5 January signings who will become mainstays at their new clubs

The January transfer window is welcomed with open hands by many managers as it is a chance to make signings half-way into the season. The window is open for one month and clubs have a chance to sign players they perhaps couldn't in the summer.

Half-way into the season, managers can assess their weaknesses and identify areas that need reinforcements. It is thus a critical part of the campaign which, if planned and executed expertly, can turn a club's season around.

Some of the signings add instant quality and strengthen the squad ahead of the business end of the season while some clubs buy players who are not the finished product yet, but have the potential to become greats.

Many players become available at a cut-price because of the shorter duration remaining in their contracts and managers tend to take advantage of that.

We look at 5 players signed in the January transfer window, who will become the linchpins for their club in the immediate future:

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#5 Virgil Van Dijk (Liverpool)

Van Dijk has made an instant impact

Throughout the season, Liverpool fans were crying out for a quality defender to lead the line. Many below-par performances from his current group of defenders forced Jurgen Klopp to break the transfer record for a defender in January.

Virgil Van Dijk was bought for £75 million, the biggest fee for a defender, from Southampton. He went straight into the starting eleven and even scored a goal in his debut in a cup game against Everton. The 26-year-old already has 270 games under his belt and has played 16 games for The Netherlands as well.

Physically imposing, good with the ball at his feet and a danger from set-pieces, Van Dijk is likely to be the central figure at Liverpool's defence for many years to come. He will want to justify the sum the club paid for him, which was frowned upon by many.

Video: Van Dijk in action

#4 Yerry Mina (Barcelona)

New Barcelona Signing Yerry Mina unveiled

A lesser known player to many, Yerry Mina arrived at Barcelona in the January transfer window. He was bought for £10.62 million from Brazilian side Palmeiras. A Colombian international, he made his debut for the national team at the Copa America Centenario in 2016 when they beat Paraguay 2-1.

Despite being only 23 years old, the defender already has nearly 200 appearances at club level. He stands at 6 ft 5 in and thus has strong aerial prowess. He also has the pace to get the better of his opponents and often uses his speed to play out from the back.

With Javier Mascherano's departure in January and Gerard Pique into his 30s, Mina is all set to make his mark at the Catalan club. He and Samuel Umtiti may well be the centre-back partnership for many years to come.

Video: The best of Mina

#3 Inigo Martinez (Athletic Bilbao)

Athletic Bilbao announce the signing of Inigo Martinez

Inigo Martinez has had a long list of admirers, including Barcelona and Manchester City, for a long time. City, though, decided to activate Bilbao defender Aymeric Laporte's release clause in January and Martinez was signed by the Spanish club as his replacement.

Bilbao paid Real Sociedad £28.8 million for the services of the Spaniard in January, tying him down to a 5 year contract. The 26-year-old is a product of Real Sociedad's academy and has been at the heart of their defence for the past seven years. He has also represented Spain four times and won the UEFA European Under-21 Championship in 2013.

Although not the tallest, he has excellent positional awareness and reads the game very quickly, allowing him to react faster than his opponents. He is likely to become a primary figure and probably a future captain for Bilbao.

Video: Martinez in action for Soceidad

#2 Aymeric Laporte (Manchester City)

Manchester City activated Laporte's release clause in January

There has been no stopping Manchester City this season. They are within touching distance of the league title and are in the Quarter-Finals of the Champions League as well. All this did not stop Pep Guardiola from shelling out a club record £57 million for Aymeric Laporte in January.

The player had caught the eye of many clubs prior to the transfer but ultimately Manchester City won the race. Despite being only 23 years old, the player has made over 250 appearances which is remarkable. He will be hoping to earn his first call-up to the France national side for this summer's World Cup in Russia.

Good in the air and excellent on the ball, he is exactly the kind of defender Guardiola craved for. He is quick as well as agile and has the potential to become one of the best in the world. With Vincent Kompany being unable to play week in and week out, Laporte's services will be crucial to City in the coming years and he is all set to prove himself in England.

Video: Laporte in 2017/18

#1 Philippe Coutinho (Barcelona)

New Barcelona signing Philippe Coutinho unveiled

Liverpool signed Coutinho in 2013 from Inter Milan for £8.5 million. The Brazilian has been a central figure at Liverpool since and has proved he is capable of the extraordinary. Barcelona were in hot pursuit of the player in the summer but a move failed to materialise. They came back for him in January and Liverpool accepted a bid of an initial £105 million, plus add-ons.

At 25 years of age, he has already made 319 appearances at club level and has scored 72 goals. He has also been capped 33 times by Brazil and will be a vital part of their exploits in Russia.

Primarily a central attacking midfielder, he is equally good at playing on either flank as well. He will fit in perfectly to the Barcelona system and many have even dubbed him to follow the footsteps of Andres Iniesta.

He is a brilliant long-shot taker and is excellent when employed between the midfielders and forwards. He is going to be the master creator at Barcelona in the near future and is likely to stay there until the end of his career.

Video: The best of Coutinho