Upon arrival at The Hawthorns, Sam Allardyce would have been sure that he would need to recruit this month. With West Bromwich Albion languishing in 19th place, the Baggies have sought after Premier League experience by signing 33-year-old Robert Snodgrass from West Ham United.
Snodgrass joins West Brom on an 18-month contract for an undisclosed fee. Allardyce says he is delighted with the new signing, saying that Snodgrass adds “Premier League quality” to his side.
West Brom have also let an experienced head leave, however, with striker Charlie Austin returning to his former club Queens Park Rangers on loan. Austin was prolific for QPR between 2013 and 2016, scoring 18 Premier League goals in their relegation campaign in 2014/15.
QPR boss Mark Warburton will be delighted with how his new signing has started life back at Loftus Road, scoring on his first game back, in a 2-0 win over Luton.
Once the bright up-and-comer at Newcastle United, Rolando Aarons hasn’t quite lived up to the expectations that surrounded him when he made his first team debut aged 18.
The winger burst onto the scene, impressing in the early stages of the 2014/15 season and earning call ups to the England U20 squad. However, Aarons has found first team opportunities hard to come by at Newcastle, resulting in five loan spells in three years. Now 25 years old, Aarons will be hoping he has found a more permanent home in Huddersfield.
Arsenal have signed 19-year-old centre back Omar Rekik from Hertha Berlin, as Mikel Arteta looks to the future. Rekik joins the Gunners for a reported £540k, having impressed for Hertha’s reserve side, and will link up with Arsenal’s academy manager Per Mertesacker. The young defender is a Tunisia international and has previously been involved with the youth setups at Feyenoord, Manchester City and PSV.
Leaving Arsenal, however, is their Bosnian full-back Sead Kolasinac, who rejoins Schalke on loan until the end of the season. Kolasinac has found game time hard to come by this season, with the form of Kieran Tierney keeping him out of the team.
The 27-year-old arrived at the Emirates in 2017 on a free transfer, but his long term future at the club may now be in question, as he returns to a struggling Schalke, who have won just one league game this season and are in serious danger of being relegated to the Bundesliga 2 for the first time in 30 years.
With eight loan spells in the last 15 seasons, Ben Hamer has spent much of his career playing second fiddle to clubs in the Premier League such as Leicester City and Huddersfield Town, whilst also moving back down to the Championship with the Terriers. Now, however, the 33-year-old has joined Swansea City for an undisclosed fee on an 18-month contract.
Lucas Piazon is an enigma and a story of Chelsea's leadership under Roman Abramovich all in one. The Brazilian joined Chelsea almost 10 years ago and has been the longest reigning player at the club for a while, despite the fact that this has entailed just one Premier League appearance since his 2012 move.
Now, after seven loan spells across six different divisions in four separate countries, Piazon has finally come to terms with the idea his Chelsea career is perhaps not going to work. However, still 26, Piazon has moved to Braga in Portugal and with years still ahead of him, the winger might still have a point to prove.
You probably know Jordan Flores for scoring that outrageous volley for Dundalk last season which was nominated for the FIFA Puskas Award. Flores unleashed a thunderbolt of a left-footed strike straight from the corner inside the box, and whilst the distance from the goal itself is a pretty average one, the execution of the strike was one of which the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic would be proud of.
Almost a year after this goal against Shamrock Rovers, the 25-year-old Englishman has moved to Hull City from Dundalk, nearly three years after he left National League side Fylde.
Islam Slimani has been contracted to Leicester City since 2016 and after just six goals in 35 Premier League games and with three loan moves in this time, the Foxes have finally moved him on.
The striker did score nine goals in 18 games for Monaco in Ligue 1 last season, which was his best turnover since leaving Sporting Lisbon in 2016 and the Algerian has now joined Lyon on a free transfer, at the same time as Moussa Dembele left on loan to go to Atletico Madrid.
Ched Evans has moved from League One side Fleetwood Town up to the Championship with Preston North End, which is only the second time he has played in the second tier in nine years.
Now 32, Evans will be looking to help Preston move closer to the play-off places, although the Lilywhites have been struggling a little more this season and sit in mid-table.
Premier League winner Andy King was released by Leicester City towards the end of 2020 after four loan spells away from the club since 2018. King has already achieved legendary status with the Foxes, having made his senior debut with the club in 2006 and staying with the club throughout League One, the Championship and, of course, that Premier League year.
King has joined OH Leuven in the Belgian First Division until the end of the season, with Leuven currently fighting in the top four.
By Luke Feather
