The new footballing season is upon us and with it, a plethora of player transfers. Kylian Mbappe broke the internet after joining the mighty Real Madrid last month, but since then there have been many more deals which is bound to make this season more interesting.
The English Premier League again leads overall spending — about $2.4 billion heading into the deadline day — and once again Chelsea is first in line with an outlay of $290 million.
Italy is back over the $1 billion mark again in overall spending — the second highest in Europe. La Liga is the lowest spender among the big five since it entered the final week at just under $600 million.
With the new format of the 2024-25 Champions League, the big teams are set to clash a lot more throughout the year and with that, the new signings will be frequently playing against their former clubs.
With the summer transfer window closed, Sportstar looks at the top 10 buys across Europe’s top-five leagues:
Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid - Free Transfer
Kylian Mbappe of Real Madrid. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
Real Madrid arguably made the biggest transfer of the decade by signing Kylian Mbappe and that too for free. Mbappe had run out of his contract with PSG and hence was available for Los Blancos on a free transfer.
Mbappe has been at the top of world football, both at club-level and the international stage with 334 goals and 157 assists. At just 25, he has won 15 trophies at Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) and even the FIFA World Cup with France making him the biggest player in the world at the moment.
Julian Alvarez to Atletico Madrid - €75.00m
Atletico Madrid’s Julian Alvarez. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
World Cup and Copa America winning striker Julian Alvarez moved to Atletico Madrid this summer after failing to get minutes at Manchester City with Erling Haaland being its first-choice forward.
The 24-year-old Argentinian is a versatile attacker who is quick, skillful and has a great ability to link up with his teammates. He is also capable of operating as a playmaker. Alvarez is bound to be one of the front-runners for the Puskar award this season in La Liga.
Dani Olmo to Barcelona - €55.00m
Barcelona’s Dani Olmo. | Photo Credit: AP
Dani Olmo turned out to be one of the hottest names of the summer credit to his performance in Euro 2024 which helped the Spaniard win the competition.
Olmo was set to leave RB Leipzig last season but chose to stay because the club was falling short on attacking midfielders after the departure of key firs-team players.
Orignally from Barca’s La Masia academy, Olmo is back to his roots and has already scored a goal for the Catalan club in La Liga.
Riccardo Calafiori to Arsenal - €45.00m
Riccardo Calafiori of Arsenal. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
Arsenal’s new rock at the back, centre-back Riccardo Calafiori could be key for the Gunners to do well in the Premier League and Europe this season.
Calafiori was playing for Bologna in the Serie A, represented Italy at the Euros and has reportedly signed a five-year contract.
Michael Olise to Bayern Munich - €53.00m
Bayern’s Michael Olise. | Photo Credit: AP
FC Bayern Munich signed forward Michael Olise from Crystal Palace on a five-year contract till 2029.
The 22-year-old London-born French young right-winger Olise recorded 10 goals and six assists from 19 Premier League appearances last season as Palace managed a top-half finish in England’s top flight for the first time in nine years.
Bayern missed out on the Bundesliga title last season due to Leverkusen’s stellar unbeaten run and hence the Bavarian club has bolstered its attack with this massive transfer.
Pedro Neto to Chelsea - €60.00m
Chelsea’s Pedro Neto. | Photo Credit: Reuters
Chelsea made 11 transfers in the window and the biggest of them all was the arrival of winger Pedro Neto from Wolves.
The 24-year-old did well last season and contributed to 11 goals in 20 Premier League appearances. Chelsea have bought on for the future as well since the Portuguese has signed a seven-year contract.
Ilkay Gundogan to Manchester City - Free Transfer
Manchester City’s Ilkay Gundogan. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Ilkay Gundogan left Manchester City for Barcelona in the summer of 2023 after helping it win the treble but he has made his way back to the Etihad stadium after just one-season in Spain off of a free-transfer.
Gundogan returns after winning 14 major trophies with City, including five Premier League titles and the Champions League. Gundogan also made 51 appearances for Barca and helped it finish second in La Liga.
Matthijs De Ligt to Manchester United - €45.00m
Matthijs de Ligt of Manchester United. | Photo Credit: Getty Images
Manchester United’s woes with its centre-back position could be solved with the arrival of Dutch defender Matthijs De Ligt.
At the age of 25, De Ligt has already won the league title in three countries with Ajax, Juventus and Bayern Munich. He is re-united with former-boss Erik Ten Hag and has signed a contract till 2029 with an option to extend.
The former Kopa Trophy and Golden Boy winner has made 324 club appearances and has 45 international caps.
Federico Chiesa to Liverpool - €12.00m
Italy’s Federico Chiesa joined Liverpool. | Photo Credit: REUTERS
Arguably the biggest bargain of all has been the purchase of Juventus and Italy’s star-winger Federico Chiesa.
Although the player has been riddled with injuries and couldn’t shine in Euro 2024, there is no doubt that he is an exceptional footballer. The 26-year-old has scored 61 goals and provided 37 assists in his career so far.
Douglas Luiz to Juventus - €51.50m
Juventus’ Douglas Luiz. | Photo Credit: AP
Another big-money singing of this window was central midfielder Douglas Luiz’s move from Aston Villa to Juventus on a five-year contract.
With Villa, Douglas has scored 22 goals and providing 24 assists in his 204 appearances. He is also a regular starter for the Brazilian national team.
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