The January transfer window is famous for its difficulty level. Plenty of teams want to buy, but far fewer are willing sellers midway through a campaign.

Six Premier League clubs ended the window without spending a penny, but that didn’t drive the league’s overall spend down at all, with a few heavy-hitters throwing money around to fix their issues this winter.

Here’s how all 20 teams stacked up when the window closed.

15. Arsenal, Everton, Fulham, Liverpool, Newcastle & West Ham – £0m
The title favourites opted against making winter moves. The Premier League’s top two opted against conducting any business in the winter, with Arsenal failing to land an optimal striker target.

Newcastle also failed to bring a single player in during the window, while Everton and West Ham completed deadline day loan moves for Charly Alcaraz and Evan Ferguson respectively. Loan fees for each player are yet to be disclosed.

Fulham ended the month without a single signing, but they’re welcoming Willian back on a free transfer.

14. Brentford – £420,000

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Michael Kayode joined Brentford for a small loan fee / JUSTIN TALLIS/GettyImages
20-year-old Michael Kayode was Brentford’s only addition this winter, with the Fiorentina full-back filling a distinct position of need.

He’s joined on an initial loan (worth a reported £420,000) with a £13.5m outright purchase clause inserted for the summer.

13. Nottingham Forest – £2m

Tyler Bindon will return to Reading on loan / Andrew Vaughan/GettyImages
Nottingham Forest have enjoyed a remarkable season and may have been tempted to make a couple of splashes in a bid to aid their quest to qualify for the Champions League.

Matheus Cunha was tenuosly linked before he extended his stay at Wolves. Instead, Forest signed free agent Wayne Hennessey and drafted in 20-year-old Tyler Bindon before sending him back to Reading on loan.

12. Leicester – £2.5m

Wayo Coulibaly (L) was Leicester’s only signing / Maurizio Lagana/GettyImages
Financial restrictions limited Leicester in the window, and they only brought in Parma’s Wayo Coulibaly for a small fee. Coulibaly should provide cover at right-back but nothing more.

Ruud van Nistelrooy has his work cut out if the Foxes are to remain in the division.

11. Southampton – £4.2m

Albert Gronbaek is a potentially exciting arrival / Franco Arland/GettyImages
Southampton are creeping towards respectability on the points tally front, with Ivan Juric’s arrival aiding their ability to compete in the top flight.

The Saints continued their policy of signing young this winter, and have bought with the long-term in mind. Loan addition Albert Gronbaek was their most notable addition.

10. Crystal Palace – £12m

Romain Esse scored on his Premier League debut / Sebastian Frej/MB Media/GettyImages
Palace’s sole signing, Romain Esse, made his mark on his debut as he scored a conciliatory goal in the Eagles’ 2-1 defeat to Brentford.

The south London club have had great success shopping in the Championship in the past, with Eberechi Eze and Michael Olise both hailing from second tier outfits before blossoming into stars at Selhurst Park.

19-year-old Esse is looking to follow in their footsteps.

9. Chelsea – £12.5m

Chelsea splashed out late in the window / Eurasia Sport Images/GettyImages
The winter window was more about outgoings for Chelsea, who used deadline day to bid farewell to Ben Chilwell, Carney Chukwuemeka, Axel Disasi and Joao Felix on six-month loans.

The window closed without Chelsea appearing to have spent a penny, but the Blues confirmed the £12.5m signing of 19-year-old midfielder Mathis Amougou from Saint-Etienne on Tuesday. The teenager will spend the rest of the season with Enzo Maresca’s side but is reportedly being lined up for a move to Strasbourg next year.

8. Bournemouth – £18m

Andoni Iraola merely tinkered with his personnel in January / Mike Hewitt/GettyImages
Bournemouth have dazzled in Andoni Iraola’s second season at the helm, with the Spaniard’s counter-revolutionary ideals stunning the division’s big dogs.

The Cherries had one distinct position of need this winter given Evanilson and Enes Unal’s injury, and it remains to be seen whether 18-year-old starlet Eli Junior Kroupi will be enough. Bournemouth sent Lorient £10m for the teenager’s services.

7. Ipswich – £22m

Jaden Philogene was an early winter arrival / Alex Pantling/GettyImages
Unlike the majority of Premier League clubs, Ipswich conducted much of their business early in the window.

Plenty of familiar names arrived at Portman Road, with Jaden Philogene joining from Aston Villa in a £20m deal. Ben Godfrey and Julio Enciso were acquired on loan.

6. Tottenham – £23m

Mathys Tel joined Spurs on an initial loan / Christina Pahnke – sampics/GettyImages
We’ve taken into account Mathys Tel’s reported loan fee, which is significant, and Tottenham have the option to purchase the French teenager outright in the summer.

Tel’s signature capped off a rather frenetic month for the Lilywhites, who signed goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky right at the very start of the window and didn’t make their second signing until 2 February.

Kevin Danso, like Tel, has joined on an initial loan, although Spurs have the obligation to make his move permanent.

5. Man Utd – £27m

Man Utd brought in Patrick Dorgu and Ayden Heaven / PAUL ELLIS/GettyImages
Man Utd were expected to be one of the winter transfer window protagonists, but the overriding feeling is that they haven’t done anywhere near enough to help new manager Ruben Amorim out.

Patrick Dorgu was the marquee arrival and will help out down the flanks, but the Red Devils look slightly weaker now compared to a month ago.

4. Aston Villa – £32m

Marcus Rashford was one of several high-profile loan arrivals at Villa Park / Carl Recine/GettyImages
It was a window of loans at Villa Park, although the Villans did shell out more than £20m to bring Donyell Malen in from Borussia Dortmund.

Marcus Rashford could be a major coup if Unai Emery’s able to rejuvenate the gifted Englishman, while Marco Asensio’s arrival shouldn’t go under the radar. Another loanee, Axel Disasi, supplies desperately needed defensive cover.

3. Brighton – £41m

Stefanos Tzimas joined Brighton on Deadline Day / Stuart Franklin/GettyImages
Half of Brighton’s winter outlay was dedicated towards Greek international Stefanos Tzimas, who has been loaned back to FC Nurnberg for the remainder of the season.

Diego Gomez’s arrival from Inter Miami was confirmed in December, while Eiran Cashin moved to the Amex towards the end of the window in a £9m deal from Derby.

Brighton, of course, were big spenders in the summer and had the chance to balance the books (and some) when Al Nassr came in for Kaoru Mitoma.

2. Wolves – £42m

Reims were raided by the West Midlanders / Chris Brunskill/Fantasista/GettyImages
The defensive reinforcements Gary O’Neil required in the wake of Max Kilman’s exit finally arrived, but new manager Vitor Pereira will be the beneficiary of two centre-back additions.

Wolves completed a double raid of Reims, signing experienced pair Emmanuel Agbadou and Marshall Munetsi. Red Star Belgrade defender Nasser Djiga signed on deadline day to push Wolves’ winter spending over the £40m mark.

1. Man City – £180m

Nico Gonzalez’s arrival completed a busy winter for the champions / Eurasia Sport Images/GettyImages
Manchester City were hugely responsible for the Premier League’s expenditure increase this January compared to a year ago.

The Cityzens never planned to go as big as they did, but a woeful end to 2024 forced the club to act. The rebuild’s started early.

Omar Marmoush, Nico Gonzalez, Vitor Reis and Abdukodir Khusanov were City’s four major arrivals who combined for around £180m in fees. However, the early signs suggest they’ll have to oversee a similarly busy summer if they’re to return to a recognisable level next season and beyond.