What do Andrey Arshavin, Papiss Cisse, Luis Suarez, Fernando Torres, Christophe Dugarry and Pierre Emerick-Aubameyang have in common?
They were all big money deals in the January transfer window and made varying degrees of impact, although were largely successful.
That can’t be said for many a New Year purchase, however, because while January can be a time when some clubs catch a bargain and thrive, others simply panic buy.
The window has now been part and parcel of the football calendar since it was introduced in the Premier League in 2003 – Fifa’s insistence on limiting permanent moves during the season to a one-month period was grudgingly accepted by English football.
It’s pretty obvious that any transfer window can be just madness.
But for those Sbobet fans who love the thrill of deadline day, the 2019 version was a bit of an anti-climax.
Last year Manchester United appeared to get the beat deal of the month when they secured the signature of Alexis Sanchez in exchange from Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
Sanchez has only delivered in bursts for his new club, although gave them a reminder of his talents last week.
There was certainly no deal to match that scale this time around, even though Newcastle broke their club transfer record – for the first time in 14 years – to secure the talents of Paraguay playmaker Miguel Almiron from MLS side Atlanta United.
They also signed defender Antonio Barreca on loan from Monaco.
That was really as exciting as it got with confirmation that Jonny Castro had made his loan move from Atletico Madrid to Wolves on a permanent basis the next highest fee.
So is there any new recruit who can create some 2019 Premier League highlights?
Veteran Peter Crouch’s move to Burnley definitely caught some imagination and, with 108 Premier League goals, he is just one behind Romelu Lukaku and the now retired Ryan Giggs so could well have surpassed the now retired Welshman by the end of the season for what will surely be his swansong in the top flight of English football.
Arsenal’s loan capture of the lesser-known Suarez from Barcelona, Denis, hardly set pulses racing.
The midfielder has struggled for minutes this season, starting just twice in eight appearances, but will be hoping that will change as he reunites with Unai Emery, his former Sevilla boss, at the Emirates Stadium.
Leicester’s loan signing of Monaco midfielder Youri Tielemans could prove the most astute move of deadline day, while Michy Batshuayi’s loan move to Crystal Palace raised a few eyebrows, but that really was it.
Indeed, arguably the biggest story was the pending departure of Marouane Fellaini from Old Trafford to Chinese Super League club Shandong Luneng.
And once the clock struck 23.00 hours English time, that was that and the window was closed.
A total of £180 million was spent in January which, when you consider £150 million was sent on deadline day alone last season, shows how low-key it was – the first time there has been a fall in English football’s top flight since 2012.
That was 2019 Premier League news deadline day and, in truth, it was all a bit of a damp squib.
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