Five Key Moves During NIFL Premiership’s Wild Winter Transfer Window – Recruitment Analysis

The search for an elusive goalscorer is often the priority for clubs during transfer windows. 

Centre-forwards are the most in-demand players in any league. 

To find a striker who is available at a reasonable price is rare. 

Fans of all clubs will often demand that the best possible option is bought. 

However, supporters don’t understand that so much is out of the hands of their beloved side. 

No more has that been the case than in the NIFL Premiership this January. 

Some of the league’s top forwards have been on the move in the Northern Irish top flight. 

The influence this has had on other clubs has been massive. 

Sides have had to swiftly act to ensure they can add a proven goalscorer to their squad. 

Record fees have been paid, and new talent has been welcomed into the league. 

This article will highlight five moves of forwards in the NIFL Premiership that in some way are connected.

We will analyse why these deals happened, the quality of each attacker, and the potential impact they could have on their new side. 

Joel Cooper To Coleraine FC

In December, it was announced that Joel Cooper had signed a pre-contract agreement with Coleraine. 

In recent years, the North Coast side has been one of the traditional top six sides. 

However, this year, they’ve been inconsistent. 

The club has moved to a full-time model. 

This transition hasn’t necessarily seen vast improvements on the pitch. 

However, Cooper has been one of three players who Coleraine have already signed for the 2025/26 season.

Hope that new investment into the club will make them one of the league’s top sides. 

In Cooper, they’ve signed a player who many will consider the league’s best player. 

The 28-year-old has been in exquisite form for Linfield this season. 

His contribution has been monumental at giving Linfield a healthy lead at the top of the Irish League. 

Many are already crowning him as the player of the season, and for good reason. 

Joel Cooper Radar Chart 2024/25 

Currently, Cooper is sitting at the top of both the goals-scoring and assists charts. 

The forward has 16 goals and 10 assists. 

Cooper has played a variety of roles throughout his time at Linfield. 

He has been u