January Transfer Window Grades: Barcelona Breaks Even, Crystal Palace Overpay For Striker

January is a notoriously bad time for buyers because nobody ever wants to sell top talent midway through the season. There are, however, exceptions to the rule. Some clubs need to raise funds to balance the books, while others can be left with not option but to unload an unhappy player who has made it clear that he wants to join a stronger side.

For the most part, though, getting good value for money is difficult, as we saw during the last winter window. Manchester City spent almost £180 million on six players a year ago, and not one of them has been an unqualified success.

Of course, that won't stop teams splashing the cash this month, as they look to either maintain their momentum or turn their season around. As a result, GOAL is once again on hand to grade the biggest January deals from the perspective of the two clubs involved, and the player himself...

For Wolves: Outstanding work! Strand Larsen was a revelation for Wolves last season, which is why Newcastle offered £55m for the forward during the summer. Having already lost Matheus Cunha to Manchester United, the powers that be at Molineux felt that could ill-afford to let Strand Larsen leave too — which turned out to be a mistake, given how poorly he's performed this season (just one goal in 19 Premier League appearances). So, for Wolves to have still managed to get £50m for a forward whose true value is probably half that fee is genuinely amazing. As long as the money raised is invested in the squad, Strand Larsen won't be missed — and certainly not by the fans who'd grown bitterly frustrated with his performances this season. Grade: A-

For Palace: A big gamble. Palace clearly needed to sign a striker, with Jean-Philippe Mateta keen to leave Selhurst Park before