Enzo Fernandez – Chelsea
In what will undoubtedly be remembered as the main saga from the 2023 January transfer window, it was Enzo Fernandez’s dramatic Deadline Day move to Chelsea that stole all of the headlines. While it might have appeared earlier in the window that a record-breaking deal for the Benfica ace was off the table, the Premier League giants mounted a stunning last-gasp charge and finally got their key target on the eleventh hour. Eventually smashing the British transfer record as they agreed to a £107million deal, Fernandez also put pen to paper on a staggering eight-and-a-half-year contract at Stamford Bridge. Playing a crucial role as Argentina were crowned world champions for a third time out in Qatar over the winter, Fernandez was also crowned the Best Young Player at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. In the midst of what has been an astonishing rise to superstardom, the 22-year-old only made the move to Benfica last year for a fee as little as €12million. Nevertheless, despite making just 29 appearances for the Primeira Liga side, Fernandez has been billed as Europe’s hottest midfield prospect. OFFER: Get a brand new £20 free bet with the Vegas Paradise welcome offer.Mykhailo Mudryk – Chelsea
While it might have appeared that Mykhailo Mudryk was inching closer towards a move to Arsenal when the January transfer window reopened, the whole of European football was stunned when Chelsea completed what was a systemic late hijack. With the former Premier League champions only continuing to splash the cash since the Todd Boehly-led consortium took charge last year, Mudryk is another blockbuster new recruit to arrive at Stamford Bridge. Eventually having to pay Shakhtar Donetsk a fee that could reach as high as £89million, the Ukrainian ace arrives in England with a huge reputation and quite the price tag to live up to. Scoring seven strikes in 12 league appearances for Shakhtar before making his heavyweight move to west London on January 15th, Graham Potter will be desperate to see his new attacking superstar hit the ground running. Following Fernandez in putting pen to paper on an eight-and-a-half-year deal in west London, Mudryk will now be looking to drag Chelsea to a much-needed top-four finish in 2023.Cody Gakpo – Liverpool
While fans around Anfield might have been desperate for Jurgen Klopp to recruit an out-and-out central midfielder during the January transfer window, the Reds were excited to see Cody Gakpo arrive on Merseyside in what was a quickfire deal. Although the Dutch star might have had a string of admirers at Old Trafford, the English heavyweights were quick to act after Gakpo enjoyed a history-making flurry at the 2022 Qatar World Cup. Bagging three World Cup strikes in his five appearances as Holland reached the quarter-finals, the 23-year-old has continued on somewhat of a stellar rise over the past six months. Scoring nine goals and providing a further 12 assists in 14 league games for Dutch outfit PSV prior to his Premier League switch, it has been reported that Klopp’s side has had to pay in the region of £45million for a budding star who has been tipped as one of Europe’s most promising prospects. Liverpool’s odds for an essential top-four finish this season are 14/5 with the SBK £10 welcome bonus, Liverpool will be desperate for Gakpo to become an immediate hit.[single_affiliate id=”75644″ size=”big”]
