The definitive list of the most expensive signings of the summer.
In a summer that saw the world transfer record broken with Gareth Bale moving from Tottenham to Real Madrid in a sensational £85m deal, there were plenty of other exciting big moves in the transfer market, with some of the world’s most sought-after stars coming under intense speculation over their futures. In the end, there were plenty of big rumours that never came to fruition, and the likes of Luis Suarez and Wayne Rooney could well have had their place in this list if things had gone differently, but here is a final list of the most expensive transfers of summer 2013.
10. Mario Goetze – Borussia Dortmund to Bayern Munich (£32m)
Briefly the most expensive German player of all time, highly-rated starlet Mario Goetze made the controversial switch from Borussia Dortmund to rivals Bayern Munich this summer for £32m. A skillful and intelligent attacking midfielder, the 21-year-old should fit in perfectly in the star-studded lineup of the treble winners, and who knows how well he will continue to develop under the guidance of former Barcelona boss Pep Guardiola, who took over the Allianz Arena this summer. Goetze was a superb player in his time at Dortmund, and it is a blow for them to see their prized asset playing in the red shirt of their title competitors, though manager Jurgen Klopp looks to have done reasonably well with re-investing his hefty transfer fee.
9. Willian – Anzhi Makhachkala to Chelsea (£32m)
In a controversial and late twist, Brazilian forward Willian, who had looked all set to join Tottenham a few weeks ago, became Chelsea’s biggest signing of the summer. The highly-rated 25-year-old moved from Anzhi Makhachkala to Stamford Bridge for £32m, in one of two raids made by the Blues on the struggling Russian club this summer. A versatile attacker, capable of playing out wide or upfront, Willian first made a name for himself in the Ukranian league with Shakhtar Donetsk, and has been linked with Chelsea several times since scoring against them in the Champions League. Some may question the logic in Chelsea making their most expensive purchase a relatively luxury signing, with their incredible depth in attacking midfield, but Willian certainly looks a player who is worth paying the big money for.
8. Asier Illarramendi – Real Sociedad to Real Madrid (£34m)
Seen by some as a surprise purchase, one of Real Madrid’s big investments this summer came in the form of Asier Illarramendi from Real Sociedad. The 23-year-old has no doubt impressed with the Basque side so far in his career, but his price tag of £34m seems rather inflated for a player of his inexperience. However, he could now become a crucial member of Carlo Ancelotti’s side with a long-term injury to Xabi Alonso, and we could see a great glimpse into the future of Spanish football if Illarremendi can combine well with fellow new signing Isco, who also joined this summer from Malaga.
7. Fernandinho – Shakhtar Donetsk to Manchester City (£35m)
Manchester City were in urgent need of a new midfielder this summer following some indifferent displays from Gareth Barry and Javi Garcia last season, and in the end they were willing to splash out a massive £35m on Brazil star Fernandinho from Ukranian side Shakhtar Donetsk. The powerful and skillful player looks already to have made a good impact for Manuel Pellegrini’s side, giving them more energy and dynamism in the middle of the park. It may be a lot of money to spend on a 28-year-old, but with the backing of their wealthy owners, money is not usually a big concern for City these days, and if Fernandinho can make the difference in the title race then he will prove to be worth every penny.
6. James Rodriguez – Porto to Monaco (£38.5m)
Compared by many to a young Cristiano Ronaldo, James Rodriguez has already made a big-money move at just the age of 22, becoming part of the Monaco revolution this summer. Backed by their wealthy Russian owner, Dmitry Rybolovlev, the newly-promoted Ligue 1 club have been able to attract some of football’s biggest names this summer, and swooped for Rodriguez as part of a double deal from Porto, with Joao Moutinho joining the 22-year-old in France this summer. The Colombian looked like developing into one of the best attacking midfielders in the world in Portugal, and it will be interesting to see how he progresses in this exciting new-look Monaco side.
5. Mesut Ozil – Real Madrid to Arsenal (£42m)
On a sensational deadline day, Mesut Ozil made a surprise move to Arsenal for £42m, simultaneously becoming the north London club’s record signing (by a long way) and also eclipsing Mario Goetze as becoming the most expensive German player of all time in the same summer. In a show of real ambition by the Gunners, Ozil’s transfer stole the show on deadline day and could be the start of a new era at the Emirates Stadium, if the club can continue to attract big names and challenge their rivals, both in the transfer market and on the pitch. Many Real Madrid fans and players were shocked to see the club sell one of their best players, but it is thought that the Spanish giants were keen to bring some money back in after investing so heavily on new players of their own. Ozil is certainly a player worthy of his hefty price tag, and it will be great to see him in the Premier League this season.
4. Neymar – Santos to Barcelona (£50m)
Ever since Brazilian sensation Neymar broke on to the scene with former club Santos as a teenager, there has been great speculation over where this star of the future would end up. Big clubs from all over Europe were linked with the skillful striker, who was scoring for fun in the Brazilian league, and finally this summer it was confirmed as Barcelona who paid the big bucks for him, forking out a massive £50m to bring him to the Nou Camp, making him their record signing. Real Madrid were also understood to be close to signing him this summer, though he favoured to continue his development at the Catalan club. After 136 goals in 225 games in a relatively weak league, it will be interesting to see if Neymar can live up the hype in Europe, but it’s no surprise that Santos were able to sell him for so much given his amazing potential.
3. Radamel Falcao – Atletico Madrid to Monaco (£53m)
After a highly prolific few years with first Porto and then Atletico Madrid, Radamel Falcao looked destined for a big-money move to a top club this summer. The likes of Real Madrid, Chelsea, Manchester United and Manchester City were all thought to be in the running for his signature, before he made a somewhat surprising move to big-spending Monaco, who certainly showed their new ambitions with the signing of this incredible goal-scoring talent. The Colombian moved for £53m and will surely tear up the French league after doing so well in La Liga. It’s certainly a shame not to see him come to England, but perhaps at that price some clubs weren’t quite willing to take the risk on him. Still, it’s hard to imagine Atletico would have accepted anything less for the player, and it’s no surprise to see him among the most expensive signings this summer.
2. Edinson Cavani – Napoli to PSG (£57m)
Like Falcao, it was somewhat surprising to see the much sought-after Edinson Cavani leave Napoli for a move to Ligue 1, as the Uruguayan goal machine became a £57m signing for PSG, the club’s record signing, eclipsing big names such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Thiago Silva and Javier Pastore that have been attracted to the French capital over the last few years. Cavani was also wanted by Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester City, but it seems that again these clubs were out-muscled financially by the new super clubs being developed in France. The 26-year-old already has 2 goals in his first 2 games for Laurent Blanc’s side, and in an intriguing Ligue 1 title race this year, France can now claim to have two of the world’s best strikers – and for this summer, two of the most expensive.
1. Gareth Bale – Tottenham to Real Madrid (£85m)
Leaving others on this list in the shade somewhat, Gareth Bale became the most expensive player of all time as he moved from Tottenham to Real Madrid for a phenomenal £85m, beating the previous record also set by the Spanish giants when they signed Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United for £80m in 2009. Bale had been linked with a move away from Spurs all summer long after his fantastic form last season, which saw him crowned both PFA and FWA Player of the Year. There will be a big weight on Bale’s shoulders now to continue his fine form at one of the biggest clubs in the world, but playing alongside other world class players at the Bernabeu should help him continue his remarkable rise, and ensure that his summer-long transfer saga this year won’t be the main thing he’s remembered for.