Top 10 transfers that took place across Europe in the 2024/25 summer transfer window

New Delhi:  The summer transfer window is the best time for a club to rectify its shortcomings from the previous season and bring in the right personnel to address their issues. Some clubs utilize this opportunity to the fullest while others fail to use the window best. Time and time again we’ve seen clubs make crucial signings that would go on to benefit their team in the future.

Kylian Mbappe’s move from Monaco to PSG served them well for years while Erling Haaland’s move to Manchester City turned them into an absolute powerhouse. Similarly, Cristiano Ronaldo’s move to Real Madrid over a decade ago built the most famous rivalry of our generation which would go on to define his legacy in world football.

With that in mind, here are some of the top transfers of this window till now that will probably go on to help their team achieve great success next season. At least that’s the hope.

10) Serhou Guirassy (VfB Stuttgart to Borrusia Dortmund)

Borussia Dortmund have added 28-year-old Serhou Guirassy to their squad for the upcoming season for a meagre fee of £15 million, thanks to the release clause in his contract at Stuttgart. The striker was Stuttgart’s main man in their second-place finish last season, guiding them to UEFA Champions League qualification. He scored 30 goals in 30 games all season and that sort of scintillating form is tough to find at the top level.

He also contributed to three assists on the way and if he can continue the same form at Signal Iduna Park, he will be one of the biggest bargains of the season. Dortmund reached the UEFA Champions League final last season but their strikers struggled last season. Apart from Niklas Fullkrug and Donyell Malen who provided 25 and 20 goal contributions each, no attacker scored more than six goals for them and Guirassy’s arrival addresses that issue, even more so with talented striker Yousoufa Moukoko seemingly out the exit door at the club.

9) Alvaro Morata (Atletico Madrid to AC Milan)

Alvaro Morata once again finds himself in Italy, this time in the country’s capital in Milan as he joined Serie A giants AC Milan in a £11 million deal. Landing a talented striker and leader as Morata for such a small fee is a great piece of business by the Italian club. He’s just off the back of a great summer, having captained his nation to the UEFA Euro 2024 title and will now return to the country where he’s already enjoyed success with Juventus.

Last season was Morata’s best when it comes to his numbers as he scored 21 times for Atletico but left the club after feeling unwanted at the Wanda Metropolitano. He joins Milan to replace the departed Oliver Giroud and would be a welcome boost to the club’s attack. Being the national team’s captain and having played for a long time now, he adds valuable experience to the club’s otherwise young attack.

8) Joao Palhinha (Fulham to Bayern Munich)

A move that we should’ve been writing about last year was finally completed in this window as the Portuguese destroyer signs for Bayern Munich in a £42.3 million initial deal. He was set to join the Bavarian giants last summer but the move collapsed when Fulham were unable to sign a replacement for their star midfielder. He joins a new-look Bayern Munich side and will play under Premier League legend Vincent Kompany.

Palhinha had two successful seasons in West London, making 79 appearances for Fulham helping them to respectable mid-table finishes and now joins a Bayern Munich team that is almost always competing for titles. He made 152 tackles in the Premier League last season, the most by any player in the league and joins Bayern Munich as their main defensive midfielder, either allowing Joshua Kimmich to leave or operate from right-back. He joins the Munich-based team on a four-year contract till June 2028.

7) Leny Yoro (LOSC Lille to Manchester United)

Manchester United shocked the world when they announced the signing of talented young defender Leny Yoro from LOSC Lille for £52.2 million. The 18-year-old seemed destined to move to Real Madrid either this summer or the next when his contract would’ve expired.  United’s pro-activeness in tempting Lille with a lucrative offer helped them steal a march on the UEFA Champions League winners. Lille obviously didn’t want to lose their prized defender for nothing next season and instantly accepted United’s offer.

Yoro comes to the club with a huge reputation after starring for Lille over the last two seasons. He instantly elevates United’s otherwise weak backline and his partnership with Lisandro Martinez next season would be tough to break down for their opponents. Signing a world-class talent under the noses of Real Madrid and PSG would definitely have Manchester United fans feeling smug.

6) Georges Mikautadze (FC Metz to Olympique Lyon)

The breakout star of UEFA Euro 2024, Geroges Mikautadze ended the tournament as one of the Golden Boot winners. He scored in all of Georgia’s group stage matches as the minnows made it to the knockout rounds in their debut campaign. His red-hot form for both Georgia and FC Metz last season drew the eyes of many suitors and he almost sealed a move to AS Monaco before Lyon swooped in to sign the player at the last minute.

Mikautadze scored 14 goals and provided four assists in just 22 games for Metz last season but couldn’t help the club retain their Ligue 1 status. He now joins Lyon who finished last season in sixth place in the table. Apart from 35-year-old Alexandre Lacazette, no other attacker scored more than four goals for the club all season and the Georgian’s arrival would be a welcome boost for manager Pierre Sage.

5) Joshua Zirkzee (Bologna to Manchester United)

With Leny Yoro’s move taking all the headlines, Joshua Zirkzee’s move to Manchester United has flown under the radar. It wasn’t helped by the fact that the move was announced on the night of the UEFA Euro 2024 final when everyone was busy focusing on Spain’s triumph. Manchester United signing Joshua Zirkzee is an extremely smart move by the Red Devils and he joins them for a very reasonable fee of £36.5 million.

Zirkzee is a brilliant signing for the club as he offers a completely different style than what Rasmus Hojlund offers to the club. He can either play alongside the Dane or in place of him as well. The Dutch International scored 11 goals and provided 5 assists for Bologna last season, ending the season as their top-scorer and the league’s Young Player of the Season. Playing under Dutch legend Ruud van Nistlerooy could help Zirkzee take his game to the next level and that certainly would’ve been a factor in him choosing the Red Devils over AC Milan.

4) Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa to Juventus)

Thiago Motta is on a mission to revamp Juventus’ midfield this season and his revamp started with the arrival of Aston Villa’s Douglas Luiz. The Manchester City academy product had been a mainstay at Villa since joining the club in 2019 before leaving this summer. He joins Juventus in a £42.35 million deal which also sees Enzo Barranechea and Samuel Illing Jr. head in the opposite direction.

Luiz is a part of Juventus’ planned three-man midfield of Luiz, new signing Kepheran Thuram, and potential signing Teun Koopmeiners. This was also one of the first double deals in football as apart from signing the Brazilian midfielder, the club also signed his girlfriend, Alisha Lehman, for Juventus’s women’s team. Lehman was playing for Aston Villa’s women’s team as a striker and now joins Juventus so that the couple can stay in the same place.

3) Raphael Varane (Manchester United to Como 1907)

Raphael Varane’s move to Serie A newcomers Como 1907 is probably the most surprising deal of the transfer window. The club is now managed by former World Cup winner Cesc Fabregas and he has been pulling the strings behind the scenes to attract big names to the club who are making their return to the Serie A after a prolonged absence. Fabregas also used his aura and reputation to pull former Spain Internationals Alberto Moreno and Pepe Reina to the club.

However, no other incoming is as big as four-time UEFA Champions League winner and FIFA World Cup winner Raphael Varane. He joins the Italian club after three years with Manchester United and has signed a two-year deal with the club with an option to extend. Varane adds a wealth of experience to such a young squad and will be a vital leader on the field in the club’s first top-flight campaign in years.

2) Michael Olise (Crystal Palace to Bayern Munich)

Following the shock and disappointment of finishing third last season, Bayern Munich are making all efforts to rectify their shortcomings in the transfer window. Keeping that in mind, they’ve spent the cash to bring in Crystal Palace’s star attacker Michael Olise, prizing him away from under the noses of both Manchester United and Chelsea in a deal worth £50 million. Olise is a talented player capable of playing either on the wing or as a number 10 and his partnership with Jamal Musiala would be lethal to watch.

He is already familiar with Musiala and his game considering both spent time together at Chelsea’s academy and their link-up would be crucial for Vincent Kompany. Olise contributed to 16 goals in 19 games in an injury-hit campaign last season and if he manages to stay fit for the entire season, with Harry Kane in front of him, Bayern will be unstoppable in the 2024/25 campaign.

1) Kylian Mbappe (PSG to Real Madrid)

There should be no surprises here that the biggest move of this transfer window is Kylian Mbappe’s move to Real Madrid. It’s still baffling to me that Mbappe has joined Real Madrid for free and that PSG won’t get any money out of this move. After years and years of a will they/won’t they vibe, Kylian Mbappe finally realizes his dream and gets his long-awaited move to the Santiago Bernabeu. He joins the club after seven successful and trophy-laden years in Paris and will look to win the one trophy that’s eluded him till now, the UEFA Champions League.

PSG’s all-time top-scorer with 256 goals now heads to the biggest challenge of his career- performing for his dream club that also happens to be the biggest in the world currently. We’ve already seen such a dream move turn sour for Eden Hazard and hope that won’t be the case with the Frenchman. According to a report by BBC Sport, Mbappe will be earning £12.8 million a season. He is also due a £128 million signing-on bonus which will be paid over five years, and he also gets to keep a percentage of his rights.

 Here are some of the top transfers of this window till now that will probably go on to help their team achieve great success next season. At least that’s the hope.   Football Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today