January 2026 transfer window: What Liverpool, Arsenal and United did

# What happened in January 2026

# How the three clubs approached the window Arsenal, Liverpool and Manchester United each took a different approach.

Arsenal did not sign anyone in January. Mikel Arteta kept faith with the squad that led the title race and used the window to move fringe players and youngsters on loan. Notable departures on temporary deals included Oleksandr Zinchenko to Ajax and Ethan Nwaneri to Marseille. Other exits moved young players to lower-league clubs. A late report linking Arsenal to Sandro Tonali was quickly denied by Newcastle, and there was no direct contact between the clubs.

Liverpool completed a substantial purchase on paper: a £55 million agreement with Rennes for 20-year-old centre-back Jeremy Jacquet. The deal however was structured so Jacquet would stay in France for the remainder of the season before joining Liverpool. That makes this a recruitment move for next season rather than a solution to an immediate January need. Liverpool had missed out on Marc Guehi, who went to City for a much lower fee.

United made no incoming signings. Their January activity consisted of outgoing development loans: James Scanlon to Swindon Town, Gabriele Biancheri to Rotherham United, Jacob Devaney to St Mirren, and Harry Amass returned when a loan expired. For a club in a rebuild under Michael Carrick, a quiet January was defensible, but it left major transfer questions to be addressed in the summer.

# The moves that actually mattered

# Rumours that fizzled Several high-profile January rumours produced nothing. Bradley Barcola was repeatedly linked to Liverpool but did not move. Chelsea and other clubs generated speculation around outgoings and loans rather than major incoming transfers. Across the league, many January headlines — especially those involving first-choice players at big clubs — followed the common pattern of appearing in the rumour mill without materialising.

# What January funded or failed to fund For these three clubs, January was used more for wage management and player development than for raising transfer funds. Arsenal's loans saved wages rather than generated fees. Liverpool's Jacquet signing represents future investment rather than immediate reinforcement. United's outgoing loans were targeted at giving young players minutes rather than reshaping the first team.

# Bottom line January 2026 was a quiet window for Arsenal and Manchester United and a mixed one for Liverpool: committed spending with delayed arrival. Manchester City made the single-club splash that influenced the title conversation. In practice, the mid-season market moved few titles and left most clubs to plan for more decisive action in the summer.