GOAL grades 2025's biggest January transfers: From Marcus Rashford's Man Utd exit to Neymar's Santos return and Man City's £180m spending spree

For Porto: An offer too good to turn down. Porto would have preferred to hold onto such an important figure until the end of the season, but City have effectively met Gonzalez's buy-out clause, with the only difference being that the money will arrive in instalments rather than one lump sum. The Portuguese club will also be pleased that they've still managed to make a tidy profit on a player they only signed 18 months ago for €8.5m despite the midfielder's former club, Barcelona (arguably the big winners here), being entitled to 40 percent of the fee because of a sell-on clause in his contract. Once City made their move, Gonzalez was always going to end up at the Etihad. Grade: C

For City: A new defensive midfielder - at last! Pep Guardiola thought that City could cope without Rodri, but he was wrong. Neither Mateo Kovacic nor Matheus Nunes (who has ended up at right-back!) have proven themselves up to the task of filling in for the best No.6 in world football - and the soon-to-be-dethroned English champions have suffered horribly as a result. That City have signed Gonzalez is something of a surprise, though. They were linked with better defensive midfielders than the Barcelona reject (such as Ederson and Martin Zubimendi), but the mere fact that he was school at La Masia clearly played a part in Guardiola's decision to bring him to Manchester. Grade: B

For Gonzalez: A dream deal. Gonzalez was let go by Barca in the summer of 2023; now he's just signed for Guardiola's City. As turnarounds go, that's pretty impressive, and it's all down to his impressive performances at Porto. Gonzalez is versatile enough to play as a No.8 and has added goals to his game this season, but the expectation is that he'll be immediately asked to belatedly fill the massive Rodri-shaped hole in front of City's defence. Gonzalez is very confident on the ball, he moves well, has good vision and rarely looks rushed, but this is a massive test of his talent. Gonzalez is not an elite-level midfielder - not yet, at least. He's never even been capped at international level by Spain. So, it will be fascinating to see how he copes with the pressure and demands that come with playing for Pep. Grade: A

For Bayern: An unsurprising decision. Bayern would have been happy to sell Tel now at the right price, given he's barely got a look-in since Vincent Kompany took over last summer, but a loan with an option to buy is not a bad outcome for the Bavarians. There was certainly no point in him spending the second half of the season sitting on the bench. Of course if Tel now tears it up at Tottenham, the Bavarians will lose him for £45m - a fee that could look like a bargain for a 19-year-old forward. At the end of the day, though, it's a risk that Bayern are willing to take as they're not short on quality wide players and there's no guarantee that Tel will realise his potential. Grade: B-

For Tottenham: A badly needed reinforcement. Spurs have been decimated by injuries in recent weeks, and although a versatile left winger was hardly high on their list of priorities, Tel represents a very welcome addition. Indeed, the word is that beleaguered manager Ange Postecoglou played a pivotal role in convincing the teenager to move to north London, so he clearly believes that Tel can play a big part in turning Tottenham's season around. Managing to negotiate the option to make the move permanent could also prove a masterstroke by Daniel Levy, who simply had to strengthen Spurs' attack and, in theory, that's what he's done by snapping up a player that several other teams were interested in acquiring. Grade: B+

For Tel: A chance to show what he can do. At 17, Tel was breaking all sorts of records at Bayern, but he's been surplus to requirements this season and it's well worth noting that he's not scored a single goal in 14 appearances in all competitions. He'd undoubtedly argue, though, that he wasn't given his fair share of opportunities by Kompany, having started just four times under the Belgian boss. However, the onus is now very much on Tel to prove his worth in the Premier League. With Dominic Solanke presently sidelined through injury and Ricarlison still terrible, Tel should certainly be afforded more minutes at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium than he was getting at the Allianz Arena. He'll need to make the most of them if he's to convince people he's really as good as he believes himself to be. Grade: B+

For Chelsea: Further evidence of their ridiculous recruitment. Chelsea only signed Disasi from Monaco for £38.5m ($48m) 18 months ago - but he's been a reserve since the start of the season, with his only meaningful minutes coming in the Conference League. The Blues board will, thus, be relieved to have removed an unwanted player from the wage bill until the end of the season, with Villa having agreed to not only pay a small loan fee but also cover his salary in full. It will now be fascinating to see if this temporary switch materialises into a permanent move - and for how much money. Grade: D+

For Villa: A vital addition in the centre of defence. Unai Emery's backline has been stretched to breaking point by injuries in recent weeks, so Disasi's deadline-day arrival could not have come at a better time. Villa also had to fight hard to get this deal done, as Tottenham were also in the running, and his signing makes this a very successful window for the club, who have hit pretty much all of their targets. Grade: B+

For Disasi: The move he desperately wanted - and needed. It's worth remembering that he had just broken into the France squad before his ill-fated move to Stamford Bridge, but it's now well over a year since he last represented his country. Disasi's goal will be to turn his career around ahead of the 2026 World Cup - and he could well do that at Villa Park. It's certainly encouraging that he was so keen to join, refusing to even consider signing for Spurs instead. Disasi clearly feels that Villa will provide him with a better platform to prove his worth between now and the end of the season - and he'll likely be proven right. Disasi is still only 26 and should get plenty of game time under Emery. Grade: A

For Chelsea: Further evidence of their ludicrous approach to player recruitment. Felix's arrival from Atletico Madrid, which coincided with Conor Gallagher moving in the opposite direction, was clearly motivated by financial factors rather than any sporting considerations. The Portuguese had done very little during his first loan spell at Stamford Bridge to suggest he was worth signing for £42m, so it's not in the least bit surprising that he's now being shipped out on loan just six months after his 'permanent' move to west London. Chelsea have done well to get Milan to cover his wages and pay a small loan fee for his services for the next six months, but it still seems unlikely that anyone will pay big money for a player that has barely done anything but disappoint since leaving Benfica as one of the most highly-rated teenagers in world football. Grade: D

For Milan: The kind of transfer with which the Rossoneri are becoming synonymous. The Serie A side are not the big spenders they once were under Silvio Berlusconi. It's all about Moneyball at Milanello these days, which essentially means taking a punt on unfulfilled talents. Signing Christian Pulisic has certainly worked out well for them and Felix could too, as there is a top player in there somewhere trying to get out. The big question is, though, where are they going to play him? Santiago Gimenez has been brought in from Feyenoord to start up front following Alvaro Morata's move to Galatasaray, while Rafael Leao and Pulisic are considered certain starters when fully fit. At the end of the day, Milan didn't really need Marcus Rashford, so Felix is arguably even less useful. Still, it's been claimed that coach Sergio Conceicao is a fan of his compatriot, so maybe he'll be the man to finally get a tune out of one of the game's most frustrating flops. Grade: C-

For Felix: Yet another move to a big club that he did very little to earn. There were brief spells at Barcelona last season when Felix looked like he might actually realise his potential at long last, but his loan stay in Catalunya didn't materialise into a permanent move - and the Blaugrana don't have any regrets about that fact. Atletico certainly don't regret getting rid of their record signing either. So, what chance does he have of finally finding a proper home for himself in Milan? Very little on the face of it, as he's joining a terribly inconsistent team that turns up one week before then disappearing for a month. Then again, given Felix is just as flakey, maybe he'll fit right into his new surroundings at San Siro! Grade: B-

For PSG: An expected exit. Even before the arrival of Khvicha Kvaratskhelia from Napoli, PSG had plenty of better options in attack than Asensio, which is why he was afforded just 755 minutes of game time in all competitions during the first half of the season. An outright sale or an obligation to buy would have been preferable for PSG, but a dry loan is not the end of the world, particularly with Villa covering his pay packet. However, the Parisians would dearly love to see the former Real Madrid man find some form in England so that they can sell him during the summer and make a decent profit on a 29-year-old they picked up on a free transfer in 2023. Grade: C+

For Villa: Another interesting move. Villa have been one of the stories of the winter window, willing to take a chance on a number of players that have struggled for one reason or another over the past year or so, and this one really could go either way. Asensio has always had a fantastic left foot and he could prove a decent goal threat for Villa. However, he's been poor for PSG - he's scored just six times in Ligue 1 in 31 appearances - and it's never really been clear if he's capable of delivering on a consistent basis for a sustained period of time at the highest level. Grade: B-

For Asensio: A timely transfer. There was simply no space for Asensio at Parc des Princes. Bradley Barcola and Desire Doue are younger and more exciting options out wide, Ousmane Dembele is enjoying one of those purple patches where he tricks everyone into thinking he can be a world-beater, Kvaratskhelia will be a certain starter during the second half of the season and Goncalo Ramos is a more natural fit for the No.9 role. So, Asensio simply had to leave - and Villa look a good option for the Spaniard for two reasons: the prospect of Champions League football and the presence of Unai Emery. Asensio's got a shot at making an instant impact and breathing new life into a career at real risk of petering out. Grade: B

For United: A sad but overdue divorce. The speed at which the relationship between Rashford and United collapsed was really quite something. It wasn't that long ago that the beloved academy product was signing a bumper new contract after the best season of his career. Truth be told, though, he's never been the same player since, and it was absolutely imperative that United got Rashford out of Old Trafford before the close of the transfer window, given his situation had become a constant source of distraction. This is hardly an ideal outcome for United, though. Villa are covering a minimum 75 percent of his sizable salary, which is a boost, but there's no obligation to buy here - just an option, and even that’s for only £40m (Rashford’s market value was probably three times that figure in the summer of 2023). More significantly, United have had to give Rashford to an English rival - rather than an overseas club - meaning there's serious potential for the England international to embarrass his employers by finding his old form at Villa Park. They really could have done with a clean break, while also having Rashford both out of sight and out of mind. Grade: D

For Villa: A potential masterstroke. Villa needed to strengthen their attack following Jhon Duran's decision to move to Saudi Arabia, and Rashford undoubtedly has the potential to do so. There is a fear that Villa have essentially replaced one questionable character with another, but Rashford certainly won't lack motivation, as he'll undoubtedly be determined to prove United manager Ruben Amorim wrong for freezing him out of his squad. There's also every chance that the brilliant Unai Emery can coax the best out of a re-energised Rashford after 18 months of regression. In the circumstances, this could prove a really shrewd move by Villa, and even if things go pear-shaped, they can send the forward back to Old Trafford at the end of the season - and without having had to pay any loan fee. Grade: B+

For Rashford: Not exactly a dream move. We know that Villa wasn’t Rashford’s first-choice. He clearly wanted to join one of Europe's traditional superpowers and Barcelona appeared to be his preferred destination. However, the Catalans weren't in a financial position to make the deal happen, resulting in Rashford ending up at Villa Park - which might not be such a bad thing. There’ll be no new league or language to get used to, no period of acclimatisation required, and, as he alluded to himself in his social media post, Rashford is already very familiar with his new team. He also suddenly has a Champions League last-16 tie to look forward to, while there's still every chance that Villa could qualify for next season's competition, as they're just four points off Manchester City in fourth in the Premier League, which should be getting an extra UCL spot for 2025-26 anyway. This, then, is a transfer that could work out very well indeed for both Rashford and Villa. Whether it does or not depends on Rashford, though. At the end of the day, he's responsible for his career going off the rails; only he can get it back on track. Grade: B

For Lecce: A colossal windfall. Sporting director Pantaleo Corvino is considered one of the finest talent-spotters in Italy and he's pulled off another transfer market masterstroke here. Less than three years after prising Dorgu away from Nordsjaelland's renowned academy for just €220,000 (£185,000/$230,000), Lecce have sold the versatile Dane for a fee that could rise to €35m (£29m/$36m) if all of the bonuses involved in the deal are met. The timing is, of course, terrible for the Giallorossi, who are presently involved in a relegation battle, as Dorgu is one of their best players - but they just weren't in a position to turn down such a generous offer. Grade: A-

For United: The first new arrival of the Ruben Amorim era and, potentially, a very shrewd signing. From the moment he first broke into the Lecce first team at 18, Dorgu has been linked with a move to one of Europe's top clubs. He's been a Serie A regular ever since and has already started 40 games in Italy's top flight. United have, thus, done well to get their hands on an exciting and versatile talent who was also pursued by Napoli. It will now be fascinating to see how Amorim intends to use him, given Dorgu is a left-back by trade but has been often used on the right wing by Lecce this season. Wherever he's deployed, though, he undoubtedly has the talent to quickly become a crowd favourite at Old Trafford. Grade: B+

For Dorgu: The stuff dreams are made of. Dorgu has long been regarded as a top talent, but even he couldn't have imagined getting a move to Manchester United at such a young age. The natural worry is that he will go the way of so many other promising players over the past few seasons and flop at Old Trafford, but he really does look very well-suited to a wide berth in Amorim's 3-4-3 formation on account of his speed, dribbling skills, athleticism and stamina. It wouldn't come as a huge surprise, then, to see him getting selected ahead of the likes of Diogo Dalot as soon as he's eligible. Grade: A

For Al-Nassr: An incredible coup. Duran had been courted by several top European teams looking for a promising young striker - a precious commodity in today's game - so for Al-Nassr to have convinced the Colombian to move to Riyadh is very impressive indeed. It's also a timely boost for Stefano Pioli's side, given they already appear to be out of the running for the Saudi Pro League title, which looks like a two-horse race between Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad. This surprise signing also means that Al-Nassr will continue to carry a potent attacking threat next season even if Cristiano Ronaldo decides to depart at the end of the season. Grade: A

For Villa: A bitter blow. Duran's thrilling cameos off the bench have been generating a huge amount of excitement around Villa Park for some time now. He proved such a menace to opposition defences that he even threatened to take Ollie Watkins' starting spot. However, it was common knowledge that Villa had Profit & Sustainability (PSR) problems, and selling a player a player bought for €20m for such an extraordinary fee has pretty much resolved their issues in one fell swoop. This is a tough transfer for the fans to take, but the club will argue that it was a necessary evil. As Unai Emery said on Wednesday night, "It's good money." Grade: B

For Duran: A remarkable decision, albeit only from a sporting perspective. There were plenty of clubs interested in Duran and yet it appears for all intents and purposes that he's willingly decided to move to the Middle East at just 21 - before he's even achieved anything of real value at the highest level of the club game. There are echoes of Gabri Veiga's move to Al-Ahli about this deal - and that hasn't worked out well for the Spaniard at all. Still, Duran will probably feel that he's young enough to waste a couple of years in the Pro League (while making some serious money!) before returning to Europe - and he's probably right, in fairness. Duran is unlikely to be short of offers when he eventually decides to leave Al-Nassr. Grade D

For Al-Hilal: An unmitigated disaster. Poor Al-Hilal thought they'd pulled off one of the most significant transfers in the history of Saudi Arabian football when they signed Neymar from Paris Saint-Germain 18 months ago - but it was already painfully clear by that point that football's answer to 'Mr. Glass' was already broken beyond repair. Consequently, Neymar proved an enormous waste of money, scoring only one goal for Al-Hilal in just seven appearances, and the Pro League champions were left with no option but to cancel his contract six months before it was set to expire. The whole Neymar deal has been a nightmare for Al-Hilal, from start to finish, but at least it's finally over. Grade: F

For Santos: The fairy-tale return. There was always hope that Neymar might finish his career where it all began, at Vila Belmiro, but let's be brutally honest here: it simply would not have happened had Neymar made such a complete mess of his career over the past eight years. Still, that's of little concern to Santos. They've managed to re-sign a club legend for nothing - and he's agreed to accept a massive salary cut to come home. Things may have gone pear-shaped for Neymar, but they couldn't have worked out any better for Santos. Grade: A+

For Neymar: A shot at a happy ending. Unless Neymar inspires Brazil to a most unlikely World Cup win in 2026, he's destined to be remembered as a wasted talent. Lest anyone forget, the 32-year-old was so good at Barcelona that he sometimes used to outshine Lionel Messi. He was so quick, so agile and so clever that he was sometimes unstoppable. No matter what one thinks of him, then, as a character, it's a terrible shame for the neutrals that he failed so miserably to make the most of his exceptional talent. Maybe he can enjoy something resembling redemption at Santos, who have just been promoted back to Brazil's Serie A, but you certainly wouldn't bank on it. Neymar never properly looked after his body during his peak years - it's going to be even more of a challenge for him now that he's the wrong side of 30. There's a lovely little bit of romance around this move, but it's also shrouded in sadness because Neymar isn't returning to Santos as a Ballon d'Or winner who realised his full potential during his 12 years away from home. Grade: B

For United: An act of pure desperation - but totally understandable in the circumstances. It's clear that Antony has no long-term future at Old Trafford - and everyone knows it. He's not started a single Premier League game this season, which is staggering when you think about it: a player bought for €100m doesn't have anything to offer a struggling side. The net result is that United have been forced to accept a dry loan for Antony and cover a significant chunk of his wages in the hope that he'll do enough at Betis to convince either the Andalusians or some other side to take a punt on him during the summer. So, while this deal doesn't resolve United's Antony problem at all, it might make it easier to get rid of him in six months' time. It's a dreadful situation for the Red Devils to find themselves in but, at the end of the day, they only have themselves to blame for paying such a ridiculous amount of money for the winger three years ago. Grade: D

For Betis: A shot to nothing. Betis aren't having a particularly good season. They're 12th in La Liga, were hammered by Barcelona in the last 16 of the Copa del Rey and their results in the Conference League league phase were worryingly poor (they had to settle for a spot in the knockout phase play-offs). With all of that in mind, Antony is a rather intriguing signing for the Betis supporters. He's obviously been atrocious for United, but there is at least a chance that he could rediscover something resembling his Ajax form at the Benito Villamarin. Certainly, coach Manuel Pellegrini will be delighted to see a winger arrive at the club given the hugely promising Spain Under-21 international Assane Diao left for Como earlier this month and has already made an impressive start to life in Serie A. Pellegrini will be hoping Antony can make just as instantaneous an impact at Betis, who have managed to get one of the most valuable players on the planet for nothing and are under no obligation to buy at the end of the season. In that sense, this has to be viewed as a decent deal for the Spanish side. Grade B

For Antony: An unexpected but most welcome change of scenery. There's no nice way of putting it: Antony's move to Manchester ranks as one of the worst transfers in football history, a truly colossal waste of cash. However, while it's never been easy for a player to shake off the dreaded 'flop' tag, it's hardly impossible. Antony wouldn't be the first big-money signing to struggle at a top team - and he won't be the last. It must also be acknowledged that Old Trafford has become a graveyard for potential stars in recent years - so he'll no doubt be relishing this opportunity to revive his career in La Liga. In an ideal world, Antony would have left last summer - and for a truly elite team - but this move is definitely a case of better late than never and he'll no doubt be inspired by how former United team-mate Mason Greenwood made the most of his own loan spell in Spain. Grade: B

For City: A sad day for the club - but it had been coming. Nobody would have thought even just a few months ago that Walker would really leave City halfway through the season. His form may have dipped dramatically, but he was still the club captain. However, it was clear from the moment that Pep Guardiola went public with Walker's desire to move abroad that his wish would be granted before the close of the January transfer window. In Walker, City are losing a leader, but his influence had already been on the wane for some time. Finding a worthy replacement for peak Walker will not be easy - maybe even impossible - but the version of the right-back we've seen over the past few months will not be missed at the Etihad. And City may even make a little money on the 34-year-old's departure if the initial six-month loan goes well. Grade: B

For Milan: Another Englishman! Milan already had Fikayo Tomori, Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Tammy Abraham on their books, and now Walker is on his way. It's a strange signing, though. The England international's pedigree is beyond dispute, so it's easy to understand why Fabio Capello has already been heralding the arrival of a "champion" at Milan. Walker has won everything worth winning at club level. However, it's been clear since last summer's Euros that he's well past his brilliant best, so it's hard to know exactly how much he'll actually add to the Rossoneri - particularly as there have been doubts over his well-being of late. Still, while Milan have agreed to cover Walker's pay-packet, they are under no obligation to buy this summer, so it's a relatively low-key risk. Grade: C

For Walker: A much-needed move away from Manchester. It's common knowledge that things haven't been going well for Walker recently, on or off the field. He's also previously expressed an interest in playing abroad, so a move to Milan could help him finish his career with a flourish. There's certainly space for him in the Rossoneri backline, with Emerson Royal expected to be sold in the coming days. Perhaps more importantly, the presence of so many of his compatriots at the club should help him settle into his new surroundings a lot more quickly than he would have done by going elsewhere, while the slower pace of Serie A should suit a player who appears to have lost some of his renowned speed over the past year. Grade: A

For Eintracht: A serious setback to their hopes of qualifying for next season's Champions League. Third-placed Eintracht have scored 42 goals in the Bundesliga this season, and Marmoush has been directly involved in 24 of them, so his mid-season exit is a major problem for manager Dino Toppmoller - even if Elye Wahi is expected to arrive from Marseille in the coming days to reinforce the attack. On the plus side, the club have made a gargantuan profit on a player that only arrived on a free transfer from Stuttgart 18 months ago, but there’s no hiding the fact that the timing of this deal is a disaster; it could cost Eintracht Champions League football next season. Grade: C

For City: A much-needed addition to their attack. City couldn't afford to turn down the massive amount of money Atletico Madrid offered for Julian Alvarez, but they've paid a heavy price for deciding against signing an immediate replacement. Marmoush, then, should help ease the burden on Erling Haaland, and add a new dimension to a forward line that failed to fire far too often during the first half of the season, as the Egyptian is capable of leading the line or playing out wide. There is, however, one major concern here: Marmoush has only been playing at this very high level for six months. He was good last season, but not great. Given he's 25, there's no telling if this is anything more than an extended purple patch. It's also worth noting that Eintracht have carved out quite the reputation for taking clubs to the cleaners for overrated strikers, having previously struck gold when selling Luka Jovic and Randal Kolo Muani for extortionate fees. This feels like an awful lot of money for a versatile understudy. Grade: B-

For Marmoush: The opportunity of a lifetime! Top teams weren't exactly queuing up to sign Marmoush when his Stuttgart contract expired at the end of the 2022-23 season - even though he was available on a free transfer. Now, he's secured a move to the reigning champions of England and is likely to feature regularly during the second half of the season as Pep Guardiola tries to maintain his team's upturn in form. The pressure is very much on Marmoush to prove he's no flash in the plan and that he really can cut it at the very highest level - but it's a challenge he should relish in the circumstances. One could easily argue that he'd have been better off seeing out at the season in Frankfurt, but the on-fire Marmoush can hardly be blamed for jumping at the chance to immediately move to Manchester City. Grade: A

For PSG: A short-term solution to a major problem. We said at the time of Kolo Muani's move to the Parc des Prince that a desperate PSG had paid well over the odds for a player coming off the back of one good season in the Bundesliga with Eintracht Frankfurt - but even we didn't think that the Frenchman would prove such a disastrous waste of money. In 18 months in Paris, the forward has scored just eight goals in Ligue 1, making the €80 million (£67m/$82m) signing one of the biggest flops in football history. The powerbrokers at PSG will now be praying that Kolo Muani finds some form in Turin so that they can at least recoup some of that ridiculous transfer fee at the end of the season. Grade: D

For Juventus: A case of nothing to lose but everything to gain. Covering Kolo Muani's salary in full is hardly ideal for the Bianconeri, given their delicate budget, but there are no other fees involved here and Juve are under no obligation to buy. Worst-case scenario, the 26-year-old fails to deliver and he goes straight back to PSG. However, there's also a chance that Kolo Muani proves a better fit for Thiago Motta's brand of football than current first-choice striker Dusan Vlahovic and helps Juve turn all of the games they're drawing into wins. Grade: B

For Kolo Muani: An unexpected and undeserved chance to impress at a massive club that he really needs to take. There was always the suspicion that Kolo Muani was incredibly overrated and so it proved in Paris, where he failed dismally to flourish alongside fellow France forwards Ousmane Dembele and Kylian Mbappe before completely losing the trust of coach Luis Enrique this season. It's now imperative that he rediscovers his goal-scoring touch in Turin. If he doesn't, it's hard to imagine any top team even considering signing this summer - unless PSG make him available for pittance. On paper, Kolo Muani has the mobility and versatility to flourish under Motta, but he's got to prove it on the pitch. Grade: B

For Palmeiras: Another big windfall! Palmeiras have developed a very lucrative habit of producing technically-gifted teenagers that Europe's elite cannot wait to snap up. Reis is just the latest player to roll off the Verdao conveyor belt after Endrick, Luis Guilherme and Estevao Willian. It's obviously bitterly frustrating for the fans to see academy products depart before they've even turned 20, and Palmeiras ideally wanted to keep Reis for this year's Club World Cup in the United States - but this is the modern game: even the biggest Brazilian clubs are unable to hold onto their most promising players for long. What's more, the money made from these deals means that Palmeiras will remain one of the most competitive sides in South America for the foreseeable future. Grade: A-

For City: Another key development in the rejuvenation of Manchester City's backline. City have been very unfortunate with the amount of injuries they've suffered the season, but it's clear that Pep Guardiola wants to revamp his defence regardless, with Nathan Ake, Manuel Akanji and John Stones all 29 or over, and Kyle Walker (34) on his way out of the Etihad. Reis, then, fits in perfectly with the club's attempt to look towards the future, with the 19-year-old considered one of the most promising ball-playing centre-backs in the game today. Indeed, Real Madrid and Arsenal had been previously linked with a youngster who had provoked comparisons with Marquinhos. Grade: B

For Reis: The stuff dreams are made of! Reis only made his professional debut in June and has just 22 senior games under his belt. So, for him to have already secured a lucrative move to one of Europe's biggest clubs is just astounding. However, Reis has been touted as a future Brazil international for some time now - and not just because of his comfort on the ball (which makes him an ideal signing for City). Reis' character and leadership skill have long been considered elite, as his reading of the game and wonderful range of passing. It has to be said that, physically, he's not yet ready for Premier League football as he's still quite slender, but there are definitely similarities to Marquinhos, whom he freely admits he's modelled his game on. Grade: A

For Lens: An incredible bit of business. Lens only signed the 20-year-old centre-back 18 months ago for €100,000 (£83,000/$104,000) and now they've offloaded him for €40m (£34m/$43m) after just 24 appearances in Ligue 1. Khusanov will obviously be missed, but his rapid rate of progress took everyone at the Stade Bollaert-Delelis by complete surprise, and coach Will Still already had three good centre-backs before Khusanov locked down a starting spot this season. This massive profit on such a young, unproven player is a most unexpected and welcome surprise for Lens, who still have every chance of qualifying for Europe without Khusanov. Grade: A

For City: The start of an overdue defensive overhaul. Injuries and dramatic dips in form have left City looking weaker at the back than they've ever been under Pep Guardiola, who has paid the price for putting his faith in his players that are either injury-prone or past their best. It's, thus, come as no surprise to see the English champions dip into the transfer market during the winter window - but is Khusanov the answer to the problems? The Uzbek is both strong and quick, so the physicality and the Premier League shouldn't be an issue for him, but he's not yet as comfortable on the ball as the average Guardiola defender. Consequently, it would be asking a lot for him to have an immediate, Ruben Dias-like impact on City's backline - but his potential is obvious. Grade: B

For Khusanov: A meteoric rise to prominence. Khusanov has gone from the Belarusian to the English Premier League in less than two years - and it doesn't seem to have fazed him at all. So, while there's an understandable concern that this move might have come a little too soon, it's easy to understand why he's jumped at the chance to test himself in the English top-flight. And let's face it, this is a great time to be joining City: starting spots are up for grabs after such an unusually poor run of form and opportunities like these don't come around too often at top teams. Grade: A+

For Napoli: An undoubted blow to Napoli's Serie A title hopes - but maybe not fatal. Kvaratskhelia has been one of the league's most dangerous players since his arrival from Dinamo Batumi for a bargain €10m (£8.4m/$10.2m) in the summer of 2022 and he was outstanding during his first season at the club, which ended with the Partenopei winning their first Scudetto since 1990. However, under new coach Antonio Conte, Napoli have become less and less dependent upon the winger, who has not scored since October 29 and produced just one assist in the interim. Having to cash in on 'Kvaradona' is a shame but hardly surprising: he's clearly not been happy at the club for a while now, so Napoli have done well to get decent money for an unsettled and increasingly ineffective attacker. Grade: B+

For PSG: A definite coup but a strange signing nonetheless. Plenty of other clubs were following Kvaratskhelia, but it's PSG who have managed to secure his signature. The question is, though: did they really need him? The Parisians' problem (at least in Europe) isn't creating chances, it's taking them, so their money would have been better spent on signing a goal-scorer - not another winger. Indeed, if there's one thing that PSG do not lack, it's wide players, so why bring in another one at considerable cost? They already have Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue and Bradley Barcola, unless Kvaratskhelia's arrival now means that someone else is leaving... Grade: B

For Kvaratskhelia: A transfer that makes sense from a financial perspective. It was common knowledge that Kvaratskhelia was on what was, relatively speaking, a ridiculously low wage at Napoli, and the word is that PSG agreed to quadruple his salary, which is obviously great for the Georgian's bank balance. But what does this move do for his sporting career? Kvaratskhelia should certainly run riot in Ligue 1, which is nowhere near as competitive as Serie A, and a league winners' medal is a given (for what it's worth). He's also guaranteed Champions League football every season he stays at Parc des Princes. But will the 23-year-old realise his potential in Paris playing only a few meaningful games a season? It's doubtful, particularly when one considers that the current PSG squad is very much a work in progress and so weak right now that Luis Enrique's men are on the verge of an embarrassingly early European exit. Grade: B-

For Dortmund: A loss on their original investment, but probably the correct call. Dortmund thought they'd found the perfect Jadon Sancho replacement when they signed Malen from PSV in 2021 for €30m (£25m/$31m), but even though the versatile right winger enjoyed some productive spells at Signal Iduna Park, his lack of consistency became an increasing source of frustration. Consequently, he'd been in and out of the BVB starting line-up during the first half of the season, and given he had just 18 months left on his contract, Dortmund's decision to cash in on Malen during the January transfer window didn’t come as a massive shock. Grade: B-

For Villa: A belated replacement for Moussa Diaby. Villa may have two fine forwards competing for the No.9 berth, but they've lacked a real goal threat out wide and Malen unquestionably has the potential to provide it. The 25-year-old was by no means a key player during Dortmund's run to the final of last season's Champions League - he didn't feature at all in the semis and saw just 10 minutes of game time at Wembley - but he was their top-scorer in the Bundesliga, with the majority of his 13 goals coming from his favoured right-wing position. So, while signing Malen represents a financial risk for Villa, who have had problems with the Profit & Sustainability Rules (PSR) over the past year, it's a relatively small gamble that could pay off handsomely. Villa are still in the hunt for a top-four finish in the Premier League; a fully-fit and firing Malen could help them get there. Grade: B

For Malen: A fresh start. There was a real fear of Malen stagnating or even regressing at Dortmund, so the hope is that a move to the Premier League will enable him to kickstart his career. As the very experienced Netherlands international proved with his double against Romania in the last 16 of Euro 2024, Malen has the ability to shine on the game's grandest stages. The question is, though, whether he has it in him to do so on a consistent basis, as there have long been concerns over his decision-making and work-rate. He should, at least, get plenty of opportunities to prove himself at Villa Park, and it would not be a massive surprise if Unai Emery was the man to bring the very best out of Malen, given it was the Spaniard who elevated Ollie Watkins' game to a whole other level. Grade: A-