January Transfer Window Recap: Which Clubs Came Out on Top?
The January transfer window is often quieter than its summer counterpart, but this year proved just how impactful mid-season signings can be. As teams gear up for the crucial second half of the campaign, the right additions have already made a noticeable difference. We’ve identified three clubs that, in our view, made the most of the winter window.
Aston Villa
Aston Villa’s season was lit up by a memorable Champions League run, which came to an end on Tuesday night in a thrilling quarter-final clash with PSG. To ensure those European nights continue next season, however, the club needed to sharpen their domestic form. In response, Unai Emery strengthened his squad with five new signings during the January window - a move that has paid off, with Villa’s points-per-game average rising from 1.5 to 1.9 since the turn of the year.
Aston Villa made their biggest statement late in the transfer window by adding attacking firepower. Marcus Rashford and Marco Asensio arrived late in the window to join fellow January signing Donyell Malen, and the trio has since injected Villa’s frontline adding scoring, athleticism and work rate. Since February, the team’s goal output has increased from 1.48 to 1.67 per game—or 1.88 if excluding the Wolves match, which both Rashford and Asensio missed.
Malen and Asensio netted three goals each, earning shooting grades of 74.6 and 71.3 respectively. Asensio has been especially impactful with his off-ball positioning, ranking second in the league for passes received in clear scoring chances per 90 (0.81) and seventh in line-breaking passes received (7.3).
Malen’s 52 accelerations per 90 leads the team since his arrival and ranks 23rd in the league, adding dynamism and movement in the front three. Asensio also proved that he is willing to work hard for his team, leading the side in both total distance covered per 90 (10.7 km) and high-speed running distance (0.81 km), ranking among the top five attacking midfielders league-wide in both categories.
Rashford, while scoring only once, has contributed to his side’s attacking prowess with his playmaking. His 17 passes into dangerous areas rank fifth on the team, including three that led to clear chances—second-best in the squad. He’s also been a threat from wide positions, completing six crosses into dangerous areas and taking set pieces. Physically, Rashford has brought explosive athleticism as he tops the team in max speed (33.78 km/h), sprinting distance per 90 (0.39 km), and sprints per match (26.3).
Lastly, while not the most high-profile of Villa’s January arrivals, Axel Disasi has been the most heavily used, clocking 541 minutes across six appearances since joining to reinforce the backline after Diego Carlos’ departure. His primary contribution has been as a composed and reliable ball-playing defender. Disasi leads the team with 11 progressive passes - these are forward passes that break the opposition’s midfield or defensive lines. Impressively, he’s managed this without putting his side at risk, with none of those passes leading to dangerous situations for the opposition.
Manchester City
Manchester City made a major splash in the January transfer window, spending over £180 million to bring in six new players. Early signs suggest the investment is paying off. Since January, City have averaged 1.85 points per game to improve on the 1.63 recorded before the window.
Their goal-scoring rate has also jumped, rising from 1.68 goals per game to 2.31, a +0.5 increase largely driven by the arrival of Omar Marmoush from Frankfurt for £62 million. Since the start of February, the Egyptian forward has netted six goals, second only to fellow countryman Mohamed Salah, and all without the aid of penalties.
Marmoush’s success stems from his ability to consistently get into dangerous areas, thanks to a blend of intelligent movement, dynamic ball carrying, and relentless pressing. He currently receives 6.4 passes per 90 minutes in threatening positions (2nd in the Premier League) and completes 1.3 carries into those zones (5th in the Premier League). Additionally, he applies 1.3 pressures per 90 that lead to dangerous moments (6th in the Premier League). His speed makes these chances possible, as he averages 340 metres of sprint distance per 90, the highest of any Manchester City player.
Once in position, Marmoush has shown sharp finishing ability, particularly with his right foot. He leads the league with five "unsavable" shots since February and boasts a shooting grade of 84.5 with his right foot (6th among centre-forwards).
Feeding Marmoush is fellow January signing Nico González. The Galician midfielder joined from Porto for £50 million, filling the void left by Rodri’s season-ending injury. Since arriving, González has quickly adapted to City’s possession-heavy system, averaging 77 touches per 90 minutes (4th most in the Premier League). On the ball, he's progressive and incisive, recording six line-breaking carries (5th most since February) and 43 line-breaking passes (10th most since February). He’s also proving valuable defensively, with 14 blocked passes (2nd most since February).
Defensively, centre-back Abdukodir Khusanov has rotated in and out of the starting XI but has already showcased the athleticism that made him such an exciting prospect. He currently ranks 1st among all Premier League centre-backs for sprint distance and accelerations on a per-90 basis, underlining his physical upside. By contrast, fellow defensive signing Victor Reis has only featured for two minutes so far, so his impact remains to be seen.
Khusanov’s phsyical metrics from his time at RC Lens comapred to Centre Bakcs in the Premier League 🔎
Wolverhampton Wanderers
Wolves underwent a significant transformation in the winter transfer window after a poor start to the season - just 9 points from 16 games under Gary O’Neil, leaving them 19th and staring down relegation. In response, they made a bevy of moves: appointing Vítor Pereira as manager and spending £42 million in January - the highest amount in the Premier League behind only Manchester City. Their focus was to shore up the league’s most leaky defense at the time (1.25 goals against per game) and inject new life into the squad.
They brought in center-back Emmanuel Agbadou and midfielder/winger Marshall Munetsi from Reims, along with defender Nasser Djiga from Red Star Belgrade. While Djiga has featured minimally, the Reims duo have played central roles in Wolves' revival, with the club collecting 26 points from their next 16 matches, nearly tripling their point total from the first half of the season.
With summer signing Yerson Mosquera sidelined and a tactical shift to a three-at-the-back system, Wolves acted swiftly to bring in Agbadou early in the window. His physicality and composure have brought much-needed stability to the backline. He’s won an outstanding 20 out of 20 50/50 duels, and his 75.8 challenge grade ranks third on the team, behind fellow defenders Matt Doherty and Toti Gomes. When all three have started, Wolves have conceded just 1.0 goal per game.
Beyond his defensive contributions, Agbadou has played a key role in building possession from the back. Since February, he’s averaged 7.01 line-breaking passes per game (fifth among all center-backs) and 6.03 passes per game breaking the attacking line, tied for fourth in the league among his peers. His 27.6 passes under pressure per match (third-most league-wide) highlight his composure and intent to retain possession rather than resort to clearances. This combination of defensive resilience and ball progression has been vital to Wolves' resurgence.
Munetsi, meanwhile, has brought dynamism and relentless energy to the front line. In addition to averaging 10.82 km per game (most on Wolves and third in the league), he’s also topping the league in high-speed distance covered (1.0 km per game). His work rate has boosted the Wolves pressing game. With 58.9 pressures per match (4th in the league), including 22.13 in the final third (3rd) and 26.88 in the middle third (4th), he’s constantly disrupting opposition buildup, blocking 14 passes (2nd) in doing so. Additionally, 1.63 of his pressures per game directly led to turnovers in dangerous positions, ranking 2nd and 0.98 of his pressures led to inaccurate clearances by the defender, also ranking 2nd.
He’s also shown flashes of attacking promise, registering five shots from clear chances—second-most in the league over that span. Though he’s only converted one (earning a 57.4 shooting grade), his intelligent movement and positioning suggest more goals may be on the horizon.
This article was crafted using PFF FC data. If you're affiliated with a club, media outlet, or agency and would like to explore its capabilities, feel free to contact us at sales-fc@pff.com to arrange a demo.