Charlie Austin (from Queens Park Rangers to Southampton)
Southampton appears to have managed a coup by acquiring Charlie Austin from Queens Park Rangers for a mere £4m. The forward enjoyed a great season with the Rs in the Premier League in the 2014/15 season, but his goals couldn’t help them evade relegation to the Championship. He was linked with a move to several Premier League clubs in the summer but stayed at Loftus Road before the Saints bought him. The forward had a memorable debut for Ronald Koeman’s side as he scored the only goal in a 1-0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford.
Baye Oumar Niasse (from Lokomotiv Moscow to Everton)
Everton paid £13.5m to get their man from Lokomotiv Moscow. The prolific forward had scored 13 goals and registered a further ten assists from 23 games for his last team before moving to Goodison Park. The top dollar that the Toffees have paid and the good track record that Roberto Martinez has when it comes to developing young players means that he could turn out to be a great signing for Everton. The 25-year-old is adept at playing through the centre as well as on the wings and watching him in a team bursting with talented youngsters like Gerard Deulofeu, Romelu Lukaku, Ross Barkley and John Stones will be a pleasing sight for the Goodison Park regulars.
Seydou Doumbia (from Roma to Newcastle United)
Manchester City fans wouldn’t be having good memories of the Ivory Coast international. The Roma-owned forward picked out the Citizens for some special treatment in the 2014/15 Champions League campaign when he scored three times in two group stage matches that left the Manchester outfit’s European campaign hanging by a thread. His displays with CSKA Moscow ultimately earned him a move to Roma, but he failed to have a big impact in Serie A and now finds himself on loan to Newcastle United. Steve McClaren’s side are struggling and remain in the relegation zone despite heavy spending in the January transfer window. Doumbia is certainly a man they will look to get them the goals.
Giannelli Imbula (from Porto to Stoke City)
The new TV deal for the Premier League has meant that they now have a rich middle class. It has enabled Stoke City to pay £18.5m for the midfielder to take him to the Britannia Stadium. Steven N’Zonzi moved to Sevilla in the summer, leaving a gaping hole in the Potters’ midfield that wasn’t adequately filled and now the signing of Imbula has meant that Mark Hughes will be able to call upon a world class player in midfield.
Daniel Amartey (from FC Copenhagen to Leicester City)
Liverpool were apparently interested in the Ghana international, but ultimately it were the Premier League leaders who went ahead and did the business. The Foxes sit atop the league standings going into the final 14 games of the season and will hope that Amartey doesn’t take long to hit the ground running.