5 best signings of the January transfer window

LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - JANUARY 05: Virgil van Dijk of Liverpool celebrates as he scores their second goal during the Emirates FA Cup Third Round match between Liverpool and Everton at Anfield on January 5, 2018 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images) /

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MANCHESTER, ENGLAND – JANUARY 30: (EXCLUSIVE COVERAGE) New signing Aymeric Laporte takes part in the official signing photo at Manchester City Football Academy on January 30, 2018 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Victoria Haydn/Man City via Getty Images) /

Aymeric Laporte, Manchester City

Laporte doesn’t immediately stand out as a better signing than van Dijk. He’s joining a side with the league wrapped up, an easy Champions League knockout tie ahead of them and a decent amount of depth at center-back.

There’s more to this transfer, though.

Laporte, like Van Dijk, was signed for a club-record fee of £58.5 million, but City’s depth at the position means he can be bedded in slowly, given opportunities as Pep Guardiola needs rather than being forced into a key role before he’s familiar with his new surroundings.

He will also benefit from his familiarity with the style of play employed by Guardiola. While he hasn’t worked with the former Barcelona manager before, he played under his mentor, Marcelo Bielsa for Athletic Bilbao.

In that time, he showed an astounding ability to take on the role of a ball-playing center-back in a high-octane, high-pressing system very similar to Guardiola’s. While Laporte will certainly take some time to get used to his new teammates and the English game, he has all the attributes Guardiola looks for in a center-back and will be given the time he needs without the pressure facing the other big center-back signings of the window.

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