When will Rashford, Tel, Gonzalez, Hennessey and rest of £170m January signings debut?

Matt Stead
Manchester United players Patrick Dorgu and Ayden Heaven with Aston Villa coach Unai Emery
Unai Emery can't move for possible Aston Villa debutants

Many Premier League signings made in the winter have not yet debuted. When might they, who should we be most excited to see and why is it Marcus Rashford?

The below ranking only includes first-team signings made in the 2025 January transfer window, who were also not then immediately loaned out.

 

19) Wayne Hennessey (Nottingham Forest)

Fee: Free

What the manager has said: “Unfortunately Wayne had a serious injury at the end of last season which was a tough moment for everybody inside the training ground. But he has improved and now he’s a big part of us, especially in the goalkeeping community which is a small group. He’s signed his contract and it’s a pleasure to have him around. His knowledge, his experience, the way he goes about his work, it’s really good to have him.”

When he should debut: When he has done enough research on Nazi Germany. Or if Mats Selz, Carlos Miguel and maybe even a couple of youth keepers suffer simultaneous catastrophes.

 

18) Matai Akinmboni (Bournemouth)

Fee: £810,000

What the manager has said: “Matai is a player that still very young, has only played, I think, 13 games in MLS and we think he can have a bright future, that’s why we signed him. He is a very young left centre-back who is a very good prospect. We have signed him on a long contract thinking that he can develop with us and fulfil the qualities that he has. He comes from a situation where he has had two months of holiday. He will start training with the development squad and will integrate after with us.”

When he should debut: Bournemouth’s ongoing injury issues have given Akinmboni a place in four Premier League matchday squads so it is theoretically close but Everton away in the FA Cup (February 8) feels by far his best bet.

 

17) Mathis Amougou (Chelsea)

Fee: £12.5m

What the manager has said: Nothing. Enzo Maresca almost certainly doesn’t know Chelsea have signed him.

When he should debut: Probably not this campaign outside of some potential Conference League experimentation. Transfer deviant Fabrizio Romano reckons the plan is to ‘stay for the next three months, develop with top players and then go to Strasbourg from next season to be a regular starter’.

 

16) Ayden Heaven (Manchester United)

Fee: £1.5m

What the manager has said: Ruben Amorim has been busy with other stuff but Jason Wilcox praised “an extremely talented defender who is ready to join our first-team squad in order to maximise his development”.

When he should debut: It could be sooner than envisaged after another long-term injury to Lisandro Martinez.

MORE TRANSFER COVERAGE FROM F365
👉 January transfer window winners: Rashford, Nottingham Forest, Spurs, Manchester City and more
👉 January transfer window losers: Manchester United, Leicester, Newcastle, Arsenal, Liverpool fans

 

15) Axel Disasi (Aston Villa)

Fee: Loan (£5m fee)

What the manager has said: Nothing publicly yet but Disasi said Unai Emery “played a big part, because he explained to me the way that he sees things with me” and “when I spoke with him, he trusted in me”.

When he should debut: As soon as possible because Ezri Konsa is drowning, although Disasi is ineligible for the FA Cup tie against Spurs and then the Chelsea game a couple of weeks later; Ipswich in between (February 15) it is.

 

14) Eiran Cashin (Brighton)

Fee: £9m

What the manager has said: “He’s gained a lot of experience in the Championship, has a good profile and as a left-sided defender he will give us another strong defensive option.”

When he should debut: Brighton are not currently blessed with available centre-halves so it might well be soon.

 

13) Ben Chilwell (Crystal Palace)

Fee: Loan

What the manager has said: Nothing from Oliver Glasner yet but chairman Steve Parish reckons “he will prove to be a great addition to the squad”.

When he should debut: Doncaster away in the FA Cup (February 10) seems like an ideal launch pad for a player whose game time this season comprises of 45 minutes against Barrow in September.

 

12) Nasser Djiga (Wolves)

Fee: £10m

What the manager has said: Vitor Pereira was unavailable for comment as Wolves completed their business so late but sporting director Matt Hobbs welcomed “the quick, aggressive centre back we’ve been looking for to help the group”.

When he should debut: Perhaps against Blackburn in the FA Cup (February 9), especially because Liverpool and Bournemouth are next in the league.

 

11) Kevin Danso (Tottenham)

Fee: Loan

What the manager has said: “I think Kevin will be a great fit for us. We’re a little bit short at the back, have been for a while and he’s just really experienced, a good one-on-one defender. I’ve said before that getting new players in gives us energy and will give the group energy. I’m looking forward to him being part of the group.”

When he should debut: When he returns from the injury he’ll probably pick up in training. Otherwise, chuck him straight in at the deep end of a Carabao semi against Liverpool (February 6).

 

10) Carlos Alcaraz (Everton)

Fee: Loan

What the manager has said“Carlos has Premier League experience, he is still young and we believe he can bring some energy to the team which will help us between now and the end of the season.”

When he should debut: If not a cameo against Bournemouth in the FA Cup (February 8), the final Merseyside derby at Goodison straight after would be a wild start.

 

9) Alex Palmer (Ipswich)

Fee: £2.5m

What the manager has said: Kieran McKenna is presumably busy celebrating no longer having to watch Aro Muric to pass comment just yet.

When he should debut: West Brom were kind enough not to cup-tie him in their third-round defeat so a trip to Coventry, against whom Palmer has already kept a clean sheet this season, is looking good (February 8).

 

8) Marshall Munetsi (Wolves)

Fee: £15m

What the manager has said: Again, Pereira has better things to do with his time so Hobbs was sent out to say “it was important for us that Vitor has a number of options in each position and Marshall is a well-rounded midfielder who is physically up for the challenge of the Premier League”.

When he should debut: The Blackburn FA Cup tie (February 9) again looks appealing but Munetsi has played 21 games for Reims this season so match fitness won’t be a problem.

 

7) Patrick Dorgu (Manchester United)

Fee: £25.2m

What the manager has said: Possibly out of fear Amorim would say something unnecessarily eye-catching, Wilcox was rolled out to extol the 20-year-old’s “strong defensive and attacking attributes, adaptability and work-rate”.

When he should debut: Immediately. Diogo Dalot must be stopped.

 

6) Marco Asensio (Aston Villa)

Fee: Loan

What the manager has said: Emery does not tend to wade into such banalities as quotes on a new signing.

When he should debut: There is nothing stopping it coming against Spurs in the FA Cup (February 9).

 

5) Vitor Reis (Manchester City)

Fee: £29.6m

What the manager has said: “Welcome to them. To the City family. Really pleased. They are young players, so they come for many years. Different types. Reis is a young Brazilian, very exciting.”

When he should debut: After taking in games against Chelsea and Arsenal from the bench, 19-year-old Reis might get his chance soon.

 

4) Evan Ferguson (West Ham)

Fee: Loan

What the manager has said: “I’m delighted we’ve been able to bring Evan in on loan until the end of the season. He’s a player we obviously know very well, so I’m grateful to the board for bringing him in.”

When he should debut: The West Ham striker curse should commence post-haste against Brentford (February 15).

 

3) Nico Gonzalez (Manchester City)

Fee: £49.8m

What the manager has said: Pep Guardiola was absolutely being weird somewhere else on deadline day so Txiki Begiristain said of his last signing: “Nico is a very ­talented young midfielder. He is an ideal acquisition for Manchester City.”

When he should debut: Leyton Orient in the FA Cup (February 8) or Real Madrid in the Champions League (February 11). It is a choice we will all have to make one day.

 

2) Mathys Tel (Tottenham)

Fee: Loan (£8.3m fee)

What the manager has said: Enough on the phone to convince him to join.

When he should debut: Liverpool. Carabao. February. 6. Or maybe Aston Villa in the FA Cup three days later.

 

1) Marcus Rashford (Aston Villa)

Fee: Loan

What the manager has said: Emery’s not said he’d rather play his goalkeeping coach instead yet so that’s something.

When he should debut: The narrative gods dictate it must be as soon as possible so The Discourse can commence in the hope of figuring out who was the problem all along. Spurs in the cup then.