PREMIER LEAGUE SPENT MORE THAN THE REST OF EUROPE

 

The Premier League spent more than the rest of Europe's top five leagues 𝘾𝙊𝙈𝘽𝙄𝙉𝙀𝘿 this summer 💰🤯

- Live Score

ENZO FERNANDEZ DEAL PROFIT EXPLAINED

 

Most people see the Enzo Fernandez record-breaking deal to Manchester City and believe Chelsea made an £18.2m profit.

The fact is, Chelsea has just made a whopping £56m accounting profit.

It’s called amortization, and here is how it works…

Chelsea signed Enzo for about £106.8m on an 8.5-year contract.

They don’t record the entire £106.8m as an expense in one year. Instead, the transfer fee is spread across the length of his contract.

£106.8m ÷ 8.5 years = approximately £12.6m per year.

After roughly 3 years, Chelsea has recognised about £37.7m of the transfer fee as an expense.

That leaves Enzo with an approximate £69.1m book value on Chelsea’s books.

Now, Chelsea sells him to Manchester City for £125m:

£125m − £69.1m = approximately £55.9m.

So, Chelsea has made roughly £56m in accounting profit on the sale. Based on the original amortisation schedule.

- Kriz Cfc

- 

WORST VALUE DEALS | THIS SUMMER

 

MOST EXPENSIVE PLAYERS EVER | TOTAL COMBINED TRANSFER FEES

 

RECORD TRANSFER FEE FOR ENZO FERNANDEZ

The joint-British record transfer fee! 💰

Man City have agreed a deal with Chelsea for Enzo Fernandez worth £125m 🇦🇷🤝

TOP FIVE WORLD RECORD TRANSFERS

 

PREMIER LEAGUE VS. FOUR TOP LEAGUES IN SPENDING

 

MANCHESTER UNITED SET TO COMPLETE £62.5M SIGNING OF WOLVES' MATHEUS CUNHA

Matheus Cunha gets away from Yehor Yarmolyuk of Brentford.Photograph: Anna Gowthorpe/Shutterstock

Manchester United are poised to sign Matheus Cunha after triggering the £62.5m release clause in the Wolves forward’s contract. United have agreed to split the fee in three payments across the next two years.

Wolves rejected United’s attempt to stagger the payment across five years but now the Brazilian is set to become Ruben Amorim’s first summer signing after a hugely disappointing season.

The signing is expected to be a formality from here and he could be the first of several summer arrivals for United. He has already agreed personal terms and will undergo a medical in the coming days. Amorim is also keen on signing the Ipswich forward Liam Delap, who has a release clause of £30m after relegation from the Premier League.

Cunha has impressed across his two and a half years at Wolves, for whom he scored 15 goals this season to pull them clear of relegation trouble. He joined from RB Leipzig in January 2023, initially on loan, before completing a £43m permanent move.

He signed a new contract on deadline day in February on the basis that his new deal would contain a release clause amid interest from Arsenal, Aston Villa and Nottingham Forest.

Meanwhile, United are expected to be open to selling Alejandro Garnacho if they receive an offer that matches their valuation of about £60m. United are also keen to offload Marcus Rashford, who spent the second half of the season on loan at Aston Villa, and Antony, who has shone on loan at Conference League finalists Real Betis.

- Ben Fisher

MOST EXPENSIVE TRANSFERS IN THE HISTORY OF SOUTH AMERICAN FOOTBALL

 

TOP 10 MOST EXPENSIVE JANUARY TRANSFERS | 2025

 

FULHAM COMPLETE EMIL SMITH ROWE TRANSFER FROM ARSENAL

 

Emile Smith Rowe has left Arsenal on a permanent transfer. Marc Atkins/Getty Images

Fulham have signed Emile Smith Rowe from Arsenal in a deal reported to be worth £34 million ($43.7m), a fee which makes him the most expensive signing in the club's history.

Smith-Rowe, 24, becomes Fulham's second permanent transfer of the summer as they look to reinvest the money made from João Palhinha's move to Bayern Munich, after Ryan Sessegnon rejoined the club on a free transfer in July.

"I'm finally here, so I'm really happy for me and my family -- it's a good moment," Smith Rowe said of the transfer.

"I'm really excited, I just wanted to get here as quickly as possible so I could get going with my teammates.

"Listening to the project, speaking to the manager, and seeing what players we have here already, I think it's an exciting project for me, and definitely the perfect step for my career going forward."

The attacking midfielder made his Arsenal debut in the Europa League against Vorskla Poltava in September 2018 after coming through the club's academy, establishing himself in the first team in 2020 after loans to Huddersfield and RB Leipzig.

In all he made 115 appearances for the north London team, scoring 18 goals and providing 13 assists.

Smith Rowe penned a farewell to Arsenal on Instagram on Friday.

"To the Arsenal family, I wasn't sure where to start with this as it is the hardest message to write to you all." he said.

"I was ten years old when I first signed for this club, just a kid with no idea that I would go on to make over 100 appearances and wear the iconic No. 10 for Arsenal.

"I'm ready to take on a new challenge now, I feel hungrier than ever and I have to give myself the opportunity to take the next step. So thank you again to the Arsenal family, I'll always appreciate you all."

Tony Khan, Fulham's sporting director, said of his club's transfer: "I'm thrilled to announce the arrival of Emile Smith Rowe to Fulham Football Club!

"We're very excited to sign such a talented young player, and we look forward to Emile joining the squad in Portugal as we continue to prepare for the new season ahead!"

Fulham begin their Premier League season with a trip to Old Trafford to play Manchester United on Aug. 16.

Information from ESPN's James Olley contributed to this report.

- ESPN 

HOW MAN UNITED IMPROVED THEIR STILL-FLAWED TRANSFER STRATEGY

Does the signing of Joshua Zirkzee signal a shift in Manchester United's transfer strategy? Yes, but it's not a big enough one to compete in the Premier League. Manchester United via Getty Images

There was at least one head-scratcher every summer.

Last year, it was €64 million for an out-of-form and one-year-left-on-his-contract Mason Mount. Prior to that? €71 million for a 30-year-old Casemiro. And one year before that: The disaster that was the second Cristiano Ronaldo era.

Among the many reasons why Manchester United have underperformed their resources over the past decade, the biggest might be they waste so much money in the transfer market.

The decision-makers at Man United seemed to be totally unaware of things such as age curves, negotiating leverage, contract lengths and positional value. Year after year, they'd pay premium fees for stars who were on the downswing of their careers, guys who no one else was interested in for similar prices, ones with limited time left on their contracts, or players who didn't do the things needed in that position.

Each move further decayed United's financial advantage over their rivals and ultimately created what we saw last season: an eighth-place finish and a team that conceded more goals than it scored.

But with new minority owners Jim Ratcliffe and Ineos overseeing the club's soccer operations, and Dan Ashworth appointed as the club's sporting director, that was all supposed to change. Early signs suggest that it has: Their first two signings this summer are a combined 41 years old, and their other reported targets are early-prime players with Champions League pedigrees.

So, is that it? Are Manchester United simply going to function like a normal soccer club now and see their results rise up to meet their resources? Not quite. Or at least, not yet.

It's a free season at Old Trafford

I've written approximately 600 articles about this over the past 10 months, but it bears repeating as a bit of table-setting: Manchester United were one of the worst teams in the Premier League last season.

They were eighth in the table, both by points (60) and goal differential (minus-1). But it was even worse than that. Their expected-goal differential of minus-12.5 was just the 15th-best mark in the league.

Ben Torvaney -- formerly an analyst with AC Milan and now employed at the consultancy helmed by Ian Graham, Liverpool's former head of research -- has done a bunch of publicly available research on the predictiveness of various metrics from one season to the next. When comparing goals to expected goals, he found that "the increase in predictive accuracy we get from using xG over goals is in the same ballpark as the difference between using goals scored/conceded vs. no team strength information at all."

That's a start; however, he later realized that a blend of xG and goals was even better -- a mixture of about 70% xG and 30% G being the sweet spot. "This suggests that teams with large differences between their xG tallies and actual goals are doing good/bad things that the xG models aren't picking up on," he wrote.

So, we can take a simplified version of this and create a goal rating that is an average of a team's xG differential and goal differential, weighted 70% to the former and 30% to the latter. Here's how those numbers look from this past Premier League season:.

Based on this, Man United head into next season with a predicted team strength of about the 14th-best team in the league. But let's be generous and bump that up to 10th. I'm not sure we should, but they're in a tier with about six other teams, ranging from Crystal Palace in 10th and Fulham in 16th. We'll say without so many injuries, United leap up to 10th, at the top of that tier.

So, even with that generous reading, United are way off from being a Champions League contender. Although a club of this size should not only be contending for Champions League qualification but contending to win the whole thing, United likely are not in either category. This means two things: (1) The roster is terrible, so you can sign nearly anyone at any position and assume it's an upgrade, and (2) They can target players who are more likely to help them in a couple seasons, rather than right now.

Failure has become a kind of freedom.

Why Leny Yoro and Joshua Zirkzee signify something new

Manchester United's first signing this summer was Joshua Zirkzee, a 23-year-old forward from Serie A upstarts Bologna.

I don't love the signing mainly because he's a center-forward who doesn't score goals: nine non-penalty goals from 7.4 non-penalty xG across 32 league starts. Per 90 minutes, he averaged 0.24 npxG -- or, just one one-hundredth ahead of what definitely-not-a-terrible-signing and Man United winger Antony averaged last season.

However, he's big, moves well, and is proficient at almost everything else. More often than not, these are the kinds of players coaches mistakenly fall in love with -- the ones who look good on highlight reels and in little moments of buildup play but who ultimately never do the one thing that really matters. But there's also a world where he develops a little more in front of goal, while maintaining all of his other in-possession skills.

The specifics aren't really all that important for now anyway. Per the site Transfermarkt, United paid €42.5 million to acquire Zirkzee. Top young prospects usually require about 10-15% of a club's revenue, but Zirkzee's fee makes up 6% of United's most recently reported revenue. This fee suggests a squad player, rather than a star.

That, however, is not the case for Leny Yoro, the 18-year-old center-back from Lille whom United acquired for €62 million -- the highest fee paid for a player so far this summer. Yoro doesn't turn 19 until November, and he's already played nearly 3,500 minutes in Ligue 1. Among pure center-backs 18 and under, only three others have played more minutes in a "Big Five" top European league this century: Rio Ferdinand, Kurt Zouma, and Malang Sarr.

Those names, I think, are a pretty good representation of the possible outcomes for Yoro. Ferdinand is an all-time-great world-class player. Zouma was a borderline Champions League-level player, and Sarr just moved back to France after a failed few years with Chelsea.

For all the talk of Yoro as the next great French center-back, there's still a ton of projection for a player of his age. And while it's still quite hard to quantify center-back performance, there isn't a ton of statistical signal to Yoro's performance thus far. He wins a slightly above average number of aerial duels and a below average number of tackles, while attempting few of each.

On the ball, he completes more than 90% of his passes, but he ranked 29th among Ligue 1 center-backs for the value he provided with his passes -- and second among center-backs on his own team. These are all of his passes that increased Lille's likelihood of scoring a goal by at least half of a percentage point:

But even with the question marks, this still feels like a gamble United can afford to make. The fee is about 8% of their most recent revenues, and that still falls slightly below the 10-15% range that it usually requires for a team to acquire a top prospect in their economic bracket.

Using the formula from a piece I wrote last week, we can apply a projection to both of these transfers. Looking at the 100 biggest transfers of the past four seasons, we can see which factors most predicted future success, as defined by the player's market value, one year after the transfer, being higher than the initial transfer fee.

Zirkzee is 23, and his crowd-sourced market value on Transfermarkt is €50 million, while Yoro is 18, with the same market value. Add in Zirkzee's €42.5 million fee and Yoro's €62 million acquisition cost, and the former is expected to see a 20.3% increase in value, while the latter is projected for a 27.8% increase.

While there are concerns with both players, they've paid not-far-off-market value fees for a pair of young players who still haven't hit their primes. For United, that's a large step in the right direction.

But there's always a 'but' with Man United

The results are sound enough, but the process isn't as inspiring.

We'll start with the manager. We all assumed Erik ten Hag would be gone as manager by now, but maybe the FA Cup win saved him -- or perhaps Dan Ashworth just wants to wait until Gareth Southgate is ready to return to the club game. Whatever the reason, the club activated the one-year option on his deal, extending the Dutchman's contract through the end of the 2025-26 season.

I don't think this is necessarily a ringing endorsement of Ten Hag. A ringing endorsement would've been an immediate contract extension at the end of the season -- rather than an announcement on July 4. The club didn't want to go into the season with a so-called "lame duck manager" with just a year left on his deal, so they added another one on to the end. Given that logic, "two years left on his contract" is the new "one year left on his contract."

And so, United, the club, have a freeroll of a season where immediate results shouldn't matter too much. But they also have a manager who probably feels the need to produce short-term results so he can get another contract extension so he doesn't go into next season with a year left on his deal. Put simply, United's front office needs to have a long-term vision for the club and they've given their manager the bare-minimum length of commitment. This seems like it could be a problem.

As our Rob Dawson wrote when United announced Ten Hag's one-year extension: "Ten Hag will remain on the existing terms of his contract, meaning he will keep the transfer veto which formed part of the agreement when he arrived from Ajax in 2022."

The dysfunction of the Ten Hag era at United can be summed up by just how many acquired players have some kind of previous connection to Ten Hag. Before this summer, four of the 16 players signed under the current manager previously played for the current manager. Three more are either Dutch or played in the Dutch league. And a further one, Rasmus Højlund, is represented by the same agency as the United manager.

For a club like United, who can pay competitive wages with every other team in the world, there's no universe where their optimal targets all just so happen to have these direct connections to the guy coaching the team. As I wrote a few months ago, it means either (1) Man United have limited their scouting to players in the current manager's orbit, or (2) Man United have a manager whose past success hinged on a specific set of talent. Neither instills confidence.

In Zirkzee, it's another Dutch player. And two of United's other reported targets this summer are center-back Matthijs de Ligt and fullback Noussair Mazraoui, both of whom played for Ten Hag at Ajax. Their other reported connection is to PSG defensive midfielder Manuel Ugarte, who is represented by Portuguese super-agent Jorge Mendes, who also represents Yoro.

The only target who falls outside of this group is Everton's center-back Jarrad Branthwaite, but he couldn't be much different from De Ligt. In 3,000-plus minutes last year, Branthwaite completed 74 progressive passes. In fewer than 1,500 minutes for Bayern, De Ligt completed 98. Why are these your two targets for the same position?

But even with all of the inefficiencies laid over these moves, it still is better than what came before.

Mazraoui is 26 -- not young in soccer years -- but De Ligt is 24, Ugarte 23, and Branthwaite 22. The reported fees for almost all of them would project well based on their ages and consensus market values. Only the €70 million-plus that Everton want for Branthwaite seems like it would not age well.

So, with United's new football leadership, there has been a pretty clear shift in approach. It's just that it's an improved version of the way things were already being done.

If United fans were hoping for a complete break from the past, a new and innovative approach to building a soccer team on a big budget that clearly puts the club back on track to challenging for the league and the Champions League, they're going to have to wait. If that's ever going to happen, it won't be for at least another summer.

- Ryan O'Hanlon, ESPN.com writer

SUMMER TRANSFER WINDOW: GRADING BIG SIGNINGS IN MEN'S SOCCER ⚽

Photo: Antonio Villalba

 Premier League clubs spent £100 million in the 2024 January transfer window -- the lowest single-window expenditure in the men's game since 2012 (£60m) and a significant drop from the record £815m splashed out in 2023, according to Deloitte.

After record-breaking spending in the past three transfer windows, things seem to have slowed. But English clubs' total spending of £2.5 billion during the 2023-24 season was still the second-highest ever, and across the rest of Europe's Big Five leagues, January spending actually rose from €255m to €455m.

What can we expect this time around? Here are grades for all the major confirmed summer transfers in the men's game, with each day's moves listed in order of highest fee.

All fees are reported unless confirmed with an asterisk.

July 28

ROBIN LE NORMAND

€34.5m ($37.4m)

Real Sociedad: C

Atlético Madrid: A-

Robin Le Normand is the second Euro 2024 winner to earn a notable move this summer, after Álvaro Morata, as he brings an eight-year stay with Real Sociedad to an end -- and it feels like a bit of a steal.

In the modern game, €34.5m for a prime age (27), hugely experienced and accomplished defender with a near-spotless injury record doesn't seem like much at all. Atleti desperately needed to address this position having said goodbye to two senior centre-backs (Mario Hermoso, Stefan Savic) this summer, and this is an excellent fix. La Real will struggle to replace his quality and overall impact like-for-like.

RAPHAËL VARANE

Free

Como: B

Como are back in Serie A and offering one of the most glamorous market propositions going: Top-level football, managed by Cesc Fàbregas, living by the lake. As a result, experienced players are flocking there, with Raphaël Varane -- who was released by Manchester United when his contract expired at the end of June -- the latest to sign up.

The France international, now into his 14th professional season at the age of 31, may be past his peak (injuries have certainly played a part in that) but he can still produce dominant defensive displays. He'll be a big influence as Como seek to stave off relegation.

July 24

MOUSSA DIABY

£50.5m ($65.3m)

Aston Villa: A

Al Ittihad: A-

Diaby's time in the Premier League was short and (relatively) sweet. Villa did well to beat off competition from the Saudi Pro League to sign him last summer, but just one year on he's made the move. The club should be satisfied with the chunky fee they've received, as it represents a small profit on the £45m they paid in 2023 and Diaby did not finish the season as a key player -- despite a red-hot start to life in England.

The Saudi Pro League will also consider it a win, as it has attracted a renowned, prime-age (25) player to its growing project.

July 22

AMADOU ONANA

£50m ($64.6m)

Aston Villa: B

Everton: A

A big signing, in more ways than one. Villa have paid through the nose to secure the 6-foot-6 Belgium international, who is one of the best young midfielders in England. A fee of £50m will create plenty of expectation, but not only is Onana proven at the top level, he'll slot in alongside fellow Belgian Youri Tielemans, which should help.

Onana has particular strengths, such as aerial duels and box defending, which Villa are crying out for if they're to move forward. It's a loss of talent for Everton but it's also a big fee and an opportunity to strengthen across the board.

PIERRE-EMILE HØJBJERG

Loan

Tottenham: B+

Marseille: B-

Spurs will be happy to get a decent fee for a player whose contract had just a year to run, as the loan contains an obligation to sign him permanently for €20m when it expires. Højbjerg didn't seem to command the trust of Ange Postecoglou -- he only made eight league starts in 2023-24 despite plenty of injury issues affecting the team -- so it's a smart play.

Marseille's summer so far has seen them appoint a manager from Brighton (Roberto De Zerbi), sign a striker from Manchester United (Mason Greenwood), and now a midfielder from Tottenham. Usually it's English clubs plucking talent from Ligue 1, so they're really flipping the script. Højbjerg is a solid addition and a perfect professional. At 28, he's got plenty left in the tank and will anchor the midfield well.

July 18

LENY YORO

€62m (£53.3m; $67.5m)

Lille: A

Manchester United: B+

Yoro is one of the finest young central defenders that football has seen in some time. At just 18 years old, there are some understandably rough edges to his game, but most who see him agree that we're looking at a potential great.

Lille will be sad to lose him after only one full season, but with only one year left on his contract, they're understandably willing to cash in while they can. Some are questioning Man United for paying a significant fee in order to sign someone who would be a free agent in 12 months, but the reality is that if they don't buy him now, Yoro would be likely holding a Real Madrid shirt this time next year. It does hold them back from an A grade, though.

ÁLVARO MORATA

€13m ($14.2m)

Atletico Madrid: D

AC Milan: A

He is perhaps the ultimate modern journeyman striker, and after captaining Spain to Euro 2024 victory, he embarks on yet another new adventure, this time with AC Milan.

The fee is a very small price to pay for a player whose goal-scoring record at the top level is more than proven, as is his mentality, work ethic and will to win. He even has strong Serie A experience, having won two titles with Juventus in the past.

Ultimately, Atlético Madrid's hand was forced -- Milan activated a release clause -- and they'll have to part with a lot more money in order to sign his replacement.

MASON GREENWOOD

€30m (£25.2m, $32.8m)

Manchester United: B

Marseille: B

Once Manchester United decided Mason Greenwood would not be part of the club moving forward, their goal became simple: find a club willing to spend. All things considered, what they got from the French side isn't bad going.

The loan to Getafe last season, in which he scored eight goals and provided six assists, was an excellent reminder of what he's capable of and was enough to convince Marseille to take him on. He remains a very good footballer, so he should succeed in Ligue 1.

JADEN PHILOGENE

€15.4m (£13m, $19m)

Hull City: C

Aston Villa: A-

Eleven months ago, Jaden Philogene left Aston Villa in search of first-team football despite greatly impressing on their preseason tour. Now, after one stellar campaign in the Championship, he's back.

This price is a bargain for Villa: Ipswich Town had originally agreed an £18m deal, only for Villa to step in, turn his head and use the sell-on clause they negotiated last summer to get a discount. Hull will struggle to replace his quality like for like.

SÁVIO

€40m (£33.7m, $43.6m)

Troyes: A+

Manchester City: A

Sávio was the true breakout star of La Liga last season, scoring nine goals and providing 10 assists and helping Girona into the Champions League. This blazing form came out of nowhere, as his previous campaign consisted of just eight substitute appearances for PSV Eindhoven split up by injury.

Manchester City have seen fit to move him across the CFG portfolio, from Troyes to Girona and now to the Premier League. Pep Guardiola will love his dynamism, burst and unselfish delivery, plus the fact he can operate on either flank without issue. Troyes will love the €40m fee; you'd imagine they can do a lot with that in the French third tier.

GEORGES MIKAUTADZE

€18m ($19.6m)

Metz: B+

Lyon: A

Georges Mikautadze was one of the surprise stars of Euro 2024, scoring three goals as Georgia made history and won admirers across the globe. He's had a curious career so far, but in making this move, you get the impression he's now firmly back on the track to the top.

Both clubs get a strong grade for the deal: Lyon must spend a small sum for a quality, young striker, while for Metz have essentially made a profit after signing him permanently from Ajax despite getting relegated from Ligue 1 last season, safe in the knowledge they'd be able to find him a new club just a few weeks later.

SERHOU GUIRASSY

€18m ($19.5m)

Stuttgart: D

Borussia Dortmund: A-

Serhou Guirassy set the Bundesliga ablaze last season with an incredible goal-scoring campaign, netting 28 from just 25 starts. Those are remarkable, Robert Lewandowski-type numbers. When it was revealed his release clause was a lowly €18m, it became a matter of time before he earned a move to one of Europe's elite. Somewhat predictably, Dortmund have pounced.

The reason we're holding this grade back from a full-blown A is that up until last season, Guirassy had never surpassed 11 league goals in a season; now, suddenly, at age 28, he's scored 28. Is it a one-off? Or the new normal? There's a very small amount of risk here, hence the minus.

July 14

JOSHUA ZIRKZEE

€42.5m (£35.7m, $46m)

Bologna: B

Manchester United: B

Zirkzee was once viewed as Robert Lewandowski's heir at Bayern Munich, but things didn't quite go to plan. Years later, after a long, circuitous route back to the top, he has signed for Man United after an impressive campaign helping Bologna into the Champions League.

Fans may need to be patient with the 23-year-old initially, as they did with Rasmus Højlund, because Zirkzee scored only nine non-penalty goals in Serie A last season. His real brilliance came in linking play, creating chances for others and pressing well.

A €42.5m fee isn't much to stake on a good, young, still developing player -- but the fact that Zirkzee hasn't shown that killer instinct just yet holds him back from an A grade.

July 12

RENATO VEIGA

€14m (£11.8m, $15.2m)

FC Basel: C

Chelsea: A-

Centre-back? Left-back? Defensive midfielder? Veiga is only 20, but so far he has flashed the ability to do all of the above to a strong level. That's an impressive level of versatility for one still learning his trade.

The €14m fee is a small price to pay for such potential, with Veiga standing out as yet another example of Chelsea's strong scouting at younger ages. Exactly how big his role will be to begin with is not clear, but he does profile well as an inverted full-back for new manager Enzo Maresca.

July 11

JOÃO PALHINHA

€50m (£43m, $54.8m)

Fulham: C

Bayern Munich: B

Last summer, on deadline day, Bayern got Palhinha all the way to Munich, through a medical and even into a photo shoot in the kit ... only for the €65m deal to then fall through. A year on, they've acted much earlier and sealed the deal; this time, they got their man even cheaper.

Palhinha has been incredible for Fulham: A duel-winning machine, a set-piece nuisance and a massive influence on midfield proceedings. He's the best player to wear the shirt for some time and will be impossible to replace like-for-like. The fee is fine, but not quite standout. Bayern clearly see his qualities and, in signing him at age 28, must believe he can have a big impact on their team from the start.

July 10

KHÉPHREN THURAM

€20m ($21.6m)

Nice: B-

Juventus: B+

Juventus' midfield is going to look very different in 2024-25, as Thuram follows hot on the heels of Douglas Luiz signing from Aston Villa. Thuram is a super-smooth midfielder with press-resistant qualities and who can glide through the middle of the park with ease. The issue last season was that he didn't necessarily show these qualities often enough, which may explain why the fee comes fairly cheap.

Perhaps moving to the club his legendary father, Lillian, played for will inspire Khéphren and restore him back to his top level?

July 7

MICHAEL OLISE

€60m (£50.7m; $64.4m)

Crystal Palace: A

Bayern Munich: B

Harry Kane in 2023; Olise in 2024. Bayern are sensing opportunity in the English market in a way they rarely have before. They've plumped for Olise in an attempt to refresh their wing corps, no doubt swayed by the remarkable creative inventiveness and goal-scoring form the Frenchman finished the 2023-24 season in (four goals and three assists in his final six games).

From Palace's perspective, it's a massive fee -- by far the largest in their history -- and it's always better to move players to a club on the continent, as there's significantly less chance Olise will score and break local hearts on a return to Selhurst Park.

July 6

THIAGO ALMADA

$21m (€19.6m)

Atlanta United: B

Botafogo: B

Almada's long-anticipated MLS exit has finally happened, although somewhat surprisingly, he hasn't taken the step to Europe ... yet.

In a curious deal, Almada has initially joined Botafogo with a view to joining French side Lyon later down the line, according to ESPN Brasil. Both clubs are owned by the same group, Eagle Football Holdings. Atlanta will be devastated to lose one of the league's finest players but have at least earned a record MLS fee in return: $21m rising to a potential $29m with add-ons.

July 5

MICHELE DI GREGORIO

€18m ($19.5m)

Monza: C

Juventus: A

It's time for a new era between the sticks for Juventus. After seven years and over 250 appearances for the Old Lady, Wojciech Szczesny will move on to new things; in his place comes Di Gregorio, who has shot to prominence thanks to an incredible 2023-24 campaign with Monza.

Statistically speaking, he was the best shot-stopper in Serie A last season, conceding 10.4 fewer goals than expected based on the shots he faced. He also showcased true prowess with the ball at his feet, which is a quality new manager Thiago Motta will be extremely attracted to. All that for just €18m? It's a brilliant deal for Juve.

July 4

DAVID RAYA

£27m ($34.3m)

Brentford: B-

Arsenal: B+

Arsenal made Raya's loan deal permanent for £27m (plus £3m in add-ons) after an excellent 2023-24 campaign. He took little time to usurp Aaron Ramsdale and then never looked back, contributing strongly to the Premier League's best defensive unit. The price they've ended up paying feels like it's on the cheap side for a trusty, dependable No. 1, and it's clear he has earned great faith from Mikel Arteta and the coaching staff.

There's no risk to this deal whatsoever. The only thing holding it back from an A grade is that Raya still has a way to go before he can be considered one of the world's best at his position, but at 28 there's still room for him to grow.

July 2

ARCHIE GRAY

£40m ($50.7m)

Leeds United: A

Tottenham: B

Failure to get promoted back to the Premier League at the first time of asking comes with many costs, chief among them the loss of treasured players. To Leeds, Gray was not only a phenomenal prospect and player, but also family: His father (Frank) played for Leeds, while his uncle (Eddie) was a true Leeds great.

At the very least, he's gone for a great fee, and £40m is no small sum to part with for Tottenham, but they'll be rightly confident in Gray as a footballer. When you watch him, it becomes immediately apparent that the midfielder/right-back is highly intelligent and talented in so many ways; his confidence and positional versatility belie the fact that he's still just 18.

KIERNAN DEWSBURY-HALL

£30m ($38m)

Leicester City: D

Chelsea: B+

Dewsbury-Hall reunites with manager Enzo Maresca at Chelsea. They combined to guide Leicester City to promotion to the Premier League last season and will now combine at Stamford Bridge. It's a solid addition for the Blues. Dewsbury-Hall is a good player who will help with the squad's adaption to a very different new style -- although he doesn't solve any problem positions for Chelsea.

From Leicester's perspective, though, they've not only lost arguably their best player upon promotion, but the fee seems pretty low compared to some of the other deals being struck around this time.

July 1

ENDRICK

€72m ($77.3m)

Palmeiras: A+

Real Madrid: A-

There are plenty in Brazil who believe that we're looking at football's next great No. 9 striker. And when Brazilians say that, you sit up and listen -- they know a thing or two about what makes a goal scorer. Securing his signature early continues Real Madrid's quest to hoover up all of the best Brazilian talent, with Endrick following in the recent footsteps of Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo. Though he can't join officially until he turns 18 on July 21 because of FIFA regulations.

It's a lot of money to spend on a teenager, but he's quite experienced for his age, having clocked more than 50 top-level appearances in South America, and he's off the mark for his nation too. Moving to Real Madrid is a huge step, but the evidence so far suggests he'll take it in his stride.

IGOR THIAGO

€35m (£30m, $38m)

Club Brugge: A

Brentford: B

Brentford are almost always one step ahead of the game, and in agreeing to sign Thiago well ahead of the transfer window they've prepared well for whatever may happen this summer with regard to the potential departures of Ivan Toney and Bryan Mbeumo.

Thiago was named Europa Conference League Young Player of the Season after scoring five goals for Club Brugge, showcasing strength, powerful shooting and a love for the rough-and-tumble side of forward play -- which is a good sign when it comes to transitioning to the Premier League, as it's a big step and nothing is guaranteed.

LUIS GUILHERME

€30m (£25.3m, $32.4m)

Palmeiras: A

West Ham: B

Endrick is not the only talented teenager from Palmeiras on the move this summer, as Luis Guilherme became an early statement signing for West Ham. He's still fairly inexperienced at senior level (he has just five league starts to his name) but has shown flashes of great potential both off the bench for his club and for Brazil in youth tournaments.

His turn of pace is good, as is his control in tight spaces, but as ESPN's South American expert Tim Vickery notes, he has work to do on his weaker right foot. This is both an exciting signing for the Hammers and yet another big transfer windfall for Palmeiras.

CHARLES DE KETELAERE

€24m ($25.7m)

AC Milan: B

Atalanta: A

De Ketelaere's €32m move to AC Milan from Club Brugge in 2022 simply did not work out, but at Atalanta he seems to have found a home. He made 25 league starts while on loan there last season, scoring 10 and assisting eight, plus he played a significant role in La Dea's Europa League win in May.

For Atalanta, making him a permanent fixture just makes sense; the fee is pretty reasonable for a 23-year-old attacking midfielder who they already know suits the team and manager. For Milan, there's certainly some lost potential at play, but recouping a decent amount of the original fee allows them to strengthen other areas of the squad.

HIROKI ITO

€23m ($25m)

Stuttgart: B

Bayern Munich: A

Stuttgart's rise to second place in the Bundesliga was one of the stories of the 2023-24 season, but even securing Champions League football hasn't stopped the top teams moving for their top players.

It's a blow for Stuttgart to lose such an important player; Ito was excellent in splitting his time between left-back and centre-back for a defence that conceded just 39 goals. No doubt that versatility and flexibility -- along with the fact he's left-footed -- was key to Bayern's interest. Only Benjamin Pavard (€35m) has left Stuttgart for a bigger fee in the club's history, but even still, in this market, €30m might feel a touch low in their eyes.

MATVEY SAFONOV

€20m ($21.4m)

Krasnodar: A

PSG: B

It can be tough for goalkeepers to earn top-level exposure when they're young, but Safonov broke into Krasnodar's first-team as a teenager in 2018 and never looked back. Now 25, he's Russia's No. 1, has more than 175 appearances under his belt and is ready for the next step.

PSG is a slightly odd landing spot, given the goalkeeping quality already present, but the capital club have never been shy about adding depth and quality in that position. Safonov will now battle Italy No. 1 Gianluigi Donnarumma and Spain's Under-19 European Championship winner in Arnau Tenas for playing time; serial Champions League winner Keylor Navas will depart the club this summer.

TAYLOR HARWOOD-BELLIS

£20m ($25.5m)

Manchester City: A-

Southampton: A

Harwood-Bellis was a vital cog in Southampton's successful charge to promotion in 2023-24, starting 43 games in the heart of defence and showcasing incredible poise and prowess on the ball. He quickly became key to a possession-based style that swept opponents away with ease.

Achieving promotion triggered a £20m clause for Saints to sign him permanently, and it's a deal that perfectly suits all parties: Southampton have paid an acceptable fee for an excellent young English defender, Harwood-Bellis can finally test himself fully at Premier League level and Man City continue to make good money from allowing their academy players to leave, which is key to funding their spending.

IBRAHIM OSMAN

€18.95m (£16m, $20.4m)

Nordsjaelland: A

Brighton: B+

Over the past five years or so, FC Nordsjaelland have produced a litany of exciting young wingers who have all made big moves to top European clubs: Mohammed Kudus headed to Ajax (then West Ham), Ernest Nuamah signed for Lyon, Kamaldeen Sulemana moved to Rennes (then Southampton); and Osman is the next off the production line.

Brighton know exactly what they're doing here, as two years ago they signed winger Simon Adingra from the Danish club and have now returned for Osman. He scored six goals and had seven assists in the Danish Superliga in 2023-24 and some of his goals were absolutely spectacular.

ASSAN OUÉDRAOGO

€10m (£8.5m, $10.8m)

Schalke 04: C

RB Leipzig: A

Schalke have a rich history of producing fine footballers from their academy -- Manuel Neuer, Leroy Sané and Mesut Özil spring to mind -- and it looks like Ouédraogo could be the next to have developed there.

He was ripe for the picking thanks to Schalke's struggles in the second division and a lowly €10m release clause, although there is a chance they'll get him back on loan after a summer assessment. Leipzig have played the role Bayern Munich traditionally do here, swooping in early for top domestic talent in determined fashion.

LUCAS BERGVALL

€10m (£8.5m, $10.8m)

Djurgårdens: A

Spurs: A

Back in February, Spurs agreed to the signing of Bergvall ahead of Barcelona and will welcome him to the club this summer. It's a big move that completes his meteoric rise from the Swedish second division to the Premier League in just two years.

Each club gets an A grade, as it's a deal that works for all. A fee of €10m isn't a lot for Spurs to put down on a player who is full of potential, and having graduated from the same academy as Dejan Kulusevski in Sweden, the 18-year-old will have help settling in. But €10m is a lot for Djurgårdens, though; in fact, it's the biggest outgoing transfer fee in Allsvenskan history.

MARC GUIU

€6m (£5.1m; $6.4m)

Barcelona: D

Chelsea: B+

The striking thing about the Barcelona academy graduate is that he's not very Barcelona at all. At 6-foot-2, with a centre-forward build and skillset to match, he's a far cry from the type of player you typically associate with La Masia. The 18-year-old burst on to the scene last season, scoring with his first touch on his debut against Athletic Club, but slipped back down the pecking order and ended up back with the B team in April.

After paying his release clause of just €6m, Chelsea were happy to gamble on such a player; Barça, understandably, aren't particularly happy to see him go so soon.

TIMO WERNER

Loan

RB Leipzig: C

Spurs: A

Werner made a positive impact on loan at Spurs last season, so the decision to bring him back for another 12 months was likely an easy one. His direct, quick style of play suited Ange Postecoglou's tactics and his low crosses into the box from the left flank became a feature of their late-season play. Having qualified for the Europa League, Spurs clearly need more players to fill out the squad, so nabbing Werner on loan again -- with a €10m option to sign him permanently in 2025 -- is smart, risk-free business.

From RB Leipzig's perspective, though, it's another year without much of a return from a player they paid €20m to sign from Chelsea in 2022.

KYLIAN MBAPPÉ

Free

PSG: F

Real Madrid: A+

Football's worst-kept secret is finally out in the open. Mbappé, arguably the world's best player, will join the reigning European champions Real Madrid. He makes an already sensational attack even stronger, ensuring everyone will be tuning in to watch Los Blancos in 2024-25.

The Frenchman's whopping signing-on fee (reported to be €100m) means this isn't really a free transfer, but Madrid have capped the cost of a superstar somewhat -- and PSG received absolutely nothing for him, having paid €180m to sign him from Monaco in 2017.

SERGIŇO DEST

Free

Barcelona: C+

PSV Eindhoven: B-

Dest enjoyed an excellent season on loan with PSV Eindhoven in 2023-24, only for a torn ACL to cut his campaign short in April and force him to miss the Copa América for the USMNT too. The Dutch club are taking something of a risk here, gambling on him making a full recovery in 2025, but are unsurprisingly comfortable doing so on the basis it's a free transfer -- having turned down an €11m option to sign him previously.

Barcelona get no transfer fee, having signed him for €20m back in 2020 from Ajax, but ESPN sources confirmed that they will get a percentage of any future transfer fee. They're under pressure to bring their hefty wage bill down for registration purposes anyway, so it's ultimately a deal that seems to suit all parties.

TOSIN ADARABIOYO

Free

Fulham: F

Chelsea: A

With Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) hanging heavily over Premier League clubs, free transfers have arguably never been more attractive. Although Chelsea look pretty well stocked for centre-backs -- Levi Colwill, Axel Disasi, Wesley Fofana, Benoît Badiashile and Trevoh Chalobah are already in the squad -- signing Adarabioyo for free makes sense.

Over the past four seasons with Fulham, he has blossomed into a very solid centre-back whose long, threaded passes forward can change a game in an instant. They'll be crestfallen to lose him for nothing, and even more so that he's headed to their west London rivals.

LLOYD KELLY

Free

Bournemouth: D

Newcastle United: A+

Like with Tosin, Kelly quickly marked himself out as one of the most attractive early transfers this summer by virtue of being available for free. He plays both left-back and centre-back -- two positions Newcastle have had terrible injury luck in -- so he feels like an extremely astute addition that potentially solves two problems at once.

Add that to the fact that not only is he homegrown, but he's worked with Magpies manager Eddie Howe before on the south coast, and it's a transfer that just seems clever in every way.

SAMUEL ILING-JUNIOR & ENZO BARRENECHEA

€22m (£18.6m; $23.6m)

Juventus: B

Aston Villa: B

One of Aston Villa's summer targets is to deepen their squad ahead of a Champions League campaign, so scooping up two young talents from Juventus' conveyor belt of next generation excellence is a solid strategy.

Samuel Iling-Junior is returning to England, having successfully made the jump into senior football abroad, and is an exciting, explosive wide player. Enzo Barrenechea is rewarded for a breakout 2023-24 campaign on loan at Frosinone with an intriguing next step. Juve won't be thrilled to lose either of these players, but funds needed to be raised to sign Douglas Luiz.

June 30

DOUGLAS LUIZ

€50m (£42.5m; $53.6m)

Aston Villa: B

Juventus: B

There's no doubt Villa will be distraught to lose Douglas Luiz; he was one of their best players last season and means a lot to the fans, having been at the club since 2019. But Villa's position with regard to Profit and Sustainability Regulation (PSR) rules forced them into allowing a big exit and Luiz was the one to go. A fee of €50m is a lot to receive in return, but it's still a tough one to take.

Villa's loss is Juventus' gain, though, and incoming manager Thiago Motta will love the fact he has a new playmaking midfielder to utilise as a brand new era in Turin begins.

ELLIOT ANDERSON

€50m (£35.5m; $44.4m)

Newcastle United: A

Nottingham Forest: C

Newcastle found themselves needing to make a sale to comply with Profit & Sustainably Rules so, in what has been a theme for the summer, they turned to an academy graduate in their hour of need.

Anderson, 21, was the reluctant pick. He's been a handy squad player for Newcastle over the last few seasons and clocked just over 1,000 Premier League minutes in 2023-24 while battling a back injury. Still, the £35m fee attached to him feels massive, and therefore an awful lot for Forest in terms of investment.

YANKUBA MINTEH

€50m (£33m; $41.7m)

Newcastle United: A

Brighton & Hove Albion: B-

Yankuba Minteh's Newcastle career came and went in a flash! He signed for around €7m in the summer of 2023, headed straight out on loan to Feyenoord for the season, notched 10 goals and five assists in just 1,463 Eredivisie minutes, and has now moved to Brighton more than four times that initial fee.

He's a reluctant, yet lucrative and necessary transfer for the Magpies who were under pressure to make some money on outgoings. For Brighton, it's yet another young talented in the door -- although at a significantly higher price than we're used to seeing.

OMARI HUTCHINSON

€50m (£20m; $25.3m)

Chelsea: C+

Ipswich Town: A

Ipswich Town smashed their transfer record to sign Omari Hutchinson permanently following his exceptional loan spell at Portman Road in 2023-24. He got better as the season went on, developing into a key player who scored 10 goals, assisted five, provided some stunning moments and pressed extremely effectively from the front.

Undoubtedly, this is a big get for Ipswich, who need quality difference-makers if they're to survive a Premier League campaign. Chelsea book a tidy profit, which is no bad thing in 2024, but it's hard to escape the feeling that for a player of Hutchinson's potential, £20m may end up looking a little cheap in the end.

June 29

OMARI KELLYMAN

£19m ($24.1m)

Aston Villa: A

Chelsea: B

Chelsea's quest to hoover up as much young potential as possible has continued this summer with the signing of Kellyman. The 18-year-old joined Villa from Derby County two years ago and is now on the move once again.

In the handful of senior minutes Kellyman received last season, he looked a player brimming with potential -- smooth on the turn, clever in his positioning and capable of playing across the forward line or as the No. 10. Villa will be sad to lose such a player, but it still goes down as a great bit of business from their point of view, as the club were under pressure to generate revenue ahead of June 30's PSR deadline.

June 28

IAN MAATSEN

£37.5m ($47.7m)

Chelsea: A

Aston Villa: B

As the cliché goes, qualifying for the Champions League opens up fresh possibilities for clubs in the transfer market. Aston Villa are the latest to take advantage of this, signing Netherlands left-back Maatsen in part thanks to their new position among Europe's elite.

Maatsen shone on loan at Borussia Dortmund over the second half of last season, playing a key role in the German side's run to the Champions League final. He's both a significant addition to Unai Emery's side and a significant source of funds for Chelsea, who found themselves under PSR pressure ahead of the June 30 deadline.

- Sam Tighe

ASTON VILLA COMPLETE AMADOU ONANA TRANSFER FORM EVERTON

Getty Images 

 Aston Villa have signed defensive midfielder Amadou Onana from fellow Premier League side Everton, both clubs said on Monday.

Neither Villa nor Everton disclosed financial details, but British media reported the deal was worth around £50 million ($64.6m). Villa did not reveal the length of the 22-year-old Belgium international's contract.

Born in Dakar, Senegal, Onana started his senior career at German side Hamburg before moving to Ligue 1's Lille in 2021. He made 75 appearances for Everton after joining them in 2022.

Onana has 17 caps for Belgium, and played the full game in all four of their matches at Euro 2024 as they were eliminated at the round-of-16 stage by France.

He had been linked with several Premier League clubs, including Arsenal and Chelsea.

Villa finished fourth in the English top flight last season under the stewardship of Unai Emery, qualifying for the Champions League for the first time since 1982-83.

- Reuters 

ARSENAL TRANSFER NEWS: MIKEL ARTETA WANTS TO 'UPGRADE' SQUAD

Mikel Arteta and Arsenal took part in their first training session in Los Angeles on Monday. Stuart MacFarlane/Arsenal FC via Getty Images

 Arsenal manager Mikel Arteta has admitted his team needs reinforcements in order to compete with Manchester City for the Premier League title, having fallen just short in each of the past two seasons.

Arsenal's sole incoming of the summer so far has been making goalkeeper David Raya's loan move from Brentford permanent, though they have been heavily linked with Bologna and Italy defender Riccardo Calafiori in recent weeks.

Speaking to media as the team arrived in the United States for their preseason tour, Arteta said: "Perfection in this league requires different standards to relate that word to winning the Premier League.

"That's what we need to do, we need to upgrade everything we're doing and improve in every area. That's what we're trying to do.

"We are so close. There are moments where we had really fine margins. We have earned to be there, and obviously we want much more and we are going to try to get it."

The former Arsenal and Everton player added that the club's transfer dealings would be focused on particular shortcomings they had identified off the back of the previous campaigns, though insisted his primary goal was to improve the players already available to him and his staff.

"We know there are certain positions that we want to improve and give the squad better resources, especially in terms of numbers where we are very short," he said.

"We will try our best but the main thing is to focus on falling in love with the players we have and make them better."

Arsenal's preseason tour begins in Los Angeles where they face Bournemouth on July 24, followed by a clash with Manchester United on July 27 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, CA.

The trip concludes with a game against Liverpool in Philadelphia on July 31, before preseason fixtures with Bayer Leverkusen and Lyon at the Emirates in August.

Arsenal's Premier League campaign begins on Aug. 17 as Wolves visit north London.

- ESPN

CLUBS SPENT RECORD $9.63BN ON INT. TRANSFERS IN 2023 - FIFA

Jude Bellingham's move from Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid was one of the top transfers of 2023. Getty

 Clubs worldwide spent a record $9.63 billion on international transfers in 2023, an increase of nearly 50% compared to 2022, world football's governing body FIFA said in its Global Transfer Report published on Tuesday.

After transfer spending fell in 2020 and 2021 due to the financial impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, outlays on players have only increased, with last year's total spend seeing an increase of 48.1% compared to 2022.

The figure also smashed the previous record set in 2019 by more than $2bn, with English clubs spending the most with a new high of $2.96bn while four countries' associations received more than $1bn in transfer fees in 2023.

England were followed by Saudi Arabian clubs who tried to draw some of the best players from European sides to the Saudi Pro League last year following the marquee signing of Cristiano Ronaldo, which saw several players move to the Middle East.

TOP STORY: ARSENAL, CHELSEA EYE TONEY

Getty

Brentford will only listen to offers worth a minimum of £80 million if they are to agree to part ways with striker Ivan Toney during the January transfer window, according to CBS journalist Ben Jacobs.

Title-chasing Arsenal remain one of the frontrunners in the race for the 27-year-old, and it is reported that he would be open to making the switch to the Emirates.

Toney has also recently been linked with Chelsea, who have placed him on their radar as they continue to assess the market to find a striker that can help manager Mauricio Pochettino's attack.

The Bees' preference is said to be to keep hold of Toney until at least the end of the season, and there are also hopes of a potential contract extension at the club that would also include a release clause.

Toney's first game back from his eight-month ban (after admitting 232 breaches of the Football Association's betting rules) is set to be the Premier League clash against Nottingham Forest on Jan. 20.

- ESPN 

LIVERPOOL IN FOR KYLIAN MBAPPÉ! | PSG SEE PREMIER LEAGUE GIANTS AS 'MOST CREDIBLE' CANDIDATES TO SIGN STAR FORWARD AS REAL MADRID'S HARDBALL TRANSFER TACTICS SET TO BACKFIRE

Getty

WHAT HAPPENED?

According to Le Parisien, Jurgen Klopp's side are the 'most credible and dangerous candidate' to PSG, as Mbappe approaches the end of his current deal this summer.

 

WHAT HAS BEEN SAID

Speaking on Liverpool's long-term interest in the player, L'Equipe journalist Loic Tanzi said: "Liverpool wanted him when he was playing for Monaco," he told talkSPORT.

"[Liverpool manager Jurgen] Klopp went to see him and they were negotiating while they were on the plane.

"The relationship between him, Liverpool, and Klopp is there. I think they have a chance."

THE BIGGER PICTURE

While Liverpool are viewed as a threat, with Klopp reportedly tracking the player for the last nine years, they will face tough competition from Real Madrid, as both sides look to secure one of the highest profile free transfers in the history of the game. Los Blancos are reportedly set to offer the Frenchman €130m per season in an attempt to lure him to Spain.

Currently, Mbappe has provided PSG with no indication regarding his future, with the player either set to remain in the French capital or leave for nothing at the end of his deal."

Getty

WHAT NEXT FOR LIVERPOOL?

Liverpool will have one eye on the transfer window currently but will also have to focus on a tough set of fixtures on the horizon. As they line-up to face Newcastle United and Arsenal in their next two games."

 - Patrick Rowe

TRANSFER TALK: ARSENAL TARGET BAYERN DEFENDER DE LIGT

TOP STORY: Arsenal target Bayern defender De Ligt

Arsenal are interested in signing Bayern Munich’s Matthijs de Ligt, says The Athletic.

De Ligt, 24, joined Bayern from Juventus in July 2022 for around €77 million but the Netherlands international has struggled for fitness and could depart in the summer.

The Gunners are looking to bolster their defence and also have Borussia Dortmund’s Nico Schlotterbeck and 17-year-old Ajax defender Jorrel Hato on their shortlist.

Any signing is unlikely in January as Mikel Arteta's side have plenty of options, but a new arrival over the summer is very possible.

USMNT star Cardoso moves to Betis

ESPN

Real Betis have completed the signing of United States men's national team midfielder Johnny Cardoso from Brazilian club Internacional, the LaLiga club announced.

Cardoso, 22, has signed a contract until June 2029.

Neither club confirmed the fee for Cardoso's transfer but sources told ESPN Brasil, Betis paid an initial €6m ($6.3m) to sign the player and as part of the deal, Internacional have kept a 20% from any future transfer of the player.

Juventus to land Montenegro starlet Adzic

ESPN

Juventus have won the race to sign Montenegro starlet Vasilije Adzic from Podgorica, Sky Italia reports.

The Bianconeri have fought off strong competition from several Serie A clubs, including Bologna, and are set to land the teenage playmaker.

Adzic, 17, is expected to arrive to Turin next week to undergo a medical before putting pen to paper on a long-term contract with the Italian giants. However, he will only join Juve once he turns 18 in May.

Adzic has scored six goal and set up two more in 23 appearances for Montenegro's defending champions Podgorica this season.

Neves transfer to cost United even more?

ESPN

Manchester United want to bring in Benfica midfielder Joao Neves, says O Jogo.

Neves, 19, is tipped to become one of the best in Europe but is reported to be in talks over a new contract at Benfica. If he signs up then the Portugal international's release clause would increase from €120m to €150m and that could present an issue for United.

Milan line up Popovic deal

ESPN

AC Milan are set to complete the signing of Partizan Belgrade midfielder Matija Popovic once he turns 18 on Jan. 8, according to Calciomercato.

Popovic, 17, will join the Rossoneri as a free agent as his contract expires on Dec. 31

The Serbia U17 international will reportedly arrive in Milan next week to undergo a medical before putting pen to paper on a five-year contract.

A reported target of Manchester City, Popovic has scored 21 goals in 25 games for Partizan's U19 squad.

Craig Burley has seen this Manchester United move before

ESPN

Man City, Bayern and Barcelona watching Savinho

ESPN

Girona forward Savinho will remain at the club until the end of the season despite strong interest from Manchester City, according to local reports.

Savinho, 19, is on a season-long loan at Girona from Troyes, with both clubs owned by City Football Group, the umbrella company of Manchester City.

The Brazilian winger has scored four goals and set up five more in 18 league appearances to help surprise-package Girona remain at the top of LaLiga.

Manchester City, Bayern Munich and Barcelona are closely monitoring Savinho, whose contract with Troyes expires in June 2027. And City are reportedly ready to make an offer to sign him in June.

THE TRANSFER PORTAL WENT CRAZY TODAY 😳 | COLLEGE FOOTBALL 🏈