The most interesting month of the year: January comings and goings

The January transfer market is alway the most active month of the season because of the January transfer market that affects all the major leagues in Europe. It's a chance for some of the big clubs to add reinforcements, the mid-tier clubs to make their moves, and for some of the smaller clubs to do their best Kansas City Royal impressions ie sell off all assets for the highest bidder.

Here's a look at some of the bigger moves to date starting with our U.S. midfielder Jermaine Jones.

Jones, who previously played in the Bundesliga with Schalke - a team in the Champions League - had been on the outs with his club for most of the year and took a loan move to go play with Blackburn in the EPL for 6 months, something I anticipate could become a full-time move over the summer. Jones was banished to the reserve squad for Schalke in November, and it's unlikely inmy opinion he would return. Oh and Blackburn made another nice signing that of Roque Santa Cruz, the big Paraguayan forward whom the U.S. could see in March, coming over from Manchester City where he was not getting any time with that team's all-star caliber team.

I think the two biggest moves I've seen thus far are that of Edin Dzeko coming over to Manchester City for the small price of 27 million euros from Wolfsburg and Everton's Steven Pienaar trading his Merseyside blue for Tottenham white. Harry Redknapp swooped into buy the South African captain for the small price of 3 million pounds, a bargain basement discount thanks to the fact Pienaar's contract is up and he was set to move. Both players are impact caliber players, guys that should make a difference. Dzeko, a Bosnian and Herzegovina international, is maybe the world's best forward that no one knows about and could catapult Man City over the top. Pienaar can play anywhere in the midfield, and it was a great coup for the Hotspurs who struck before London rivals Chelsea could seal the deal.

In one of the more strange moves I have seen this January, Sunderland sold of prized forward Darren Bent for 24 million pounds to Aston Villa, an incredible amount considering Bent has been at best a fringe English national team forward over his career.

What makes this deal even more ridiculous to me is that Villa in the past couple of years had a terrific team, but decided to sell off two of their best players in Garreth Barry and James Milner to Manchester City, which is why Martin O'Neil - one of the best managers in England - resigned from the club in August. Villa have been suffering this season and currently reside just one place about of the relegations zone tied on points with relegation zone team Wigan and must've felt they needed to make a major splash to ensure they stay in the EPL next season. It would be quite an embarrassment if Villa had dropped down to the Championship -- the second division of England -- especially considering Villa had been a fringe Champions League team over the past 2-3 years.

Sunderland on the other hand have been one of the first season surprises rising as high as fifth in the table to date currently residing in sixth place, and despite being in position to be in Europe next year must have felt that Villa's asking price was just too much to pass up on for a player that as I mentioned probably is worth only half that value. However, Sunderland manager Steve Bruce unleashed a bit of a tirade blaming the player for leaving afterward and was not too happy about the transfer.

Liverpool have been active in the transfer market agreeing to sell Dutch international Ryan Babel to the Bundesliga side Hoffenheim for a fee of 7 million euros. Babel never lived up to his promise and at best was a super-sub for the Reds. Hoffenheim represent another excellent opportunity for Babel to rebuild his career, remember he is still just 24-years-old.

The Reds are also seeking the services of Uruguayan and Ajax forward Luis Suarez, a player that burst onto the international scene with his fantastic performance at the World Cup last summer. A year ago Suarez scored 50 goals to help Ajax back to the Champions League. Now at 23 he is ready to make his move to a big club and Liverpool appear to be the club of his liking with all its Spanish speaking players. Suarez told Ajax boss Frank De Boer he wants to move and so I imagine the deal will get done. If Fernando Torres can regain his top form, something that has been lacking all of 2010 after his dreadful performance for Spain in the World Cup that has lasted into the first half of the EPL season, Suarez and Torres could represent a dream pairing for the Reds.

Lastly, not in transfer news but in injury news, Arsenal continue to miss last year's top buy Thomas Vermaelen, who has missed the entire season to date with some form of Achilles injury. The defender underwent an operation on the troublesome leg that will keep him out another six weeks at least. His absence has significantly hurt Arsenal's depth in the heart of the defense and he would be more than a welcome addition if he could return, but as a Gunner fan I'm not counting my chickens before they hatch that he will be back. After such a lengthy time off there most likely will come a point where they shut him down for the year as not to risk permanent damage.

As for replacements it appears my home boy Arsene Wenger is struggling in the search as one of my dream replacements German international star Per Mertesacker recently turned down the opportunity to make the switch to the north London side.