January transfer window: Premier League winners and losers

Winner: Manchester United

January is rarely the best time to find value for money in the transfer market, and Manchester United were probably best example of a club using the window as an opportunity to sell rather than buy. The Red Devils struggled to find their feet in the early parts of the season, but have been improving steadily for the last several months. They’ve already made it to the final of the League Cup, where they’ll face Southampton, and have fought their way back into contention for a top four finish in the league.

There was no obvious area to improve the squad, especially after significant spending in the summer, and so the club focused on offloading some unneeded talent. They sold both Morgan Schneiderlin and Memphis Depay, neither of whom were in Jose Mourinho’s first team plans. Schneiderlin may feel a little aggrieved about his time at United, given the lack of opportunities he was given to prove himself, but Depay can have little complaint after consistently failing to impress in his year and a half at Old Trafford.

The Red Devils made losses on both players — about $13 million on Schneiderlin and $19 million on Memphis, though that number could fall based on his performances at Lyon — but recouped enough money to make it worth it, especially since they also removed two dissatisfied players (and their wages) from the squad.

United were also abled to hold on to Wayne Rooney, who was reportedly the subject of interest of a club in the Chinese Super League. Rooney’s no longer the goal scorer he once was, but his experience and leadership make him a valuable member of Mourinho’s squad, not to mention the bad taste that would’ve been left by watching him leave so shortly after breaking United’s goal scoring record.