Ba the Best, Zaha the worst: The KEY transfers of the January transfer window:

Best

1^st– Demba Ba

This is a rare transfer, in which a football club actually gets value for money. Demba Ba has proven himself to be one of the most complete forwards in the Premier League. He brings others into the game with his hold up play and contributes with a significant amount of goals. Despite his drought in the second half of last season, the Senegalese striker still managed 29 goals in his 57 appearances for Newcastle. Ba will give everything to Chelsea that Torres has failed to provide so far, enthusiasm and an ability to find the back of the net. To put the value of this transfer in perspective, for the price of Fernando Torres you could sign seven Demba Ba’s and purchase an exotic holiday home.

2^nd– Chris Wood

This is the only instance that I’ve felt compelled to include a Championship signing in my article, and with good reason. Leicester were losing serious momentum in their promotion push. Since his arrival, Wood has transformed the Foxes from playoff hopefuls into serious top two contenders. Having been at West Brom since 2009, it seemed that various loan moves only served to stunt his career. Since making his move to Leicester however, he has a 100% goal scoring record with seven in seven. He also boasts consistent statistics for his national side New Zealand, with 10 in 29. A bargain buy at £1million.

3^rd– Moussa Sissoko

This is another key deal involving Newcastle that showcases the scouting talent of Graham Carr. If Sissoko’s debut is anything to go by, Carr has made another excellent find. This past weekend he glided through midfield, breaking the spine of Chelsea’s team. Even after one appearance, he has been likened to Yaya Toure. Like Toure, he is a box-to-box midfielder who enjoys bursting forward as well as putting in his fair share of tackles. Only time will tell, but at a fee believed to be as low as £1.8million, this could be considered one of the signings of the season.

Worst

1^st– Wilfried Zaha

In this instance, Manchester United have spent £15million on raw talent, which is difficult to understand since he is yet to set the Championship on fire. Zaha has bags of pace and displays tremendous agility. However, he falls into the unfortunate footballing category of ‘athlete’- a player who is physically superb, but may not possess the greatest footballing brain. United have taken a significant risk here and only time will tell whether it will pay off.

2^nd– Christopher Samba

There is no criticism of the player here. He is a rare breed of old fashioned, no nonsense defender. The problem lies in the financial aspect of the transfer. Not only have QPR broken their transfer record with a fee of £12.5million; they have contracted Samba for four years on £100,000 a week. If Rangers are relegated, the consequences will be severe. Another thing to consider is Samba’s fitness. The Russian league has already reached its conclusion, for Samba this will feel like a pre-season. Harry Redknapp admits that Samba is probably only 40% fit.

3^rd– Danny Graham

Again, this is not a criticism of the player but more the context of the transfer. Graham has revealed himself to be a passionate Newcastle supporter. When he was at Watford he was asked who he would support if Newcastle United ceased to exist. He said: “Put it this way. I would stay as far away from Sunderland as I could. It would probably have to be Gateshead.” Graham will be confident of bridging the great North-East divide and winning over the Sunderland supporters. It’s just a case of getting off to a good start. If he does not, expect the fans to be on his back.

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