The 10 most expensive January Deadline Day transfers of all time

Cameron Smith

• 14 Feb 2025 23:30 CST
• 6 min read

The January transfer window is typically less busy than the summer, although some huge transfers have taken place mid-season.

Furthermore, a number of those deals have been completed on Deadline Day as clubs look to strengthen their squads for the remainder of the campaign.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through the 10 most expensive January Deadline Day transfers of all time.

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

10. Santiago Gimenez - €32m (Feyenoord to AC Milan, 2025)

Santiago Gimenez joined this list on Transfer Deadline Day for the 2025 winter window, with the Mexico star completing a €32m move from Feyenoord to AC Milan.

Gimenez enjoyed a successful two-and-a-half year stint at Feyenoord, scoring 65 goals in 105 games for the club, and he was heavily linked with a number of top clubs across Europe.

However, he opted to join Milan, with the Serie A giants pushing to complete a deal following Alvaro Morata’s move to Galatasaray.

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

9. Vitinha - €32m (Braga to Marseille, 2023)

Braga academy product Vitinha earned a €32m transfer to Marseille in January 2023, having scored 28 first-team goals in 67 appearances for his boyhood club.

However, his move to Ligue 1 didn’t quite work out and he failed to establish himself as a regular starter during his short spell at Marseille.

Vitinha was sent on loan to Genoa in January 2024 and the Italian side signed him on a permanent deal for €16m later that year.

8. Andre Schurrle - €32m (Chelsea to Wolfsburg, 2015)

Andre Schurrle was a reliable performer during his 18-month stint at Chelsea, although he was unable to displace Eden Hazard or Willian for a consistent starting berth at the club.

Following the signing of Fiorentina winger Juan Cuadrado, Schurrle was sold back to the Bundesliga for €32m, having scored 14 goals in 65 matches for Chelsea.

The Germany star enjoyed spells at Wolfsburg, Borussia Dortmund, Fulham and Spartak Moscow before retiring in 2020.

7. Willian - €35m (Shakhtar Donetsk to Anzhi, 2013)

Anzhi Makhachkala made a splash during the 2013 January transfer window and the €35m signing of Shakhtar Donetsk star Willian was one of several high-profile deals completed by the now-defunct Russian side.

Willian made just 17 appearances during a brief spell with Anzhi, before joining Chelsea for €35.5m in August 2013 after the Blues hijacked his proposed move to Tottenham Hotspur.

Willian spent seven years at Stamford Bridge, winning the Premier League title on two occasions, and he subsequently joined Arsenal on a free transfer.

6. Andy Carroll - €41m (Newcastle to Liverpool, 2011)

Following an agreement to sell Fernando Torres to Chelsea, Liverpool moved quickly to snap up Newcastle United’s Andy Carroll and Ajax’s Luis Suarez.

While the latter enjoyed an amazing spell at Anfield, the former was a huge disappointment.

Carroll became Liverpool’s most expensive transfer of all time upon his arrival, but he only mustered 11 goals in 58 games for the club and he was sold to West Ham United for €17.5m in 2013.

5. Galeno - €50m (Porto to Al-Ahli, 2025)

Galeno completed a €50m switch from Porto to Al-Ahli on the Saudi Pro League’s Transfer Deadline Day in January 2025.

The Brazilian became Al-Ahli’s most expensive signing in history as a result of the move and he left Porto having scored 45 goals in 153 senior matches.

Galeno helped the Portuguese giants win eight trophies during his time at the club, including the Primeira Liga on two occasions.

4. Fernando Torres - €58.5m (Liverpool to Chelsea, 2011)

The aforementioned Torres broke the British transfer record when he left Liverpool to join Chelsea for a whopping €58.5m in January 2011.

The Spaniard was brilliant at Anfield, although his final few months at the club were hampered by injury and he took nearly 1,000 minutes to score his first goal for Chelsea.

In total, Torres netted just 45 times in 172 Chelsea appearances, including an iconic goal against Barcelona in the 2012 Champions League, and he eventually left Stamford Bridge in January 2015.

3. Nico Gonzalez - €60m (Porto to Man City, 2025)

Nico Gonzalez became the third-most expensive January Deadline Day signing ever when Manchester City paid €60m to sign him from Porto in 2025.

An ACL injury to Rodri had severely hampered Man City’s campaign and they opted to sign Gonzalez during the winter window in a bid to save their season.

The Spaniard only spent 18 months at Porto, racking up 68 senior appearances for the club, before his big-money move to the Etihad Stadium.

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

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang joined Arsenal for €63.8m on Transfer Deadline Day in 2018, with the Gabon star part of a three-way deal that saw Olivier Giroud join Chelsea and Borussia Dortmund land Michy Batshuayi.

During his time at Arsenal, Aubameyang was a huge success and he registered 92 goals in 163 appearances for the north London giants, including a brace in the 2020 FA Cup final.

However, his relationship with Mikel Arteta soured and Aubameyang was stripped of the captaincy before joining Barcelona in 2022.

1. Enzo Fernandez - €121m (Benfica to Chelsea, 2023)

Enzo Fernandez is the most expensive January Deadline Day signing in football history, courtesy of his €121m move from Benfica to Chelsea in 2023.

The midfielder shone for Argentina at the 2022 World Cup and Chelsea were determined to sign him amid their pursuit of the best young players in world football.

A deal was finally completed on the final day of the winter window, with Chelsea forced to pay a Premier League record fee to finalise the deal.

The 10 most expensive January Deadline Day transfers of all time