Five Transfers That You May Have Missed Last Month

This transfer window, while it has been more eventful than last season’s January window, has been rather underwhelming, with a lot of Premier League clubs not even dipping into the market for reinforcements. Because of this, there haven’t been too many signings that have gone under the radar, but we’ve picked a few that you might have missed over the last month.

Ben Godfrey - Ipswich Town

Ben Godfrey was generally considered as one of England’s best young defenders when he won promotion to the Premier League with Norwich City back in 2019, but he has been unable to live up to his hype, and now at 27 years old, it looks as if he has condemned himself to a relegation campaign on loan at Ipswich Town.

The central defender moved to Everton in 2020 and spent four years at the club. His stint at Goodison Park started well as he was voted as Everton’s Young Player of the Season, but injuries and a dip in form kept him out of the team for large parts of his time there. In total, he played just 93 games for Everton across four seasons at the club.

🚨🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿 Ben Godfrey (26) can leave Atalanta this month. He is no longer key for their project, reports @FabrizioRomano.

He only signed in the summer from Everton. pic.twitter.com/XQE3frnCix

— EuroFoot (@eurofootcom) January 3, 2025

This summer, he joined Atalanta in the Serie A, but he has failed to impress there as well. He made just one league appearance for the Italian side and featured in the UEFA Super Cup where Atalanta were beaten 2-0 by Real Madrid. Last month he made his Premier League return as Atalanta loaned him to struggling Ipswich Town to bolster their already large squad. He made his debut for the club in a 3-0 win against Bristol Rovers in the FA Cup.

Sebastien Haller - Utrecht

Sebastien Haller is a very talented footballer who has been incredibly unfortunate in his career. In 2022 he was diagnosed with testicular cancer having just signed for Borussia Dortmund and despite overcoming it a year later, he, quite understandably, hasn’t returned to the same level that he was at before the diagnosis.

The 30-year-old striker saw his most successful stints while he was at Utrecht the first time round, Eintracht Frankfurt and Ajax. He also spent some time at West Ham in the Premier League but that was less successful as he only scored 10 league goals across 48 appearances. He spent the first half of this season on loan at Leganes, where he failed to score across nine appearances.

Sebastien Haller's loan to CD Leganés ends early by mutual agreement. He now joins FC Utrecht on loan until the summer. Best of luck, Seb! 🖤💛 pic.twitter.com/1oIMKfw4jM

— Borussia Dortmund (@BlackYellow) January 9, 2025

Now returning to Utrecht, where he spent two and a half years, there is the hope that he can reignite his career, as he scored 51 times in just 98 games for them between 2015-17. The Eredivisie seems to be his favourite European league, as he ended as top scorer when he played for Ajax in 2022.

Philip Billing - Napoli

Philip Billing’s career is a strange one, made even stranger by his recent loan move from a Bournemouth bench player to Napoli, who currently sit at the top of the Serie A. The Danish midfielder joined the Cherries off the back of a relegation season with Huddersfield where he was the shining light in their midfield.

Initially a defensive midfielder, Jonathan Woodgate turned him into a more attack minded player while he was caretaker manager of Bournemouth in the Championship. This change turned him into an incredibly creative and versatile option in the Cherries attack. In their first season back in the top flight under Gary O’Neil, he was the club’s top scorer with seven goals, but when Andoni Iraola came in, that changed, as he brought in Justin Kluivert in his position, limiting Billing’s play time.

We can confirm midfielder Philip Billing has signed for Napoli on loan until the end of the season 🤝 pic.twitter.com/G3IGWC5RMt

— AFC Bournemouth 🍒 (@afcbournemouth) January 11, 2025

It seems strange that the Danish midfielder has gone from the best form of his life to simply warming the Cherries bench, but this loan move to Napoli looks like it could reignite his career, as he is still just 28 years old. Napoli now have a midfield of former Premier League players, with Billy Gimour and Scott McTominay having joined in the summer.

Maxwel Cornet - Genoa

Maxwel Cornet was an absolute star for Lyon in his six years that he spent at the club, so much so that it was a shock when Burnley signed him in 2021. By that time, his goals were starting to dry up, but he was still an exciting 25-year-old winger, with pace, dynamism and quick feet.

His only season at Turf Moor was poor for the club, as they were relegated, but good for Cornet as he managed nine league goals. These performances earned him a move away from the Championship and to the London Stadium, as West Ham were looking for players to help their UEFA Europa Conference League campaign.

🇨🇮 | Maxwel Cornet joined Genoa on loan from West Ham until the end of the season 💫

The 28-year-old winger spent the last 6 months at Southampton playing just twice, his most notable season in English football was with Burnley contributing to 10 G/A in 2022. pic.twitter.com/dpcpqLHl81

— BCT Football Africa (@BCTFootAfrica) January 27, 2025

He proved to be a bit of a flop in London, as he scored just one league goal in two seasons before being loaned off to Southampton for the first half of this season. This move was even worse, as he made just two appearances for the worst Premier League side in history. Given his form this year, it’s a surprise that he has managed to get a move to a mid-table Serie A side managed by Patrick Vieira. At just 28 years old, Cornet definitely has more to give in his career, so a change of league might be just what he needs.

James Rodriguez - Leon

Ever since James Rodriguez left Real Madrid five years ago, he has become a journeyman of a footballer, playing for six different clubs in six different countries. He first tried his hand in the Premier League with Everton of all teams, but that didn’t work out too well and he left after just one season.

Qatari side Al-Rayyan, Greek giants Olympiacos, Brazilian team Sao Paulo and La Liga side Rayo Vallecano all followed, but he spent one season at each except Vallecano, scoring just 11 times in four years. He spent just six months at Vallecano this year before terminating his contract early and making the move to Mexican side Leon.

🚨🇲🇽 Official: León confirm James Rodriguez as their new signing on a free transfer!

Deal completed from Rayo Vallecano. pic.twitter.com/S4eL4c9cXJ

— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) January 13, 2025

He has already started strongly in Mexico, scoring a penalty in a 1-0 win over Juarez. The 33-year-old midfielder is certainly past his best that was so often on show for Real Madrid, but he is still performing for his country. Last summer, he provided six assists in the Copa America, breaking Lionel Messi’s record for the most assists in a single tournament.