The 2024/25 winter transfer window saw some interesting deals in European football. Be it the big money moves or the loan deals, interest has soared for the staggering business done this January. The busiest of the clubs has been Manchester City unleashing a spending spree to recover a forgetful campaign not witnessed under Pep Guardiola. They spent about $155 million of the $307m total fee paid by Premier League clubs in the winter window, a significant increase from last year’s $112m. However, the biggest transfer in the 2025 winter window was made by a club not coming from England and it hopes to be a groundbreaking one for them.
Here are all the biggest transfers in the winter transfer window of January 2025:
Abdukodir Khusanov
Manchester City pulled off the 20-year-old Uzbek talent signing Abdukodir Khusanov from Ligue 1 club RC Lens as part of their young centre-back spree signing this January window. The Premier League holders have struggled massively in defence putting them out of title contention and involved in a top-four battle. Khusanov established himself as one of the promising defenders playing two seasons in France and his exploits with the Uzbekistan national team also caught the eye making 18 appearances internationally. Among the talented centre-back signings like Juma Bah and Vitor Reis, Abdukodir seems to rank high in Pep Guardiola’s books as he started the first match right after his transfer becoming the first player from Uzbekistan to feature in Premier League history. Although his debut against Chelsea was forgetful despite his side winning the clash, the City faithful believe the defender is a future star in the making for the club.
Randal Kolo Muani
Huge expectations were lying on Randal Kolo Muani when he joined PSG on a lucrative five-year contract in September 2023 having starred for Frankfurt with 26 goals in 50 appearances and coming off a memorable campaign in the 2022 World Cup when he reached the final with France. It was also his return to Ligue 1 where he made a name for himself playing for Nantes. Fast forward to 2025, it has not been so rosy for the 26-year-old in the French capital having failed to score even half of the goal tally in his previous club in 54 games, causing him to lose his spot in the starting eleven. A change of atmosphere was needed and Muani found one in this January window in the form of Juventus albeit on loan until the end of the season. Thiago Motta’s team are struggling for goals this season despite suffering just one loss in their league campaign with their only true scoring source being their star striker Dusan Vlahovic. The Turin giants needed someone to assist the Serbian. So, Muani’s arrival did not look too odd considering his talent and that he also scored on his debut even though it was only his third goal this season. However, it is left to see whether the Frenchman, also capable of playing wide, fits into the larger picture for Juventus.
Kyle Walker
Another player on the wrong side of form is Manchester City's captain Kyle Walker who has been one of the underperformers of his club’s catastrophic season so far. Still a world-class player in his position as a right-back, Walker’s declining form put him out of favour at the club which promoted him to seek a new chance abroad away from the intensity of the Premier League taking a toll on his age. Fulfilling his wishes, the former Tottenham player joined Italian giants AC Milan on loan in the winter window till the end of the season with an option to buy for $6.2 million. The Rossoneri have bolstered their squad with this important signing, which will improve their defence and also bring leadership to the dressing room. The England international also brings a lot of experience with him having enjoyed loads of success after joining Pep Guardiola’s side in 2017 including six Premier League titles and a Champions League crown. He appeared in two successive Euro finals for England too. Milan desperately required someone to aid them to return to the top four in Serie A and also do well in Europe with Walker hoping to help them in their cause.
Omar Marmoush
The top signing made by Manchester City has been the Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush to bolster their attack. The striker rose to prominence during his time with Eintracht Frankfurt in Germany having played football in Bundesliga from a young age. The potential was always there and he showed glimpses of his talent but his consistent manner of scoring goals did not arrive until his final two seasons in the German league. Marmoush scored 20 goals in all competitions in the first half of the current season after an excellent debut campaign for Frankfurt saw him score 17, enough to draw attention from overseas. City took special attention on him after a disastrous season left them trailing a huge 12 points from the top spot and also having to jostle for a top-four spot. While Ballon d’Or winner Rodri’s season-ending injury is the main factor behind their downfall in the 2024-25 campaign, several forwards being out-of-form also led to the team’s struggle. Marmoush arrives to fill up this gap and give the spark City so desperately needs after signing him for a four-and-a-half-year deal worth $78 million.
Khvicha Kvaratskhelia
The most eye-catching transfer of the winter window has been PSG securing the signature of the entertaining Georgian winger Khvicha Kvaratskhelia from Napoli. The 23-year-old placed a transfer request for a move from the current Serie A leaders, having won the Italian top flight in his debut season with them, after a disagreement with an extension of the contract supposed to end in 2027. The Ligue 1 giants swooped in for Kvaratskhelia for a fee expected to be around $70 million in a five-year contract. The winger contributed to 54 goals in 85 appearances at Naples including returning as the top scorer of Serie A in the title-winning season. Aside from his goals, the capability of providing assists makes him a standout player. Nicknamed ‘Kvaradona’ for his immense dribbling skills, dancing feet, flashy display, incredible goals and like Napoli legend Diego Maradona gifted the club their first league title in 33 years, the player will want to create history with PSG possibly giving the club long-awaited Champions League title.