’s loan move from Juventus to Tottenham Hotspur didn’t exactly get Spurs fans jumping for joy in January, but since then the Sweden international has quietly got on about his job and impressed the club’s fanbase as well as manager Antonio Conte.

In no less than 11 appearances for the London club, Kulusevski ha bagged two goals and four assists for Spurs and is already been talked about as a necessary permanent signing for the club in the summer transfer window.

3. Dusan Vlahovic (Fiorentina to Juventus)

Despite his impressive record in Serie A for Fiorentina, a number of cautious eyebrows were raised in late January when Juventus decided to part with no less than €80 million to sign Dusan Vlahovic from their league rivals.

However, in no time at all the Serbian striker has made it clear that he’ll fit right in at the Turin club, with five goals and two assists from his first 11 appearances for Juventus. Which has been made all the more impressive considering how poor Massimiliano Allegri’s side have been since then.

2. Philippe Coutinho (Barcelona to Aston Villa)

Few would doubt that Philippe Coutinho’s career looked done and dusted six months ago, as he wasted time on the Barcelona bench looking well past his best. Then along came a surprise loan move to Aston Villa and it has undoubtedly injected new life into the Brazil international.

Since making the move to Birmingham, Coutinho has picked up a remarkable four goals and three assists for Steven Gerrard’s side, as well as a debut goal for the club against Manchester United at Old Trafford.

1. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal to Barcelona)

With his club now pushing for a top four finish, Mikel Arteta may not regret letting Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang leave Arsenal for free to join Barcelona in the January transfer window, but the Catalan giants will undoubtedly be delighted about it.

In just 11 games for the club, the Gabon international has already picked up nine goals and one assist, including a brace and an assist to boot in the recent 4-0 demolition of Real Madrid in the first El Clasico of the year.