Who is the best January Deadline Day signing ever?

The January transfer window will shut today (Monday 3 February) at 23:00 GMT, and represents the last opportunity for clubs to do business this season.

With clubs unable to make any further additions until the summer, we're taking a look at nine of the shrewdest transfers that were completed on Deadline Day in the winter market. We want you to choose who was the best.

Jermain Defoe (West Ham to Spurs, 2004)

After West Ham United were relegated to the Championship following the 2002/03 season, Defoe would remain with the club for the next few months, before returning to the Premier League with Spurs.

With Bobby Zamora heading in the opposite direction, Defoe signed a five-year deal, and marked his Spurs debut by scoring in a 4-3 win over Portsmouth.

Across two spells with Spurs, Defoe would go on to net an incredible 143 goals in all competitions and become the club's seventh-highest scorer of all time.

Mikel Arteta (Real Sociedad to Everton, 2005)

The current Arsenal manager first entered English football 20 years ago when David Moyes, then midway through his first spell in charge at Everton, signed the Spanish midfielder.

Arteta initially arrived on loan from Real Sociedad, a club Moyes would later manage, before making the move permanent in July 2005. In his first full campaign with Everton, he was crowned Player of the Season by their fans and by his team-mates.

At the end of 2006/07, Arteta retained the supporters' award and was also voted the Premier League Midfielder of the Year by Sky Sports viewers. He signed a new five-year contract, but four seasons later, he left Everton to join Arsene Wenger's Arsenal squad, declaring at the age of 29, "I haven't got much time to take a chance like this one."

Luis Suarez (Ajax to Liverpool, 2011)

Several memorable deals took place during the January transfer window of 2011, but the most successful of them all was undoubtedly Suarez's arrival from Ajax.

Liverpool needed a replacement for Fernando Torres, who moved to Chelsea in the same window, and Suarez made sure the Anfield faithful did not worry for long.

The Uruguayan became an instant fan favourite; across the next four seasons, he bagged 82 goals, including a stunning solo effort against Newcastle United in 2012.

John Stones (Barnsley to Everton, 2013)

A transfer that seemingly slipped under the radar, Everton's purchase of defender Stones would help to showcase one of England's brightest young talents.

Stones would enjoy three years at Goodison Park, where his composure and technical style of play from defence would draw comparisons with the likes of Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand.

When Manchester City signed Stones in August 2016, he was reportedly - at £47.5m - the second-most expensive defender in the world at the time, behind Paris Saint-Germain's David Luiz (£50m from Chelsea).

Dele Alli (MK Dons to Spurs, 2015)

The teenager who caught the eye when MK Dons dismantled Man Utd 4-0 in the EFL Cup in August 2014 was snapped up Spurs five months later, only to be loaned back to the League One club for the rest of the 2014/15 season. Alli helped MK to earn promotion to the Championship and was named the Young Player of the Year at the Football League Awards.

Alli would face Man Utd again when he made his delayed Spurs debut, coming on as a substitute in a 1-0 defeat at Old Trafford. The attacking midfielder went on to make 269 appearances for the north London club, scoring 67 goals and providing almost as many assists, 57, for team-mates such as Harry Kane and Son Heung-min.

The England international's seven-year spell at Spurs ended with another January Deadline-Day transfer, to Everton, in 2022.

Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (Dortmund to Arsenal, 2018)

Aubameyang hit the ground running following his move to Emirates Stadium, scoring on his debut in a 5-1 home win against Everton on 3 February 2018.

The Gabonese striker ended his first half-season with an impressive 10 goals from just 14 matches, including the final goal to be scored under legendary Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger - the winner in a 1-0 victory at Huddersfield Town.

In 2018/19, Aubameyang's 22 league goals were enough for him to take a share of the Golden Boot, alongside Liverpool duo Mohamed Salah and Sadio Mane.

His goals would also help the Gunners win the FA Cup in 2020 and reach the finals of the Europa League (2019) and EFL Cup (2018), before he left the club on 1 February 2022 and joined Barcelona.

Olivier Giroud (Arsenal to Chelsea, 2018)

Several players have made the move between Arsenal and Chelsea over the years and it was Giroud's turn to make the short trip from north to west London in 2018.

The Frenchman's stay at Stamford Bridge was short, but proved productive as he endeared himself to the fans with his goals and hard work, helping Chelsea lift the UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League and FA Cup, before departing for AC Milan in 2021.

Jarrod Bowen (Hull City to West Ham, 2020)

Since arriving from Hull City, Bowen has gone on to become a key figure for West Ham and this was reflected when he was named club captain ahead of the 2024/25 season.

His 16 Premier League goals in the 2023/24 season is the joint-highest tally in a single campaign for the Hammers, matching Paolo Di Canio's record in 1999/00.

Bowen wrote his name into the club's history books again when he scored a last-minute goal in the 2023 UEFA Europa Conference League final, giving West Ham their first trophy for 43 years.

Moises Caicedo (Independiente to Brighton, 2021)

Brighton & Hove Albion have made a number of shrewd deals in recent years and signing Caicedo for a fee of around £4m proved to be among the best.

Although the Ecuador international did not make his Seagulls debut until the following year, after returning from a loan spell at Belgian club Beerschot, he impressed in the Premier League with his relentless energy, sharp tackling and clever passing.

Caicedo's reputation as one of the division's best defensive midfielders led to Liverpool agreeing a fee of £111m to sign him in August 2023, a few days before he opted to join Chelsea instead for a reported £115m.

Have your say

So, who do you think is the best-ever Deadline Day signing in the January transfer window? Vote in our poll below.