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Transfer Rondo Feb. 3GOAL
Tom Hindle and Ryan Tolmich

The Rondo, transfer window review edition: Best deal, worst move and what’s next for Josh Sargent?

The January transfer window offered admittedly few high profile moves, but there were certainly some significant deals that will have an impact this year and for those to come.

And so a slightly underwhelming month comes to an end. Perhaps most clubs were just sitting around, still exhausted after a historically expensive summer. This was, indeed, a truly dry January in the transfer market. Even Man City, historically massive spenders during the cold winter moves, were relatively quiet (even if that meant signing two starting-caliber players). 

Still, it's tricky to take loads from a window in which the most significant outlay was made by Crystal Palace for a forward who doesn't score many goals. Yet, there's a lot of discussion to be had about what didn't go down. Ricardo Pepi was supposed to move to Fulham, and then didn't, which probably seems just about right given that he's injured. 

Josh Sargent's potential exit from Norwich is likely the biggest move that didn't happen. He went on strike, presumably thought that a Toronto FC bid was imminent, and was made to look a bit silly after Norwich didn't take Toronto's cash. He might still leave, given that the MLS transfer window is still open, but it's tricky to see Norwich sanctioning an exit now.

GOAL breaks down the moves that did and did not happen in another edition of... The Rondo.

  • FBL-FRA-LIGUE1-LYON-LILLEAFP

    What was the best move of the transfer window?

    Tom Hindle: Endrick to Lyon! No, it's not permanent. And yes, Real Madrid will absolutely bring him back when it suits them. But the guy is cooking at Lyon, and finally has a little bit of freedom to show that he's pretty good at this sport. Will it earn him a spot at the World Cup? To be determined. But he's a good footballer who gets to play good football after 18 pretty forgettable months. A word, too, for the Marc Guehi to Man City deal. He hasn't hit the ground running, yet he will be a presence for that club for years to come. 

    Ryan Tolmich: There's nothing not to love about Endrick's loan to Lyon, except if you're a Real Madrid fan. Even then, you'd probably be thrilled by how good the Brazil star has been since arriving in Ligue 1. Frozen out at Madrid, Endrick is showing exactly why he's regarded as one of the most exciting young players in the world. More crucially, he's showing Carlo Ancelotti why he belongs on the Brazil roster this summer. This is one that could be a win-win for Endrick, Lyon, Brazi,l and Real Madrid, which is the definition of a good move.

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  • Everton v Wolverhampton Wanderers - Premier LeagueGetty Images Sport

    What was the worst move of the transfer window?

    TH: Crystal Palace paid HOW much for Jorgen Strand Larsen?!? Dropping $66 million for half a decent season a couple of years ago is an eye-watering fee, especially for a club that tends to keep it tidy in the market. They'd better hope that the dude starts scoring goals, because that's a lot of money. Reeks of desperation, and soon-to-be relegated Wolves must have been laughing in Molineux. 

    RT: It deserves a mention, ultimately because it didn't go through. Jean-Philippe Mateta had a bad Deadline Day, as did Crystal Palace and AC Milan.  His failed medical revealed an issue that will keep him out of action, Crystal Palace missed out on money needed after their big swing to sign Jorgen Strand Larsen for $66 million, and Milan didn't add the attacking piece that could make the difference in the Scudetto race. It's a January transfer saga for the books for all the wrong reasons.

  • Jhon Duran Fenerbahce 2025-26Getty

    Which one would you have liked to see?

    TH: Jhon Duran to pretty much anywhere, if only to complete the infinity gauntlet of stints in Saudi, Turkey and MLS before his 23rd birthday. Would have been historical levels of transfer nonsense. 

    RT: There was risk involved, but it really would have been fun to see Ricardo Pepi take that leap up to Fulham. He's out until March but, by then, PSV will almost certainly have wrapped up the title, taking a lot of the jeopardy out of those final few weeks of the season. From a USMNT perspective, sure, it'll be good to have Pepi in a familiar place where he can jump right back into the lineup in March, but he seems ready for a Premier League test that, for now, will have to wait.

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  • Alex Freeman USMNTGetty Images

    Which American transfer move sealed their trip to the World Cup? Which didn't?

    TH: Alex Freeman, welcome to the USMNT roster - for good. He might not be a regular for Villarreal, but a switch to the Spanish league will certainly offer a higher level of competition. And if he cracks the XI, there's a pretty compelling case to be made for the American to start over Sergino Dest at the World Cup. 

    RT: In reality, things didn't change much in that regard. Freeman took a big swing, but he seemed on the right side of the red line anyway. Max Arfsten, Sebastian Berhalter, and Diego Luna didn't head to Europe, but they might just be okay, too, with a strong start in MLS. The one player that probably boosted his chances most was Damion Downs, whose move to Hamburg has him playing again, which is a big boost after spending so much time on Southampton's bench. Outside of that, the status quo has largely stayed the same.

  • Josh Sargent Norwich 2025-26Getty

    How bad is Josh Sargent's failure to leave (for now)?

    TH: Well, it's not bloody great, is it? Maybe, Josh, when you try to force a move, make sure it happens? OK, yes, Norwich didn't want to sanction an exit in January. But everyone's misjudged this pretty poorly here. The upshot is that he probably won't play loads of football between now and the summer, which isn't good for any year, never mind a World Cup one. 

    RT: He hasn't failed to leave because there's still plenty of time. Sargent was never restricted by Europe's schedule because he reportedly didn't want to stay in Europe. It'll take some negotiating, but given how tense things have gotten, one has to assume that everyone will realize that it's in their best interest to get this thing done at some point soon.

  • FBL-EUR-C1-ATLETICO MADRID-BODOE GLIMTAFP

    Which team "won the window"?

    TH: Atletico Madrid. They made a net profit AND they got better? The Rojiblancos can be a little erratic in the transfer market at times, but this was a mightily successful month. Now, if Diego Simeone can coax some form out of Ademola Lookman, then top marks. 

    RT: Pep Guardiola's side took both their attack and defense to a new level by signing Antoine Semenyo and Guehi, two Premier League-proven players who should give them a real boost through the second half of the season. Can they catch Arsenal? That remains to be seen, but there's no doubt that City are a better team now and going forward than they were pre-January.

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