5 best signings of the January transfer window

The January transfer window is always an enigma, fueled by rumors and hyperbole. Here are the five best signings of the month.

The winter transfer window will never compete with the excitement the summer window brings, with managers and players alike cautious to make moves that could ruin their chemistry in the middle of the season and have serious repercussions on their performance.

In turn, all parties tend to proceed with caution. This January was different. In half-a-year, it will be time for the World Cup and every player is desperate to play in the most watched sporting event in the world. This leads to a greater number of moves than normal, and more high profile ones to boot.

Here are the five best signings from an action-packed winter transfer window.

Virgil van Dijk, Liverpool

It may seem harsh to label Liverpool’s record -reaking signing of Virgil van Dijk as the fifth best signing of a singular January transfer window but once put into perspective, it’s easy to see why.

The Dutch center-back was brought in to fix a calamitous back four and restore the clubs glory days and help them bring their first league title in over two decades.

Van Dijk made a spectacular debut, scoring the winning goal at Anfield in a Merseyside derby FA Cup tie. In the other two appearances he’s made, though, the Red’s have looked nothing like a Premier League winning side.

He didn’t play in the 4-3 win over Manchester City, played the full 90 in a 1-0 loss to Swansea and then played the full 90 in a 3-2 defeat to West Brom in the FA Cup at Anfield.

The sample size here is small, no question, but it’s clear Van Dijk isn’t going to single handedly fix the back four because a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. So until he’s got a consistent partner alongside him and reliable fullbacks, his club record fee is rather meaningless.