Football First Report’s best 2023 January transfer 11
1. Keylor Navas (GK) – Paris Saint-Germain to Nottingham Forest
A three-time UCL winner with Real Madrid, Navas is unbeatable on his day. He could be instrumental in guaranteeing Forest’s survival in the Premier League.
2. Pedro Porro (RB) – Sporting Lisbon to Tottenham Hotspur
One of the best attack-minded right-wing backs today. Antonio Conte has a proven track record of getting the most out of attacking wingbacks in his past teams (Perisic and Hakimi at Inter, Moses and Alonso at Chelsea).
3. João Cancelo (LB) – Manchester City to Bayern Munich
Arguably, the best fullback in the past season. Cancelo can play on either flank – RB and LB, and as an inverted wingback, sliding into the midfield with ease.
4. Benoît Badiashile (CB) – AS Monaco to Chelsea
Already looking sharp for Chelsea, Badiashile seems to have usurped the experienced Koulibaly. Under Silva’s tutelage, he could soon reach the upper echelons of the game and would be a suitable successor to the former.
5. Max Wöber (CB) – Redbull Salzburg to Leeds United
The Austrian looked solid in the Champions League for RB Salzburg in a relatively tough group. Leeds, while praised for their exciting pressing football, have looked leaky at times in the back. His positional versatility (CB, LB) combined with a decent range of passing makes him an ideal modern defender.
6. Enzo Fernández (CDM) – S.L. Benfica to Chelsea
Winner of the best young player in the World Cup, Enzo was instrumental in Argentina’s ascent to World Cup glory. A deep-lying midfielder with an impressive range of passing who is equally capable of protecting the back and making astute attacking runs, Enzo is arguably the best-rounded young midfielder in world football at the moment.
7. Azzedine Ounahi (CM) – Angers SCO to Olympique de Marseille
Ounahi was Morocco’s midfield maestro in the World Cup, rarely putting a foot wrong even against much more formidable teams. A good passer of the ball, he controls the tempo of the game and is skilled enough to glide past several opposing players.
8. Jorginho (CM) – Chelsea to Arsenal
While Jorginho was a divisive figure amongst Chelsea supporters, the former UEFA Men’s Player of the Year award winner could make the difference in Arsenal’s title charge. He dictates the tempo of the game with perfection, is positionally sound and rarely misses penalties.
9. Mykhailo Mudryk (LW) – Shakhtar Donetsk to Chelsea
A highly sought-after winger, Mudryk looked sharp in his debut against Liverpool after coming on as a substitute in the second half. He clocked in a top speed of 36.63 kph in the same game making him the fastest player in the Premier League this season. His pace combined with immaculate dribbling could prove to be the catalyst Chelsea needs to reinvigorate their top-four hopes this season.
10. João Félix (RW) – Atletico Madrid to Chelsea
Félix looked lively in his Chelsea debut, until the ill-fated red card. A press-resistant attacker who isn’t averse to accepting heavy challenges head-on, he could be deployed in a Havertz-like free role or could play as the second striker in potential up front pairings with Aubameyang or Datro Fofana.
11. Cody Gakpo (CF) – PSV Eindhoven to Liverpool
While Gakpo hasn’t hit the ground running at Liverpool, lest we forget, he had a Superb World Cup campaign. Largely deployed as a left winger at PSV, he is an excellent crosser of the ball. He played as a striker for the national team, showcasing his equally impressive goal-scoring prowess. Whether he will be redeployed in the wings or usurp a misfiring striker in Darwin Nunez remains to be seen.
Honourable mentions/substitutes:
1. Yann Sommer – Borussia Mönchengladbach to Bayern
2. Cristiano Ronaldo – Manchester United to Al-Nassr
3. Marcel Sabitzer – Bayern Munich to Manchester United
4. Memphis Depay – Barcelona to Atletico Madrid
5. Leandro Trossard – Brighton & Hove Albion to Arsenal
6. Weston Mckennie – Juventus to Leeds United
7. Arnaut Danjuma – Villarreal to Tottenham Hotspur
