There’s still more than a month remaining before the summer transfer window closes. But some of the most hyped names have already been sold or retained. The cut-throat tussle between Real Madrid and PSG for Kylian Mbappe overshadowed other movements in the initial days. But once Mbappe confirmed a contract extension with his current employer, the focus shifted to other clubs.
After losing out on Mbappe, Real Madrid went gung-ho on Aurelien Tchouameni, securing his service for €80m. But they still need to bring in a striker to decrease their reliance on Karim Benzema. Their arch-rival, Barcelona has been unable to generate buzz this year, while Manchester United’s lack of activity has become a source of frustration for Cristiano Ronaldo.
Let’s take a look at some of the biggest signings from the transfer market so far:
Aurelien Tchouameni
From Monaco To Real Madrid
Price: $88 million
Real Madrid was not going to sit quietly after losing out on two of the hottest properties in the market — Mbappe and Erling Haaland. While there’s still a pressing need for a striker, they have secured the midfield for the next decade by buying Tchoumeni, who is already touted as one of the best in Europe. He, along with Eduardo Camavinga, will add much-needed youthfulness to their ageing squad.
Darwin Nunez
From Benfica To Liverpool
Price: $82 million
Benfica paid €24 to sign Darwin Nunez from Uruguayan club Almeria and sold it to Liverpool at €75 million. Nunez was the leading goal-scorer for Benfica in both domestic and European competitions, and also scored a couple of goals against Liverpool in the Champions League clash. There are not many coaches in the world who are better than Jurgen Klopp when it comes to grooming the striker.
Read More: Why Did Liverpool Break The Bank To Acquire Darwin Nunez From Benfica?
Matthijs de Ligt
From Juventus To Bayern Munich
Price: $ 73.7 Million
Matthijs de Ligt, 22, will be embarking on a fresh chapter of his journey after completing a $ 73.7 Million move from Juventus to Bayern Munich. De Ligt had a similar offer from Chelsea but he preferred the Bavarian giants as he felt “wanted by the club”.
Erling Haaland
From Borussia Dortmund To Manchester City
Price: $66 million
The long-term search to find Sergio Aguero’s successor at Etihad Stadium may come to an end this season. Erling Haaland, the baby-faced assassin, will be plying his trade for Pep Guardiola’s side after Manchester City snapped him at a relatively cheap price from Borussia Dortmund.
Richarlison
From Everton To Tottenham
Price: $ 63.8 Million
Tottenham paid £60m to acquire Richarlison from Everton in a five-year deal. Chelsea too were in the race but failed to fulfill Everton’s demands. Richarlison is the fourth signing for Antonio Conte’s side, after Yves Bissouma, Ivan Perisic and the back-up goalkeeper Fraser Forster.
Raphina
From Leeds United To Barcelona
Price: $ 63.8 Million
After honing his crafts under the tutelage of Marco Bielsa at Leeds United, Raphina has now moved on to conquer bigger challenges. He signed a five-year contract with Barcelona, and will play alongside Ousman Dembele on the wings.
Lisandro Martinez
From Ajax To Manchester United
Price: $ 63.1 Million
Manchester United paid over $ 60 million to Ajax to acquire the services of Lisandro Martinez for five years. Manchester United were in dire need of a left-centre back who can be paired up with Harry Maguire. In Martinez, the club got someone who has previously played under their head coach Erik ten Haag.
Raheem Sterling
From Manchester City To Chelsea
Price: $ 61.8 Million
Raheem Sterling drew curtains to his illustrious career at Manchester City after confirming an agreement with Chelsea. With the arrival of Erling Haaland this season, the City wanted to offload their star winger, and Chelsea took no time to snap him.
Gabriel Jesus
From Manchester City To Arsenal
Price: $ 57 million
After losing the services of Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Arsenal desperately needed a new striker, and they zeroed down on Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus. Arsenal had to pay €57 million for a five-year deal. Ever since Mike Arteta took charge, the average age of the squad has reduced drastically, and signing Jesus is just another step in that direction.
Jules Kounde
From Sevilla To Barcelona
Price: $ 55 Million
Barcelona staged an epic heist to hijack Jules Kounde, who has almost joined Chelsea, in the eleventh hour. The club splashed $ 55 million on the ex-Sevilla defender. Barcelona’s director of football Mateu Alemany later revealed that Kounde’s agent was calling him relentlessly to acquire him as the defender adores the head coach Xavi.
Kalvin Phillips
From Leeds United To Manchester City
Price: $ 53.6 Million
Manchester City has completed the signing of Leeds United’s Kalvin Phillips for a reported sum of €53.2 on a six-year deal. The inclusion of Phillips solidifies their defensive midfield position, and he will have to fight out with Rodri for a place in the starting line-up.
Robert Lewandowski
From Bayern Munich To Barcelona
Price: $ 49.5 million
Polish Striker Robert Lewandowski was finally allowed by his ex-club Bayern Munich to trigger the release clause. In desperate need of a seasoned striker, Barcelona paid $ 49.5 million upfront to secure a deal for the striker.
Federico Chiesa
From Fiorentina To Juventus
Price: $42 Million
Federico Chiesa, the Euro 2020 winner, is going to reunite with his friend and striking partner Dusan Vlahovic at Juventus in the upcoming season. Juventus acquired him from Fiorentina at €40m. Chiesa is currently recovering from an ACL injury, and is expected to be match ready before the season begins.
Nuno Mendes
From Sporting CP to PSG
Price: €40m
Having impressed everyone during his brief stay at the PSG, it was imminent that the club will soon offer him a permanent deal. Sporting CP’s demand of €40m was met without any fuss by PSG. Mendes is currently one of the most talented full-backs in the world, and has attracted interest from several other clubs.
Karim Adeyemi
From FC Salzburg To Borussia Dortmund
Price: €38m
Ever since Red Bull acquired FC Salzburg, the club has become one of the biggest suppliers of elite talent to the European clubs. They made €38m from the selling of Karim Adeyemi to Borussia Dortmund. Adeyemi, who has scored 23 goals in the Austrian league has a big task of filling the void left by Haaland’s departure.
Fabio Vieira
From FC Porto To Arsenal
Price: $37 million
Mikel Arteta’s Arsenal looks like a prime contender for the top four this season. They have bolstered their midfield by bringing Fabio Vieira from Porto. Vieira has scored six goals and provided fourteen assists for Porto, and was a very solid presence in Porto’s midfield.
High-Profile Names Who Joined New Club On Free Transfers
Paul Pogba
From Manchester United To Juventus
Paul Pogba left Manchester United on a free transfer and joined Juventus on a four-year deal. Pogba was acquired by United for a massive sum of $106.32 million, but the move didn’t work out well for either party.
Gareth Bale
From Real Madrid To LAFC
After an eventful stint with Real Madrid which came to an end this season, Gareth Bale has now joined MLS Side LAFC for just a one-year deal. Cardiff was also in the race but was unable to meet the demands of the Welsh striker.
Christian Eriksen
From Brentford To Manchester United
A year after recovering from a heart attack, Christian Eriksen is not only back in the field, but has dominated the midfield for Brentford this season. He will now play for Manchester United, after joining them on free transfer. Eriksen is a seasoned creator in the attacking third, and his presence will definitely bolster their attacking unit.
Antonio Rudiger
From Chelsea To Real Madrid
Real Madrid have signed Antonio Rudiger on a free transfer for a four-year deal. Rudiger, who has spent five years at Chelsea, will now team up with Eder Militao at the heart of Real Madrid’s defence.
