Luis Diaz, Van de Beek and more: Paul Merson's top 5 Premier League transfer deals in January
The January transfer window came to a close this week, and we’ve witnessed some excellent business by several Premier League clubs. While the top six were busy embellishing their impressive squads, we saw a decidedly fierce squabble in the relegation zone as the Premier League’s strugglers looked to the transfer market to address their woes.
This was a particularly hard list to make because these January transfers count for nothing until May. Unless these signings produce, they don’t really mean anything. At this stage of the season, it’s all about hope.
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Premier League's relegation battle heats up as Newcastle spend big
If Newcastle don’t stay up, they’ve had the worst transfer window ever. They’re spending millions and their wage bill is unbelievable, but it will be worth it if they keep their place in the Premier League. They still aren’t safe though, and may well suffer relegation at the end of the season.
Premier League clubs have indulged in quite a few gambles in this transfer window, with about half the total amount spent on transfers paid by the bottom five. Here are my top five Premier League transfer picks in what was a thoroughly intriguing January transfer window.
#5 Kieran Trippier (Atletico Madrid to Newcastle United)
Newcastle weren’t at the bottom of the Premier League solely because their right-back wasn’t good enough, but I think this is a good signing. Kieran Trippier is an England international and has played for Atletico Madrid – a club that masterfully kept clean sheets in Europe.
Trippier will also be a very vocal presence in the dressing room. He brings a lot of experience with him and could make a difference behind the scenes as well. Of all the Newcastle United signings, Kieran Trippier stands out as the most important one.
#4 Donny van de Beek (Manchester United to Everton)
I felt sorry for Donny van de Beek at Manchester United. He never moaned and just got on with it. I think Manchester United have missed a trick here – he’s a very good player and I think he’ll be very successful at Everton.
Frank Lampard can get Van de Beek’s career going. He was a top player at Ajax but fell behind the eight-ball at Manchester United. At a club of that stature, you need to hit the ground running the minute you’re at the club, but he was never given a chance. If it wasn’t going right for United, he was always the first to come off.
The environment at Everton might suit him. They’re nowhere near as massive a club in the Premier League, and the expectations won’t be as big either. He’ll be able to relax and play the football he played at Ajax that got him to Manchester United in the first place.
#3 Luis Diaz (FC Porto to Liverpool)
This is an excellent piece of business by Liverpool. They’ve managed to get everything sorted in case Sadio Mane or Mohamed Salah don’t agree on a contract. I’m hoping neither player leaves and Liverpool will want to keep both of them, but Luis Diaz is a nice safety net to have.
Had Liverpool not signed Diaz, they could’ve been in a spot of bother at the end of the season. If Mane and Salah had gone for massive amounts with no viable replacement, anybody they go after would’ve come only at a hefty price. Liverpool have saved those extra digits at the end of Luis Diaz’s transfer fee by signing him in January.
Luis Diaz ticks all the boxes for Liverpool. He’s a good player with pace in abundance, but he’s unlikely to start ahead of the likes of Salah, Mane, and Jota in the Premier League at the moment. Liverpool’s style of play demands that their forwards work very hard, so it certainly won’t hurt to have a quality addition like Diaz in the squad.
#2 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Arsenal to Barcelona)
In second place on my list is a player who’s leaving the Premier League. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s move to Barcelona is a great piece of business for Arsenal.
They had to start somewhere, because it was the same old story every week with them. Arsenal have got a massive number off their wage bill, and they’ve rid themselves of a player who’s stood still for a season.
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Aubameyang’s gone to Barcelona – out of sight, out of mind. It’s not like he’s gone to Newcastle and will score 25 goals in the Premier League. No one really cares if he does that at Barcelona. This is a good deal for everybody.
Arsenal will have to make the most of the players they have at their disposal. They were never going to win the Premier League with Aubameyang and they’ve gone and changed things up – fair play to them. Arsenal play one game a week, and I think they can achieve their objectives with the current squad.
#1 Dele Alli (Tottenham Hotspur to Everton)
Dele Alli’s still a kid and I think he’s got a lot of potential. He’s going to play for someone who was the best in the world at what Dele Alli does – score goals from midfield.
This is a gamble of a signing and if it doesn’t work, Frank Lampard will get some criticism. But if it does work, there will be a lot of Premier League managers out there scratching their heads wondering why didn’t take the chance.
There’s only one Dele Alli – no one else in England plays like him. Everton will reap massive rewards if this works out. I like the confidence from Frank Lampard – he knows he can make Dele Alli a better player.
This is a signing that ticks all boxes for me. Dele Alli is 26 years old, and this is a real make-or-break situation for him. With Frank Lampard in charge, he could potentially become an absolute Premier League star at Everton and get back to what he was at Spurs.
Honourable Mentions
Philippe Coutinho (Barcelona to Aston Villa)
I like this transfer – I think Philippe Coutinho’s a great player for the Premier League. I don’t think this is as much a gamble as Dele Alli’s signing. If Coutinho’s transfer doesn’t work out, it doesn’t matter as much. I don’t think he can get back to what he was at Liverpool, but I do think he adds value to Steven Gerrard’s squad.
Wout Weghorst (VfL Wolfsburg to Burnley)
The jury’s still out on this transfer, but the message is clear from Burnley. They’re going to play gung-ho football. If Wout Weghorst scores 10 goals from now until the end of the season and Burnley stay up, this could be the best-ever January signing. There are so many questions for him to answer, however, because this is the Premier League.