From Jadon Sancho's Borussia Dortmund return to Timo Werner's Tottenham loan: GOAL grades 2024's biggest January transfers

For Dortmund: The right call. Dortmund no longer had any need for Reyna following the return of Jadon Sancho to Signal Iduna Park, with the Manchester United winger having already done more in three Bundesliga games than the United States international has all season. Of course, if Reyna is revitalised in England, BVB could well bring him back, but one imagines that they're simply hoping that Forest will take up their option to buy the attacking midfielder this summer. Dortmund stand to make pure profit on a player they picked up from New York City FC for nothing five years ago. Grade: B-

For Forest: Something of a coup. After all, Forest weren't even the only Premier League side sniffing around Reyna, who was also heavily linked with teams in Italy, France and Spain. As a result, the former European champions have done remarkably well to sign a talented young player that is desperate to impress. Of course, things haven't worked out particularly well with Callum Hudson-Odoi (another prodigy that had fallen on hard times at a big club), but if Reyna is used in his best position (No.10), he could undoubtedly add something to Nuno Espirito Santo's attack. And if he doesn't, Forest are under no obligation to buy. Grade: B

For Reyna: An underwhelming and risky choice, though the American's desperation is certainly understandable. It's clear that Edin Terzic doesn't really rate Reyna, who started just one Bundesliga game during the first half of the season. A transfer was imperative. But the previously mooted move to Brentford made an awful lot more sense, given the sensible way in which the Bees are run and Thomas Frank's suitable style of play. By complete contrast, Forest are in financial trouble and renowned for their scattergun approach to player recruitment. The relegation-battlers have undoubtedly improved under Nuno, and a dose of realism is required when it comes to appraising Reyna's talent, which has been exaggerated for quite some time by the American press. The lower rungs of the Premier League is probably the right level for the 21-year-old.. Nonetheless, at this delicate stage of his development, Reyna needed stability and there are legitimate concerns over whether he'll find any at the City Ground. Grade: C-

For Man City:A bit of a strange one, in the sense that Pep Guardiola is pursuing a second consecutive treble with a squad that is not exactly flush with defensive midfielders. On the other hand, the Catalan clearly doesn't think Phillips is remotely good enough to fulfil the Rodri role, even when the Spaniard is unavailable, so why bother keeping him around when he has centre-backs that could do a better job in the engine room? City are obviously hoping that Phillips will play well enough between now and the end of the season to enable them to recoup a significant chunk of the £42 million they paid Leeds for the England international in July 2022. Grade: C+

For West Ham: A no-brainer. David Moyes has some good players in the middle of the park, with the Declan Rice money having been very well reinvested in the likes of Edson Alvarez and James Ward-Prowse. The problem is that they're easily affected by injuries and suspensions, as underlined by the lack of control and solidity the Hammers suffered from in last weekend's draw at Sheffield United due to the absence of Alvarez. Phillips should at the very least, then, add some much needed strength in depth, but with the real possibility that he could prove a bargain buy if he comes close to recapturing the form that made him a key figure in the England team that reached the final of Euro 2020. Grade: B+

For Phillips: An absolutely imperative move. It's easy to understand why he was reluctant to give up on making it in Manchester last summer, after just one season at the Etihad, and his willingness to try to fight for his place was admirable. But his situation hasn't improved at all in the interim, with Phillips having featured in just four Premier League games during the first half of the 2023-24 season. He simply had to get out of City to give himself a chance of representing England in Germany this summer, and he definitely has a better chance of making an instant impact at West Ham than Juventus, who were also interested in his services. It's likely that he would have taken time to settle in Turin and Phillips doesn't have a lot of it right now, with the Euros less than six months away. There is, of course, no guarantee of playing time at the London Stadium. On current form, Phillips wouldn't get into Moyes' starting line-up ahead of Alvarez, Ward-Prowse or Tomas Soucek - but he's given himself a shot at kick-starting his career and that's more than he had when the window opened. Grade: A-

For River Plate: A necessary evil. Even South America's greatest clubs are forced to sell their most promising academy products before they've even made it out of their teens. It's the nature of the game these days, with Europe's elite hoovering up the next generation of superstars. Just look at the way in which Real Madrid have plundered Brazil for its most exciting young players. In that context, River never had a chance of holding onto Echeverri for very long, and while the money isn't great, the Argentines have, at least, managed to hold onto the attacker for another year. It's a sad state of affairs - this is a player that a Copa Libertadores-winning team could have been built around for years to come - but probably the best they could have done in the circumstances. Grade: C+

For Man City: A no-brainer. Money is no object to the Abu Dhabi-backed club and £12.5m ($16m) represents a snip for a player of enormous potential. Echeverri spending another season at the Monumental also suits them down to the ground, given he clearly needs time to grow and to improve - and he wouldn't have got any at the Etihad in 2024, given City's squad is already overflowing with world-class attacking players. It also wouldn't be a surprise to see Echeverri immediately loaned to Girona when he does eventually arrive in Europe. We shall see, of course; much will depend on how he develops over the next year. Plenty of players have previously struggled with the 'new Messi' label. What we do know, though, is that City have snapped up one of the most coveted young players in world football for pittance. Grade: A+

For Echeverri: A remarkable rise to prominence. Remember, he's only made four appearances in the Argentine top-flight. However, his performances for the national team at the recent Under-17 World Cup, which included a hat-trick against Brazil, illustrated precisely why there's so much hype surrounding 'El Diablito'. The challenge now is to live up to those lofty expectations - and that's never easy. Endrick had his struggles at Palmeiras last year after his move to Madrid had already been confirmed, before finishing this season with a flourish. Echeverri will be hoping to do likewise in 2024. Were it not for Barcelona's financial problems, the mooted move to Catalunya would have made more sense. From a cultural, climatic and linguistic perspective, it would have been far easier for him to settle in Spanish football. However, at City, he will get the chance to emulate compatriot Julian Alvarez by taking his game to a whole other level working under the best coach in the game today. Grade: A-

For Al-Ettifaq: A dreadfully embarrassing development for both the club and the Saudi Pro League (SPL). Henderson may not be one of the best players in the world, but Al-Ettifaq signing a former Liverpool captain represented a colossal coup. So, the fact that Henderson has bailed just six months after sacrificing his reputation cannot be construed as anything but a PR disaster for everyone involved. Players will now be asking themselves, how unsatisfying must it be playing Saudi Arabia if the ridiculously well-paid England international couldn't bring himself to even complete a season? So, while Henderson has lost face, and struggling Steven Gerrard has lost an influential midfielder, the SPL has also lost an awful lot of credibility. Grade: F

For Ajax: A seriously strange signing. Let's face it, while Henderson may have been underrated for many years, even at the peak of his powers at Anfield, he never looked like an Ajax player. It's also worth pointing out that the Dutch giants' form has improved over the last two-and-a-half months, after a truly shocking start to the season, so it's not as if they needed a technically limited 33-year-old who was struggling in Saudi Arabia. Still, Ajax are, at least, signing a man who will be desperate to impress, given his place in Gareth Southgate's England squad is on the line. Grade: D

For Henderson: An embarrassing but essential return to Europe. Henderson is already being mercilessly mocked for giving up so quickly on his stated mission to the Middle East to change Saudi Arabia for the better with his "views and values" - but it is clear that he is, at least, prioritising football over money with this move. Henderson may be one of Southgate's favourites, but he knows that if he is not playing regularly at a high level, there is a very real chance that he will miss out on Euro 2024. Joining a Premier League team would have made a hell of a lot more sense, but say what you will about Henderson and the strength of the Eredivisie, the Johan Cruyff ArenA undeniably provides him with a platform to prove his worth to England over the next six months. Grade: B+

For Tottenham: Looking at the big picture, a brilliant bit of business! After losing Harry Kane to Bayern Munich last summer, Spurs have responded in the best possible fashion by beating the Bavarians to the signing of Radu Dragusin and then dumping Dier on them. Daniel Levy may have copped a lot of flak for his work in the transfer market over the years, but Tottenham have done a serious number on one of the biggest clubs in world football here. Even in an atrocious era for English centre-backs, Dier can no longer get in Gareth Southgate's Three Lions squad, while he's only featured four times for Spurs this season. In that context, potentially receiving up to €4m if he gets on the pitch more regularly in Munich is a decent fee for a poor player with just six months left on his contract. Grade: A-

For Bayern Munich: An utterly bizarre signing - and perhaps the most unexpected transfer in football since Barcelona brought in Oriol Romeu this past summer. Bayern are obviously short on cover at the back and there are widespread rumours that Matthijs de Ligt is frustrated by a lack of game time at the Allianz Arena, meaning the Dutchman could quit the club. Thomas Tuchel obviously knows Dier from his time working in the Premier League and with the deal only being an initial loan, the England international could also prove a decent stop-gap in the short-term. However, he's 29 and couldn't even get in a Spurs side decimated by injuries to their best centre-halves. Bayern fans were already pretty upset by the fact that the Londoners' took their top transfer target in Dragusin, so they're likely to be furious that they've now signed a Tottenham reject. Grade: D-

For Dier: A stunning turn of events! Ange Postecoglou had almost zero faith in Dier's ability, affording him just 198 minutes of game time during the first half of the season, yet Tuchel went out of his way to convince him to move to Munich. In truth, it was a no-brainer. Dier could never have imagined he'd get the chance to spend the remainder of his 'peak' years lining out for such a colossal club - and alongside his former Tottenham team-mate Kane. How much game time he'll actually see is open to debate, but this is the stuff dreams are made of! Grade: A+

For Genoa: A bitter blow to their hopes of beating the drop. Genoa may be seven points above the relegation zone, but it's not hard to imagine Alberto Gilardino's side being dragged into a relegation scrap without their best defender. Frustratingly for the fans, president Alberto Zangrillo also insisted that the club was under no pressure to sell Dragusin, who was under contract until 2027 and being courted by several top teams. Still, the money men at the Luigi Ferraris will point to the fact that Genoa have made a significant profit on a player that they signed on a permanent basis for just €5.5m last January. His departure has been mooted for months now, too, so it's not like it's come as a surprise, while the Ligurians will be pretty pleased with themselves for the way in which they exploited the mini-bidding war for Dragusin's services to persuade Spurs to agree to pay an additional €5m in easily-achievable bonuses, and cover the salary of Djed Spence, who has arrived in Liguria on loan for the remainder of the season. Grade: B+

For Tottenham: Some much-needed defensive reinforcement. Tottenham's lack of depth in defence has been exposed by injuries in recent weeks and months, so it was imperative that Ange Postecoglou was given at least one new centre-half to work with during the January transfer window - and Dragusin was one of the most attractive options on the market, as underlined by Bayern Munich's late bid to hijack the deal. The Romania international is young, strong, fiercely competitive and excellent in the air - a man previously compared to Nemanja Vidic should prove perfect for the cut and thrust of the Premier League. Grade: A-

For Dragusin: A remarkable recovery from the disappointment of being discarded by Juventus. Dragusin has long been touted as a potential star, but he underwhelmed during previous loan spells at Sampdoria and Salernitana before finally finding his feet at Genoa. He's been one of the best centre-backs on show in Serie A this season, so this feels like a natural next step for the 21-year-old. With the European Championship to come this summer, 2024 is shaping up to be one hell of a year for Dragusin. Grade: A

For Manchester United: The only logical outcome. In United's ideal world, Sancho would have agreed to join a Saudi Pro League club, which would have allowed the Red Devils to recoup a significant chunk of the £73m ($93m) they wasted on the winger in 2021. However, he was never going to move to the Middle East, meaning a loan move was inevitable. United must still cover two-thirds of Sancho's wages, meaning they're still losing money on the England international, but at least now there's a chance that Sancho, in a familiar and less stressful environment, will go some way towards restoring his reputation as one of the most exciting attackers in the world, thus convincing BVB - or somebody else - to sign him on a permanent basis at the end of the season. Grade: B-

For Borussia Dortmund: A risk well worth taking. There are longstanding concerns surrounding Sancho's conduct and the last thing the under-pressure Edin Terzic needs right now is a disruptive influence in the dressing room. However, BVB are under no obligation to buy here and they've managed to bring in a player that could add a whole new dimension to an attack that has underwhelmed so far this season. If Sancho performs anything close to the levels he hit during his first stint at Signal Iduna Park, his signing would be hailed as a transfer-market masterstroke. As long as the 23-year-old applies himself, there's no downside to this deal for Dortmund - and let's face it, he's going to be determined to prove United boss Erik ten Hag wrong for sending him into exile. Grade: A+

For Sancho: The perfect place to kickstart his career. In football, it's often said that 'you should never go back', but a return to Dortmund makes so much sense for Sancho, who scored 38 times in 104 Bundesliga appearances for BVB. Plenty of people understandably feel that Sancho either has an attitude problem - or is simply not cut out for the highest level of the professional ranks. So, this is his chance to silence his many critics, and he simply has to take it, as it's unlikely that any top club would ever again consider signing Sancho if he flops on his return to Dortmund. He knows the club and he knows the league - now he just has to prove that he still knows how to play. Grade: A+

For RB Leipzig: A welcome development. Werner is surplus to requirements at the Red Bull Arena, where coach Marco Rose has a plethora of exciting forwards to call upon - and Werner is not one of them. The forward has started just twice in the Bundesliga this season, and scored just two goals in 14 appearances in all competitions. Consequently, Leipzig were more than happy to let him leave, and will now be hoping that he does enough in north London to convince Spurs, who are covering the striker's salary, to take up their option to buy him on a permanent basis at the end of the season. If not, Leipzig will be no worse off than they are now. Grade: B+

For Tottenham: Desperate times call for desperate measures. Werner is not a great finisher - that much has been proven beyond a shadow of a doubt over the past three years. The feeling in Germany, though, is that he could still thrive in a team that exploits his most valuable asset by some distance: speed. In that sense, 'Turbo Tim' could help fill the temporary void left by Son Heung-min, who could be away for a month on international duty. The sneaking suspicion, of course, is that Spurs have simply bought another Richarlison: a maddeningly frustrating forward who misses far more chances than he takes. Still, Ange Postecoglou has managed to coax a few goals out of the Brazilian; maybe he can do likewise with Werner, who is arriving on loan and with a serious point to prove. In that sense, this is a shot worth taking for a depleted Spurs side.Grade: B-

For Werner: A chance to kill a few birds with one stone. Werner won the Champions League with Chelsea, but it would be impossible to portray his time at Stamford Bridge as anything but seriously underwhelming. He racked up 28 goals during the 2019-20 Bundesliga season; he managed just 10 in two years in the Premier League. This, then, is a chance to finally prove himself in England - and this time with a far more attack-minded team. More importantly than that, though, Werner needs to rediscover something resembling his best form to give himself any hope of earning a recall to the Germany squad in time for Euro 2024. So, he won't want for motivation. He should also see plenty of game time, given Spurs aren't exactly blessed with a lot of effective forwards, and one imagines that Postecoglou has a plan for harnessing Werner's pace on the break. The 27-year-old couldn't have hoped for a better move in the circumstances. He's certainly better off at Tottenham than the mess that is Manchester United... Grade: A+

For Manchester United: A small step towards clearing some of the copious amounts of dead wood at Old Trafford. The hope was that Erik ten Hag's arrival in the summer of 2022 might belatedly bring the best out of a player that the manager had previously worked with at Ajax, but Van de Beek never seriously threatened to become a first-team regular and saw just two minutes of Premier League action during the first half of the season. A permanent switch obviously would have been preferable, given money is required to strengthen the squad, but United have done reasonably well to convince Eintracht to pay a nominal loan fee for the midfielder, and cover the majority of his salary for the next six months. Grade: C+

For Eintracht Frankfurt: A gamble worth taking. Van de Beek is still only 26, so he still has time to turn his career around, despite his struggles for form and fitness in recent years. Eintracht have a real shot at qualifying for continental competition next season - they presently sit sixth in the Bundesliga table, three points behind fifth-placed Borussia Dortmund, and nine behind RB Leipzig in fourth. A fully fit and firing Van de Beek could certainly help in that regard. He was an outstanding prospect at Ajax, a wonderfully versatile midfielder with a real eye for goal. If the Netherlands international could even hint at a revival, Eintracht would undoubtedly take up their option to sign him for €11m (£9.5m/$12m), plus an additional €3m (£2.6m/$3.3m) in add-ons.Grade: B-

For Van de Beek: A much-needed shot at kick-starting his career. Van de Beek showed flashes of the player he once was during a previous loan spell at Everton, but his short stay at Goodison Park was blighted by injury issues. The key, then, will be staying fit. If he can do that - and it's obviously a big 'if' - he has a shot at finding some form in Frankfurt after the misery of Manchester. Grade: B+

For Sao Paulo: A serious let-down for the supporters. Beraldo was always likely to leave; it was just a question of when, and for how much? Director of football Carlos Belmonte said that while Gabriel Sara had been allowed to leave for a knockdown fee because of the club's financial problems, any interested party would have to pay top dollar for Beraldo. So, even though his ownership rights complicated matters no end, €20m cannot be perceived as anything but a disappointing price for such a promising player. The money will obviously help Sao Paulo enormously but they've now got a serious hole to fill in their defence. Grade: B-

For PSG: Further evidence that the club is at least trying to embrace a more sensible approach to the transfer market. PSG are, of course, still over-paying for players (more than €200m was spent on Randal Kolo Muani, Goncalo Ramos and Ousmane Dembele last summer), but there has been a slight but noticeable shift in strategy, with the Beraldo deal arguably the best illustration yet of Luis Campos attempting to make shrewd signings. It's an undeniable coup for PSG, as the Brazilian was being tracked by the likes of Liverpool and Bayern Munich, while the fee should end up proving an absolute steal. Beraldo remains a raw talent and one can never predict how such a player will cope with making such a major move at such a young age, but at a notoriously difficult time to get value for money, PSG have nabbed themselves a bargain. Grade: B+

For Beraldo: A logical choice, but not one devoid of risk. Liverpool were also interested in 'The Joker' and it's easy to understand why, given Beraldo is a young, left-footed, ball-playing centre-back who was available at a very attractive price. Anfield is also a far more stable environment for a footballer than Parc des Princes. Still, PSG could offer Beraldo two things that Liverpool could not: Champions League football and the chance to play alongside fellow Brazilian Marquinhos. The latter should prove particularly beneficial to Beraldo's acclimatisation to the European game, and his subsequent development into a world-class centre-back. In that context, this is a move that makes a whole lot of sense from the player's perspective. Grade: A