Mercato: Dates, stakes, players... Six questions before the summer market opens

What are the transfer window dates this summer?

Here we go. The summer transfer window, one of the most anticipated periods on the football planet, one of the liveliest, sometimes one of the most frustrating but nevertheless, overall, one of the most exciting, is launched. And it is the France that has the honor of opening the ball this Saturday, June 10, 2023. The Netherlands and England will enter the scene shortly after, two and four days later respectively. The other major European football countries - Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal - will join them on 1 July.

On the Old Continent, the transfer market will close between August 31 (Netherlands and Italy) and September 1, 2023 (France, England, Germany, Spain). The only small exception: Portugal will last until September 22nd.

The dates of the summer transfer window of the main European championships (according to data from Transfermarkt):

France: June 10-September 1

Netherlands: 12 June-31 August

England: 14 June-1 September

Germany: 1 July-1 September

Italy: 1 July-31 August

Spain: 1 July-1 September

Portugal: 1 July-22 September

Paris SG, Chelsea, Real Madrid... Which teams will set the fire?

The stakes of this summer transfer window are enormous. Several big European teams will have to renew their squad in the coming weeks to be competitive again or to become so again. After a disastrous season, Chelsea should be particularly active in the coming weeks, both in terms of arrivals and departures; same thing, to a lesser extent, for Liverpool. Their English counterpart, Newcastle United, with its significant financial means, should be enterprising in order to confirm its good exercise. In Spain, the two ogres of FC Barcelona and Real Madrid - especially with the departure of Karim Benzema with regard to the latter - should certainly strengthen in order to return to the front of the European scene.

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Across the Rhine, FC Bayern Munich, after its disappointing second half of the season, could also invest massively this summer - especially in the offensive sector - especially since several players (such as Benjamin Pavard) could leave Bavaria. In Italy, it is Juventus Turin that will be eagerly awaited during this transfer market; the Old Lady has, indeed, great need to transform her workforce to regain her rank. Finally, in France, Paris SG - which has already concluded the arrivals of Milan Skriniar, Marco Asensio and Manuel Ugarte - should, once again, invest en masse in the hope (as every year) of being able to lift the Champions League at the end of the season. In Ligue 1, Olympique de Marseille and Olympique Lyonnais should also be (very) active.

Gündogan, Thuram, Osimhen... Which players will dynamite the transfer window?

Many players should dynamite this summer transfer window. First of all, we have some elements free of any contract, such as Ilkay Gündogan (32), who is courted by FC Barcelona, and Marcus Thuram (35), who would (strongly) interest Paris SG. Others, at the end of the cycle in their current club, are announced as leaving. This is the case of West Ham central midfielder Declan Rice (24) - who could join Arsenal -, Manchester City attacking midfielder Bernardo Silva (28), Paris SG attacking midfielder Neymar (31) or Tottenham centre-forward Harry Kane (29) who would be part of the tracks considered by Real Madrid to replace Karim Benzema.

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Finally, a few players coming off a remarkable 2022-2023 could be transferred for crazy sums. We think in particular of the French Manu Koné (Borussia Mönchengladbach, 22), excellent in the Bundesliga for two years, and Randal Kolo Muani (Eintracht Frankfurt, 24), who has Europe at his feet for several months. But also, and above all, to Victor Osimhen (24) who could leave SCC Naples after the Scudetto; the Nigerian would be in the small papers of many big clubs of the Old Continent. In France, midfielders Khephren Thuram (OGC Nice, 22) and Mattéo Guendouzi (Olympique de Marseille, 24) as well as centre-forward Loïs Openda (RC Lens, 23) should certainly be the subject of significant offers.

Which players are at the end of their contracts?

Players at the end of their contract, and therefore free to commit with the formation of their choice, are not lacking (yet) this summer. And among them, there are several big names in football. Some are likely to return to their current club; this is the case, in particular, for Madrid's Luka Modric (37) and Toni Kroos (33) and Mancunian David de Gea (32). Others are in the process of committing to a new team, such as Marco Asensio (27), announced on the side of Paris SG, and N'Golo Kanté (32) who should join Saudi Arabia; Milan Skriniar (28), for his part, would have agreed with the club of the French capital last winter. Finally, some are still in the unknown: the Turinese Angel Di Maria (35 years old) and Adrien Rabiot (28 years old), the very courted Ilkay Gündogan (32 years old) or Marcus Thuram (25 years old), who would be in the small papers of Paris SG.

SEE ALSO - The best of Angel Di Maria with Juventus Turin

Griezmann, Mbappe, Neymar... What are the most expensive transfers in history?

Among the five most expensive transfers in history, there are three Frenchmen. In the summer of 2019, FC Barcelona did not hesitate to release 120 million euros to secure the services of Antoine Griezmann (32 years old). The same year, the Colchoneros had made the bet to buy João Félix (23) from Benfica Lisbon for 127 million euros. In August 2017, the Blaugrana invested 135 million euros to recruit Ousmane Dembélé (26) from Borussia Dortmund. During the same summer, Paris SG had put their hand in their pockets - to say the least - by attracting both Monegasque Kylian Mbappé (24) for 180 million euros (officially loaned with option to buy, the operation was taken in cash in the following year) and Barcelona Neymar Jr (31) for 222 million euros.

Casemiro, Tchouaméni, Antony... Who are the most expensive players of the 2022 summer transfer window?

Last summer, no transaction exceeded €100 million, as was the case in previous seasons. However, several transfers were particularly high. After a title-rich stint with Real Madrid, Casemiro (31) joined Manchester United for €70.65 million. Aurélien Tchouaméni (23), he went from AS Monaco to the White House for 80 million euros. It is for the same sum that Darwin Nuñez (23) joined Liverpool FC from Benfica Lisbon. The operation of Wesley Fofana (22) - transferred from Leicester City to Chelsea - was a bit more important since it amounted to 80.4 million euros. The most expensive transfer is to be credited to the Red Devils who offered Antony (23) by paying € 95 million to Ajax Amsterdam.