by ‘Ifreke Inyang

The madness of the January transfer window, has come and gone. It might have not been as dramatic as previous windows that saw big name arrivals, but here are seven moves – in no particular order – that stood out in 2013:

Demba Ba

For just 7.5m, Chelsea have landed a fine finisher, with experience in the Premiership. It was instant impact for the Senegalese, who was also courted by Arsenal, as he scored three times in his first four starts. His importance has grown over the weeks, as Stamford Bridge fans desperately look forward to Rafa Benitez starting with the former Newcastle man, as his presence is likelier to trouble the opposition, than the uninterested, out-of-all-sorts Fernando Torres.

Mario Balotelli

Forget his eccentricity, Mario Balotelli is a fantastic football player. You might have thought that fans in Italy would turn up their noses, after AC Milan confirmed a deal for the former Manchester City, but the number of people who mobbed him both on his arrival and on his first night out, speaks volumes. Balotelli, at 19m is a good buy for Milan and will surely light up Serie A – even if it’s with his erratic ways.

Wilfried Zaha

If Sir Alex Ferguson goes as high as 15m to take you off a Championship side, you must surely be worth the hype and the trouble. Heavily linked with a move to the Emirates Stadium, Manchester United became the likely destination, after Theo Walcott penned a new contract with the Gunners. Zaha has been loaned back to Crystal Palace till the end of the season, but will be showing off his dazzling array of skills at Old Trafford from next season.

Daniel Sturridge

Often overlooked at Chelsea, Daniel Sturridge’s move to Liverpool was virtually done by the last week of December. And in his first few games for Brendan Rodgers team, whenever he has been paired with the electric Luis Suarez, Sturridge has sparkled, although his finishing and decision making is still very suspect.

Wesley Sneijder

Sneijder’s days in top flight football, came to an ignoble end, as he was thrown out of the Inter Milan team, for refusing to sign a new contract with reduced terms. For a while, it seemed he would end up in England with either Liverpool or Tottenham Hotspur, but the Dutch midfielder will now play in Turkey for Galatasaray.

Lewis Holtby

Holtby was expected to make his move to Spurs in the summer, but Andre Villas-Boas, short of options in midfield, opted to bring in the England-born midfielder in January. The North London paid only 1.5m to make this possible and straightaway, they have a player, who will bring passing, good vision and strength to their team.

Nacho Monreal

Arsene Wenger was expected to bring in either David Villa from Barcelona or Momo Diame from West Ham, but the left-back position became top priority, after Kieran Gibbs picked up a thigh strain on Wednesday. In the next 24 hours, the Frenchman completed a deal for highly-rated Spain international, Nacho Monreal, who will bring something exciting to the Gunners’ left side.