The January transfer window came to a close on Monday night and, as always, it proved to be a busy period across Europe’s top leagues. However, a league that has been particularly active, with two of its teams in the top 10 spenders worldwide in AC Milan and Como, is Serie A.
Aside from the large transfer fees, there were several interesting signings made by Italian clubs. With that being said let’s take a look at the five Serie A signings who could make the biggest impacts at their new club.
Who Were The Five Best January Signings in Serie A?
Number Five- João Félix
When João Félix joined Atletico Madrid in 2019 for £113 million, the footballing world believed the sky was the limit for the talented youngster. However, it has not turned out that way.
After spells at Chelsea and Barcelona, the 25-year-old rejoined Chelsea permanently in the summer. The Portuguese forward has found regular first-team minutes hard to come by this season and has made just three Premier League starts.
Félix departed Stamford Bridge on deadline day and joined AC Milan on loan until the end of the current campaign.
The Benfica academy product is versatile and possesses a great deal of creativity and flair. While his goalscoring record may not be as impressive as it was back in Portugal, scoring 20 in 42 for Benfica, Félix still has the assets to become a valuable member of any team’s attack.
Additionally, Serie A has shown it can be a great place to revive careers. As seen with the incredible form of both Moise Kean and Scott McTominay this season, Italy’s top flight could be the perfect environment for Félix to rediscover his form and become a crucial player for the Rossoneri.
Félix could potentially make his debut against AS Roma in tonight’s Coppa Italia quarter-final.
Number Four- Alberto Costa
Juventus signed Portuguese defender Alberto Costa in a package worth €15m to bolster their backline. The Bianconeri have had a fascinating season so far and have lost just one league game so far.
However, they have also drawn 13 of their 23 games in Serie A this season. Perhaps a large factor behind this is their rotten luck with injuries this campaign, particularly in defence with key players like Gleison Bremer suffering an ACL injury.
This was reflected in their January business. Juve signed three defenders in the winter window, including Costa.
The 21-year-old has impressed this season for Vitoria de Guimaraes in Portugal, despite only making 10 appearances. He has won 58.2% of his duels this season and has proven to be an effective dribbler, completing 59.1% of his attempted dribbles.
Costa likes to attack and can often be found in good wide positions with the ball where he looks to beat his man and get the ball into the box. At just 21 years old there is a lot of potential for the Portuguese defender to become a top player for Italy’s most successful club.
Number Three- Reda Belahyane
Next on the list is newly acquired Lazio midfielder Reda Belahyane. The Moroccan midfielder joined Lazio from Hellas Verona for a rumoured fee of around €12-13 million in addition to bonuses. Belahyane has been very impressive throughout the season with Hellas Verona and looks to be a clever piece of business from Marco Baroni’s side.
The 20-year-old is a composed central midfielder who likes to dribble with the ball and carry it up the pitch. So far this season, Belahyane has completed a total of 122 progressive carries with the ball.
His determination and composure in possession make him very difficult to dispossess. Additionally, he possesses an impressive tackling ability and has won 52% of his ground duels this season.
The talented midfielder has all the tools to thrive at his new side and has a lot of potential to become a top player, making this a very exciting signing.
Number Two- Devyne Rensch
In second place is AS Roma’s Dutch fullback Devyne Rensch. The 22-year-old joined the Giallorossi on January 23rd for a reported fee of €6 million including add-ons.
The reason the former Ajax player is so high on the list is simply because he has already been so impressive for his new team.
Despite only playing twice, Rensch has already impressed and has been solid in both games for Claudio Ranieri’s side. In his two games for Roma, the fullback has won an impressive 64.7% of his duels and 62.5% of aerial duels.
Rensch can also operate as a wingback as well as a centre back making him very versatile. If he carries on this way, the Dutchman could prove to be a pivotal part of Roma’s team going forward.
Number One- Santiago Gimenez
At number one is another AC Milan signing, Santiago Gimenez from Feyenoord. Gimenez joined the Giallrossi for a reported fee of up to €35 million on deadline day.
The Mexican striker comes with a goalscoring reputation after an impressive spell in the Eredivisie. The 23-year-old scored 65 goals in 103 appearances for Feyenoord and was a pivotal part of their title-winning side back in 2023.
Despite missing nearly two months due to injury, his numbers this season have still been impressive. Gimenez has recorded 16 goals in 19 games this season, including an impressive brace against Bayern Munich in the UEFA Champions League.
His clinical nature in front of goal, seen by scoring seven goals from an xG of 7.26 this season, could be monumental for Milan as they look to climb the table following a disappointing season so far.
The former Feyenoord striker could also potentially make his debut tonight versus Roma in the Coppa Italia quarter-final.