Proof that some of the best bargains can be found after Christmas

After yesterday’s worst January transfers XI, The Spoiler feels the need to show a little more positivity, without showing any more imagination. Hence, the best January window signings XI hath been declared. See what we did there?

David James (West Ham to Manchester City), 2004 - £2m
Calamity James wasn’t as good at City as he has been at Pompey, but Scott Carson (Leeds to Liverpool, 2005) was the only other suitable candidate. Despite profiting £2.5m on the latter, Carson only managed four league games for the Reds.

Patrice Evra (Monaco to Man Utd), 2006 - £5.5m
He wasn’t an instant hit at Old Trafford (he was subbed on his debut at half time in a 3-1 defeat to rivals Man City), but has since proved his worth. In his first full season at the club he became United’s first choice left-back ahead of Argentine Gabriel ‘why-won’t-you-let-me-go-to-arch-rivals-Liverpool’ Heinze, and has been a mainstay in a side that has won two consecutive league titles and a Champions League.

Nemanja Vidic (Spartak Moscow to Man Utd), 2006 - £7m
Vidic signed at the same time as Evra and endured a similarly disappointing start in

Feast your eyes on some football players in China

Perhaps one day someone will start a sentence with “there’s an Englishman, an Irishman and a Scotsman” without it being a joke about people in boxes saying “potatoes” - it could even be used to introduce a Great British football line up. How wonderful would that be? Although, of course, the Irishman would have to come from the less green-grassy part of the emerald isle, and more the cobbled street bit where horses run wild (that’s the north, right?). Until that day, though, we’re going to have to content ourselves by gazing jealously at the other countries who get to call their footballers Olympians. Here’s eleven to keep a hungry eye on this year…

GK Brad Guzan, USA
Aston Villa’s (other) new American goalkeeper called Brad, the USA’s decision to make him one of their three over-23 players - he turns 24 during the tournament - shows just how great he is. That, of course, will count for nothing when he gets to Villa and warms the bench for the next decade, as Friedel becomes steadily more decrepit but still brilliant.

DL Marcelo, Brazil
Real Madrid signed the left wing-back in 2007 and he became a regular starter last season, pushing Gabriel Heinze into the centre. Unsurprisingly, he gets compared to Roberto Carlos - everyone does - and found the net on his international debut against Wales.

DC Vincent Kompany, Belgium
For those who spend their weekends playing Football Manager instead of talking to girls, you already know this guy, he’s one of the best buys in the game, damn it! And as it turns out, the 22-year-old isn’t too shabby in real life either. Right now he’s at Martin Jol’s Hamburg, and The Spoiler’s computerised West Ham.

DC Ezequiel Garay, Argentina
With all the Ronaldo talk this summer, Garay’s arrival at the