Top Ten: Deals PL Clubs Missed Out On

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10. John Jairo Ruiz (Saprissa to Lille)
The 18-year-old Ruiz was part of the Costa Rica team that took part in the under-20 World Cup in Colombia last summer. Along with his teammate Joel Campbell who signed for Arsenal, the striker impressed talent scouts with his electric pace and cool finishing as he notched three goals in four matches. After the tournament there was talk of Barcelona making a bid, but Ruiz stayed at Deportivo Saprissa in his homeland before Lille's approach in January. Although not an immediate first-team regular, the raw skill which Ruiz possesses can see him develop into a brilliant forward. It's likely Lille paid less than £1million for the striker's signature, a figure which most Premier League clubs could easily afford to invest.

9. Ahmed Musa (VVV-Venlo to CSKA Moscow)
Musa was another player who shone at the Under-20 World Cup in Colombia, playing for the Nigeria team that knocked England out in the second round. Still only 19, the lightning-fast winger has been tipped for success for several years. In 2009/10, Musa set a new top-scoring record in the Nigerian Premier League, tallying 18 strikes for Kano Pillars. The exciting attacker then moved to VVV-Venlo in Holland where his performances and goal-scoring exploits, including braces against Ajax and Feyenoord, continued to attract attention. With his close control and willingness to run at defenders, CSKA have a brilliant prospect on their hands who looks a snip at £3million; not much to stump up for the likes of Arsenal, Liverpool, Newcastle or Spurs.

8. Jonathan Soriano (Barcelona B to Red Bull Salzburg)
Soriano has had quite a curious career. Despite starting out impressively in the Espanyol B team, the striker struggled to make the grade at first-team level and was regularly shipped out on fruitless loan deals. Eventually the former under-21 international found himself at Barcelona, playing for the B team in the third tier of Spanish football. Suddenly Soriano began to perform and his first-year total of 22 goals, which helped the team win promotion, was followed by a record 32 strikes in the Segunda Division in 2010/11. Swansea agreed a deal with Barcelona for Soriano's signature in the summer but failed to settle personal terms. For a fee of just £700,000, surely a club in the bottom half of the league could have found a compromise over the striker's demands.

7. Philippe Coutinho (Inter to Espanyol - Loan)
Coutinho is the type of player who provides an added creative spark, and at this stage of the season that can make all the difference. A diminutive playmaker, the 19-year-old moved to Inter from Vasco da Gama in 2010 and was frequently used in his first season at the club. After returning from a victorious under-20 World Cup campaign with Brazil, Coutinho has struggled to hold onto a first-team place and a loan move to Espanyol is a good opportunity for him to get some action. It's a surprise that no Premier League clubs enquired about his availability, however, as it's not often that a player of such undoubted skill becomes available (albeit temporarily). Coutinho would've perfectly complemented the Liverpool, Spurs or Arsenal squads and could have provided that extra little boost.

6. Carlos Kameni (Espanyol to Malaga)
We all know how important a reliable goalkeeper is, and while Kameni slipped down the pecking order at Espanyol this season, the Cameroonian shot-stopper is still renowned for his wonderful ability. It has been reported that Kameni lost the number 1 spot because of his public criticism over the club's perceived lack of ambition, and a free transfer to Malaga should settle his grievances. Kameni has often been linked with a move to the Premier League in the past, and with Brad Friedel in the twilight of his career, Tottenham would have been wise to snap-up the 27-year-old to compete for the first-team slot at White Hart Lane.

5. Lucho Gonzalez (Marseille to Porto)
He might have just turned 31, but the chance to sign Lucho on a free transfer should not be scoffed at. The stylish midfielder has been playing at the top level in Europe for the last six years and his Champions League experience could have proved invaluable to any of the top four contenders. As well as being assured in his distribution, Lucho weighs in with the occasional goal and exhibits leadership qualities on the pitch. Arsenal were heavily linked with the Argentine in the summer but decided not to enter the race in January as he rejoined Porto. It seems quite an odd decision considering that he was both available and affordable.

4. Fredy Guarin (Porto to Inter - Loan)
Guarin is the man Lucho replaced in the Porto first team, as he moves to Inter on a loan deal until the summer. With his fantastic range of passing and tendency to strike a thunderbolt, Guarin would've been perfect for any of the teams fighting it out at the top of the league. Andre Villas-Boas knows the Colombian well from their time together in Portugal and perhaps should have bolstered his struggling team with the midfielder's skill and tenacity. After a successful stint at Porto, Guarin is keen to move on and AVB could have capitalised on this desire, using it to instigate a final push from his Chelsea team in their flailing season.

3. Moussa Sow (Lille to Fenerbahce)
After a brilliant double-winning campaign at Lille last year, Sow was widely tipped for a big-money move to one of Europe's bigger leagues, so it was rather stange that he turned up in Turkey. The powerful forward was instrumental in Lille's success, providing the finishing touches to the chances created by Eden Hazard and Gervinho. He looks like continuing his form at Fenerbahce, scoring on his debut, and would have been a perfect alternative to Tottenham after their chase for Loic Remy proved fruitless.

2. Eduardo Vargas (Universidad de Chile to Napoli)
Vargas is one hell of a player. He's incredibly quick, makes intelligent runs across the forward line and is a composed finisher. His superb skill was instrumental in Universidad de Chile's victorious Copa Sudamericana campaign and their Chilean league title success as they went 36 matches unbeaten. £11.5million might look like a hefty fee, but Napoli have got their money's worth with Vargas. He's certain to make the step up to Serie A and will go from strength to strength in Walter Mazzarri's counter-attacking side. Chelsea were linked with the Chilean striker, but Liverpool would probably have benefited the most from his ability.

1. Marco Reus (Borussia Monchengladbach to Borussia Dortmund)
Dortmund snuck in early to agree a deal for Reus and the forward will move to the reigning champions in the summer. Reus' rise has been somewhat meteoric. His first season at Monchengladbach was impressive for a youngster making the breakthrough, but it's the last 18 months where the attacker has really begun to shine. So far this season, the 22-year-old has created 44 chances and had 65 shots - the highest total in the Bundesliga. His desire to take on defenders, close control and eye for a killer pass all make him a bargain at £14.5million. Reus also contributes goals, and after making his debut for Germany this season, he'll be a key part of their Euro 2012 squad. Quite frankly it's a shame that no Premier League clubs bid for Reus. He's a joy to watch and would've brought bags of entertainment.

Matthew Stanger - he's on the Twitter