As the window slammed shut on Monday evening (Jan 31), there was a flurry of activity that saw not only playing personnel heading to pastures new as Everton confirmed Frank Lampard as their new manager.
“It is a huge honour for me to represent and manage a club the size and tradition of Everton Football Club,” said Lampard. “I’m very hungry to get started.”
He wasted no time in bringing in fresh talent with Donny Van de Beek joining on loan from Manchester United and Dele Alli arriving on a free transfer from Tottenham. Two very talented players with respective points to prove and it will be interesting to see whether Lampard can coax one or both back into form.
Lampard wasn’t the only new managerial appointment as Watford managed to lure back Roy Hodgson to the game to replace the sacked Claudio Ranieri.
Hodgson has a wealth of experience with a managerial record that stretches back almost 50 years although, at a grand old age of 74, only time will tell whether he still has what it takes to help save the Hornets from the drop.
Amid all the frantic dealings, the most heart warming news was Christian Eriksen signing for Brentford on a short-term deal until the end of the season. The Dane suffered a cardiac arrest on the pitch while playing for his country at Euro 2020 last June and it was feared he would never play again.
The 29-year-old left Inter Milan in December by mutual consent as implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICDs) are not permitted in Italian football.
However, there are no such limitations in the Premier League, allowing Eriksen to return to England, where he spent nearly seven years with Tottenham.
“At his best, Christian has the ability to dictate games of football. I expect him to have an impact in the dressing room and at the training ground,” said Brentford boss Thomas Frank, who worked with Eriksen while in charge of Denmark’s Under-17s earlier in their careers.
The busiest club during the window was Newcastle United, no great surprise given that they are now the richest club side in world football but currently find themselves precariously positioned near the relegation trap door.
The long-term plan outlined by the club’s new Saudi owners did not entail life outside of the Premier League and it is therefore imperative they remain in the top flight. As such, the aquisitions made by manager Eddie Howe seem sensible and capable of achieveing that outcome.
Kieran Trippier is an astute signing, the £15 million (B670mn) defender a regular in the England squad who won La Liga last season at Atletico Madrid and whose game developed greatly under the wiley tutorship of manager Diego Simeone. Dan Burn and Matt Targett will add further defensive strength.
Brazilian Bruno Guimaraes is the kind of defensive midfielder the club has been crying out for and at £40mn from Lyon he becomes their joint record signing.
Chris Wood might not be a head-turning arrival but he has consistently delivered double-digit hauls for Burnley in recent seasons. Also his depature weakens Burnley who also find themselves in relegation trouble.
In response, Burnley signed Dutch international forward Wout Weghorst from VfL Wolfsburg for a reported £12mn fee.
Elsewhere, Spurs completed the double signings of Swedish international forward Dejan Kulusevski and Uruguayan midfielder Rodrigo Bentancur from Juventus after boss Antonio Conte had made it clear in recent weeks that fresh blood was required.
Spurs’ rivals Arsenal had a quiet transfer window with the only notable piece of business seeing striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang complete his free transfer to Barcelona. He had been marginalised from the squad in recent weeks by manager Mikel Arteta after a series of disciplinary issues.
Aston Villa did their business early in the window, bringing in former Liverpool star Philippe Coutinho on loan from Barcelona and former Everton left back Lucas Digne.
Premier League leaders Manchester City signed forward Julian Alvarez for a reported £14mn, but the Argentine will remain with River Plate on loan until at least July.
Liverpool beat Spurs to the signature of Porto’s Luis Diaz with the Colombian winger arriving at Anfield for £50mn.
“He is an outstanding player and someone we’ve been tracking for a very long time,” said a delighted Reds’ manager Jurgen Klopp once the deal was sealed.