Alongside the transfer of Ivorian Amad Diallo to Manchester United from Atalanta, there were some notable transfers in the first week of January as the transfer window opened in 2021.
Here is a list of those notable signings:
Ajax sign Haller from West Ham
Ajax Amsterdam have paid a club record 22.5m euros to sign striker Sebastien Haller from West Ham United on a four-and-a-half-year contract, the Dutch league leaders announced Friday.
The 26-year old returns to the Dutch league, where he scored 51 goals for Utrecht between 2014 and 2017, and revives his relationship with Ajax coach Erik ten Hag, in charge of Utrecht when the French-born striker played there.
Haller, who scored on his full international debut for the Ivory Coast in November, joined West Ham from Eintracht Frankfurt in 2019.
Sebastien Haller
He scored 13 goals in 41 appearances for the London outfit, three of them this season.
The conclusion of two days of negotiations Friday means Haller will be available to debut for Ajax when they host PSV Eindhoven in a top of the table clash Sunday.
Ajax are better known as a prodigious seller of their top talent but have attempted in recent seasons to strengthen their squad, notably for European club competition, by also buying in experience, like their purchase of Dusan Tadic from Southampton in 2018.
Cutrone returns to Wolves on loan from Fiorentina
Wolverhampton Wanderers have recalled striker Patrick Cutrone from his loan spell in Italy with Fiorentina.
The 23-year old moved to Florence last January on an 18-month loan deal but has not started a Serie A game this season.
Patrick Cutrone
Italian Cutrone will bolster Wolves' attacking options with no comeback date pencilled in for Raul Jimenez after the Mexican striker fractured his skull in November.
Nuno Espirito Santo's side are 13th in the Premier League without a win in their last four league games.
Arsenal’s Saliba joins Nice on loan
Arsenal have loaned centre back William Saliba to French Ligue 1 side OGC Nice on loan for the rest of the season in a bid to give him more playing time, the Premier League club announced Monday.
Saliba, who was signed by Arsenal in July 2019 for about 27m pounds ($36.59m), spent last season on loan at Saint Etienne and has yet to make his debut for the Premier League club, with the 19-year old only playing for the U-21 side.
William Saliba
The France youth international was also left out of the club's Europa League squad for the group stage.
Nice are 12th in the standings after 16 games and return from the league's winter break with a game against Brest Wednesday.
Barca’s Alena joins Getafe on loan
Barcelona midfielder Carles Alena has joined Getafe on loan until the end of the season, the clubs announced Wednesday.
Getafe, who have dropped to 16th in La Liga, will pay all of Alena's wages as the 23-year old looks to kickstart his career away from Camp Nou.
Alena has long been circled as a potential star of the future after coming through at Barca's La Masia youth academy but he has been unable to establish himself in the first team.
Carles Alena
He failed to make much of an impression during a loan spell at Real Betis last season and has made only five appearances for Barca this term under new coach Ronald Koeman.
The Spaniard scored on his debut in the Copa del Rey in November 2016.
