Winter’s Biggest Transfers: All the Major Moves in World Football as of January 5

he winter transfer window is traditionally considered a calmer period in the market, yet January has already delivered several high-profile and illustrative deals. Clubs from the top leagues are actively addressing personnel issues, adjusting strategies for the second half of the season, and investing in the future, sparing no tens of millions of euros.

So far, English clubs have been the most active in the transfer market, with West Ham emerging as the main newsmaker. However, Italy, Germany, and France have also seen interesting and, in many ways, significant transfers. We’ve compiled all the most notable football transfers worldwide as of January 5 — from national team stars to promising young players and targeted loan deals.

All the Major Football Transfers in the Winter Window (as of January 5)

Taty Castellanos: Lazio → West Ham — €29 million
Lazio, struggling financially and having made no transfers last summer, parted ways with their star player. The Argentine forward joined the London club for a significant sum and is expected to replace Nicolas Fullkrug, who has already moved to Italy.

Pablo: Gil Vicente → West Ham — €23 million
The 22-year-old striker had an excellent start to the season in Portugal, scoring 10 goals in 13 matches, earning him a step up. Pablo is the son of former Porto striker Pena, who was prolific in the early 2000s. The player holds Brazilian and Portuguese citizenship but has yet to appear for any national team at youth or senior levels.

Nicolas Fullkrug: West Ham → AC Milan — Loan until season’s end with option to buy
AC Milan faced attacking issues due to injuries and the poor form of Santi Jimenez. Head coach Massimiliano Allegri needed a physically imposing striker.
The 32-year-old Fullkrug struggled to make an impact in the Premier League but had previously been successful in the Bundesliga and with the German national team. He hopes to use this loan to return to the national squad and compete in the 2026 World Cup. He debuted for Milan on January 2 against Cagliari.

Luis Guilherme: West Ham → Sporting — €14 million
Before making big purchases, West Ham parted ways with another expensive but underperforming player. The 19-year-old Brazilian joined the London club last summer from Palmeiras for €23 million but failed to impress in England — 18 appearances and no goals or assists. This season he has appeared only five times as a substitute. The move to Sporting is expected to benefit him, and West Ham, despite taking a loss, gained funds for further transfers.

Brennan Johnson: Tottenham → Crystal Palace — €40 million
A record transfer in Crystal Palace history. The Welsh international regularly featured for Tottenham this season, scoring 4 goals (2 in the Premier League, 1 in the Champions League, 1 in the cup), but Spurs decided to sell the player at his peak value.
Crystal Palace continues in the Conference League and needs squad depth and attacking creativity after Eberechi Eze’s summer departure to Arsenal.

Manor Solomon: Tottenham → Fiorentina — Loan until season’s end with option to buy
The Israeli winger failed to secure a place in the London side. He began the season on loan at Villarreal, scoring 1 goal and providing 4 assists in 11 matches. Now, Solomon moves to Florence to help Fiorentina avoid relegation.
After a very poor start, the “Violas” have won two games and sit 18th with 12 points. Solomon already played in the match against Cremonese, which Fiorentina won 1-0.

Pascal Groß: Borussia Dortmund → Brighton — €2 million
The 34-year-old German returned to Brighton after a season and a half at Dortmund, where he had played from 2017 to 2024. It was in Brighton that he became a regular in the German national team. Groß has not played in recent national matches, and returning to the Premier League could help him make the squad for the 2026 World Cup.
He did not fail at Dortmund: last season he provided 10 assists, but this season he has played irregularly, contributing only two assists.

Endrick: Real Madrid → Lyon — Loan until season’s end
The Brazilian international forward (14 matches, 3 goals) had been mostly on the bench at Madrid this season. He has played just one La Liga match (sent off) and a few minutes in the Champions League and Copa del Rey. The loan was crucial for the 19-year-old talent.
Lyon appears to be an ideal destination: there is little competition up front after Georges Mikautadze’s departure. Despite financial and personnel challenges, the club is performing confidently — 5th in Ligue 1 and 1st in the overall Europa League standings. Endrick’s transfer underscores smart club management in a critical situation.

Amadou Haidara: RB Leipzig → Lens — €2 million
After 17 rounds, Lens leads Ligue 1, one point ahead of PSG, so strengthening the squad was expected. Their first signing is the Mali international midfielder, who is currently playing in the Africa Cup of Nations and has already reached the quarterfinals.
The 27-year-old Haidara was an important player for Leipzig over six seasons but has not featured this season.

Bara Sappoko Ndiaye: Gambinos Stars Africa → Bayern Munich — Loan until season’s end
The most controversial transfer on the list, but involving a top club. Bayern Munich loaned the 18-year-old Senegalese forward from a Gambian club as part of a partnership with one of Gambia’s football academies.

Issa Traoré: Joliba → Bayer Leverkusen — €200,000
This transfer appears more justified. Issa Traoré is a bronze medalist at the U-17 World Cup with Mali and is considered one of the most promising young players of his generation.

Eintracht Frankfurt and the Youth Investment
The club actively invested in the future:

• Younes Ebnutilib (22) — from Elversberg, €8 million

• Keita Kosugi (19) — from Djurgården, €6.5 million

• Love Arrhov (17) — from Brommapojkarna, €4.6 million

• Ayoub Amaimouni-Echguya — from Hoffenheim, €200,000

Transfers in Clubs with Armenian Players

Koto Taki: Tottenham → Borussia Mönchengladbach — Loan with option to buy
The 21-year-old Japanese national team defender joined Tottenham in summer 2025 but did not play a single minute. Gladbach has defensive problems and can provide the player with consistent playing time.

Oscar Fraulo: Borussia Mönchengladbach → Derby County — €400,000
The 22-year-old Dane started the season as a rotation player (4 matches, 1 goal) but then dropped out of the squad. The Championship club paid only €400,000 for a player valued at €3 million.

Noa Weishaupt: Legia Warsaw → Hannover via Freiburg — Early end to loan
Weishaupt was the most expensive player at the Warsaw club and a competitor to Vaan Bichakhchyan, though the Armenian player received more playing time. The German, with Bundesliga experience, played 10 matches and provided 1 assist for Legia. He returned early to Freiburg and was then sent on loan to Hannover.