Transfer market explodes: European clubs spend billions before the September 1 deadline
Football never stops. The World Cup had barely ended when the transfer market started boiling, with multi-million deals redefining the balance among Europe’s biggest clubs. The summer window, open since mid-June, has already produced deals adding up to hundreds of millions of pounds — and there are still six weeks to go.
The most talked-about swing: Rogers joins Chelsea for £117m
The transfer that dominated the headlines was Morgan Rogers, sold by Aston Villa to Chelsea for a staggering £117 million. The move thrust Xabi Alonso into the spotlight right at the start of his spell at Stamford Bridge, where he arrives to rebuild a club that missed out on European competition last season.
Rogers’ England teammates also changed scenery. Elliot Anderson, of Nottingham Forest, went to Manchester City for £116m. Anthony Gordon signed with Barcelona, chosen by the Catalans over Marcus Rashford — a decision still debated, since it cost more than double and the striker’s superiority is far from consensus.
Who bought well, who still needs to act
Bayern Munich were among those who moved best so far. Ismael Saibari, the forward who shone at the World Cup and plays for Morocco, arrived for £50 million — a fee that already looks cheap given what he showed. The Bavarian concern is keeping Harry Kane and protecting Michael Olise from Real Madrid’s advances.
Arsenal, English champions after a 22-year drought, brought in defender Piero Hincapié from Bayer Leverkusen for £34.5m and goalkeeper Illan Meslier as a free agent. But the fans want more. The club refused to pay Villa’s asking price for Rogers and did not push ahead for Bruno Guimarães either. Julián Álvarez appeals to Mikel Arteta, but the Argentine prefers Barcelona — and Atlético Madrid won’t negotiate for less than a fortune.
Tottenham surprise by investing £227 million in Sandro Tonali, Mateus Fernandes and Jan Paul van Hecke, plus free agents such as Andy Robertson. After two mediocre campaigns, Roberto De Zerbi’s club decided to bet big — and the fans approve.
Real Madrid, PSG and Liverpool
At Real Madrid — without Kroos and Modrić — José Mourinho’s side need Rodri and Olise to be genuine title contenders. PSG stay calm, but Luis Enrique has already warned he wants a third straight Champions League title, and signings will come. Midfielder Yan Diomande, a Liverpool target, seems inclined to head to the Parc des Princes. If that goes through, the problem changes address: Andoni Iraola’s Reds will be left without their main target to replace Mohamed Salah.
At Liverpool, the window is still worrying. Ibrahima Konaté left for free to Madrid, the right-back struggles with injuries and the squad looks thin to fight for the title. Iraola still has work ahead.
