The dust has settled, the phone calls have stopped, and everyone can take a collective sigh of relief, the January transfer window has finally come to a close.
Whilst it was nowhere near as dramatic or bombastic as the summer, there were still plenty of exciting moves this month which caught the football world by surprise, such as Rangers signing Aaron Ramsey on loan and Arsenal allowing Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to walk for free.
Indeed, this was also the window where Newcastle asserted themselves as the richest club in the world by spending close to £100m on five new signings.
Yet in the piece, we want to talk about the moves that went under the radar, the transfers that could turn out to be crucial in the second half of the season, and the deals that more supporters should be talking about.
So, without further ado, here are HITC Football’s three most underrated January signings from Premier League clubs this year.
Dan Burn to Newcastle
Newcastle were the main story of the entire transfer window, with the October PIF takeover of the club always setting up a huge January for the Magpies as they aim to spend their way out of the relegation zone.
Some huge names were signed, such as Kieran Trippier and club-record signing Bruno Guimaraes. However, the best move Newcastle could have made this January is that of Dan Burn from Brighton, who arrived on deadline day.
The man-mountain of a centre-back has been impressive with the Seagulls under Graham Potter. And with Newcastle’s defence crying out for some extra quality, Burn could provide just that heading into the next half of the season, where a new-look backline can be the key to Eddie Howe’s side survival come to the end of the campaign.
Calum Chambers to Aston Villa
Aston Villa stunned the Premier League last summer when they announced the signing of Danny Ings out of the blue. And this January, Steven Gerrard’s side only went and did it again, this time with Arsenal defender Calum Chambers.
A bargain signing from the north London club, Chambers could prove to be a better transfer than many people originally think. Naturally a centre-back but comfortable playing as a right-back and central midfielder, the former Saints star could be an excellent utility player for Villa.
Couple his Swiss army knife of positions with his Premier League and European experience for one of the biggest clubs in the country, and Villa have one impressive signing on their hands in Chambers, who could become a key player under Gerrard in the coming months.
Wout Weghorst to Burnley
Let’s be honest, who in their right mind would have imagined Burnley of all clubs to sign a striker as prolific in Europe as Wout Weghorst?
At 6’6”, it is perhaps not too surprising that Sean Dyche’s side were the club to land the Dutch international following the £25m departure of Chris Wood. But even still, nobody could have predicted Weghorst to be rocking up at Turf Moor this January.
At 29-years-old, the former Bundesliga star is hitting the peak of his powers. And for Burnley, Weghorst could be the difference between another season in the Premier League or a disappointing return to the Championship after so long in the top-flight.
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