Liverpool would have been a better fit for Antoine Semenyo than Man City: GOAL's transfer grades for the 2026 January window

For Bournemouth: The end of whatever slim chance the Cherries had of qualifying for Europe. Bournemouth made a brilliant start to the season - thanks in no small part to Semenyo's sensational form - but a run of 11 games without a win saw them plummet down the table. Also, if it hadn't been for Semenyo, that rotten run wouldn't have come to an end against Tottenham on Wednesday. So, there's now little chance of Andoni Iraola's side propelling themselves back into contention for a top-six finish, or even enjoying a good cup run, without their best player - particularly as the most obvious replacement, Brennan Johnson, decided to join Crystal Palace. Of course, looking at this deal from a purely financial perspective, one cannot help but once again laud Bournemouth's business model. Admittedly, it would have been nice if the buy-out clause had been a bit more reflective of Semenyo's true market value, but the club has nonetheless generated enormous profit on another player signed for pittance (£10m to be precise). Still, losing Semenyo midway through the season is a bitter blow for Iraola, who will now be looking nervously down at the teams below Bournemouth rather than those above them. Grade: B

For City: A very satisfying signing, given that almost every other member of the Premier League's 'Big Six' had an interest in Semenyo. Some have questioned precisely where the 25-year-old will slot into Pep Guardiola's side, with Rayan Cherki, Phil Foden and Jeremy Doku among those vying for starting spots. But while the Catalan coach has an abundance of attacking options, he doesn't have another winger blessed with the same mix of pace, skill and, most importantly of all, physicality as Semenyo. The Ghanaian's arrival is also likely to result in the departure of Oscar Bobb, and probably Savinho during the summer. Even if City don't recoup any money in outgoings, though, Semenyo could still end up proving a bargain buy, as a versatile and proven Premier League performer with his best years ahead of him. Grade: A

For Semenyo: A fully deserved step up in class. Semenyo suffered a succession of setbacks during his teenage years, but always believed himself capable of making it to the top, and now he's got there thanks to his natural talent and wonderful work-rate. Indeed, the mere fact that he left Bournemouth with the best wishes of everyone at the club says everything you need to know about the man. There's clearly a chance that he could win a major trophy inside his first six months at the Etihad (even if we suspect the Premier League title is already gone!), but we're not 100 percent convinced that this is the right move for Semenyo. For starters, Liverpool looked like a better fit for the obvious long-term successor to Mohamed Salah, but the real concern lies in the uncertainty surrounding City. There's mounting speculation that Guardiola - undoubtedly a major factor in Semenyo's decision - will step down as manager before his contract expires in 2027, while there's also a chance that the club will be severely sanctioned for an alleged 115 breaches of the Premier League's financial regulations. So, while Semenyo unquestionably has the talent to shine at City, this is far from a risk-free move. Grade: B+

For Al-Hilal: Not what they would have expected after investing so much money in Cancelo. Remember, Al-Hilal paid Manchester City €25m for the Portugal defender just over 18 months ago, while also handing him a three-year contract worth €15m per annum. Unfortunately, Cancelo's proven a colossal waste of cash, with his time in Riyadh characterised by injury issues and poor performances. Indeed, it didn't take long for new coach Simone Inzaghi to realise he couldn't rely on the 31-year-old at all - which is why Cancelo hasn't featured in the Saudi Pro League since September. A winter-window exit was, thus, a formality, and while Inzaghi would have undoubtedly preferred to see him join Inter, given the Nerazzurri were offering to send one of their players in the opposite direction, Al-Hilal will probably just be happy that Barca have agreed to cover some of Cancelo's salary. Grade: D

For Barcelona: Not a bad stop-gap solution to their defensive dilemma. Coach Hansi Flick was hoping that Barca would bring in a quality centre-back this month, but the Catalans' continuing cash-flow problems made that difficult. However, signing Cancelo helps in a round-about way, as it means that Flick has cover at right-back if he needs to move Jules Kounde into the middle. Of course, the Benfica academy product can also play on the left-hand side of the defence, so while there are concerns about his fitness (as well as his propensity for repeatedly getting caught out of position!), Cancelo does at least offer Flick valuable cover at the back, while he’s also more than good enough on the ball to play further forward if need be. Grade: C

For Cancelo: An unexpected return to the 'big time' for a flawed but tremendously talented footballer. Cancelo's club career at the very highest level looked over when he moved to the Middle East after his previous loan stay at Barca failed to materialise into a permanent move. And, aside from a couple of positive performances for Portugal, he's done very little since joining Al-Hilal to suggest that he's capable of recapturing the fantastic form that made him such a popular player at the Etihad before falling out of favour with Pep Guardiola. Cancelo will, thus, be delighted that he's managed to secure a return to Catalunya, given he really enjoyed his previous season at Barca. Grade: A

For Spurs: A strange sale in one sense. Johnson was Tottenham's top scorer last season, their only player to hit double figures in the Premier League and their match-winner in the historic Europa League final win over Manchester United. And yet just over six months on from that famous night in Bilbao, Johnson has been shown the door - despite the fact that he's contributed more goals in all competitions this term (four) than the man who has effectively taken his place in the Spurs side, Mohammed Kudus (three). The fact of the matter is, though, that the club were left with no real option but to cash in on one of their most valuable assets as Thomas Frank clearly didn't rate the Welshman as highly as his predecessor, Ange Postecoglou. In fairness to the Dane, Johnson definitely has his flaws: for a winger, he's not great in one-v-ones and often goes missing during games. The money is also good (the fourth-highest sale in Spurs' history), but there's no doubt that the club could come to regret selling Johnson - particularly if Frank doesn't see out the season... Grade: B-

For Palace: The makings of a masterstroke. Palace made a sensational start to the season but competing on three fronts right up until their Carabao Cup exit on December 23 has taken a heavy toll on a squad that manager Oliver Glasner has said all along lacks strength in depth. Johnson should just help in that regard. The 24-year-old undoubtedly has the quality to force his way into the starting line-up, as he offers the kind of goal threat that Palace have sorely lacked this season. Granted, £35m represents a serious investment for a club of Palace's limited resources, but the smart money is on Glasner making good use out of an attacker blessed with blistering pace. Grade: B+

For Johnson: The right call in the circumstances. Johnson undoubtedly would have preferred to stay at Spurs, but only if he were playing regular football - which he wasn't, and that constituted a major problem for a Wales international intent on being fully fit and firing by the time the World Cup play-offs roll around in March. Sure, there aren't any guarantees that he'll walk straight into the Palace team - whereas he would have immediately taken Antoine Semenyo's place at Bournemouth had he instead chosen to move to the Vitality Stadium. However, Glasner was offering him the opportunity to play for an exciting team that usually creates a lot of chances through transitions - as well as a real shot at lifting a European trophy for a second consecutive season. When one also considers the fact that he doesn't even have to leave London, Johnson looks very well placed to slot seamlessly into his new surroundings at Selhurst Park. Grade: A

For West Ham: The first step towards hopefully recouping some of the £27m they wasted on Fullkrug 18 months ago. In fairness to the Hammers, it looked like a good idea at the time. Fullkrug was a Germany international who had just played a big part in Borussia Dortmund reaching the final of the Champions League. However, he was plagued by injury problems and even when he was fit, he looked way off the pace and, thus, proved painfully ineffective. The hope now is that Fullkrug stays fit long enough in Milan to convince the Italian club to take up their option to sign him on a permanent basis during the summer. Grade: C

For Milan: A perplexing move but one indicative of the current situation at San Siro. Admittedly, Milan are strapped for cash. They're also short on numbers in attack, with Santiago Gimenez out for another three to four months, while there's also talk of the underperforming Christopher Nkunku being sold during the winter window. - which is why coach Massimiliano Allegri has been utilising Christian Pulisic and Rafael Leao up front this season (when the latter has been available for selection). However, Fullkrug really doesn't look like the solution at all, given his own injury issues and his dire scoring record in the Premier League (three goals in 26 appearances). Still, Allegri will probably argue that he could at least give them a decent battering-ram option off the bench. Grade: D+

For Fullkrug: Christmas has come late! There's just no way Fullkrug would have even dreamed of ending up at the Italian league leaders while once again struggling so badly at West Ham during a fragmented first half of the season for the fragile forward - so his agent probably deserves a raise. Of course, Fullkrug would be perfectly entitled to point to the fact that he's not the first striker to flop at West Ham - and he probably won't be the last either. He'll also doubtless believe himself capable of getting back to something resembling his Bundesliga best if he can stay fit for the next six months. How much game time he'll actually get is open to debate - particularly as Milan are already out of the Coppa Italia and don't have any European commitments this season - but he probably won't be worrying too much about that right now. At 32 years of age, he's been offered the opportunity of a lifetime out of nowhere. Grade: A

For Real Madrid: The smart play. There's obviously a chance that Madrid will come to regret letting Endrick leave during the second half of the season, when the games come thick and fast, and the risk of injuries to key players increases. However, it was in the club's interests to send the frustrated forward out on loan. Endrick had become Xabi Alonso's third-choice striker after falling behind Gonzalo Garcia in the pecking order at the Bernabeu and featured just three times in all competitions. The Brazilian should, thus, benefit enormously from regular first-team football at Lyon, who have not only agreed to pay a €1 million loan fee, but also cover half of Endrick's wages. When one also considers that there's not even an option to buy included in this deal, it cannot be regarded as anything but a no-brainer for Los Blancos as this looks like one of those moves that makes perfect sense for everyone involved. Grade: B+

For Lyon: Potentially a season-changing signing. Lyon were not too badly placed going into France's winter break, sitting fifth in Ligue 1, and just five points off the Champions League places. However, losing Alexandre Lacazette, Rayan Cherki and Georges Mikautadze during the summer transfer window decimated their attack. Indeed, 10th-placed Angers (17) were the only team in the top half of the table to have scored fewer goals than Lyon (22) during the first 16 rounds of the season, with new forward Martin Satriano having struggled badly to find the back of the net. Consequently, the arrival of Endrick, one of the most talented teenagers in world football, is rightly being lauded as a major coup for Lyon - even if it is only for six months. As the club's media channel pointed out, with the transfer being confirmed on December 23, it really did feel like Christmas had come early for the fans. Grade: A

For Endrick: An excellent opportunity to kickstart a career that had stalled in Spain. Alonso's appointment as Madrid boss hasn't just been bad news for Vinicius Jr - it also checked Endrick's progress after an encouraging debut season at the Bernabeu under Carlo Ancelotti. It has, therefore, been argued that nothing will change for Endrick as long as Alonso remains at the helm - but that's nonsense. He's still only 19 years of age and has an incredibly high ceiling. A productive spell in Ligue 1 with a team that should also go very deep in the Europa League could well prove the making of Endrick, who has already been handed the No.9 jersey at Lyon. He certainly won't want for motivation, that's for sure. Endrick may not have been called up by Brazil since March of last year, but if he starts scoring freely in France, he's every chance of forcing his way into the Seleccao squad ahead of the World Cup, with the battle for the central striking role in Ancelotti's starting line-up wide open right now. Grade: A