Five days into the January window, and we've already had enough drama to fill an entire summer. Let's cut through the noise.
Brennan Johnson: from Bilbao hero to Palace hope
Crystal Palace don't mess about. While most clubs were still nursing their New Year's hangovers, the Eagles sealed a club-record £35m deal for Brennan Johnson — and there's something poetic about it.
Johnson scored the only goal in last May's Europa League final against Manchester United. Now he joins a Palace side playing European football for the first time in their history, competing in the Conference League. The fit makes sense.
"Crystal Palace are such a great club, one that I've always admired," Johnson said upon signing. "It's a great time for me to be here and join the journey that this club is on."
The 24-year-old Welsh winger had fallen down the pecking order at Spurs under Thomas Frank, making just six Premier League starts this season despite scoring 18 goals across all competitions last year. Fabrizio Romano confirmed the deal on January 2nd, with Palace chairman Steve Parish describing him as "an exciting young talent with an excellent recent record."
What's interesting is the context. Palace sold Eberechi Eze last summer and haven't replaced him. Ismaila Sarr is away at the Africa Cup of Nations. Daichi Kamada is injured. Oliver Glasner was desperate, and Johnson represents the exact profile he needed — pace, directness, and a nose for goal.
West Ham cut their losses on Luis Guilherme
This one stings if you're a Hammers fan. Just 18 months after arriving from Palmeiras with plenty of hype, Luis Guilherme is off to Sporting CP on a permanent deal. He's 19.
The Brazilian attacking midfielder never settled in east London, managing only sporadic minutes under Julen Lopetegui. Sometimes players need time. Sometimes the fit is just wrong from the start. West Ham have decided not to wait around.
Sporting, of course, have a track record of developing South American talent — and they're currently without a manager after Ruben Amorim's November 2024 departure to Manchester United. The irony is not lost.
Liam Rosenior heads to Stamford Bridge
Chelsea sacked Enzo Maresca recently — part of the ongoing chaos at Stamford Bridge — and appear to have landed on an unexpected successor: Liam Rosenior.
Foot Mercato reported that the former Hull City boss was spotted at an airport on Monday, en route to London to finalise terms. It would be a remarkable rise for the 40-year-old, who impressed with his work at Hull before being let go in February 2024.
Chelsea are not expected to make major arrivals this January, with the focus instead on moving fringe players like Raheem Sterling, Axel Disasi, and Tyrique George. But the managerial merry-go-round never stops at the Bridge.
The deals still simmering
Manchester City are closing in on Bournemouth forward Antoine Semenyo, per Goal.com. The Ghanaian international has been one of the Cherries' standout performers this season, and City need attacking reinforcement with injuries hitting their squad hard.
Norwich have snapped up Canadian international Ali Ahmed from Vancouver Whitecaps — a clever piece of MLS recruitment for a Championship side with promotion ambitions.
And Aston Villa have moved early for Alysson, a 19-year-old Brazilian winger from Gremio. ESPN described him as "a right-footed left winger with good one-vs-one skills," and Villa pounced on Gremio's financial difficulties to get the deal done.
What to expect
The window closes at 7pm on February 2nd — earlier than usual. That compressed timeline means we're likely to see more early movement from clubs who can't afford to gamble on deadline-day chaos.
Keep an eye on Manchester United. With Amorim gone and Fletcher in temporary charge, the Red Devils might pivot their January plans entirely. They were reportedly frustrated by the lack of reinforcement already — now they have an entirely new situation to manage.
As always, the real madness comes in the final week. But the tone has been set: this is a window where clubs mean business.
