The Rondo, transfer window review edition: Best deal, worst move and what’s next for Josh Sargent?

Tom Hindle: Endrick to Lyon! No, it's not permanent. And yes, Real Madrid will absolutely bring him back when it suits them. But the guy is cooking at Lyon, and finally has a little bit of freedom to show that he's pretty good at this sport. Will it earn him a spot at the World Cup? To be determined. But he's a good footballer who gets to play good football after 18 pretty forgettable months. A word, too, for the Marc Guehi to Man City deal. He hasn't hit the ground running, yet he will be a presence for that club for years to come.

Ryan Tolmich: There's nothing not to love about Endrick's loan to Lyon, except if you're a Real Madrid fan. Even then, you'd probably be thrilled by how good the Brazil star has been since arriving in Ligue 1. Frozen out at Madrid, Endrick is showing exactly why he's regarded as one of the most exciting young players in the world. More crucially, he's showing Carlo Ancelotti why he belongs on the Brazil roster this summer. This is one that could be a win-win for Endrick, Lyon, Brazi,l and Real Madrid, which is the definition of a good move.

TH: Crystal Palace paid HOW much for Jorgen Strand Larsen?!? Dropping $66 million for half a decent season a couple of years ago is an eye-watering fee, especially for a club that tends to keep it tidy in the market. They'd better hope that the dude starts scoring goals, because that's a lot of money. Reeks of desperation, and soon-to-be relegated Wolves must have been laughing in Molineux.

RT: It deserves a mention, ultimately because it didn't go through. Jean-Philippe Mateta had a bad Deadline Day, as did Crystal Palace and AC Milan. His failed medical revealed an issue that will keep him out of action, Crystal Palace missed out on money needed after their big swing to sign Jorgen Strand Larsen for $66 million, and Milan didn't add the attacking piece that could make the difference in the Scudetto race. It's a January transfer saga for the books for all the wrong reasons.

TH: Jhon Duran to pretty much anywhere, if only to complete the infinity gauntlet of stints in Saudi, Turkey and MLS before his 23rd birthday. Would have been historical levels of transfer nonsense.

RT: There was risk involved, but it really would have been fun to see Ricardo Pepi take that leap up to Fulham. He's out until March but, by then, PSV will almost certainly have wrapped up the title, taking a lot of the jeopardy out of those final few weeks of the season. From a USMNT perspective, sure, it'll be good to have Pepi in a familiar place where he can jump right back into the lineup in March, but he seems ready for a Premier League test that, for now, will have to wait.

TH: Alex Freeman, welcome to the USMNT roster - for good. He might not be a regular for Villarreal, but a switch to the Spanish league will certainly offer a higher level of competition. And if he cracks the XI, there's a pretty compelling case to be made for the American to start over Sergino Dest at the World Cup.

RT: In reality, things didn't change much in that regard. Freeman took a big swing, but he seemed on the right side of the red line anyway. Max Arfsten, Sebastian Berhalter, and Diego Luna didn't head to Europe, but they might just be okay, too, with a strong start in MLS. The one player that probably boosted his chances most was Damion Downs, whose move to Hamburg has him playing again, which is a big boost after spending so much time on Southampton's bench. Outside of that, the status quo has largely stayed the same.

TH: Well, it's not bloody great, is it? Maybe, Josh, when you try to force a move, make sure it happens? OK, yes, Norwich didn't want to sanction an exit in January. But everyone's misjudged this pretty poorly here. The upshot is that he probably won't play loads of football between now and the summer, which isn't good for any year, never mind a World Cup one.

RT: He hasn't failed to leave because there's still plenty of time. Sargent was never restricted by Europe's schedule because he reportedly didn't want to stay in Europe. It'll take some negotiating, but given how tense things have gotten, one has to assume that everyone will realize that it's in their best interest to get this thing done at some point soon.

TH: Atletico Madrid. They made a net profit AND they got better? The Rojiblancos can be a little erratic in the transfer market at times, but this was a mightily successful month. Now, if Diego Simeone can coax some form out of Ademola Lookman, then top marks.

RT: Pep Guardiola's side took both their attack and defense to a new level by signing Antoine Semenyo and Guehi, two Premier League-proven players who should give them a real boost through the second half of the season. Can they catch Arsenal? That remains to be seen, but there's no doubt that City are a better team now and going forward than they were pre-January.

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