Who have been the summer’s biggest signings so far

The money in sports is absolutely crazy. When it comes to money changing hands, people are often stunned at just how much cash is flying around, but football is so popular that the biggest clubs usually have huge transfer kitties.

It’s incredibly exciting when we get to this time of the season and there are teams looking to strengthen. Transfer windows have become known for their huge drama. There’s a big gambling market too, as people try to predict the next big move and even try to make some money off it themselves, with more and more online sportsbooks companies offering markets on which player will sign for which club.

In this guide, we’re exploring the biggest signings of the summer, both in terms of finances and profile. There’s still work to be done in the window – for instance, Manchester United are looking to secure the move of Antony for a huge fee.

Aurélien Tchouaméni – Monaco to Real Madrid

This was a huge fee, as it is rumored that depending on his performance, the package could be worth almost €100m. Other clubs thought to have been interested include Manchester United and Liverpool, as well as fellow French club PSG, but Monaco accepted the deal from Real Madrid.

Not for the first time, the Spanish giant clubs, including Real Madrid and Barcelona, are spending huge sums of money trying to bring top talent to the clubs and reignite interest in Spanish football all around the world.

Tchouaméni will form part of a new-look midfield, as the baton gradually passes from the likes of Modrić and Kroos to Tchouaméni and Camavinga. Of course, Casemiro has also departed.

Darwin Núñez – Benfica to Liverpool

Núñez stands to become the most expensive Liverpool player ever, depending on appearances. There were plenty of clubs happy to pay the significant fee for the striker who is seen as one of the brightest prospects to come out of South America in recent years.

In his short time at Liverpool, Núñez has already shown his fiery temper, which is something he might need to work on. However, it is undeniable that he has an incredible amount of talent and will show this in the time he is at the Reds.

Historically, Liverpool have made some expensive signings only to see them flop, but their track record in recent years has been a lot better, and Núñez seems to be the real deal.

Erling Haaland – Dortmund to Manchester City

It wasn’t a cheap signing, but compared to the sort of money they might have had to pay if Haaland didn’t have a release clause, he was a snip.

Haaland is a generational talent who has been scaring teams for a while now in the way he scores goals. He’s an out-and-out striker with an unbelievable record. In a youth game back in 2019, he even managed to score an incredible nine goals in one game.

Erling Haaland has hit the ground running in England, already scoring some goals for Manchester City. It seems inevitable that this will continue. In the future, who knows, he may even be breaking records if he decides he is going to move on. Perhaps Real Madrid or Barcelona will go on to splash the cash in an attempt to bring him to Spain one day. Before that, though, Haaland will be hoping to make the difference to turn Man City into Champions League contenders.

Casemiro – Real Madrid to Manchester United

Casemiro has become one of the most expensive players ever in this age range – with a huge move from Real Madrid to Manchester United.

Manchester United are really handing out the cash, especially as Antony is expected to follow through the door. With Casemiro – they are getting a player who has an unbelievable record and some impressive medals in his locker. Of course, Casemiro has won the Champions League in his time at Real Madrid and it is not surprising that the red side of Manchester is getting excited about this level of experience entering the team.

Whether he will help Manchester United get back into the top tier of European competition remains to be seen, but that will definitely be the objective for the Brazilian midfielder.

Matthijs de Ligt – Juventus to Bayern Munich

It’s interesting to see a transfer like this – when a player is such hot property as a youngster, you often assume that the club he ends up at will be the one that keeps him for many years. Matthijs de Ligt has maybe not quite made the impact people wanted him to at Juve but he is still an incredibly bright prospect. This is one of the reasons why Bayern Munich have spent an incredible amount of money on the Dutch defender, as they will be hoping he still has his best years ahead of him.

Summary

The amount of money changing hands is startling. Teams like Nottingham Forest, having been promoted, are spending more money than promoted clubs often see possible, with around £35m paid for the services of Morgan Gibbs-White, and Jesse Lingard supposedly earning absolutely huge wages at the club.

These big signings are not a guarantee of success but they are a guarantee of drama, and that drama will continue right up to the end of the transfer window. There could even be some more huge transfers taking place on deadline day.