The January transfer window isn't as hectic nor does it tend to see as many big money deals like what transpires during the summer. However, over the past decade there are key instances where big clubs have elected to jump at the opportunity of signing players during the winter, no matter the hefty price tag.
There's a variety of reasons why the January window doesn't see as many blockbuster moves. A major one is player price tags go up given squads would be disrupted midseason and with the shortened window, there's not a lot of time to maneuver and find replacements.
Loan moves or lower value signings to fill immediate needs halfway through the season tend to be more associated with the winter window. Nevertheless, there are still a healthy amount of examples of clubs breaking the bank for a player in January, with some of the biggest transfers in the sport taking place during the first month of the year.
With the 2025 January transfer window open, we look back at the five most expensive January transfers of all time, with perhaps more to come during the remainder of the month.
