Clubs across Europe’s top five divisions have made some huge deals this summer window, though it’s important to understand which ones are really worthy of the price tags they have gone for.
From Real Madrid snapping up Kylian Mbappé on a free, Borussia Dortmund securing Serhou Guirassy after Artem Dovbyk’s refusal, to Paris Saint-Germain tying down the highly-talented João Neves on a five-year deal, here we present to you our top 10 picks for the best signings clubs from Europe’s top five leagues have made in the 2024/25 summer transfer window.
Bayer Leverkusen strengthened their midfield with the shrewd signing of Aleix García from LaLiga side Girona on a five-year deal in the summer. The 27-year-old was a key player and captained the Catalan side to a third-place finish in LaLiga last season. A deep-lying midfielder by trade, the Spain international racked up three goals and six assists from 36 starts last season.
García is what you call a modern-day metronome in a pure footballing sense, second only to the likes of Toni Kroos and Luka Modric. What really stands out about him is his ability to play a variety of passes without ever compromising his efficiency.
Among midfielders based in Europe’s top leagues last season, García ranked in the 90th percentile for passes played and received per 90 minutes. This could complement Leverkusen’s possession-driven style, as García is a player who loves to get on the ball as much as possible, put his team on the front foot, and look to shift the pattern of attack.
A modern-day poacher with exceptional reading and positional awareness, Serhou Guirassy has been a treat to watch ever since coming to the German Bundesliga in 2022. The 28-year-old Guinea international scored a ridiculous 44 goals and added another five assists in just 58 appearances for VfB Stuttgart.
Unlike most poachers, Guirassy has the technical ability and link-up play to bring others into the equation as well as the tenacity to press and pin the opposition defenders. Thus, getting a player of his calibre at the peak of his powers for the aforementioned price tag was an absolute bargain for Borussia Dortmund.
Although the departure of Niclas Füllkrug would have hurt the Black and Yellow army, the fact that Guirassy has already racked up nine goals and four assists in just 13 appearances would make few among the BVB faithful miss the veteran Germany international.
Milan are another side that have made the most of a tricky situation. Paulo Fonseca had a lot of gaps to fill with a limited budget as he arrived in the summer, so bringing in an experienced campaigner in Álvaro Morata for €13 million on a four-year deal has been a great piece of business.
The 32-year-old had an excellent season with Atlético Madrid in LaLiga last season. Despite starting in just 21 of his 32 league appearances, the Spain national team captain scored 15 goals and provided three assists. He also had an excellent Euros as he guided his country to their fourth men’s Euros title.
The Serie A is a league that, statistically speaking, allows strikers to flourish even in their late thirties. The Rossoneri, therefore, will be betting on at least three to four good years from Morata.
The 21-year-old signed a six-year deal with Real Sociedad this summer, with the Basque side looking at him as an ideal replacement for Mikel Merino, who moved to Arsenal in the summer. The Croatia international won three Austrian Bundesliga titles during his four-year stay at Red Bull Salzburg, having also stood out as one of the few bright sparks from a disastrous Euros by Croatia in the summer.
Sucic is more attack-minded compared to Merino in terms of the output and positions he takes up on the pitch. He also boasts a high win rate for defensive duels—something that is necessary given his lack of aerial prowess.
Overall, Sucic is a great signing for Real Sociedad and a solid replacement for Merino if he can improve aerially. Nonetheless, he is still very young and has time on his side to improve on his weaknesses, though question marks remain regarding his ability to adapt to life in the Spanish topflight in the long term.
The Ukrainian forward lit up LaLiga in his debut season last term with Girona, scoring 24 goals to finish as the league’s top goalscorer. The 27-year-old forward also turned down deals from Atlético Madrid and Borussia Dortmund before joining Roma this summer.
Dovbyk has several important traits that make him stand out from his counterparts. His finishing is his greatest asset. The Ukraine international has a natural talent for scoring goals, whether it is hitting the ball right away, taking a touch, or chipping it over the keeper.
The fact that they were able to prise away LaLiga’s top scorer for just over €30 million reflects what an excellent piece of business this has been by the Giallorossi.
Also read: Looking at the surprise packages of the 2024/25 Premier League season thus far
While Arsenal fans were crying out for a back-up striker or a wide player, Gunners boss Mikel Arteta instead opted to increase his options in the backline with the acquisition of the versatile defender Riccardo Calafiori from Serie A side Bologna this summer.
The 22-year-old played a key role in the Rossoblù returning to the Champions League last term, prompting Arsenal, who struggled for stability in the left-hand side of their defence last season, to snatch him up in a bid to cross the finish line and finally beat Manchester City to the Premier League title.
Despite minor niggles and muscle strains sidelining him from time to time, Calafiori has delivered for the North London outfit whenever called upon. With his ability to slot in at centre-back, left-back, and even right-back, the Italy international provides tremendous value to Arsenal as Arteta looks to add to last season’s defence that earned them the most clean sheets.
Real Madrid and Kylian Mbappé’s stars finally aligned this summer as the 25-year-old France international completed his dream move. Having joined the Galácticos on a free transfer, Mbappé signed a five-year contract worth €31.25 million a year and will also receive sign-on bonus worth €120–€150 million spread over his deal.
Already the third-highest scorer in the history of the France senior national team, Mbappé came close to joining Los Blancos two years ago but signed a new contract with PSG at the eleventh hour, a decision he has since said he does not regret.
In Madrid, Mbappé will have to go through a similar transition a certain Cristiano Ronaldo went through in order to hit the heights expected of him. As a striker, the Frenchman possesses a rare mix of exceptional speed, clinical finishing, and unparalleled technique. His ability to exploit defensive lines with explosive bursts of acceleration makes him a constant threat. His knack for scoring crucial goals in high-stakes matches further solidifies his status as one of the best strikers in modern football.
Dani Olmo has finally returned to Barça after a ten-year gap, having graduated from La Masia back in 2014. Despite having a campaign plagued by injuries last term, the 26-year-old managed to accrue 13 goal contributions in the 25 games across all competitions before having a stellar Euros, scoring in three back-to-back knockout games—including one against France in the semis.
An agile, nimble, and creative playmaker who can drop deep and collect the ball to advance play into attacking positions as well as make difference in the final third with his chance creation and finishing abilities, Olmo also has good defensive and offensive aspects. He is a player that can suits the Blaugrana squad, having already been successful in a Spain side with a style similar to that of the Catalan giants.
Bayern Munich finally secured the services of Portuguese midfielder João Palhinha from Fulham on a four-year contract in the summer. The 29-year-old joined the German Bundesliga side a year after their initial deal had collapsed.
Having joined Fulham from Sporting CP in 2022, Palhinha won the club’s Player of the Year award in his debut season at Craven Cottage. His physicality, tough tackling ability, positional awareness, and experience make him a powerful force in midfield, much like Bayern’s former midfield enforcer Javi Martínez, whom the Bavarians haven’t really managed to replace since his departure in 2021.
While he is more likely to be seen dropping back and blocking an opposing attack, Palhinha is not averse to roaming forward and scoring the occasional goal.
After breaking into the Benfica first team in January last year, João Neves went on to become a key player for his boyhood club, making 75 appearances in all competitions and scoring four goals. The 20-year-old Portugal international, who had also been linked with Manchester United, eventually made the decision to join Ligue 1 champions PSG in the summer.
Neves played as a deep-lying playmaker for Benfica, typically in a double pivot, controlling possession by frequently dropping deep to receive the ball. A technically-proficient player, he actively looks to receive under pressure, using his agility and acceleration to evade opponents and dribble forwards. He is a also tenacious and aggressive presser, with his athletic attributes enabling him to excel in the counter-press, where he reacts immediately to losing possession. One of his key attributes is his ability to dictate possession. He ranked second for passes (1,900) in the 2023/24 Primeira Liga season and fifth for passes into the final third (267).
For a player with such immense potential and ability, acquiring Neves’s services for the aforementioned price is an absolute bargain for the Parisians, especially with someone like Luis Enrique at the helm.
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