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The 2024 January transfer window has been quiet one so far. With just 8 days to go, it seems likely to remain that way as many clubs count their pennies and start to prepare the big moves they want to make come the longer and more significant summer window.
Despite its historical reputation of being generally boring and inactive, the January window has seen some significant moves in the past. Today, in no particular order (an important disclaimer) I’m suggesting the 5 most underrated January transfers of all time in the Premier League.
1- Robert Huth
In January 2015, Leicester City sat bottom of the Premier League, 3 points a drift from 17th-place Burnley. In need of reinforcements, the foxes turned to the experienced Mark Schwarzer, gambled on a 23 year-old Croatian forward Andrej Kramaric and loaned in experienced German defender, Robert Huth.
Though Schwarzer only ever made 11 appearances for Leicester, and Kramaric would never truly find his feet in England- most definitely finding them at Hoffenheim in the Bundesliga- the same cannot be said for Huth, who fitted seamlessly in the the Leicester back line, playing 14 games and playing a crucial role in Leicester’s great escape.
His signing did not cone without its critics, given his age (he was 30 when they signed him), lack of game time in the 14/15 season (having made just 1 appearance for Stoke City that season) and was serving a 2-game suspension at the time following a breach of FA rules over social media comments over gender. However, once he returned to football, he quickly silenced critics with solid defence outings at the back.
Leicester made the signing permanent in the summer of 2015 for around £3 million where he, alongside captain Wes Morgan, led to Leicester to the Premier League title. Not a bad deal at all from the Foxes.
2- Gary Cahill
Gary Cahill will go down as a Premier League cult hero and should be remembered for his hardline method of defending and the solidarity he always provided at the back.
On January 16th 2012, a then 26 year old Cahill signed for Chelsea for around 7 million pounds. A similar player to the aforementioned Robert Huth, Cahill provided a cool head at the back and strong leadership skills at the back, even when he was partnered with club captain, John Terry.
Despite a slow start to his Chelsea career, playing just 10 games in the 2011/12 season after signing for them, he then went on to win the Premier League in 2015 and 2017, essentially captaining them to the second as John Terry began to wind down his career (in what would be his final season at Chelsea), playing 37 of 38 games in the 2016/17 season. On top of that, he would finish bis Chelsea career with 2 FA cups, a league cup, a champions league medal and 2 Europa League titles.
Given all these accolades and the crucial role he played in most of them, it’s fair to say Chelsea got plenty of bang for their buck.
3- Seamus Coleman
One of the greatest value for money signings of all time, Seamus Coleman has been a staple in the Everton side for many years now and will also be remembered as one of the Premier League’s great cult heroes.
In a deal that cost just £60,000 in January 2009. In his 15 year Everton career, despite not picking up any silverware, he’s made himself captain for club and country, and achieved a place in the PFA team of the season in 2014. For reference, Vitaly Mykolenko makes almost that much every week.
When Coleman plays, he continues to wave the flag of the traditional right back in an age of full backs offering on both ends of the pitch (something he will be very aware of on merseyside).
Though the end of his career is on the way, given that he’s 35 and has suffered a multitude of injuries in the past 4 years with his hamstrings and various other muscles, Coleman will forever be remembered on the blue half of Merseyside and will go down as one of the most underrated full backs in Premier League history (and should go down as one of if not the best value for money signings in Premier League history).
4- Moises Caicedo
So far, we’ve discussed players who have closed the book on their career, and a player who is close to. Now, we’re talking about one who’s just starting theirs.
Moises Caicedo is one of the latest midfielders to come out of the Brighton talent factory, and despite making just 53 appearances for the seagulls, continuously impressed alongside his South American Alexis Mac Allister which led to his British-record transfer to Chelsea in summer 2023.
Caicedo’s standout season came during the 2022/23 season, an excellent season for Brighton seeing them finish 6th and reaching the semi finals of the FA cup, despite loosing key players like Yves Bissouma, Marc Cucurella, Neal Maupay and Leandro Trossard. Caicedo seamlessly filled the role of the ball-winning 6 left by Bissouma, winning the ball back for his team every 42 minutes on average.
Caicedo was bought for just £4.5 million pounds and sold for £115 million pounds. It was incredible business by Brighton, and will surely go down as one of the best bits f business in recent Premier League history (if not ever).
5- Riyad Mahrez
A magician on the pitch, many forget that Mahrez originally joined Leicester in January 2014, an investment signing that was meant to help Leicester get over the line in the championship (which they would go on to do, with Mahrez playing 19 with 8 goals and assists).
For a mere £450,000, Mahrez joined Leicester as an unknown prospect from a second tier mid-table French side, and left as a club legend with 86 goals and assists in 179 games and a Premier League winners medal (before adding 4 more to his collection with Manchester City).
Mahrez had always been calculated on and off the pitch, becoming known for his direct style of play and fancy footwork on the pitch and rejecting clubs such as Paris Saint-Germain, Olympique de Marseille and St Mirren (where he escaped from on a bike at his hotel before eventually finding his way back to Paris because of how awful the weather was!) before joining Le Havre due to their history with young talent.
Today, Mahrez runs rings round SPL defenders at Al Ahli, where so far he’s achieved 15 goals and assists in 19 games.
That concludes the list of the most underrated January transfers in Premier League history. Who would you have included? I’ll offer honourable mentions to Ashley Young to Aston Villa, Daniel Agger to Liverpool and Branislav Ivanovic to Chelsea. For now, I’m going to keep my fingers crossed for a wild transfer deadline day to end this month with a bang. Not going to get ahead of myself though.
