Over the years, we have seen many summers contain high-profile transfers, including extortionate amounts of money.
From the move of Lionel Messi to PSG to the record transfer of Neymar Jr to the French giants for around £185 million, we have witnessed some of football’s greats be a part of the most expensive moves to date.
In this article we take a look at the top five most expensive transfers the most recent window held and how they are getting on at their new football clubs.
*All statistics in this article are provided by Opta
5. João Neves (Benfica to PSG) – £50m plus add-ons
The Portuguese talent made the move to the club at the beginning of August with hopes to slot into the Paris Saint Germain midfield.
Neves expressed his reasoning for joining the club in his excitement to play under the new boss.
“Luis Enrique’s philosophy is the one that I was looking for, and that’s also why I chose Paris. I really enjoyed our conversation. He’s a fantastic person, and I’m really happy to be here. I think that he was waiting for me to join the club, so I won’t disappoint him.“
Signing on a five-year deal at just 19 years of age, the future star has made quite the impression at the club so far.
Appearing first away from home against Strum Graz, Neves played 30 minutes in a PSG shirt as he replaced Randal Kolo Muani. The young talent also appeared in their pre-season friendly against RB Leipzig before the start of the French league.
João Neves made his professional debut in style as his second-half appearance against Le Havre saw him get two assists from the middle of the park. PSG’s new number 87 played an integral part in their 4-1 victory.
His opener at the Parc de Princes was one to remember as he made his first start. Another two assists came from this one in their 6-0 triumph over Montpellier.
Becoming part of the three PSG like to play in the middle, he also started in their away trip to Lille.
Following his two-game stint in the Nations League with Portugal, Neves has looked to become a solid middleman as he was involved in another victory in Ligue 1.
Neves marked his fifth assist in his most recent clash in the league proving his worth for the France capital. According to statistics, João Neves has recorded an average rating of 7.4.
4. Pedro Neto (Wolves to Chelsea) – £51m plus add-ons
A major move within England’s top flight of football saw Wolves prodigy Pedro Neto make the move to Enzo Maresca’s Chelsea.
Looking to make a difference on the flank for his new side, Neto made his first appearance in blue in their 2-0 loss to Manchester City on the opening Premier League weekend.
The Portuguese winger started his first game mid-week in their UEFA Conference League qualifier against Servette.
Making a difference up top, Pedro Neto directly assisted team-mate João Félix in their dominant 6-2 win over his former club.
He also appeared in their following three league fixtures but couldn’t do enough to make a difference. However, Neto did get off the mark with his opening goal for the club against Barrow on Tuesday evening.
Yet to become a regular under his new boss, Neto has shown promise in pieces for the West London side.
His average rating across seven appearances is 6.76.
3. Leny Yoro (Lille to Manchester United) – £52m plus add-ons
As many fans will know this major move has been a huge disappointment for the Red Devils.
Yoro signed for the club in the middle of July for a huge sum. The French central defender has been branded as one of the hottest prospects in world football, so it looks to be a very promising signing for Erik Ten Hag’s squad.
However, the excitement was soon brought to a halt when Leny Yoro had to be substituted off in the 35th minute of their pre-season friendly against Arsenal.
Leny Yoro fractured the fifth metatarsal in his left foot and is now undergoing rehabilitation.
An injury has kept the young star out for months, a downer for the red side of Manchester. The return date is reportedly aimed for early December.
Expiring in June 2029, the 18-year-old will earn approximately £7.5 million a year at the club after bonuses in his five-year tenure.
2. Dominic Solanke (Bournemouth to Tottenham) – £55m plus add-ons
Another mega transfer that occurred this summer, which started with dismay, was Bournemouth’s star striker Dominic Solanke’s move to Spurs. This marked Tottenham Hotspurs’ club record signing.
Picking up an ankle injury in his debut against Leicester City on the opening day, Solanke was unavailable for selection until after the September international break.
The Englishman played the whole game in Ange Postecoglu’s side’s 1-0 loss in the North London derby.
More misfortune came for Solanke in the Carabao Cup as he was taken off due to a knock when facing Coventry City.
However, he returned to the side three days later in their emphatic 3-1 win last weekend. The new man up top opened his account for Spurs.
Although unfortunate so far, the 27-year-old has recorded a 6.93 average rating from his four appearances.
Pundits have shared their opinions on the club’s record signing, stating that if they use him correctly, he could be a great attacking outlet and replacement for the greatly missed Harry Kane.
1. Julián Álvarez (Manchester City to Atletico Madrid) – £64m plus add-ons
This summer’s record transfer has become an integral part up front for his new Spanish side.
Making his first appearance in the LaLiga in a 2-2 draw against Villarreal, Álvarez made it known straight away he is there to make a difference.
Diego Simeone took a liking early to the Argentinian forward and quickly placed him alongside striker Antoine Griezmann.
The former Manchester City forward couldn’t make a difference in his first four, but soon found the back of the net following the international break. Álvarez scored an important goal in Atletico Madrid’s 3-0 win over Valencia.
“We did it. We played a great game, so I’m happy for that and for having scored a goal, which serves to gain confidence and to help the team.”
“I feel an enormous joy. Obviously that’s what I wanted from the start; to score a goal here with all our people in our stadium.”
Julián Álvarez has appeared in every game since but failed to add any more to the tally. Although it does seem he has secured a spot in the striking two that his new club plays. His average rating across the seven appearances was 6.66.
Will this summer’s window be one to remember?
Although some disappointment has come so far from the new transfers, it’s clear from the top signings that they have become an integral part of their new clubs.
Huge sums of money have been spent this summer, specifically coming from the Premier League and Saudi Pro League. The top flight of English football has recorded a £1.75 billion net spend across the summer window on new signings.
