3 Biggest Winners & Losers From the January Transfer Window

The January transfer window has closed its doors for clubs in the Premier League. Teams will now need to wait until the summer to make transfers (excluding free transfers) – who has positioned themselves in the strongest stead?

Today, we’ll be looking at the three biggest winners and losers in the Premier League over the course of the January transfer window. Two of the big six have made it into this list – for better or for worse.

Winners

Fulham

Fulham’s January window was relatively quiet, but nonetheless successful. The Cottagers were in a decent position prior to the transfer window – nevertheless, they’ve undoubtedly come out of it as a stronger outfit.

They made just one signing in January – they snapped up Oscar Bobb from Manchester City for a fee of £27 million. For such a talented young star, this asking price could prove to be a real bargain in the future.

Furthermore, they were also able to offload Adama Traore – Traore is a fine footballer, but he was a square peg in a round hole in Marco Silva’s system.

Sunderland

Fulham’s transfer window was quietly successful – Sunderland’s was also successful, but it certainly wasn’t quiet. The Black Cats completed three incomings and a total of 15 outgoings over the course of January, making them one of the window’s busiest clubs.

Perhaps the best signing they made during the window was Nilson Angulo. A young, skilful winger from Anderlecht, he looks like a very exciting addition to an already-strong squad.

The former Rokermen have also managed to reduce the size of their bloated squad, sending plenty of players who aren’t getting regular game time out on loan.

Manchester City

The undisputed champions of the 2026 January transfer window are, without a shadow of a doubt, Manchester City. No other clubs have made major business in the same way that the Sky Blues have over the last month.

They managed to snap up Marc Guehi, one of the best defenders in the league, for a mere £20 million – before this, they also got their hands on Bournemouth’s Antoine Semenyo for £64 million.

Pep Guardiola’s men have fallen behind substantially in the Premier League title race – it appears that they’re ready to do everything in their power to keep the heat on Arsenal.

Losers

Tottenham Hotspur

It’s easy to see why Tottenham fans are so dismayed with their club’s performance in the January transfer window. They had clear and obvious issues in the squad heading into January – only a few of them have been addressed.

Bringing Conor Gallagher to Spurs was a smart move, but it wasn’t enough. The likes of James Wilson, Mason Melia and Souza are all positive signings for the future, but the Lilywhites need players who are ready to hit the ground running.

Spurs’ inclusion in this list is all about the wider context. They are 14th in the Premier League table, with the European spots now well out of sight – Tottenham fans certainly expected more activity in the previous month that what was delivered.

Burnley

Burnley’s January transfer window effectively sealed their fate. The Clarets desperately needed quality in the window – their board showed very little ambition in terms of bolstering the squad.

Scott Parker’s men made one incoming signing in January, when they signed James Ward-Prowse on loan from West Ham United.

They didn’t lose any of their best players, but their top stars are not attracting many major suitors at the moment either.

Newcastle United

Newcastle United’s poor performance in the January transfer window – and the summer transfer window before it – is just downright confusing. The Toon have plenty of money to throw around, but they made no incoming signings during January.

They are handicapped by FFP regulations, but it still seems odd that they were unable to make a single signing – especially when you harken back to the mega-money deal that saw Alexander Isak move to Liverpool in the summer.

The Mags haven’t been enjoying a particularly fruitful season, either – they currently sit 11th in the Premier League table.