Biggest moves of January transfer window: Chelsea make three of top 10 signings

Chelsea have made three of the biggest signings of the January transfer window, but Liverpool's surprise deal to sign Cody Gakpo remains the most expensive.

Here are the best transfers involving European clubs…

1) Cody Gakpo: PSV to Liverpool - £37.2m The veteran centre-forwards on loan suggest they were never really serious about the Netherlands international. Gakpo is getting his feet under the table after making his FA Cup debut against Wolves but Liverpool fans have to hope the club haven't blown another striker's winter budget as they so obviously need a midfielder.

2) Benoit Badiashile: Monaco to Chelsea - £33m. It is a considerable amount, but what is obvious in this agreement is the duration of the contract. Badiashile has signed a seven-and-a-half-year contract at Stamford Bridge, which will take him until 2030, the longest contract in Chelsea history. With Armando Broja having recently signed six-year terms, it looks like Todd Boehly is putting a new policy in place, which protects their assets but also allows them to allocate depreciation more finely to satisfy the FFP police.

3) Andrey Santos: Vasco Da Gama to Chelsea - £18mChelsea's third signing in January is likely to be the future. Santos, an 18-year-old box-to-box midfielder, helped Vasco secure promotion from the Brazilian second division last season with eight goals in 33 appearances. He has also represented Brazil at Under-20 level.

4) Gerson: Marseille to Flamengo - £17.6m French side get their money back if Flamengo become responsible for most of the additions.

5) Max Wober: RB Salzburg to Leeds - £11mIt's a well-trodden path between Salzburg and Leeds. Wober is the third player to make the move, after Rasmus Kristensen and Brenden Aaronson to reunite with former Salzburg boss Jesse Marsch. However, how long Marsch will stick around seems far from certain.

6) David Datro Fofana Molde to Chelsea - £10.6millionMolde was happy to accept Chelsea's money for the 20-year-old striker who has scored 24 goals and registered 10 assists in 65 games for the Norwegians. But his first club, Abidjan City, wanted FIFA to intervene amid a row involving themselves, Molde, the player's mother and an apparently unsigned consent form. FIFA weren't interested, so Fofana signed with Chelsea until 2156 with the option of another decade.

7) Mislav Orsic: Dinamo Zagreb to Southampton - £8m The Croatia striker moved from the World Cup to Southampton, presumably via a quick stop in Zagreb to clear his locker. Orsic scored a beauty in the third-place play-off win over Morocco before signing a two-and-a-half-year contract with the Saints. At this rate, perhaps only half will be spent on the Premier League.

8) Geronimo Rulli: Villarreal to Ajax - £7m Presumably still wearing his World Cup winners' medal, Argentina goalkeeper Rulli moved to Ajax in the first week of the transfer window . The Amsterdammers could be on the hook for nearly £10m if all additions are due for the 30-year-old, but reports suggest he wasn't their first choice. Apparently, Ajax wanted Andriy Lunin but the Ukrainian didn't want to leave Real Madrid.

9) Ismael Kone: Montreal to Watford - £7.1m No sooner had Kone finished his World Cup duties with Canada than he signed for Watford in early December. The midfielder signed a four-and-a-half-year contract with the Hornets and made his debut in the FA Cup third round defeat to Reading.

10) Cesar Montes: Monterrey to Espanyol - £7mMontes made his Espanyol debut last week, playing 120 minutes in the Copa Del Rey. The defender was one of Mexico's best performers at the World Cup before leaving his boyhood club for Catalonia on a contract until 2028.

Read more: The full list of all Premier League signings and sales made during the January 2023 transfer window