Diaz, Fernandes, Van Dijk, Vidic: Premier League's 16 best January signings

For a transfer window that’s endlessly ‘difficult to do business in’ according to just about every football manager ever, a fair bit of transfer business gets pushed through every year.

None more so than in the Premier League, where if it’s not lower down sides desperately trying to bolster their roster in fear of relegation, it’s top sides looking for the marginal gains that can set them up nicely for the future.

In and amongst that chaos, it does actually prove difficult to do good business in January. That’s why when a club nails it, we know about it. Be it a short-term fix or a long-term setup, planning has to be meticulous to ensure a mid-season signing isn’t a waste of time and money.

Here at GIVEMESPORT, we’ve pulled together the top 14 bits of January business to be conducted in the Premier League.

With Birmingham stranded in a relegation scrap in the 2002/03 season and desperate to retain their Premier League status, they believed the answer to their prayers was an ageing World Cup winner, looking for one last hurrah. And it was. Christophe Dugarry packed his bags and left his native France to head to the Midlands, and hit it off instantly. His five goals in four games propelled Birmingham away from danger and helped them to a 13th place finish. It all went downhill the moment he signed a permanent deal, but his instant contribution earned him a place in the club’s hall of fame.

In a year that would only get stranger and stranger very quickly, West Ham signing apparent nobodies in a bid to salvage their campaign under David Moyes felt somewhat normal. Tomas Soucek might not have been a name many Hammers fans were familiar with, but his presence was felt immediately in their midfield. The Czech Republic captain