The Premier League’s All-time Best XI from the January Transfer Window

The Premier League’s All-time Best XI from the January Transfer Window

The Premier League’s All-time Best XI from the January Transfer Window

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By David Walker

The January transfer window is often a frenzied time with chairmen, managers and agents battling against the clock to secure new players. As a result, many players who move during this period often do so at over-inflated transfer fees and are hit-or-miss in terms of success. So while football clubs yet again gamble with their finances this month in the same way a mug punter blindly signs up for every offer at a free bet site, let us look at some of the more successful moves that have taken place during the history of the January transfer window. 

After delving through 10 seasons of such transfers, here is what I believe to be the strongest starting XI (in a 4-4-2 formation) from all the moves that took place. These are the players who made a huge impact at their new clubs and some who continue to do so. 

Shay Given

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Newcastle United to Manchester City - £7 million (2009)

Choosing a goalkeeper for this Transfer Window XI was fairly straightforward because hardly any high-calibre stoppers moved clubs during that period. So, it was something of a surprise when Magpies stalwart Given switched to Manchester City after 12 years in the North East.

Given was the club’s final transfer of a busy January 2009 window and the club had spent £122 million of new players since July. This signalled the beginning of City’s open chequebook policy and Given’s arrival proved at the time nobody in the Premier League was off limits. He instantly replaced Joe Hart as the first choice goalkeeper at the club and earned a “man of the match” performance on his debut, a 1-0 victory against Middlesbrough.

The 2009-10 season saw Given make 44 league and up appearances and captain the team while Kolo Toure was away on international duty. Manager Roberto Mancini described him as “one of the five best goalkeepers in the world” and Given was named “Premier League Goalkeeper of the Noughties” by The Daily Telegraph newspaper in the UK.

Given’s career at City was cut just short of 70 appearances by the progress of Joe Hart, who emerged as an excellent goalkeeping talent. After failing to make a single league appearance for City during the 2010-11 season, he joined Aston Villa in July 2011 for a £3.5 million fee.

Patrice Evra

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AS Monaco to Manchester United - £5.5 million (2006) 

Evra arrived at Old Trafford in January 2006, after United were suffering in defence due to an injury to Gabriel Heinze. However, he did not have the best of starts to life in the Premier League and was substituted on his debut at half-time after struggling in a 3-1 defeat at local rivals Manchester City.

It wasn’t until December during the 2006/07 season that Evra finally eclipsed Mikael Silvestre and Gabriel Heinze as first choice left back at the club. Such was the improvement in his performances, Evra was named in the PFA Team of the Year despite appearing in just 24 matches.

He was named in the PFA team again after the 2008-09 season and for a third time at the end of the 2009-10 after playing all 38 Premier League matches. He was named in the FIFPro World XI for the 2009 calendar year and also the UEFA Team of the Year.

Now approaching 300 appearances in all competitions for United and regularly captaining the side, Evra will go down in history as one of the best pieces of transfer window business.

Nemanja Vidic

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Spartak Moscow to Manchester United - £7 million (2006)

Serbia international Vidic arrived at Old Trafford roughly the same time as Patrice Evra but some two-and-a-half years after United first reported interest in him. During the 2006-07 season, Vidic went on to form a central defensive partnership with Rio Ferdinand and in the 2008-09 season, started every match in the British Football League-record run of 14 successive clean sheets in Premier League matches. On 30 October 2010 he scored the 1,000th Premier League goal to be scored at Old Trafford in a 2-0 win against Tottenham Hotspur.

His consistency has not gone unnoticed and the defender has been showered with accolades. He appeared in the PFA Team of the Year for the 2006-07, 2007-08, 2008-09 and 2010-11 seasons, was awarded the Premier League Player of the Season for the 2008-09 and 2010-11 seasons and was named in the FIFPro World XI for the 2008-09 and 2010-11 seasons.

Injury has prevented him from playing more and indeed, he is out for the remainder of this season. However, Vidic is approaching 250 league and cup appearances for United and like team-mate Evra, will be regarded as a shrewd transfer by Sir Alex Ferguson.

Gary Cahill

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Aston Villa to Bolton Wanderers - £5 million (2008)

Bolton Wanderers to Chelsea - £7 million (2012)

After breaking into the Aston Villa side during the 2006-7 season, Cahill found himself sent out on loan to Sheffield United at the start of the 2007-08 campaign and then joined Bolton in January 2008 for a reported £5 million fee. 

Over the next three seasons, Cahill was a vital part of the Bolton team that staved off relegation and his performances were often praised despite playing in a struggling side. Last season he missed just two Premier League matches and was heavily linked with a transfer away from the Reebok Stadium. However, a £20 million asking price put off potential suitors knowing full well his contract was due to expire at the end of the 2011-12 season.

Cahill moved for the second time during a January transfer window when he joined Chelsea for £7 million this season after 147 appearances and 15 goals for Bolton in all competitions. His transfer to Stamford Bridge is likely to be lauded as a great piece of business in time and his international central defensive partnership with John Terry will now be played out at club level. For a nation high on expectation and short on trophies like England, that can only be a good thing.

Michael Dawson

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Nottingham Forest to Tottenham Hotspur - £4 million (2005)

Dawson arrived at Tottenham alongside Forest team mate Andy Reid for a fee believed to be worth a combined £8 million. However, while Reid failed to make an impact, Dawson has excelled and is now in his eighth season at the club.

After making his debut for the club late in the 2004-05 season, Dawson played a prominent role during Spurs’ 2005-06, 2006-07 and 2007-08 campaigns. He found first-team opportunities difficult to come by following the arrival of Jonathan Woodgate during the 2008-09 season and was out of favour at the start of the 2009-10 campaign when the club splashed out on Sebastien Bassong.

But, the 2009-10 season saw Dawson’s stock rise as a top class footballer. Back in the side after injuries to Woodgate and Ledley King, he became Spurs captain following Robbie Keane’s transfer to Celtic and he was named in England’s preliminary World Cup 2010 squad. He did not make the final 23-man squad but he was drafted in as a replacement after Rio Ferdinand was ruled out injured. Dawson was the only uncapped player in Fabio Capello’s squad that travelled to South Africa.

The Spurs Player of the Year for the 2009-10 campaign has been hampered by an achilles injury and restricted to just seven league and cup appearances so far this season. But, at 28-years-old, Dawson is approaching 250 club appearances and is at the peak of his career. He could be remembered as an all-time great at White Hart Lane. 

David Bentley

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Arsenal to Blackburn Rovers – Undisclosed Fee (2006)

After joining Blackburn on loan at the start of the 2005-06 season, Bentley made his move to Ewood Park permanent during the January transfer window. The transfer revitalised a young player, frustrated at a lack of first team football at Arsenal and saw him become one of the hottest properties in English football.

In his first match after signing permanently for Blackburn, Bentley scored his first senior hat-trick in a 4-3 victory against Manchester United. He became the first player in the Premier League to score three goals in one match against United.

The following season saw Bentley score seven goals and chalk-up 13 assists as Blackburn finished sixth in the league. Speculation linking him with a move to United was ended when he signed a new contract. He was voted Player of the Year by Rovers supporters.  The 2007-08 season saw Bentley score eight goals and provide 13 assists as his side finished seventh. 

Bentley broke into the England squad and then joined Tottenham Hotspur for £15 million. He could not recreate the form displayed at Blackburn and found himself shipped out on loan to Birmingham City during last season’s January window and Championship side West Ham United at the start of the 2011-12 campaign.

Lassana Diarra

Arsenal to Portsmouth – Undisclosed Fee (2008)

Diarra had spent a frustrating three seasons in English football. He struggled to make the breakthrough first at Chelsea, then at Arsenal where he spent just five months before switching to Portsmouth in January 2008 for a fee believed to be around £5.5 million. The defensive midfielder, once heralded as the “new Claude Makelele”, made 32 appearances in total for Portsmouth across two seasons, scoring three goals, but made a huge impact during his short time at Fratton Park.

His first goal for Pompey came against Plymouth Argyle in the fourth round of the FA Cup and the midfielder played in every minute of his club’s remaining matches in that competition. Portsmouth went on to beat Cardiff City in the final and in September 2008, Diarra scored Pompey’s first ever goal in European competition against Portuguese outfit Vitoria Guimaraes.

However, Diarra was never going to remain at Portsmouth for very long. Just days after signing for the club he stated he was using them as a stepping stone to a “very big club” and in December 2008, an agreement was reached with Real Madrid to secure a £20 million on 1 January 2009.

Clint Dempsey

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New England Revolution to Fulham - £2 million (2007)

While Landon Donovan is the poster boy for USA soccer and receives much of the acclaim, it’s Dempsey who is proving to be one of, if not the best player to ever come out of the United States. Dempsey was the most expensive US export when Fulham paid MLS $4 million to secure his services in January 2007. His first goal effectively saved his new club from relegation, when they beat Liverpool 1-0 on the final game of the 2006-7 season.

The 2010-11 season saw Dempsey become the first American to score 10 goals in a Premier League season, beating Brian McBride, who was also at Fulham and set a previous record of nine. He is also Fulham’s all-time top goalscorer in the Premier League, beating the records set by again by McBride and midfielder Steed Malbranque.

Dempsey has proved to be incredibly consistent, scoring almost 50 goals in over 200 appearances in a Fulham shirt.While compatriot Donovan failed to make much of an impact in two spells in the German Bundesliga and performed reasonably well in two spells on loan at Everton, it’s Dempsey who is proving he can cut it at the highest level, week in, week out, for the past six seasons.

Ashley Young

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Watford to Aston Villa - £8 million (2007)

After tearing up the Championship with Watford, Young departed Vicarage Road for Villa Park in a club record £8 million deal, rising to £9.75 million, in January 2007. The winger scored on his debut in a 3-1 defeat by Newcastle United and was called-up by England after some solid performances at the start of the 2007-08 season. 

By the end of the 2007-08 season, Young finished second to Cesc Fabregas in assists with 17 and was included in the Premier League Team of the Year. He was the only player included from outside the “big four” apart from Portsmouth goalkeeper David James. He was named in the Team of the Year again for the 2008-09 season and was also named PFA Young Player of the Year.

The 2009-10 season saw Young play in 37 out of Villa’s 38 Premier League matches and chalking up another 17 assists in all competitions. In 2010-11, he was appointed club vice captain and given a new free role behind the striker. He ended that season with nine goals and 14 assists in all competitions.

With 190 appearances, 38 goals and 63 assists to his name during his time at Villa, Young joined Manchester United in June 2011 in a deal worth a reported £20 million. At just 26-years-old, his best years are ahead of him. 

Christophe Dugarry

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Bordeaux to Birmingham City – Loan (2003) 

Dugarry had played out his career at some of the most glamorous clubs European football had to offer, such as AC Milan, Barcelona and Marseille. He was a World Cup winner in 1998 and Euro 2000 winner with France. It was almost unthinkable then, that 31-year-old Dugarry found himself at Birmingham City, a favourite for relegation with the bookmakers, when the first transfer window came into force in January 2003.

In short, Dugarry was a revelation at St. Andrews and brought a touch of guile and arrogance to the team. He failed to find the net in his first 10 appearances for Steve Bruce’s side but then went on to score five goals in four matches. City won all four of those matches he scored in and pulled away from the drop zone.

Birmingham ended the season in a respectable thirteenth position and Dugarry joined the club permanently on a free transfer that summer. Unfortunately, he could not recreate the form of the previous season and made just 15 appearances, including being sent off in a 4-0 home defeat by Blackburn Rovers.

Dugarry left the club by mutual consent, citing family reasons and joined Qatar SC on a one-year contract. He didn’t make a single appearance for his new club and retired from the game in 2005. However, he has since been inducted in to Birmingham City’s Hall of Fame.

Emannuel Adebayor

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AS Monaco to Arsenal - £7 million (2006)

Adebayor needed just 21 minutes to score on his debut for his new club against Birmingham City, after joining the Gunners in a £7 million deal from AS Monaco in January 2006. At the end of his first season at the club he scored four goals in 10 appearances.

The Togo striker scored the winning goal against Manchester United to earn Arsenal their first victory of the 2006-7 season but it was the following campaign where he really made a name for himself at the Emirates Stadium. The 2007-8 season saw him score 24 goals in 36 Premier League appearances as Arsenal finished third and he was named in the PFA Team of the Year. 

Adebayor was also awarded Goal of the Season by BBC’s Match of the Day for his stoppage time strike in a 3-1 victory at Tottenham Hotspur in September 2007. 

Such a successful season was arguably Adebayor’s downfall. He was linked with a £30 million moves to AC Milan and Barcelona during the summer of 2008 but remained at Arsenal. He scored 10 goals in 27 Premier League appearances at the end of the 2008-09 season and joined Manchester City in July 2009 for a reported £25 million.

Anyone you think we left out? Comments below please or feel free to join the conversation on Twitter.