The priciest winter window transfers

It is getting to that time again when clubs go into the market in the short January transfer window to strengthen. On most occasions, January is only a period of patching up after the opening half of the season but will the 2022 winter transfer period stick to this script? Only time will tell.

Most of the clubs in the Premier League are set to lose star players as the topmost competition in Africa comes around. The 2021 African Cup of Nations starts early January and countries have called up players from all over Europe, which could also be a factor in the January transfer window.

While clubs are normally reluctant to spend heavily in January, this is the time most managers save their careers, and this at times means dishing out big bucks or lucrative deals to players.

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As we head towards the transfer window officially opening, football prediction today on SportyTrader will to an extent be influenced by such needs, with managers trying to experiment how they'll cope with absent players heading to AFCON 2021, prospective departures and shaping up in expectation of incoming transfers. Here we examine some of the most expensive transfer dealings done in January.

Philippe Coutinho

The Brazilian sealed what to date remains the most expensive January deal in 2018, as he moved from Liverpool to Barcelona. While he had memorable times at Anfield, Coutinho has struggled to establish himself at Barcelona following a £106m move. He was even loaned out to Bayern Munich for a season, and all that while, Liverpool don't seem to be missing him.

Virgil van Dijk

The Dutchman has been one of the greatest transfer dealings for Liverpool in recent times. The money paid for Coutinho financed this move as Liverpool paid Southampton £75m for the defender. Joining in 2018, he has been a mainstay in the Liverpool defence though he spent most of last season out injured. When present, Liverpool always seems to have the right balance and are harder to beat.

Christian Pulisic

The American sealed a £57.5m move from Borussia Dortmund to Chelsea in 2019, listing him among one of the most expensive January acquisitions. He remains a key player for the team especially after reuniting with his coach at Dortmund, Thomas Tuchel though he's had poor luck with injuries.

Aymeric Laporte

Manchester City defender Aymeric Laporte has managed to switch citizenship from France to Spain after his move from Athletic Bilbao in 2018. He cost City £57.2m for this move though injuries haven't allowed him to show his full potential he has two Premier League titles to show for his time at City.

Diego Costa

Another Spanish player with a big transfer tag. Costa cost Atletico Madrid £57m in his move from Chelsea in 2017. A controversial player, he has had considerable success in his career but he is remembered more for the controversy. At one point, he was banned for eight matches after lashing at a referee in La Liga, before acrimoniously ending his contract with Atletico and heading to the Brazilian Serie A.