Once again, we’ve witnessed another exciting edition of the summer transfer window, where Premier League clubs have broken all records (£2.86 billion transfer) in the transfer market. However, with the 2015-16 transfer window now officially closed, let us look back at the 10 most expensive deals of the summer.
Manchester City occupy the top two places, with their big money deals for Kevin De Bruyne and Raheem Sterling.
For the second successive season, both Liverpool and Manchester United have spend big to bolster their squad. Arsenal have had a quiet transfer window, with the Gunners surprisingly haven’t signed any outfield player in the summer.
Chelsea were relatively busy in the transfer market, having added nine players to their already star studded squad. The best signing arguably is Pedro Rodriguez, who completed a dramatic move from Barcelona last month.
Kevin De Bruyne (Wolfsburg to Manchester City, £51m)
De Bruyne’s transfer to Manchester City has made him the second most expensive player in the Premier League history. The Belgium international has enjoyed a sensational campaign last season with Bundesliga club Wolfsburg and he will be expected to replicate that form for his new club. With him in the side, City not only emerge as a serious contender for the Premier League title, but they are expected to do well in Champions League at the same time.
Raheem Sterling (Liverpool to Manchester City, £49m)
Liverpool tried their best to convince Sterling to stay put, but the Merseyside giants were powerless to protect him once City matched their valuation. His departure has made him into a villain amongst the Liverpool fans, but Sterling would hardly mind. The 20-year-old would inject pace from the flanks, something City had badly missed last season. He has made a bright impression already, claiming his first goal in City’s 2-0 win over Watford.
Anthony Martial (Monaco to Manchester United, £36m)
The deal just came as a surprise to everybody. Martial is a 19-year-old youngster who has only played one full season in his fledging career so far. He is a highly talented footballer, and could well reach the levels of Thierry Henry in future, but the money paid to make him the world’s most expensive teenager is simply ludicrous. I’ve said this before that I’m not worried with his price tag (United can afford to pay that amount), nor the unproven tag (everyone is unproven at some stage) but I’m concerned with his temperament whether he can handle this huge pressure of playing for United and meeting the expectations at such a tender age.
Nicolas Otamendi (Valencia to Manchester City, £34m)
Otamendi was arguably one of the best defenders in La Liga last season, and the Argentine will definitely improve the back line at Manchester City. He is strong in aerial duels and loves to make tackles (won 74 tackles last season more than Terry & Cahill combined) but his greatest asset lies in his reading of the game.
Christian Benteke (Aston Villa to Liverpool, £32.5m)
Liverpool’s strike force have been bolstered this summer with the signing of Christian Benteke from Aston Villa. The Belgium international has scored 42 goals in 88 appearances during his three seasons with Villa, but can he replicate that form with Liverpool remains to be seen.
Roberto Firmino (Hoffenheim to Liverpool, £29.5m)
Firmino joins Liverpool with a strong reputation of scoring goals and providing assists on a regular basis. The 23-year-old Brazilian impressed for Hoffenheim, where he scored 23 goals in 66 appearances for the Bundesliga club. With him and Coutinho around, Liverpool are expected to play more exciting and entertaining football this season.
Memphis Depay (PSV to Manchester United, £25m)
Chelsea winger Eden Hazard in an interview said that he expects Depay to become a world class player in future. Comparisons with Cristiano Ronaldo may be premature, but there is no doubt, the Dutch winger has got loads of talent. He was the top scorer for Dutch Champions PSV last season, and United fans already got a glimpse of his quality when he scored a stunning brace against Club Brugge in the Champions League.
Morgan Schneiderlin (Southampton to Manchester United, £24m)
Central midfield area, which was largely neglected since the time of Ferguson, has been strengthened with the signings of Morgan Schneiderlin and Bastian Schweinsteiger. The French midfielder has been a figure of consistency for Southampton over the past few years. He is brilliant with his distributions, making tackles and interceptions and seems to be a good reader of the game as well.
Heung-Min Son (Bayer Leverkusen to Tottenham Hotspur, £22m)
The South Korean International has vowed to justify his price tag at White Hart Lane, stating he is determined to cope with the huge level of expectations at the club. The 23-year-old forward has scored 29 goals in 87 Bundesliga games and he will be expected to ease the goal burden of Harry Kane, who surprisingly has yet to open his goal scoring account this season.
Pedro Rodriguez (Barcelona to Chelsea, £21.1m)
Jose Mourinho moved in late to hijack the deal from under Manchester United’s noses, and what a signing he is turning out to be! A proven winner for Barcelona, Pedro with his guile, movement, experience and finishing ability, can make a huge impact for the Champions. And the signs are evident – Pedro scored on his debut against West Brom, and registered an assist in Chelsea’s 2-1 to Crystal Palace on Saturday.
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