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The 2020 January transfer window has closed after a month that has seen clubs ransack one another for reinforcements to strengthen their squads for the business end of the season.
A series of high-profile players had been on the move by the time the window slammed shut at 11 PM GMT, with the majority of clubs opting for loans instead of permanent transfers.
Inter Milan, under the leadership of Antonio Conte, were one of the busiest clubs in the continent as they signed the likes of Christian Eriksen, Ashley Young, and Victor Moses to bolster their squad for the Serie A title battle that lies ahead of them.
Premier League clubs like Manchester United, Arsenal, and Tottenham Hotspur were active in the final days of the window, making key temporary and permanent signings to aid them in their race to a Champions League berth.
Meanwhile, big names like Krzysztof Piatek, Erling Haaland, Paco Alcacer and Bruno Fernandes all put an end to their sagas by securing moves to various clubs across the continent in the last month.
In this article, we review five of the most expensive signings across Europe in the recently-concluded January transfer window:
#5 Steven Bergwijn (PSV-Spurs, £25m)
Tottenham Hotspur signed Dutch forward Steven Bergwijn for £27 million from PSV Eindhoven two days before the end of the January transfer window.
Jose Mourinho was aiming to bolster his attacking options after Harry Kane was ruled out of action until at least April due to a hamstring injury. The Portuguese tactician had been hoping to sign a player who predominantly plays on the left wing and appears to have fulfilled his ambitions by signing Bergwijn.
The Netherlands international signed a five-and-a-half-year deal with the north London giants and inherited the number 23 shirt previously worn by Christian Eriksen before he made his switch to Inter Milan last month.
The 22-year-old, who became Mourinho's third addition of the winter after Gedson Fernandes and Giovani Lo Celso (move made permanent), came through the ranks at PSV and made his first-team debut at 17. He tallied 31 goals in 149 appearances for the club and won three Eredivisie titles during his spell with the Dutch giants.
Bergwijn left the Spurs faithful with nothing to regret as he scored on his debut appearance for the club and helped them to an emphatic 2-0 home win over reigning champions Manchester City in the Premier League.
The former PSV man was seen beautifully controlling Lucas Moura's effort on his chest before making a shot into the bottom right-hand corner, beating Ederson and putting his new club on their path to one of their most memorable wins of the campaign.
#4 Reinier (Flamengo – Real Madrid, £25.6m)
Real Madrid secured the signing of Reinier Jesus from Flamengo on a six-year deal worth a reported £25.6 million (€30m) fee in mid-January.
The 18-year-old midfielder joins a host of young Brazilian talents to have been snapped up by Los Blancos in the last two years including the likes of Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo Goes. The Madrid powerhouse bought Vinicius from Flamengo in 2018 and Rodrygo from Santos in 2019.
Reinier only made his senior debut for Flamengo on July 31 last year but quickly emerged as one of the most promising attacking midfielders in South American football. He scored six goals in 14 league games for the Rio de Janeiro outfit and helped the club win the Brazilian league title as well as the Copa Libertadores last season.
The teenager's style of play has often been compared to Kaka, who is the last Brazilian to win the coveted Ballon d'Or in 2007, and it will be interesting to see how he evolves at the Santiago Bernabeu in the years to come.
#3 Giovani Lo Celso (Real Betis – Tottenham Hotspur, £30m)
Tottenham Hotspur made Giovani Lo Celso's loan move from Real Betis permanent by signing him on a deal worth around £30 million in the January transfer window.
The Argentina international joined the north London giants on a six-month loan spell last summer in a deal that included an option to make the transfer permanent. The club triggered that option at the same time Christian Eriksen's £16.9 million switch to Antonio Conte's Inter Milan was announced.
Lo Celso, who has scored two goals in 20 appearances for Spurs so far this season, signed a deal that will tie him to the Premier League club until 2025.
Jose Mourinho and his entourage would have had to pay £34million to make the midfielder's deal permanent in the summer, which was required if they secure a top-four finish.
Lo Celso's injuries saw him endure a slow start to life with Tottenham but he has shown positive signs in recent weeks and will hope to eventually become a long-term replacement for Eriksen.
#2 Dejan Kulusevski (Parma - Juventus, £30m)
Juventus secured the signing of Sweden midfielder Dejan Kulusevski from Atalanta in a deal worth around £30 million earlier this January.
The 19-year-old signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with the reigning Serie A champions but has returned on loan to Parma until the end of the season.
The teenager is serving a one-year loan spell at Parma and is enjoying a breakthrough campaign, having scored four goals and provided seven assists for the club so far this term.
He made his senior international debut for Sweden in November last year and his exploits for Parma look set to earn him a place in the country's Euro 2020 squad.
Kulusevski is a box-to-box midfielder known for his pace, passing range and physicality and prefers playing on the right to accommodate the lethal abilities he provides through his left foot.
It will be interesting to see how the former Atalanta man will integrate into Maurizio Sarri's already-strong Bianconeri squad once he concludes his loan deal this summer.
#1 Bruno Fernandes (Sporting Lisbon - Manchester United, £68m)
Manchester United completed the biggest transfer in the Premier League during the January window by signing Portuguese sensation Bruno Fernandes from Sporting Lisbon in a deal worth £68 million.
The 25-year-old midfielder, who scored 63 goals and contributed 52 assists in 137 appearances for Sporting, signed a five-and-a-half-year contract with the Premier League club, with an option to extend for a further year.
The Red Devils paid an initial fee of £47 million for the move but add-ons will take the overall tally to £67.7 million. Moreover, the Primeira Liga giants would receive supplementary bonuses if a host of conditions are met by the player.
United will pay an additional £4.2 million if they secure a Champions League berth, with a further £4.2 million subject to Fernandes' participation. They would also receive £8.46 million if the player reaches his new club's feasible targets and an additional £12.7 million if he can meet their more difficult aspirations.
Fernandes made his Manchester United debut at Old Trafford against Wolverhampton Wanderers over the weekend and it remains to be seen just how much his performances will influence his new club's fight for a top-four finish at the end of the season.
Also Read: Top 5 transfers in January: Looking at Europe's top five leagues
