Enzo Fernandez, Leandro Trossard and Mykhailo Mudryk verdicts – January 2023’s biggest Premier League signings rated and slated
Premier League clubs are getting ready to splash the cash yet again in January in what promises to be another hectic winter window.
A record-breaking summer saw top flight clubs spend over £2.36billion on new players - almost as much as Europe's other 'big five' leagues combined.
But English teams have their work cut out if they wish to break the record for money spent in the January market.
That was set last season, with clubs forking out £815m - nearly double the previous record of £430m from the 2017/18 term.
Chelsea were the biggest spenders, as they coughed up almost £300m on eight players as co-owner Todd Boehly flexed his financial muscle.
And the Blues are expected to be active again in 2024, with boss Mauricio Pochettino making no secret of his desire for fresh recruits.
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Five of their January signings were in the top ten for base transfer fees, but how have they fared? Have they been hits or costly misses?
As the 2024 winter market opens, marvelbet369.com have rated and slated the biggest movers from the previous January transfer window in 2023.
1. Enzo Fernandez - Benfica to Chelsea - £106.8m
The Argentine midfielder made the move to Stamford Bridge in a British-record deal on the back of winning the World Cup in Qatar.
But he was unable to inspire the west Londoners to a top ten finish last season, despite being one of their top performers.
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He has struggled so far this campaign with Chelsea tenth in the table, and a dip in performances has seen him lose his starting XI place with Moises Caicedo and Conor Gallagher preferred instead.
It took Fernandez until December 3 to grab his first Premier League goals with a double against Brighton, with the 22-year-old winning just nine out of 34 games in the competition so far.
Undoubtedly a talented player but yet to justify his whopping price tag, the World Cup winner hasn't proven to be money well spent so far.
Verdict: MISS
2. Mykhailo Mudryk - Shakhtar Donetsk to Chelsea - £62m
Another mega-money transfer, Chelsea will have to pay the Ukrainian outfit £88m should add-ons be met.
In what was the biggest January saga, the winger looked to be heading to Arsenal, only for their London rivals to hijack the deal.
And judging by the 22-year-old's inconsistent performances in England, the Gunners may be happy they missed out.
A dazzling debut against Liverpool gave Chelsea fans belief they had finally found their Eden Hazard replacement, but he ended the 2022/23 campaign with no goals and just two assists in 17 matches.
From as many matches in the Premier League so far this term, he has fared slightly better - chipping in with three goals and two assists.
Similar to Fernandez, it's clear Mudryk is a gifted footballer, however he is taking his time into settling into the Premier League, which is something Chelsea cannot afford.
Verdict: MISS
3. Anthony Gordon - Everton to Newcastle - £40m
The England youth international forced a move out of Goodison Park last January after effectively going on strike as he refused to attend training.
Protracted negotiations eventually saw the Magpies agree to a deal rising to £45m, and the winger has proved to be one of their key players.
Many doubted his price tag having scored just seven goals in 78 matches for the Toffees, and a slow start to life at St James' Park meant Gordon had to wait for the final day of last season away at Chelsea to score his first Toon goal.
But he has been a man possessed ever since being named Player of the Tournament as he helped the Young Lions to European Under-21 Championship glory in the summer, having gone on to reach six goals and six assists for Newcastle this season.
He scored winners in victories over Arsenal and Manchester United, while has has also fired in against Liverpool and Chelsea.
Should his purple patch continue, Gordon will give Gareth Southgate a headache over his senior England squad selection for Euro 2024.
Verdict: HIT
4. Cody Gakpo - PSV to Liverpool - £37m
The 24-year-old was on Man United's radar as Erik tern Hag looked to lure his Dutch compatriot to Old Trafford.
But Liverpool swooped in to secure his services, with his switch to Merseyside to potentially rise to £45m.
Able to operate on either wing or down the middle, Gakpo ended last season with seven goals for Liverpool.
He has already matched that total this campaign, along with three assists, as he competes with Darwin Nunez, Luis Diaz and Mohamed Salah for a starting spot.
He has already won over the Anfield faithful with his work-rate, technical ability and humility off the pitch and has so far proven to be another bargain buy for the Merseysiders.
Verdict: HIT
5. Benoit Badiashile - Monaco to Chelsea - £35m
The French centre-back barely put a foot wrong last season, with the 22-year-old forging a strong partnership alongside Thiago Silva.
Despite Chelsea suffering 16 league defeats, Badiashile featured in just two of those losses, with the club failing to win in all ten games he failed to feature in.
Injuries have restricted him to just eight matches in all competitions this term, with the defender competing with Silva, Levi Colwill and Axel Disasi.
Due to his lack of match action, mistakes have crept into his game, with Badiashile guilty of a horror gaffe that gifted Newcastle the lead in their Carabao Cup quarter-final clash.
Luckily for the youngster, Chelsea advanced into the next round following a penalty shootout win to spare Badiashile's blushes.
But should he start more regularly, he will almost certainly return to last season's form.
Verdict: HIT
5. Georginio Rutter - Hoffenheim to Leeds - £35m
Leeds snapped up the French starlet on a club-record deal in the hope his goals would be steer them to safety.
But in 11 league outings, he failed to get on the score sheet as the Whites dropped back down into the Championship.
However the 21-year-old has starred in the second-tier - chipping with four goals and nine assists.
The Yorkshire giants currently sit in fourth spot - nine points off the automatic places - with Daniel Farke's side looking to secure an instant return to the Premier League.
And, should they earn promotion, Rutter will be expected to perform better than last time after having a full season of English experience under his belt.
Verdict: HIT
7. Noni Madueke - PSV to Chelsea - £30m
Not a guaranteed starter at Chelsea, the ex-Tottenham youth star has been limited to just 23 matches since joining due to injury and competition in his position.
But while the right winger has only scored four times, he has impressed when given the opportunity to showcase his talent.
Seen as a long-term investment, he is currently behind Raheem Sterling in the pecking order under Mauricio Pochettino.
But the 21-year-old has ended 2023 with goals in back-to-back games in the Premier League in victories over Crystal Palace and Luton, and should he maintain that form into 2024 there is every chance he can force his way back into the starting XI.
Verdict: HIT
8. Leandro Trossard - Brighton to Arsenal - £27m
Arsenal turned to the versatile Belgian after missing out on Mudryk, with the hope that Trossard could help them secure their first league title since 2004.
But after leading the table for 248 days, the Gunners ultimately came up short as they finished five points behind champions Manchester City.
However, Trossard was one of their consistent performers, as he contributed to 11 goals - scoring once and providing ten assists.
Only Bukayo Saka [11] ended last season with more assists than the 29-year-old.
Used predominantly off the bench as an impact player, Trossard has managed six goals and two assists this campaign, with his late equaliser against City helping Arsenal win the Community Shield in August.
Verdict: HIT
9. Malo Gusto - Lyon to Chelsea - £26.3m
The fifth and final Chelsea player in the top ten list, Gusto only linked up with the Blues this summer after he was loaned back out to Lyon.
And the 20-year-old may not have expected to play so much already, with the French full-back benefiting from Reece James' repeated setbacks.
A constant threat down the right flank with his pace and willingness to get past his man, Gusto has hardly put a foot wrong early in his Chelsea.
With James out with a recurrence of his hamstring, Gusto looks set to have an extended run in the team.
Verdict: HIT
10. Illia Zabarnyi - Dynamo Kyiv to Bournemouth - £24m
An ankle injury saw the Ukrainian centre-back fail to make his Cherries debut until April.
After getting back to full fitness, he started the final three games of the season - all of which were defeats - as Bournemouth managed to beat the drop.
But despite the results, the 21-year-old impressed, and has continued to do so this season.
He has been an ever-present figure in the heart of defence under Andoni Iraola as the south coast side sit 12th in the table.
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And it should come as no surprise that Zabarnyi is already being linked with a move away, with Tottenham reportedly admirers of the 32-cap international.
Verdict: HIT
