The January window has ended and with it, some new faces are joining the Premier League. With only 14 games remaining, these players will have a limited time to make an impact, but some could be decisive for their clubs in the coming months. I want to talk about the 5 most exciting imports to the Premier League this January and how they can make a difference.
- Nico Gonzalez
Manchester City have finally made a move to address their glaring deficiencies in midfield with the signing of Porto midfielder Nico Gonzalez. The La Masia graduate established himself as one of the most decisive midfielders in Portugal and will add an energy and dynamism that has been missing from City’s midfield.
He picked up 5 goals and 3 assists in the league which is commendable but his tenacity off the ball might be the most important addition to the City midfield. Per Opta Analyst, he has played 58% of his league and European minutes in a double pivot in a 4-2-3-1. In 17 league games, he has won 18 tackles (tackles where the tackler retains possession), whilst averaging 2 tackles, he has also made 37 fouls and got 6 yellow cards showing his willingness to get stuck in. He is not just a destroyer.
Manchester City have struggled in transition this season. Using Opta’s data they have conceded 28 fast break shots, the 4th most in the league. Gonzalez will be the 3rd most prolific tackler as it currently stands and City’s most booked player. If he can help stem the tide in transition, he might be the most important signing of the season.
- Omar Marmoush
Staying with Manchester City, they have also signed Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush. He has made two appearances already, but I want to focus on why he was signed in the first place. In 17 Bundesliga games, Marmoush was unplayable as he still leads the league in non-penalty goals (13), assists (9), shots (75), and fouls drawn (55). His dynamic partnership with Hugo Ekitike had shot Eintracht Frankfurt up the table and his mid-season transfer will be a huge loss to them.
Marmoush will add more dynamism to City’s attack which has looked flat and has been utterly reliant on Erling Haaland for goals. His 46 take-ons is more than any City player has managed in the Premier League this season and his 6.2 xAG would also be the most in the City team. His 91 shot-creating actions is way ahead of Savio’s 78 showing he is equally creative. Lastly, he is a devasting finisher overperforming his xG by 6.2.
With Savio yet to find his feet and Phil Foden in poor form another dynamic attacker could be key to restarting City’s season. With 14 games left the race for Champions League qualification is on and Marmoush will look to recreate his Frankfurt form.
- Marco Asensio
Marco Asensio’s career has been relatively lowkey despite the impressive trophy haul. At PSG and Real Madrid, he has never managed to play 60% of his side’s league minutes, his best mark was 55% in 2020/21 where he made 21 starts for a Madrid side that finished 2nd in La Liga. Villa will hope that he has gained enough winning experience to help them navigate the remainder of the season as a 4-time league winner and a 3-time Champions League winner.
Asensio’s biggest asset is his versatility, his ability to play across the forward line and behind the striker makes him perfect for compatriot Unai Emery who likes to use a fluid 4-4-2 or a 4-2-3-1 system.
Asensio this season has often played as a striker and seems to be able to get himself in good positions managing 0.82 non-penalty xG per 90, however strangely for him, his finishing has let him down leading to him severely underperforming his xG this season. This seems to be an anomaly for his career as players like him known for their long-range shooting often overperform their xG. With some confidence and some trust, we can expect the Spanish international to make a decisive contribution.
- Mathys Tel
Another loan signing with a huge upside is 19-year-old Mathys Tel. Tel is joining Spurs on loan with an option to buy in the summer and even though he is yet to play I think Spurs will be foolish not to activate the option. With Son Heung Min on the decline, the need for a top-level left winger is paramount and Tel could be that player.
He has barely featured this season with just 256 minutes or 2.8 90s in the league with Bayern so we will use his stats from last season to illustrate his talent. In 30 appearances, only 6 starts, or 11.7 90s. Tel managed 7 goals and 5 assists a very healthy return which translated to 1.03 goals and assists per 90 the 5th highest in the Bundesliga last season. He added 3.86 Shot-creating actions per 90 and 3.16 take-ons at a 55% rate showing his skill and creativity. He also overperformed his xG by 3.3 showing he can be a devastating finisher.
His career may have stalled at Bayern, but the reason is beyond ability. Tel was competing with some of the highest-paid players in the Bundesliga for game time meaning that he was always going to be a second thought and keeping them happy would be more important than his development. At Spurs, he can revive his career and show the promise of last season.
- Patrick Dorgu
Manchester United have started building a squad for new head coach Ruben Amorim and their first signing is to bring versatile wide player Patrick Dorgu to the club. I describe him as a wide player because he has flitted mostly between left-back and right-wing throughout the season but has also played a host of positions down either flank. This versatility in wide areas makes him the perfect wing-back to help Amorim create a Manchester United team in his image.
All his 3 goals have come when he was playing on the right cutting inside onto his left foot whilst his solitary assist came from left back. Dorgu’s biggest strength is his ball carrying, this season he has 3.33 progressive carries, which would rank 3rd in the squad behind Amad Diallo and Alejandro Garnacho, and has drawn 55 fouls, 2nd in Serie A and the same as Egyptian forward Omar Marmoush. His take-ons will need some work as a success rate of 29.5% is abominable.
Manchester United have struggled to get production and ball progression from their full-backs turned wing backs and this signing could help unlock Amorim’s system. Dorgu is a capable defender with his 2.21 tackles per 90 comparable to the current crop, his 51.1% rate shows he will not be a liability but with so much work to do it remains to be seen how much of an impact he will have.
