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Newcastle United have already grabbed the headlines of the Premier League winter window so far with the signing of Kieran Trippier. However, it's expected that the Tyneside club will be spending more with their recent PIF takeover making them the richest club in the world. They find themselves in a precarious situation in the Premier League as they sit in the 19th spot with just one win.
Several winter transfer windows in the Premier League have seen much action
Given that the Premier League has some of the world's richest clubs, splurging cash in the transfer window is not uncommon. While the summer window is the grander of the two, many Premier League clubs have not shied away from spending big when it comes to winter. This could result from a necessity, or a club may not want to be embroiled in a competition for a footballer in the coming summer.
The following five instances are a testament to the fact that Premier League clubs can spend a hefty amount in the winter window when required.
#5 Chelsea 2019 - £55 million
Chelsea's splurge in the winter of 2019 was not to do with a precarious Premier League position or a player's departure. It was more to do with the Blues looking at a terrible ban for two transfer windows due to a breach in the rules of academy players. It essentially meant that they would not be unable to purchase any footballers for two consecutive windows.
Chelsea managed to acquire Christian Pulisic for £55 million from Borussia Dortmund as the American switched to the Premier League at the last moment.
In hindsight, the deal may have been done in a rush, but there's no denying that Pulisic has been an effective signing. Unfortunately, he has been increasingly bogged down by injuries that have reduced his game time and position in the pecking order.
But overall it wasn't a bad set of business for Chelsea. He has scored 20 goals and made 17 assists in 95 appearances for the club so far. Once Pulisic can maintain his fitness, the return of his transfer amount will be greater.
#4 Arsenal 2018 - £57.8 million
It's hard to assess the winter window of Arsenal in 2018. The club started their transfer spending record £56 million when they acquired the services of Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang from Borussia Dortmund.
They also signed Konstantinos Mavropanaos from Greek club PAOK. Mavropanos wasn't able to show any consistency. Although he has looked settled in the Bundesliga on loan, it's hard to expect him to be a regular in the Premier League.
Meanwhile, Aubameyang went on to become a major offensive threat in the Premier League. At times, Aubameyang was the only spark of genius in an underperforming Arsenal side. He scored 92 goals in 163 appearances for the Gunners. He went on to become club captain as well.
However, with massive public fallout due to his disciplinary breaches, he lost the captaincy and his place in the team. It's unexpected that Aubameyang will be playing for Arsenal again at this point.
#3 Manchester City 2018 - £61 million
Premier League giants Manchester City haven't been shy of spending vast amounts. Backed by the rich owners, there's no lack of ambition at the club as they keep reinforcing areas where there could be possible weaknesses. Although they don't tend to spend big in the winters, 2018 was an exception.
The Premier League club spent £57 million on Aymeric Laporte from Athletic Bilbao and £4 million on Jack Harrison from New York City FC. Suffice to say, the two players have had contrasting futures at the Etihad.
Laporte has been a sensational pick and has been one of the best defensive players in the Premier League. He did suffer a patch of inconsistency and indifferent performances. However, the French-turned-Spaniard has been the perfect footballer under Pep Guardiola's system. He has been an incredible signing for the club.
Jack Harrison was unable to develop into a first-team member at City. However, he is now an established footballer in the Premier League with Leeds United.
#2 Chelsea 2011 - £75 million
Chelsea have not been shy of spending since Roman Abramovich took over the London-based Premier League club in 2003. His ambition from day one has been to witness Chelsea become a dominant name in the Premier League, and that has indeed happened over the years.
While the club, like many others, prefer to do big business in the summer, they have never missed a chance when real talent is available in the winter. The winter transfer window went in that direction as Chelsea invested heavily to acquire Fernando Torres for £50 million and David Luiz for £25 million.
Torres was one of the best strikers on the planet and was acquired from fellow Premier League rivals Liverpool. However, the signing turned out to be a disaster as Torres looked like a ghost of his former self. Despite the several seasons he spent, the Spaniard could never recreate the abilities he had shown at Liverpool. He scored a mere 45 goals in 172 appearances for the Blues.
For David Luiz, it was a complete mixed bag. The Brazilian did have some memorable performances, but his overall gameplay was more erratic. It was not good enough to be an excellent Premier League defender as he was sold to Paris Saint-Germain.
#1 Liverpool 2018 - £75.2M
The winter window of 2018 will be one of the most pivotal items in Liverpool's history down the lane. The Premier League club from Merseyside spent £75 million to land Virgil van Dijk from fellow Premier League outfit Southampton. But every penny spent has been recouped many times given how Van Dijk has completely transformed the look of the entire Liverpool defense.
Without a doubt, it can be claimed that he was one of the biggest reasons for Liverpool's Premier League and Champions League titles in the last decade. Van Dijk is not only an amazing footballer, but he commands the entire unit.
His absence last season due to injuries and the subsequent drop in performance quality again show the amount of difference he can make. Liverpool also brought young Scottish footballer Tony Gallacher in the same window.
