A historic transfer window ends at midnight on Tuesday, after the transfers of two stars of world football the same summer: Lionel Messi at Paris SG and Cristiano Ronaldo back at Manchester United.
Update on summer movements in Europe.
The biggest spending Premier League
The Covid crisis has not changed its habits: the English Championship remains the most expensive against the backdrop of the return of spectators to its stadiums with seven of the ten most expensive transfers of the summer.
Lionel Messi's first match with PSG in Reims on August 29 (0-2)
The most expensive rookie has landed at Manchester City.
Aston Villa attacking midfielder and new England fan favorite, Jack Grealish, became Citizen for EUR 117m.
Chelsea, the reigning European champion, sold Kurt Zouma to West Ham and spent EUR 115m on Romelu Lukaku (Inter Milan) whom the London club had recruited in 2011 for EUR 15m, before he left.
But maybe it was Manchester United who hit the jackpot by bringing back Cristiano Ronaldo.
In addition to "CR7", which was revealed under the jersey of the Red Devils between 2003 and 2009, Manchester United also attracted Raphaël Varane (Real Madrid, 40 million EUR) and Jadon Sancho (Dortmund, 85 million EUR).
Jadon Sancho's best at Borussia Dortmund (2017-2021)
Liverpool focused their efforts on extending several key players (Becker, Van Dijk, Robertson, etc.) and reinforced their central defense with Ibrahima Konaté (RB Leipzig, 36 million).
The Reds, however, lost Georginio Wijnaldum, a free party to Paris SG, and Xherdan Shaqiri, recovered by Lyon.
Arsenal have been one of the most active clubs in the transfer window, at least in quantity, with the signings of Martin Odegaard (EUR 35m) and Ben White (EUR 58m).
Serie A is losing stars
The departure of Cristiano Ronaldo from Juventus is part of the logic of a summer when Serie A, hit by the crisis, did not have the means to retain its stars.
The Portuguese, despite his goals (best gunner last season with 29 goals) and his aura, weighed heavily on the finances of the "Old Lady" (nearly 90 M EUR per year).
Before "CR7", Serie A lost Lukaku, who left Inter Milan, champion in the red financially, but also Gianluigi Donnarumma (AC Milan, free) and Achraf Hakimi (Inter, 60 M EUR), left for Paris SG.
Lukaku has left Inter Milan for Chelsea.
PAUL ELLIS / AFP
To strengthen, loans with obligation to purchase, making it possible to postpone payment by one or even two years, thus remain commonplace: a formula chosen in particular by Juventus for Manuel Locatelli, on loan two years from Sassuolo before a purchase (37 , 5 M EUR), and for the ghost Moise Kean (Everton).
Inter Milan reinvested part of the sales (30 M EUR for Joaquin Correa, 12.5 M EUR for Denzel Dumfries) but also played smart with free players (Hakan Calhanoglu, Edin Dzeko).
Only Roma really broke the piggy bank to offer José Mourinho the young English striker Tammy Abraham (for 40 M EUR, the most expensive player to arrive in Italy).
La Liga orphaned by Messi
In Spain, the transfer window was rather marked by the starters, with the departures of stars like Sergio Ramos, Raphaël Varane and especially Lionel Messi.
The departure of the Argentine “chip” left a huge void within the Catalan club, where he spent more than twenty years of his life and wrote the legend of one of the best clubs in the world.
The proof: no one has yet dared to take back his mythical N.10.
Barca have signed two renowned strikers, Sergio Agüero and Memphis Depay, and two young defenders, Eric Garcia and Emerson Royal.
Depay made a successful debut for Barca.
LLUIS GENE / AFP
Real side, if the Kylian Mbappé file seems blocked since Monday evening according to the press, the only notable arrival is that of David Alaba, in addition to the return of loan from Gareth Bale.
And another remarkable return, on the bench, that of the Italian coach Carlo Ancelotti, already there from 2013 to 2015. The Merengue club is nevertheless active to bring Eduardo Camavinga from Rennes, according to the Spanish and French media.
Messi in majesty in France, Mbappé left to stay
Ligue 1 hit hard with the arrival of Messi, which FC Barcelona could not keep.
At the Parc des Princes during its presentation to the fans, as for its first minutes of play in Reims on Sunday, "la Pulga" capsizes football fans at each appearance.
Almost enough to forget the starry recruitment of Sergio Ramos, Georginio Wijnaldum and Gianluigi Donnarumma, three executives who arrived for free and Achraf Hakimi, a very good pick torn from Inter Milan for 60 M EUR.
The 2021 transfer window will also remain that of the Mbappé soap opera, coveted by Real Madrid: a first offer of 160 M EUR, a second of 180 M EUR, bonus included, but PSG seems inflexible and Mbappé is gone to stay.
Read alsoFoot: PSG and OM must sell before the end of the transfer window
A calm summer in the Bundesliga
As often, the German clubs, Bayern Munich in the lead, have long anticipated their movements.
The defending champion offered himself the French international Dayot Upamecano, for 43 M EUR, the most expensive recruit of the summer, then Monday another player from Leipzig, Marcel Sabitzer.
The Bavarian ogre recorded the departures of Jérôme Boateng and David Alaba, and signed midfielder Marcel Sabitzer (Leipzig) on Monday.
Big rival Dortmund have ceded Jadon Sancho to Manchester United but have managed to retain Norwegian striker Erling Haaland ... at least for now.