The January window is not renowned for being full of giddy excitement; last year the biggest mover was a kid joining Barcelona who is now on loan at Real Betis. Not one 2024 transfer made the list of 20 biggest January deals ever.

But that could all change in 2025 with Manchester United and Manchester City both needing to arrest some pretty terrible form.

Here are the biggest transfers in the world in January 2025:

A year on loan with Steven Gerrard at Al-Ettifaq from Al Nassr was more than enough for the Ivorian midfielder, who jumped at the chance to return to France with the Ligue Un mid-tablers. Had he not heard highest-paid footballer in the world Ronaldo declare the Saudi league to be stronger than the PSG parade?

No, not that Paulinho. Or that one. But the one-cap Brazilian striker and former Bayer Leverkusen flop who has joined the Brazilian giants for a tidy fee just two years after returning to Brazil on a free transfer.

It’s an MLS transfer record for the Togolese international striker (full name: Ahoueke Steeve Kévin Denkey) who was the Belgian Pro League top scorer of 2023/24.