Which of the top clubs in Europe had the best transfer winter?

January is usually quiet for transfers, but the Premier League’s winter spending in 2023 was unlike any other. An incredible €922 million was spent. Chelsea took the lead, with €311m spent on deadline day setting a new record.

Despite the break for the World Cup in Qatar and the ongoing economic crisis around the world, the teams once again put their hands in their pockets. But Chelsea spent more in January than all the Bundesliga, La Liga, Serie A and Ligue 1 clubs combined.

Enzo Fernandez: Benfica – Chelsea

By signing him in the summer for around 14 million euros, Benfica did what they always did and made a huge profit. Even they couldn’t imagine that the club would pay his €120m release clause in just a few months. The reason for this was his main role in the triumph of Argentina at the 2022 World Cup.

It’s entirely possible that Chelsea have signed one of the best midfielders of their generation, or they could have spent another €100m to bring in a young man who might not be able to handle the pressure. Let’s give them the right to doubt the assessment, but this is an impressive gamble.

Pedro Porro: Sporting LP – Tottenham

Sporting activated Porro’s €8.5m buyout clause after a two-year loan this summer and has now made huge profits as he pushed for a €45m buyout clause. Eventually, the loan ended before the end of the season, with an obligation to make it permanent in the summer. This is a traditional business approach from one of the best clubs in the transfer market.

Tottenham have spent big money to sign the 23-year-old right-back, which may please manager Antonio Conte, but far-sighted planning could have helped them avoid such a big outlay.

Jorginho: Chelsea v Arsenal

In just six months of his contract, Chelsea did well, earning a £10 million fee plus another £2 million in surcharges. But the club gives way to their London rivals and allows one of their most experienced players to leave.

Arsenal needed a midfielder and they made the smart choice of not spending £80m on Moises Caicedo’s contract. Instead, he chose Jorginho, a 31-year-old player who should provide the peace of mind that the Gunners will need if they want to end the season with the title.

Matt Doherty: Tottenham – Atlético

Once it became clear that Doherty was about to be usurped by Pedro Porro, it was wise to let him go. Eventually, the club announced that they had terminated his contract by mutual agreement.

Atlético achieved success by signing Kieran Trippier from in 2019. The club will therefore hope that the 31-year-old will have the same impact.

Keylor Navas: PSG – Nottingham Forest

The French champions have five goalkeepers on the team, and of these, Navas is the oldest (36) and probably the least important to their future plans. With Gianluigi Donnarumma firmly anchoring the club’s present and future, it made sense to find a new club for the veteran stopper and PSG settled the matter.

Meanwhile, Nottingham Forest have made numerous transfer moves since their return to the Premier League. But the goalkeeper was one of the positions where everything was pretty easy to solve. A serious injury to Dean Henderson meant the club needed to look to the market for a suitable replacement and Navas certainly has the experience, pedigree and skills needed to do the job.