January transfers you might have missed, from a Champions League record holder to Lionel Messi’s former teammate | OneFootball

The January transfer market has arrived once again, providing managers with an opportunity to strengthen their squads by bringing in new players mid-season.

Although the window is less than two weeks old and activity is often relentless, there have still been some noteworthy moves that may have gone unnoticed.

Here are several transfers that have taken place so far that you might have missed.

Philip Billing

You never know what surprises the football gods have in store for you. Philip Billing, who has made 10 appearances for Bournemouth this season, totalling 176 minutes, will finish this campaign at Napoli. He might even end up with a Serie A winners’ medal, given the current standing of Antonio Conte’s team. Having joined Bournemouth from Huddersfield in 2019, the five-time Danish international becomes the latest player to transition from Premier League football to southern Italy, following in the footsteps of Scott McTominay, Romelu Lukaku, and Billy Gilmour, who made similar moves in the last transfer window. Additionally, last year, Hamed Junior Traoré also joined Napoli from Bournemouth on loan, while Leander Dendoncker made a comparable temporary switch while on Aston Villa’s books.

Ben Godfrey

Ben Godfrey makes an immediate return to Premier League football with Ipswich Town, who need all the help they can get to avoid relegation after a more than two-decade wait to play in England’s top division. Godfrey, who notably played for East Anglian rivals Norwich City and Everton, had initially left Goodison Park last summer to join Europa League holders Atalanta. However, he saw very little playing time there, making just one league appearance totalling 22 minutes and two Champions League outings amounting to 17 minutes. He made his Ipswich debut in their successful FA Cup third-round win over Bristol Rovers, but The Tractor Boys have signed him on loan with the hope that he can make a significant impact in the Premier League.

Enzo Le Fée

There was a great deal of excitement when Roma acquired the services of Enzo Le Fée last summer, after the 24-year-old midfielder had long impressed at his boyhood club, Lorient. However, after making only six Serie A appearances for the Giallorossi, it was decided that he would continue his development with a loan move to Sunderland. The Black Cats are seeking a return to Premier League action, currently sitting fourth in the Championship table, just two points adrift of second place, which guarantees automatic promotion.

Rubén Vargas

Rubén Vargas concludes a four-and-a-half-year tenure with Augsburg, scoring 22 goals in 161 appearances across all competitions. The 50-time Swiss international is set to join Sevilla, a club currently undergoing a rebuilding phase after narrowly avoiding relegation last season. Despite their history as record winners of the Europa League, Sevilla finds itself struggling in the mid-table of Spain’s league, with recent performances yielding inconsistent results.

Diego Gómez

Few can say they’ve played alongside Lionel Messi and Danny Welbeck, but Diego Gómez will soon be able to. Gómez spent two seasons at the Major League Soccer outfit, during which Inter Miami underwent a remarkable transformation. He is now moving on to new opportunities. Brighton have recently made a habit of bringing talented South American footballers into their ranks, allowing them to shine in England’s top division. The hope is that Gómez will follow this path as well.

Sébastien Haller

Sébastien Haller holds the Champions League record for scoring 10 goals in the fastest amount of time. In the old six-game group phase, only he and Cristiano Ronaldo can say they’ve scored in each round. Haller achieved this remarkable feat while at Ajax, which caught the attention of Borussia Dortmund. His return to Germany was marred by illness, but he soon overcame it. Initially sent out on loan to Leganés this season, that arrangement was cut short, and the Ivorian will finish the 2024/25 season in familiar territory as he returns to FC Utrecht. During his previous spell there, he scored 30 goals across 65 league appearances, many of which came under the leadership of Erik ten Hag.

Emmanuel Agbadou

Currently, the Premier League team with the worst defensive record is Wolves, who have conceded 45 goals over 20 matches. It’s no surprise that they are looking to strengthen their defence by signing a centre-back. They have acquired Ivorian centre-back Emmanuel Agbadou from Stade Reims, where he previously served as captain before making the move. Agbadou has made a promising start in his new environment, winning on his debut in the FA Cup, although Wolves once again conceded a goal to Championship side Bristol City. In this match, Agbadou was part of a back-three alongside Matt Doherty and Hugo Bueno. However, it remains uncertain what Vítor Pereira’s defensive lineup will look like when they resume their campaign to stay in the Premier League.

Jacob Bruun Larsen

Big things were promised when Jacob Bruun Larsen finally broke through at Borussia Dortmund, but he managed only three goals in 41 appearances before moving on to Hoffenheim. From there, he had loan spells at Anderlecht and Burnley. He has now bid farewell to Hoffenheim and returned to Stuttgart, where he briefly enjoyed a temporary spell during his formative years.

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