Window winners and losers

So who are the big winners and losers now that the transfer window has slammed shut? Have some clubs sealed their fates by making dodgy signings - or no signings at all? Have others secured themselves a brighter finish come May? Here's a run-down of each club's performance in the January sales.

ARSENAL 4/10

Arsene Wenger has occasionally made important moves in January – Theo Walcott, Emmanuel Adebayor and Emmanuel Eboue spring to mind – but Arsenal were near-silent this time, signing a 15-year-old striker and selling Lassana Diarra. With Wenger’s team in second place and exceeding all expectations, why meddle? Because another centre back would have been useful, that’s why. Arsenal held on to Jens Lehmann and Gilberto Silva.

ASTON VILLA 4/10

Martin O’Neill is another manager rightly happy with his lot, but the mooted capture of Jermain Defoe failed to materialise and Villa’s small squad could have used a couple more bodies to guard against fatigue during the run-in. Wayne Routledge has potential but came cheap for a reason – he’s been poor for years. £5 million for Gary Cahill is excellent business.

BIRMINGHAM CITY 6/10

Needed to make big moves. A fee of up to £6 million for James McFadden is certainly big money, which is hardly justified by his scoring record at Everton. Still, reunited with his former Scotland manager, Alex McLeish, he might ignite. David Murphy at left back is a solid acquisition and Mauro Zarate, a 20-year-old striker on loan from Al Sadd, of Quatar, has considerable potential but might not thrive being thrust straight into a relegation battle.

BLACKBURN ROVERS 3/10

Surprisingly failed to sign anyone. Not that they’re doing badly, and have one of the most settled line-ups in the division, but they have been inconsistent and are by no means certainties for a Uefa Cup finish. Mark Hughes sold Robbie Savage to Derby for £1.5 million.

BOLTON WANDERERS 6/10

Nicolas Anelka is virtually irreplaceable. Certainly Grzegorz Rasiak, a flop in his time with Spurs, isn’t an adequate replacement, though the giant’s capture is a sign that Bolton will even more wholeheartedly embrace the long-ball game as they bid to tough their way to survival. Gary Cahill is a decent defender, but Bolton have overpaid at about £5 million. Matt Taylor’s accurate left foot will be a huge asset but Tamir Cohen and Gretar Steinsson will have to win over the sceptics and Gary Megson seems to be building a team designed to draw every game 0-0.

CHELSEA 8/10

Let’s face it, they didn’t need much. What Avram Grant’s in-form team did need was a striker, and in Nicolas Anelka they have one of the best in Europe. At the back, Branislav Ivanovic was expensive at £10 million but should be an upgrade over Alex and Tal Ben Haim. And with big players still to return from injury and the African Cup of Nations, and no one sold, Grant can feel very satisfied.

DERBY COUNTY 7/10

Paul Jewell was busy rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic and did well considering the circumstances. Loanees Laurent Robert and Hossam Ghaly were intriguing choices, Robbie Savage and Alan Stubbs excellent signings. Emanuel Vila and Mile Sterjovski should be good. Will it be enough to save Derby? Of course not. And a couple of players who would have been useful in next season’s promotion campaign, such  as Steve Howard and Matt Oakley, have left.

EVERTON 5/10

Mere tinkering with a winning formula from David Moyes - perhaps slightly disappointing considering the club is in with a real chance of fourth place and a huge signing would have sent a real statement of intent to the rest. Anthony Gardner, on loan, will provide solid cover at the back and Manuel Fernandes, the midfield player, returns for another loan spell. Injuries to their strikers could leave Everton short up front now that James McFadden is gone.

FULHAM 5/10

To be fair to Roy Hodgson, he had little time, but Fulham’s January was a mess. While his predecessor signed a host of British and British-based players, Hodgson went continental, though he did make a failed play for Marlon King. The manager’s European knowledge should be considerable, but it is debatable whether a clutch of little-known Scandinavians – plus Paul Stalteri and Eddie Johnson - are the answer to Fulham’s relegation problems. They will need to adapt instantly to top-flight life, while the sheer amount of squad turnover in a short space of time is risky. Jari Litmanen, of course, is a famous name, but aged 36 and not match-fit, Fulham cannot afford to pin their hopes on him.

LIVERPOOL 5/10

After spending so much last summer, and boasting a talented squad, Rafael Benitez could hardly go begging for more funds simply because Liverpool are underachieving. His owners would probably not have listened with enthusiasm, while squad upheaval would only have added to a messy situation given the off-field turmoil. Martin Skrtel, at about £6.5 million, is the club’s most expensive defender in history, but looked uneasy against Havant and Waterlooville. Getting about £8 million for Momo Sissoko looks a good deal.

MANCHESTER CITY 6/10

Hard to judge since at the time of writing there is confusion about Ben jani’s status. City certainly need a prolific striker; if it’s not Benjani, will it be Felipe Caicedo, who is highly-rated, or Nery Castillo? Whatever, the first half of the season exceeded expectations and Sven-Goran Eriksson is certain to splash out plenty more cash in the summer. Out went some dead wood – Georgios Samaras and Rolando Bianchi.

MANCHESTER UNITED 5/10

All quiet at Old Trafford, a sign of how well the team are performing and how few weak points there are in the squad. The one signing, Manucho, is set to be loaned out to Panathinaikos for the rest of the season. Phil Bardsley left for Sunderland for £2 million and Ryan Shawcross made his loan move at Stoke City permanent for an initial £1 million.

MIDDLESBROUGH 5/10

Talk about putting all your eggs in one basket. A striker was essential, and he arrived for a club-record £12 million in the shape of Afonso Alves from Heerenveen. At 27 he should be in his prime. Exceptionally prolific in Holland and Sweden – but does that count for much in the Premier League? As the only buy, the fate of Gareth Southgate’s side rests heavily on his shoulders now. In defence, the loss of Jonathan Woodgate was a huge blow.

NEWCASTLE UNITED 3/10

With Kevin Keegan and Dennis Wise arriving so late, there was little time to form a transfer strategy, let alone buy players. Making the squad his own will have to wait until the summer for Keegan, who has signed three teenagers unlikely to make an impact this season and allowed David Rozenhal, a costly flop, to join Lazio on loan.

PORTSMOUTH 8/10

Big winners, having boosted their midfield with Lassana Diarra and captured Jermain Defoe, who should be prolific given the regular starting berth he craves. There now seem a glut of attackers at Fratton Park given the arrival on loan of Milan Baros, which creates its own challenges for Harry Redknapp. Lucien Aubey, a versatile defender, is sure to be an upgrade on Djimi Traore, and the only other loss was the talented first-team irregular, Matt Taylor.

READING 6/10

The usual low-key signings from Steve Coppell, who are unlikely to make a dramatic impact but will add competition for places. Jimmy Kebe is a winger who has been playing in the French second division, Radoslav Vasilev is a 17-year-old Bulgarian striker and Marek Matejovsky could be the best of the bunch, since he is a regular in the Czech Republic’s midfield. No significant departures, so Nicky Shorey stays.

SUNDERLAND 5/10

Roy Keane once more splashed the cash, and once more his purchases were questionable, on the borderline between Premier League and Coca-Cola Championship quality – just like most of Keane’s players. Phil Bardsley is competent, so too, Jonny Evans, who joined on loan. Jean-Yves Mvoto, a French centre back, is one for the future. Rade Prica, who cost £2 million, was prolific in Denmark. But £4 million for Andy Reid? That looks an excessive fee for a player who, while talented and in good form for Charlton Athletic, was a total flop at White Hart Lane. Andrew Cole, Greg Halford and Stanislav Varga have gone out on loan.

TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR 8/10

It didn’t take a genius to figure out that the Spurs defence needed bolstering, and Juande Ramos has delivered, with three new full backs and a centre backs. If he can stay injury free, Jonathan Woodgate is an excellent capture, and Gilberto and Alan Hutton should help stabilise the club’s dodgy defence – though Ramos needs a new goalkeeper, and did not buy one. While talented, as a perennial substitute, Jermain Defoe was expendable and the decision to cash in rather than let his value erode as his contract wore down was fair enough. Several fringe players also left.

WEST HAM UNITED 5/10

No signings from Alan Curbishley. Given that the Hammers are tightening the purse-strings after the wanton expenditure of last year, fair enough, though George McCartney is the only recognised left back, the Nicky Shorey rumours having come to naught. More important than new signings is getting the likes of Craig Bellamy back from injury. So extensive has the club’s injury crisis been that the squad is bigger and better than it has seemed.

WIGAN ATHLETIC 7/10

Steve Bruce looks to have made small but significant improvements and the squad now seems more solid overall. Marlon King, if he stays fit, could be an excellent signing, as Wigan need a goalscorer. Their other big problem, at left back where Kevin Kilbane has filled in, was solved with the addition of Erik Edman, the Sweden player. Maynor Figueroa, the Honduras left back, has also joined on loan, as has Erik Hagen, the experienced Norway defender. The excellent Antonio Valencia has agreed a permanent deal and Wilson Palacios is solid in midfield and is a good replacement for the departed Denny Landzaat.