5 high-profile players enjoying success after the January transfer window
The January transfer window can often be a mid-season reset for struggling players and we’ve already seen multiple examples of those currently thriving after getting a move in 2025.
Players sometimes just need a new environment, a new voice in their ear or different teammates to thrive and, suddenly, it can all change rather quickly as they go from zero to hero in a different league.
With that in mind, we’ve decided to look at five players from the 2025 winter window who have struck a chord and found success early into their tenure at their new clubs.
Antony
Look away Manchester United fans; Antony has been a huge success at Real Betis.
Antony had been deemed one of the biggest flops in Premier League history after signing for £86million in 2022 and managed to score just 12 goals in nearly two and a half seasons but he has settled extremely quickly in his new surroundings.
He was awarded the Man of the Match award on his debut against Athletic Bilbao in a 2-2 home game in La Liga before netting in consecutive games against Celta Vigo and Gent in a 3-0 away win in the Conference League.
His strike against Gent was more reminiscent of his Ajax days, cutting in from the right and firing a curling effort from distance into the bottom corner. Maybe Old Trafford was the problem…
READ: 9 big-name players who did nothing at Man Utd… but shone after leaving
Renato Veiga
While Veiga was far from a flop at Chelsea, he has quickly settled in Juventus as a centre-back and has been able to showcase his ability in a new role.
Enzo Maresca used him mostly as a back-up and in his ‘B Team’ which featured mostly in the domestic cups and Europa Conference League.
Since arriving, Thiago Motta has started him in defence across their three wins in a row against Empoli, Como and, most recently, PSV Eindhoven in the Champions League.
Not only that, he’s displayed calmness and quality on the ball and been strong defensively and his ability to adapt quickly will excite the Chelsea higher-ups.
Jhon Duran
Everyone in England knows the quality that Duran possesses.
So many were disappointed with his decision to accept a move to Saudi Arabia despite being a rising star already in a blossoming Aston Villa side.
However, he was never a guaranteed starter and that has changed already at Al-Nassr.
Starting three games in a row, he has been part of three wins, netting braces against Al-Feiha and, more impressively, against Al-Ahli when his side were down to 10 men.
One of his strikes across those games showed him beating two men on his own before slotting home and he looks to be thriving already.
READ MORE: 10 players we’re most gutted took the Saudi cash: Duran, Veiga, Neymar…
READ MORE: 6 January transfers you might have missed: James Rodriguez, Wilfried Zaha…
TRY A QUIZ: Can you name the 20 most expensive January transfers in Premier League history?
Randal Kolo Muani – Juventus
Having been linked with Tottenham and Manchester United, it looks like PSG’s Kolo Muani has made the right choice to move to Turin and take the starting spot at Juventus.
He’s the first Serie A player to score five goals in his first three matches since the league’s format changed in 1994-95.
The 26-year-old was a bit-part player in Paris, struggling for minutes after previously starring for Eintracht Frankfurt.
He has rediscovered his goalscoring touch, netting on his debut against Napoli before grabbing braces against Como and Empoli in big wins. And to think, he could be at Tottenham now.
Enzo Le Fee
The sheer fact that Sunderland, a Championship club, was able to attract a talent such as Le Fee was already incredible enough.
But the Roma loanee has settled in immediately to his much colder new surroundings and has become an instant hit in the North East.
He cost around £19million in 2024 for Roma but struggled to break into the side.
Sunderland has offered him a new lease of life and he has repaid the faith by producing eye-catching displays at a level that is, in fairness, beneath the 25-year-old who was linked with moves to the Premier League before signing for Roma.
If he can help thrust the side forward into promotion, it will make for one hell of a story.