Ranking every team's transfer window from worst to best

For a number of reasons, this was always going to prove to be one of the most quiet January Transfer Windows we've had now in some time and so it was proven. This made it a pretty difficult list to put together and come up with relevant justifications. Nonetheless, we go ahead with it:

20. Burnley

IN: None

OUT: None

We start things off with Burnley. Admittedly Burnley have picked up a bit of form in recent weeks and they looked to have put a good bit of distance between themselves and the relegation zone. However after a very quiet summer where they only made the one signing, with one of the thinnest squads in the league and having recently been taken over by an American investment firm, I think everyone around Burnley will be greatly disappointed that there weren't any in comings. The quiet summer was put down to the takeover not being completed; so what's the excuse for this? It leaves me with two conclusions. Either the new owners are using this strictly as a business, or they may be looking at another man other than Sean Dyche to take the club forward from the summer onward. Either way, I can't help but feel that trouble is on the horizon.

19. Sheffield United

IN: None

OUT: None

Just a place above their actual league standing, we find Sheffield United. After their win against the red side of Manchester and a dogged display against the blue side, there is a bit of hope in the Steel City once more. With the club unable to, or unwilling, to bring in any reinforcements you have to wonder if it might be too little too late. With a severe lack of goals in the team and others teams being able to pick up some promising attackers it feels like a bit of a missed opportunity. After a spending spree in summer, maybe the owners have decided to ensures there are no further losses from a looming relegation. This is probably sensible, but not a whole lot of fun really is it?

18. Newcastle United

In: Joe Willock (Arsenal) – Loan

Out: Rolando Aarons (Huddersfield) Undisclosed, DeAndre Yedlin (Galatasaray) Undisclosed

Will Mike Ashley ever change? Real struggles on the pitch and one of the few clubs who should count themselves extremely fortunate that there are no fans in the stadium right now. Ashley's solution to stop the rut and ease the frustrated fan base? Joe Willock on loan. Don't get me wrong, I actually quite like Willock as a player. But is this really the type of player needed to ensure your clubs Premier League survival? You'd be better off with Mighty Joe Young, who all joking aside is probably still more mobile than Andy Carroll these days. Fans will be, and quite frankly should be furious. Expect another "takeover bid" this summer that inevitably comes to nothing, as conveniently seems to happen whenever Ashley is at his most pressured.

17. Tottenham Hotspur

IN: None

OUT: Troy Parrott (Ipswich) Loan, Jack Clarke (Stoke) Loan, Harvey White (Portsmouth) Loan, Gedson Fernandes (Benfica) recalled from loan, Paulo Gazzaniga (Elche) Loan

Maybe this is personal bias here as a Spurs fan myself, but I'm putting them next. As is the way with Mourinho, he becomes very ruthless with his squad within the first year and he's managed to get rid of just one of the players he's blacklisted. The one that Mourinho himself signed, Gedson Fernandes, has been sent back to his parent club so he could be moved on to Galatasaray while Dele Alli and Danny Rose are seemingly destined to see out the rest of the season with the reserves unless there is a miraculous turn around in fortunes for the two. As two of the longest serving players and certainly at one time the most popular at the club, I cannot see how this will be good for morale within the changing room. I think Rose deserves a lot more respect for his service and I am certain Alli could still play a role in the team, particularly with Harry Kane out injured. But if you're going to decide you want nothing to do them, you have to make sure they're out the door. Both Mourinho and Levy have failed each other this window I'm afraid.

16. Leicester

IN: None

OUT: Demarai Gray (Bayer Leverkusen) Undisclosed, Islam Slimani (Lyon) Free, Filip Benkovic (OH Leuven) Loan, Matty James (Coventry) Loan

The next few now are those teams who don't have too much to write home about. Apart from some patchy home form, Leicester have been excellent this season. With Jamie Vardy seemingly back from injury imminently, there are plenty of reasons to think that maybe they'll be able to cling on to the Champions League Place they lost out on last year. Vardy's absence has however highlighted that his replacements may not quite be up to scratch. Perez and Iheanacho have scored 5 goals between them in 39 appearances this season. I would have liked to see Leicester aim to get someone of Josh King's stature in, or test Norwich's resolve for a short-term loan deal for Teemu Pukki in exchange for one of Perez or Iheanacho. I'm also personally disappointed to see the talented Demerai Gray leave for what I'm sure is a fraction of his actual worth.

15. Leeds United

IN: None

OUT: None

Leeds have been predictably unpredictable this season. Far too good to go down, but nowhere near good enough to challenge for Europe this season. Expect a finish somewhere between 8th - 12th. I possibly would have liked to have seem them get in a short-term centre back option along with making a serious bid for Daniel James as I think he will really flourish under Bielsa's high intensity style. But in reality, they don't need anyone right now. They'll strengthen in the summer and improve for sure.

14. Chelsea

IN: None

OUT: Fikayo Tomori (AC Milan) Loan, Danny Drinkwater (Kasimpasa) Loan, Lucas Piazon (Braga) Undisclosed, Baba Rahman (PAOK) Loan

Chelsea had a relatively quiet window, on the player front at least. I think they'll regret letting talented youngster Fikayo Timori head to Milan with an option to buy. But when you manage to ship off poor Danny Drinkwater to the depths of Turkey, it has to be seen as slightly successful. A special shout out to Lucas Piazon, the club's longest serving player, who finally left this window. He made a grand total of 3 Chelsea appearances since AVB signed him. University fees were still at £3,000 a year when he signed that's how long ago it was.

13. Brighton

IN: Moises Caicedo (Independiente del Valle) Undisclosed

OUT: Jayson Molumby (Preston) Loan, Bernardo (RB Salzburg) Loan, Mat Ryan (Arsenal) Loan, Glenn Murray (Nottingham Forest) Free

Brighton have seemingly pulled off quite a coup in signing Moises Caicedo. The Ecuadorian teenager looked destined for Old Trafford this January, showing the level of suitors for the promising youngster. He is tipped by some as being a long term replacement for Yves Bissouma who is linked with an exit in the summer, which shows the level of faith they have in Caicedo, but we will see. I think Brighton should probably have looked at bolstering their forward line too though. They did finally manage to secure a work permit for Percy Tau whom they signed back in 2018, but some support for Maupay at this crucial stage of their season would be very welcome I'm sure. The Seagulls are still very much in a fight for their Premier League safety.

12. Southampton

IN: Takumi Minamino (Liverpool) Loan

OUT: Josh Sims (Doncaster) Loan, Callum Slattery (Gillingham) Loan

Staying on the South Coast we have Southampton. Minamino will provide a bit of depth to a depleted Saints squad right now, and I think if anyone can get a tune out of the Japanese international, it's Hasenhuttl. Southampton would have liked to have got in some cover in the full back positions I'm sure so they'll be disappointed that this is the only business they got over the line.

11. Manchester City

IN: Filip Stevanovic (FK Partizan Belgrade) £7m

OUT: Filip Stevanovic (FK Partizan Belgrade) Loan, Taylor Harwood-Bellis (Blackburn) Loan, Jayden Braaf (Udinese) Loan

City sign a promising youngster, send a number of promising youngsters , including said youngster, on loan to gain experience. Not really much else to say. It's hardly like they need to improve right now does it?

10. Everton

IN: Josh King (Bournemouth) Undisclosed

OUT: Yannick Bolasie (Middlesbrough) Loan, Mattthew Pennington (Shrewsbury) Loan, Jonas Lossl (Midtjylland) Undisclosed, Jonjoe Kenny (Celtic) Loan, Anthony Gordon (Preston) Loan, Beni Baningime (Derby) Loan

We're starting to get to the slightly positive windows now. Everton managed to get rid of some deadwood from their squad such as Bolasie and Lossl, while sending young Anthony Gordon out for some experience at a good level with a good manager. They've also managed to secure a short-term deal for proven striker Josh King. King will provide a great option from the right wing, while also being able to stand in for Calvert-Lewin if the need comes. The only concern is that King has not scored a goal all season. Everton fans will still be haunted by the thought of Victor Anichebe shooting blanks all those years ago that they'll be desperate to avoid another.

9. Manchester United

IN: Amad Diallo (Atalanta) £20m

OUT: Jesse Lingard (West Ham) Loan, Timothy Fosu-Mensah (Bayer Leverkusen) £1.8m, James Garner (Nottingham Forest) Loan, Teden Mengi (Derby) Loan

United managed to snap up their number one target in the highly rated Amad Diallo relatively early this window, while also managing to secure a much needed move away for Jesse Lingard and guaranteeing some competitive minutes for highly rated youngster Teden Mengi. I'm sure whoever the Derby boss is, he won't be under any pressure at all to play him at all... The only downside I see to the window is the departure of Timothy Fosu-Mensah for a insultingly low fee. When you have Phil Jones sitting at home gurning and counting all the money United are still paying him, this seems like a bit of a kick in the teeth.

8. Fulham

IN: Josh Maja (Bordeaux) Loan

OUT: Stefan Johansen (QPR) Loan, Jean Michael Seri (Bordeaux) Loan, Neeskens Kebano (Middlesbrough) Loan, Aboubakar Kamara (Dijon) Loan, Maxime Le Marchand (Royal Antwerp) Loan

Strangely considering their league position, I've been pretty impressed with Fulham for the majority of the season. When I saw they were beginning the season with Denis Odoi and Tim Ream in their line-up, I thought the worst was inevitable. But they've improved defensively and the loan signings of Lookman and Loftus-Cheek in particular look inspired. It's hard to see where Fulham can improve, but bringing in ex-Sunderland man Josh Maja from Bordeaux may well end up being an great bit of business. With Mitrovic playing himself back into form and Cavaleiro being a handy option, Fulham look the most likely if any from the current bottom three to survive.

7. Wolves

IN: Willian Jose (Real Sociedad) Loan

OUT: Patrick Cutrone (Valencia) Loan

Who knew Wolves would miss Jimenez this much ehh? His quality has always been undeniable since he arrived in the Premier League, but it feels like he was really holding the team together after the departure of Jota and Doherty last summer. Well maybe not so much Doherty leaving as Nelson Semedo arriving but still. Wolves managed to secure the service of Willian Jose and by the looks of him so far, he's going to give Neto and Podence a much needed focal point. Wolves should have enough not to get dragged into a relegation scrap, so this will be the ideal time to allow Jose to settle in to the team and make a much better go of things again next season.

6. Aston Villa

IN: Morgan Sanson (Marseille) Undisclosed, Evan Ferguson (Bohemians) Undisclosed

OUT: Henri Lansbury (Bristol City) Free, Conor Hourihane (Swansea) Loan

Are Aston Villa any one else's second favourite team this season? They're playing some really great stuff this year, have a lot of likeable players and watching a team stick with their manager to reap the rewards is a lovely change of pace (I'm looking at you Chelsea). The signing of Morgan Sanson should provide some much needed cover for the impressive Douglas Luiz. But I think the departures of Henri Lansbury and Conor Hourihane, who were pivotal to the Villains returning to the Premier League two seasons ago, signifies a real changing of the guard and the upward momentum Villa are on right now.

5. Crystal Palace

IN: Jean-Philippe Mateta (Mainz) Loan

OUT: Max Meyer (released)

Maybe Palace are a little high in this list, but I'm taking a punt here and saying that Jean-Philippe Mateta may well end up being the signing of the window. The Frenchman has been playing well for Mainz this season, scoring 7 goals in 15 games. Palace have been crying out for a striker for a number of seasons, with Benteke, Ayew and Batshuayi just not quite being what the Eagles have needed. With Eze and Zaha either side of him, I'm putting my neck on the line and predicting Mateta may well end up being the answer. If he can hit the ground running and get somewhere near the stats he has so far this season, Palace can have a strong finish to the end of the season rather than their usual slump the moment they're safe. It's just a shame that the supremely talented Max Meyer didn't quite work out how I think we all wished.

4. West Ham United

IN: Jesse Lingard (Manchester United) Loan, Said Benrahma (Brentford) £20m, Frederik Alves (Silkeborg) Undisclosed

OUT: Sebastien Haller (Ajax) £20m, Robert Snodgrass (West Brom) Undisclosed, Winston Reid (Brentford) Loan

Even in these unpredictable times, who here thought that 2020 would be the resurgence of David Moyes? I sure hope this isn't one of the signs of the Apocalypse, but if it is, I have to give Moyes his dues. The permanent signing of Benrahma although expected, was necessary. I also can't help but think that the Hammers will be a great fit for Lingard. Don't expect him to start to many games, but I'm hoping his personal situation has improved enough to allow him to recapture some of his form from 2018. Getting Sebastian Haller out the door was unfortunately necessary despite his talent. And if Winston Reid provides the leadership and experience to finally get Brentford promoted, then we all owe Moyes a great thanks. All in all, a very good window for a settled team.

3. Liverpool

IN: Ben Davies (Preston) Undisclosed, Ozan Kabak (Schalke) Loan

OUT: Sepp Van Den Berg (Preston) Loan

Liverpool have done exactly what they needed to do in this window. It is probably a little late for my liking, but I really like both of these signings. Ben Davies looked certain to go to Celtic, but Liverpool's Sporting Director Michael Edwards managed to swoop in and secured his signature. Davies is a really good Championship centre back and I think he'll get by just fine if he has Fabinho sitting in front of him. Ozan Kabak has signed on a 6 month loan with no obligation to buy, but an option of €30 million seems like a snip for the coveted young Turk. With Upamecano in their sights for the summer, these two seem like the perfect holding players for the time being. Even if they flop, I have no doubt Edwards will sell them for triple what they're worth to some unsuspecting Prem team (See Ibe, Solanke, Brewster etc.)

2. West Brom

IN: Mbaye Diagne (Galatasaray) Loan, Robert Snodgrass (West Ham) Undisclosed, Andy Lonergan (Unattached) Free, Okay Yokuslu (Celta Vigo) Loan, Ainsley Maitland-Niles (Arsenal) – Loan

OUT: Charlie Austin (QPR) Loan, Rekeem Harper (Birmingham) Loan

West Brom may well be fighting a losing battle against relegation, but they're certainly throwing everything they can at their survival. They've appointed a self-titled 'survival specialist' and have made some really astute signings. I was impressed with Diagne in their recent draw with Fulham and Robert Snodgrass can provide a quality of delivery that a set-piece heavy team like West Brom are desperate for. Andy Lonergan is known as being a great character around the dressing room, and Ainsley Maitland-Niles could possibly provide a spark alongside Diangana and Pereira to win those tight games that they've managed to keep themselves in. Big Sam should probably have looked to strengthen his defence as they're conceding roughly about 3 goals a game at the moment, but I'm sure he's hoping the new faces brings out the best in everyone.

1. Arsenal

IN: Martin Odegaard (Real Madrid) Loan, Mat Ryan (Brighton) Loan, Omar Rekik (Hertha Berlin) Undisclosed

OUT: Mesut Ozil (Fenerbahce) Free, Sead Kolasinac (Schalke) Loan, William Saliba (Nice) Loan, Sokratis (released), Matt Macey (Hibernian) Undisclosed, Shkodran Mustafi (Schalke) Free, Ainsley Maitland-Niles (West Brom) – Loan, Joe Willock (Newcastle) – Loan

This was probably the easiest choice of the lot. Arsenal have got so many things wrong in past transfer windows, Willian looks like being just the latest example. But Edu and Arteta have done a great job in a window where it has been proven difficult to move bodies out. The biggest deal by a mile was getting Mesut Ozil out the door. The whole circus around it can not have been helping anyone around the club, including Ozil himself. As I mentioned earlier about Spurs, if you're going to blackball players, you have to get them out the door. They've managed that with 4 players this window in Ozil, Kolasinac, Sokratis and Mustafi, while also taking the heat off Arteta for his treatment of new boy William Saliba by shipping him out to Nice on loan. Adding a keeper of any sort was important, as quite frankly it would be a compliment to describe their other goalkeeper, Runar Runarsson, as being blessed with lettuce wrists. That's how poor this lad's handling seems to be. And in Martin Odegaard they have a really solid second option in the Number 10 role to the ever impressive Emilie Smith-Rowe. Odegaard has all the talent in the world, and his form at Real Sociedad last season shows promise that he may be able to live up to some of they hype attached to him as a teenager. All in all, it was pretty much a perfect window for a Gunners side who are starting to show signs of gelling together and making a push for those European places.

Let me know what you think about your team's window in the comments down below