5 Players to Benefit the Most from Their January Moves

It was the best decision for all parties that Philippe Coutinho departed from Barcelona as he never found game time in Spain and the club also needed to get off his wages, making a move to his former teammates Aston Villa a good move to resurrect his career. No doubt Coutinho didn't see it coming, but with Steven Gerrard at the club, it could well be a match made in heaven.

When Coutinho was at his best at Liverpool, he was the main focus of the team. A lot of attacks were directed his way as they knew his on-ball ability, but when he was at Barcelona, with Lionel Messi in the team, chances on the ball were limited and his game got sucked away from him.

In a Villa team where he could be the main focus of their attacks, he could again showcase his abilities which made Barcelona pay £135m for him in a similar vein to which we saw Jack Grealish operate with his importance on the side.

It's his perfect chance to get a move elsewhere away from Barcelona in the future, but also, perhaps a period for him to simply reestablish himself as a powerhouse in Europe.

With no Premier League goals last season and only one goal this campaign, it became obvious that Dele Alli wasn’t going to make it into the squad under Antonio Conte, meaning a permanent move to a club like Everton to restart his career was all but destined.

What could make this move really work is that he will be under the guidance of Frank Lampard, a player that had a very similar style to his by playing behind the striker, but primarily looking to get into the box and score goals. Alli scored 18 league goals in his best season at Spurs, and no midfielder has since been able to put in these numbers, and when he returns to form, he is truly one of the best around at what he does.

Everton have a squad of decent players that if used in the right way, can push into the top half of the table, and if he can create a good connection with Dominic Calvert-Lewin like he did with Harry Kane, it could lead him getting back in contention for the England squad.

At 25, and under Lampard at a new club, this might be one of the best deals in this window if it pays off.

Donny van de Beek moved from Ajax to Manchester United in the summer of 2020 for £35m but has never found his way into the starting XI consistently under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick and in reality, it's thus far been one of the Premier League's most pointless moves for club and player.

A loan move was not just desired for the player, but needed for both parties as van de Beek needed consistent game time in the Premier League if he is going to get a chance to prove his worth at United. A future at the club is possible still for the Dutchman, but all of it now may ride on this move and four months on Merseyside.

With Everton really struggling this season, a player the calibre of van de Beek could really help, as he showcased at Ajax that he has good all-round play for a midfielder and under the management of one of the greatest midfielders in Premier League history, it could bring the best out of him. Furthermore, a linkup with Alli and a connection with strikers like Calvert-Lewin only favours him and a potential future at United if things get ticking there.

After what happened at the Euros last summer, it is a big surprise that Christian Eriksen has returned to football at all, let alone this soon, but if he is medically in the right shape to play at a high level, any club in the Premier League would look at him. Moreover, as he is approaching 29, now is a time for him to really sell himself to the rest of Europe once again.

Brentford have shown at times this season that they are more than capable of competing in the Premier League, and a play the quality of Eriksen could solidify their place in mid-table.

Eriksen showed over the years at Spurs that he is very good at set-pieces, and that is something Brentford have shown to be a real threat from this season as they have created the third most shots from set-pieces this season, and adding a player like Eriksen will really help both sides for the rest of the season.

Linking up with Ivan Toney will act as his Harry Kane-esque partnership created at Spurs, and although nowhere near as clinical, the Dane can certainly rack up the assists once more with him in there.

Lucas Digne was one of Everton’s key players over the past few years. His attacking ability from full-back is a massive threat, but with the Everton situation constantly changing and now they are looking down rather than up, a move to an ambitious club like Villa could be good as he enters his prime years.

At Villa, he won’t have the creative burden he had whilst at Everton, as there are other players like Emi Buendia and Coutinho who are elite playmakers too, which could allow him more space to work with as he won’t have to be the defences primary focus.

He is also working under a manager that allows his full-backs to get high up the pitch, and with the system he has implemented so far, with a lot of players in the midfield. Digne will be the only outlet on the left hand side, allowing him a lot of freedom and space to work with and it is set to be his best chance at getting back in the France squad and perhaps one of the signings of the window too.