Ten big transfer deals that have already gone through in this summer’s transfer window.
10. Kolo Toure (Manchester City to Liverpool)
The former Arsenal defender has now found his way from Manchester City to Anfield, becoming Brendan Rodgers’ first signing of the summer for Liverpool. The 32-year-old was once considered one of the best defenders in the country as part of the Gunners’ famous ‘Invincibles’ side of 2004, but his career has faded somewhat in the last few years, as he has failed to establish himself as a regular at the Etihad Stadium. A move to Liverpool could be good for him, as there should be more chances for first-team football following the retirement of the legendary Jamie Carragher.
9. James Rodriguez (Porto to Monaco)
This talented 21-year-old is one of a few players to become part of Monaco’s summer spending spree. The Colombian has earned rave reviews for his performances for Porto, drawing comparisons between himself and a young Cristiano Ronaldo, and attracted interest from a number of Europe’s top clubs before making the £38million switch to Ligue 1. Despite his young age, he has been involved in the Porto first team for the last three years, and has won several individual accolades already in his short career. Surely a player who will develop into one of the best in the world, it will be interesting to see how he fits in to the new team being built by Claudio Ranieri and Monaco’s wealthy Russian owner Dmitry Rybolovlev.
8. Daniel Carvajal (Bayer Leverkusen to Real Madrid)
This talented young right-back started his career at Real Madrid, though with first-team opportunities proving hard to come by for graduates of their youth academy, he made the wise move to join Bundesliga side Bayer Leverkusen. After just one season in Germany, his performances have been so impressive that Real have signed him back for around £6million, and he will surely become first choice for the Spanish giants. The 21-year-old showed great ability going forward as well as defensively for Leverkusen, scoring one goal and providing seven assists for his team-mates, and Real were probably wise to snap him up again quickly before other top clubs showed an interest.
7. Fernando Llorente (Athletic Bilbao to Juventus)
This transfer looked on the cards for a long time, and was finally completed by Juventus in January, though Llorente remained with Athletic Bilbao for the rest of the season to see out his contract. The 28-year-old looked a great addition for Juventus after many years of scoring good numbers of quality goals in La Liga, though his performances have dipped dramatically this season after becoming unsettled at the club. After scoring 29 goals in 2011/12, Llorente only managed 5 in 2012/13, and it will be interesting to see if he can find his best form again at Juventus, who may not be entirely convinced as they continue to be linked with other big-name strikers.
6. Fernandinho (Shakhtar Donetsk to Manchester City)
The £30million deal to bring Brazil international Fernandinho from Shakhtar Donetsk to Manchester City was completed last week. This tough but skillful midfielder looks a great addition by City, who have struggled in midfield at times this season with some weak displays from Gareth Barry and Javi Garcia. Fernandinho was widely tipped to be making a big move this summer after impressing in the Champions League for Shakhtar, putting in great displays against the likes of Chelsea and Juventus. The 28-year-old was keen to move to a bigger club in time for next summer’s World Cup, where he will hope to be first choice for host nation Brazil.
5. Joao Moutinho (Porto to Monaco)
Joining his team-mate James Rodriguez in leaving Porto for Monaco will be Joao Moutinho, completing a pair of very exciting signings for the newly-promoted Ligue 1 side. The Portuguese playmaker was strongly linked with Tottenham last summer, and was apparently a target for them again this year, though big-spending Monaco priced them out of a move. The 26-year-old could really develop into one of the best midfielders in the world if Monaco continue to bring in such big-name players. He had an impressive record of 5 goals and 15 assists for Porto this season, and was part of their treble-winning side of 2010/11.
4. Jesus Navas (Sevilla to Manchester City)
Despite scoring only one goal in all competitions last season, Jesus Navas has a fine reputation as a world class winger, and will be seen as a big signing for Manchester City for £17million. The Spaniard has previously spent his entire career with home town club Sevilla, due to suffering from chronic anxiety and homesickness, though he has made efforts to work on his problems, and is relishing the chance to move to a bigger club. Navas looks like exactly the kind of player City need in their midfield, as he is a more direct and natural wide player than the likes of David Silva, Samir Nasri and James Milner. New City manager Manuel Pellegrini was understood to have Navas very high on his list for new transfers when negotiating a deal to take over as manager of the club.
3. Mario Goetze (Borussia Dortmund to Bayern Munich)
This deal was revealed towards the end of the season, and was seen as slightly controversial by Borussia Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp, fearing it would distract his team in their bid to beat Bayern Munich in the Champions League final. Mario Goetze has emerged as one of Germany’s best young players in the last few years, which is certainly impressive considering the seemingly endless production of exceptional youngsters in his position alone, and will become the most expensive German player of all time when he joins Dortmund’s rivals Bayern for £32million. The 21-year-old 12 goals and provided 14 assists for Dortmund this season, and it is frightening to think how good he could be in this all-conquering Bayern Munich team that will be managed by former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola next season.
2. Radamel Falcao (Atletico Madrid to Monaco)
After an exceptional two seasons with Atletico Madrid, scoring 70 goals for the club, Radamel Falcao shocked the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Real Madrid when he opted for a move to newly-promoted Ligue 1 side Monaco. Undoubtedly the biggest name brought in by the club’s wealthy Russian owner this summer, Falcao cost an amazing £50million, and will be a key player for the French side next season as they look to compete with champions and fellow big-spenders PSG. Feeding off service from the likes of fellow new-arrivals Moutinho and Rodriguez, Falcao should continue his rise as one of the best strikers in the world, though many neutrals will be disappointed not to be seeing him at a historically bigger club.
1. Neymar (Santos to Barcelona)
People were waiting for years to see where Brazil’s next big talent would end up when he eventually decided to leave Santos for Europe, and perhaps unsurprisingly it was confirmed as being Barcelona last month. The two seem a perfect fit for each other, and the £48million man will surely form an excellent partnership with Lionel Messi at the Nou Camp, in what could become one of the world’s most deadly strike partnerships. Still only 21, Neymar scored 136 goals in 225 appearances for Santos, and will be hoping to make a similar impact at Barcelona that other Brazilian legends Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho made in their time with the Catalan giants.