January transfer window is a time when nearly all of the teams try to bring in aa few players to achieve their goals, be it fighting off relegation , qualifying for Europe or winning a trophy. This year 's January Transfer window saw a record 150 million pounds (more than double of the previous record) splashed by the clubs, and some wierd transfers taking place.

There was relatively little transfer activity at the top. SAF and Arsene Wenger are not big fans of bringing in players in January, and therefore, they made one signings each this time around. Manchester United signed Manucho , a 24-year old Angolan striker, with Arsenal signing a Gillingham prospect Luke Freeman. At Liverpool, Rafael Benitez got his wishes as they signed Skrtel, which will give him cover for centre-back that he craved. Moreover, the 17 million pounds transfer of Mascherano is expected to go through in the next few days.

Unsurprisingly, Chelsea were the biggest spenders, manging to sign Serbian defender Ivanovic and a young Argentine prospect. But Chelsea's biggest signing was Nicolas Anelka from Bolton for 15million pounds. As I have said before, he is a quality player and a natural goalscorer, and eventually, can go on to replace Drogba at Stamford Bridge.

There was a lot of activity in mid-table,with quite a few of the clubs spending big. Tottenham manager Juande Ramos shored up his defense by signing Woodgate and the brazilian Gilberto from Middlesborough and Hertha Berlin respectfully. They even managed to snap-up Scottish international right-back Alan Hutton on the last day, and many people are of the view that he could be a huge signing for them.

Harry Redknapp has an uncanny naec of attracting quality players to the south coast, and he managed to do it yet again. Milan Baros arrived from Lyon on loan, whereas Diarra came in from Arsenal to strengthen the midfield. On the last day, Pompey managed to wrap up the signing of the unpredictable Jermain Defoe from Tottenham. Surprisingly, Redknapp decided to sell Benjani to Manchester City. Due to Benjani's late arrival in Manchester, the move hit a snag but has now been completed. I don't understand this transfer at all, as Benjani was playing so well at Fratton Park. Redknapp may rue the day he decided to let him go.

Generally, Manchester City find it difficult to sign players in January as Thaksin did not live up to his promises of spending miilions on big players. Apart from Benjani, their only major transfer activity was the loan signing of Nery Castillo from Shakhtar Donetsk. The same happened to Kevin Keegan at Newcastle, as they failed to bring in fresh blood that was so desperately needed.The fact is, when your team is struggling so badly, you can't persuade players to sign for you.


A lot of teams fighting relegation managed to make good signings, and some of them will be clearly responsible for keeping their team in the Premiership come end of the season. Top of the list were Middlesborough, who broke their transfer-record to lure Afonso Alves to the Teeside. The capture of the "Ugly Duckling" could prove to be huge coup to Southgate's team as he was linked with many European Giants. Birmingham manger Alex Mcleish was able to convincw his compatriot James Mcfadden to come to St. Andrews and Wigan snatched Marlon King of Watford from right under Fulham's noses for 5 million pounds. Speaking of Fulham, they made a number of signings including Norwegian giant defender Hangeland and veteran Lietmanen, but there are doubts wether they will be able to save the West London club from dropping down the Championship. Roy Keane was also able to bring new players which included ex-teammates Phil Bardsley and Andy Reid. Finally, even Derby managed to conclude many deals. Savage, Stubbs, Caroll and Ghaly have all arrived at Pride Park but I fear its a cause of too little, too late for them.

Many of the clubs have spent loads of money, but making expensive signings is no guarantee for success. Only time will tell which players are able to pull it off at their new clubs, and which players are labelled "big-money flops".

After months of speculation, Nicolas Anelka(real name Abdul-salaam Bilal) has finally left Bolton. Although he was linked with many clubs,including Manchester United,it is Chelsea who have signed him Manager Avram Grant is delighted that Chelsea have been able to sign their main transfer ,and many think they have pulled off a real coup. The $30 million that Chelsea paid Bolton to secure Anelka's services have made him the most expensive player in history of football.

Anelka's footballing abilities have never been in doubt . He is probably one of the best strikers in the world at the moment, possessing terrific pace and brilliant finishing ability. He is one of those few players that will score 9 times out of 10 in one-on-one situation with the Goal-keeper. He is at equal ease when he plays with a partner or alone upfront. Not only does he score goals ,but he chips in with quite a few assists as well. He had already scored 11 goals for Bolton this season,which is an outstanding achievement considering the fact that Bolton are fighting relegation.

It is Anelka's off-the-pitch antics that have blighted his football career and tarnished his image. He even got the title of 'Le Sulk' when he demanded a move to Real Madrid during his time at Arsenal. But I think Anelka greatly improved at Bolton and he is past his bad-boy days now.

Anelka has said that Chelsea will be his last club. I doubt this statement very much, but there is a great chance that this WILL be Anelka's last shot at the big time. This would be a huge motivating factor for him to do well. It will be interesting to see whether Anelka plays with Drogba. Although they may play together this season, the general feeling is that Drogba will leave Chelsea in the summer and Anelka has been bought to replace him. Regardless of the fact Drogba stays or not'Anelka has the potential to be a hit and other teams should fear his presence at Stamford bridge. He has a crucial role in this season's title race too. if Anelka fires,You can expect Chelsea to push manchester United and Arsenal all the way or the premiership crown.

Chelsea have also completed the signing of 23-year old Serbian defender,Branislav Ivanovic, from Russian outfit Locomotiv Moscow. He ahas already earned 9 international caps and partners Manchester united's Nemanja Vidic in the heart of Serbia's defence. Understandably, Old Trafford was thought to be his next destination. He was even linked with Juventus,Inter Milan and AC Milan,but Chelsea managed to land him in the end.Being a versatile player,He can play all across the defence and in a holding midfield role. In my view, has been bought for the future,with his current role being to provide cover for the first-choice players.This is partly due to the fact that foreign players take at least 6 months to adjust to the premiership. If he turns out to be anything as good as Vidic, Chelsea will have gem on their hands. His arrival will also signal the end of Tal Ben haim's time on Stamford Bridge,and I think the Israeli defender will be off to a mid-table club soon.

Chelsea have shown they are not afraid to keep spending big. Let's see if they take another dip in the transfer market this January.

Manchester United have surprised everyone by signing a 24-year old Angolan striker who goes by the name of Manucho Goncalves. Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed his signing in a pre-match press conference and he will join up with his team after the African cup of nations.

Manucho has been the top-scorer of the Angolan league for the past two seasons. In addition, he has already won a handful of international caps, scoring 2 goals for his country. United were made aware of his talents through Carlos Queiroz's contacts and subsequently United took him on trial for 3 weeks. He is said to have impressed the United staff and officials during the trial and therefore, a 3 year deal was offered to him which was accepted. He adds to the Portugese-speaking
contingent among the United players. According to Manucho, Ronaldo and Nani have already been of great assistance for him in his time at United so far.

As far as his contribution to the team is concerned, I don't think he will feature too much, if at all this season. This is because foreign players take at least 6 months to adjust to the English game. Next season, he may replace the injury-prone Louis Saha. Sir Alex has described him as being a tall, agile striker. Therefore, I think he might not be the finisher United fans have been crying for. He sounds more like a striker with a physical presence in the penalty area and good aerial ability. If he turns out to be anything like Drogba, I will be quite pleased. Having said that, Manucho's signing is a gamble by United and only time will tell if this gamble will pay off.

These days the biggest news is Berbatov's likely departure from Spurs. I think United will be a great destination for him as his type of is what United lacks now; a quality finisher. But I do think Berbatov's signing in this transfer window by United will be more of a luxury than a necessity and he looks more likely to join Chelsea or any European team.

Alan Hutton of Glasgow Rangers was also linked with United last weekend. He is a quality right-back who is brilliant in attack as well. He has earned rave reviews for his performances this season, especially his outstanding display against Barcelona in the Champions League and looks set for a move away from Scotland. With Gary Neville' continuous injury problems and Wes Brown's possible departure, United's right-back slot is up for grabs. Hutton has the potential to be a Neville's long-term successor at United, but let's see if Sir Alex is willing to take him on.