January transfer window: Grading big signings in men's soccer - ESPN

Premier League clubs spent £3 billion ($4 billion) in a summer transfer window that smashed the previous record of £2.36 billion ($3.2 billion) from two summers ago.

Here are grades for all the major confirmed transfers in the men's game, with each listed by date and then by highest fee.

All fees are reported unless confirmed with an asterisk.

Arsenal: C
Ajax: A

Zinchenko was a transformative £30 million signing for Arsenal in 2022, helping change the style and set the tone for what would become yearly title challenges. Unfortunately, since 2024, injuries have prevented him from impacting. It's the right time for Arsenal to say goodbye — although a paltry fee of €1.5 million is a little disappointing.

Ajax will be thrilled to pick up a player who is stellar in possession, and who should cope better with the lessened demands of the Eredivisie, hopefully allowing him to stay a lot fitter.

Manchester City: C
Nottingham Forest: A

Forest goalkeeper John Victor has been ruled out for the season with a knee injury, so signing Ortega on a five-month deal is a shrewd move to cover that. The 33-year-old typically looked good when stepping in for Ederson at Manchester City over the years, which serves as a marker of his quality. But with James Trafford now backing up Gianluigi Donnarumma at the Etihad Stadium, his services are no longer required.

If City had been better organized on the goalkeeping front last summer, they could have parted with Ortega earlier and received a reasonable fee. Instead, he's gone on an initial free transfer that could rise to £500,000 with add-ons.

West Ham United: B
Flamengo: B

The Brazilian league is suddenly flush with money, and Paquetá becomes the latest — and by far the most expensive —