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With the January transfer window now in full flow, Premier League clubs are looking to add reinforcements to their squads ahead of the second half of the season.
With fixtures during the holiday period coming thick and fast, many Premier League teams tend to be overworked and fatigued. Injuries are also not uncommon during this period, and that's why the January transfer window couldn't come at a better time for Premier League teams.
Top five January signings in Premier League history
There have been some defining January signings over the years in the Premier League.
Although rare, some January signings can completely change the fortunes of a club. On that note, let us have a look at five such players who have produced moments of magic for their Premier League clubs after arriving in January:
#5 Bruno Fernandes (Manchester United)
It's safe to say that Bruno Fernandes has been a roaring success at Manchester United.
The Portuguese midfielder joined the Red Devils from Sporting Lisbon last January for an initial fee of around £50 million. Fernandes has been worth every single penny so far.
Bruno Fernandes has had a great start to his United career, helping the club qualify for the Champions League last season, scoring eight goals and seven assists in 14 Premier League games.
The 26-year old has been on fire this season as well, having already scored 11 goals and assisting seven in 16 Premier League fixtures.
Fernandes' arrival has breathed new life into Manchester United's attack.
The midfielder always looks for space around opposition penalty areas to play a teammate through or take a shot himself. Fernandes has also unlocked Manchester United's free-flowing attack, with the likes of Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial benefitting the most.
If Manchester United are to win the Premier League this season, Bruno Fernandes is expected to play a starring role.
#4 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal)
Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang took to the Premier League like a duck to water. The Gabonese striker, who joined Arsenal from Borussia Dortmund in 2018 for £55 million, has been ripping apart Premier League defences since his arrival in the competition.
Aubameyang marked his Premier League debut for Arsenal with a goal against Everton, going on to score nine more and assisting four in 13 games that season.
In 2019, Arsenal's hitman came away with the Premier League's Golden Boot after bagging 22 goals and five assists in 36 appearances. The Gabon striker played a good chunk of those games coming in off the left wing.
Last season, Aubameyang repeated his 22-goal Premier League haul, finishing a goal behind Golden Boot winner Jamie Vardy, with the striker primarily starting down the left flank for the Gunners.
Although this season, the Arsenal captain has made a slow start, he could be back amongst the goals soon.
Aubameyang has been a striker Arsenal had been craving for since the departure of Robin van Persie.
The Gunners captain scores goals for fun and can do so from multiple positions. Aubameyang has been Arsenal's savior on multiple occasions in the Premier League and has become an integral part of the team since his arrival.
#3 Luis Suarez (Liverpool)
Liverpool paid Ajax £23 million to bring Luis Suarez to the Premier League in 2011, an amount that seems like a highway robbery now. The Uruguayan went on to become one of the world's best strikers during his stint at Merseyside.
The Uruguayan hitman went on to bag 69 goals and 39 assists in 110 Premier League appearances for Liverpool. Suarez was unplayable for the majority of his time in the Premier League.
The striker went on to have one of the greatest seasonal records of all time in his last campaign with Liverpool. Suarez scored 31 goals and assisted 17 in 33 Premier League appearances, winning the Golden Boot and Premier League Player of the Season awards along the way.
Luis Suarez was the catalyst that sparked Liverpool's Premier League title challenge in 2014, but it was not to be for the Reds that season. Suarez eventually left Liverpool for Barcelona the next season and went on to cement his legacy as one of the greatest strikers of all time.
#2 Virgil van Dijk (Liverpool)
When Liverpool paid £80 million for Virgil van Dijk in 2018, everyone were scratching their heads. The former Southampton centre-back was solid for the Saints, but nothing he did upto that point in his career warranted such an enormous price tag.
Fast forward a couple of years, and the Dutchman has proved everyone wrong under Jurgen Klopp. Van Dijk has become one of the world's best centre-backs and has been a huge reason for the recent resurgence of the Reds.
Van Dijk's commanding presence in Liverpool's backline has helped the Reds win the Champions League and the Premier League. The Dutch defender's exploits also won him the UEFA Men's Player of the Year and Premier League Player of the Season awards in 2019.
However, Van Dijk's 2020-21 Premier League season has been cut short due to a cruciate ligament injury that the player picked up against Everton. Expectedly, Liverpool have sorely missed the Dutchman's presence in defence.
#1 Nemanja Vidic (Manchester United)
It's crazy to think that Manchester United paid only £7.5 million to acquire the services of Nemanja Vidic from Spartak Moscow in 2006, as the Serbian defender went on to become one of the greatest centre-backs in the history of the Premier League.
Nemanja Vidic was a rock for United at the back and formed what is probably the greatest Premier League centre-back pairing with Rio Ferdinand. Under Sir Alex Ferguson, the Serbian won five Premier League titles and one Champions League.
In terms of value for money, Nemanja Vidic is arguably the greatest January signing in the three-decade history of the Premier League.
