Bruno, Van Dijk, Coutinho & Auba... 10 most expensive signings in January

Manchester United have made Sporting Lisbon midfielder Bruno Fernandes one of the most expensive signings in the Premier League's January transfer window.

The Portugal star is understood to have cost an initial £46.6million, ranking him 9th among January signings with the potential for add-ons to lift him even higher.

A deal had reportedly been close a fortnight ago but stalled as the clubs struggled to agree a fee.

However, the long-anticipated deal was finalised after Fernandes, who has 19 international caps, agreed personal terms and passed a medical.

Here, we looks at the month's big-money deals - including several successes and one memorable flop.

1. Philippe Coutinho

Liverpool to Barcelona, 2018, £106m

Barcelona spent the entire summer of 2017 in trying to sign him, Coutinho even-handed in a transfer request, but Liverpool was unrelenting.

The Brazilian magician was signed by the Reds from Inter Milan for a paltry sum of £8.5 million in January 2013.

His time at Merseyside was characterized by his brilliant dribbling skills and his precise strikes from outside the box. In a total of 201 matches for the club, he scored 54 goals and provided 46 assists. The entire Liverpool fraternity tried their best to persuade him to stay at Anfield.

However, he had his heart set on moving to the Camp Nou and when Barcelona came calling with a bid of £106m, Liverpool had no option other than to let him go.

2. Virgil Van Dijk

Southampton to Liverpool, 2018, £75m

The Dutchman's fee was a world record for a defender, until beaten by Manchester United's capture of Harry Maguire, but he has justified it by becoming Liverpool's rock.

He made himself popular from the outset with a debut winner against local rivals Everton in the FA Cup and has since been integral to the Reds' Champions League win last season and their march towards a seemingly inevitable Premier League triumph this term.

He is the reigning Premier League, PFA and UEFA player of the year and was runner up at the FIFA Best awards and the Ballon d'Or.

3. Christian Pulisic

Borussia Dortmund to Chelsea, 2019, £57.7m

The American was immediately loaned back to Dortmund, instead arriving in the summer to provide much-needed new blood for a Chelsea side working under a transfer ban.

He showed his immense potential with a run of five goals in three games in October and November including a hat-trick against Burnley, but has been limited by injuries since.

4. Aymeric Laporte

Athletic Bilbao to Manchester City, 2018, £57.2m

Arriving in the same window as Van Dijk, the Frenchman played his part as City won back-to-back league titles and a domestic treble last season.

His influence has perhaps been even more apparent in his absence this season, with City looking defensively shaky without him as they have fallen 19 points behind Liverpool.

5. Diego Costa

Chelsea to Atletico, 2017, £57m

After being linked with a big-money move to China, Costa eventually made his fairy-tale return to Atletico Madrid and reunited with former manager Diego Simeone. The Spaniard won the Premier League on two separate occasions with the Blues before heading back to the side that really catapulted him.

Whilst his return to Atletico hasn't quite panned out as he would have wanted, scoring just four goals in La Liga since his return, the 30-year-old remains a key part of Simeone's squad. And with Chelsea's strikers misfiring so badly this season, the Blues are beginning to feel the impact of losing one of their best forwards in recent years.

6. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang

Borussia Dortmund to Arsenal, 2018, £56m

The Gunners' record signing has 57 goals in 91 games for the club, moving ahead of Alexandre Lacazette as their key striker and forming an effective partnership with the France international when they play together.

He has often captained the team this season and is a rare consistent presence in an under-achieving side.

7. Oscar

Chelsea to Shanghai SIPG, 2017, £52m

Oscar, the young Brazilian was signed by Chelsea in 2012 and was immediately given the number 11 shirt, which was previously worn by Didier Drogba - naturally expectations were sky high.

He announced himself at Stamford Bridge after scoring two wonderful goals against Juventus in a Champions League group stage match.

He stayed at Chelsea for four years but never quite justified his talent. He showed occasional flashes of brilliance, but inconsistency always proved to be Oscar's bane. He played a total of 203 games for Chelsea scoring 38 goals and supplying 37 assists.

8. Fernando Torres

Liverpool to Chelsea, 2011, £50m

This deadline-day move, and Andy Carroll's linked move from Newcastle to replace the Spaniard at Anfield, became a case study in the dangers of over-spending in January.

Torres scored just 43 goals in three and a half seasons with Chelsea, fewer than half of which came in the league, and his high-profile misses arguably live longer in the memory. Carroll, meanwhile, managed just 11 for Liverpool.

9. Bruno Fernandes

Sporting Lisbon to Manchester United, 2020, £46.6m

The midfielder comes with a goalscoring pedigree of his own - only two players, both strikers, have scored more in the Portuguese top flight since he arrived at Sporting in 2017.

He has often been compared to Frank Lampard and if he can come close to the production of the former Chelsea star turned manager, United will be getting value for their significant investment.

10.Paulinho

Barcelona to Guangzhou Evergrande, 2019, £44.2m

After a failed Spurs career, the Brazil midfielder decided to try his luck in China, and he did. After spectacular years in China, he caught the attention of Barcelona, who bought him for 50 million Euros.

One year later, Guangzhou Evergrande find they need to bring Paulinho back after losing the Chinese Super League title 1st time in 9 years. And then they bought Paulinho back for £44.2m. In the end, he did bring back the trophy Guangzhou needed.