Top trading madenss of EPL: Bottom-rung teams does more action

Biggest impact on the relegation battle: Kostas Mitroglou

Not only have Fulham introduced the forceful scoring of a Champions League forward, but they beat teams around them to sign the Greek





Biggest Question: Why didn’t Arsenal sign a striker?

With Olivier Giroud’s scoring rate falling and Theo Walcott injured, it remains surprising Arsène Wenger didn’t push harder to get an extra goalscorer.





Best Deal: Lewis Holtby

The difficulty most clubs had was solving an obvious problem in their squad. Many failed, especially at the top end. Fulham, however, seemed to fix a few issues in one signing. Going into January, Rene Meulensteen required younger players, more pace, greater industry in midfield and greater guile to take pressure off the worst defence in the division. Lewis Holtby provides of all that, plus higher quality. The fact a Champions League-chasing player was prepared to drop down to the relegation battle makes it even more of a coup.

Honourable Mentions: Nemanja Matic (Chelsea), Scott Dann (Crystal Palace)
Most Frustrated Club: Liverpool

For a long time it seemed as if this would be West Ham United, but Sam Allardyce eventually managed to make five signings. Liverpool couldn’t manage one, despite very public attempts. The nature of the attempts also exposed a few problems with their approach. In one move, they were outbid by a wealthier club in Chelsea, despite trailing Mohamed Salah for far longer. The wider issue is that one of the top-scoring teams in Europe spent too long working on the attack, rather than the second worst defence in the top half of the Premier League.

Most Surprising Move: Juan Mata

It may be a week old but the questions remain fresh, particularly in light of how the window ended. Why did Jose Mourinho surrender an elite player to a struggling rival? Why did Manchester United’s only purchase come in a position they didn’t need in pure football terms? There’s no disputing Mata has provided a lift at Old Trafford, or that he will improve the team. The main issue remains: will they get the best out of him given the problems in midfield? That is why there is still a doubt about an otherwise dazzling purchase. For Chelsea, was the sale a wise decision?

Honourable Mentions: Kostas Mitroglou (Fulham), David Ngog (Swansea City)



Most revealing figure: 22

This is not a fee, but the difference between the number of signings the top seven made and those made by the bottom seven. The elite clubs brought in just six senior players, the struggling teams 28.