The start of the new 2019/20 Premier League season is less than a month away and clubs are starting to do big business in preparation. The transfer window is a crucial time for all clubs. They need to get their transfers right otherwise the season ahead will most likely be a disappointment. And nobody wants that, least of all the fans!
So which footballers are on the move and who has commanded the biggest transfer fees so far in the transfer window?
Rodri – £62.5 million to Manchester City
Unsurprisingly, Manchester City has made the biggest transfer of the window so far. Rodri has joined City from Atletico after just one season with the Spanish club. He is only 23 years old but has already made a big impression across Europe.
Many are comparing him to Sergio Busquets, who Pep Guardiola was a big fan of at Barcelona. He is being brought in as a direct replacement for Fernandinho, who at the age of 34 doesn’t have many more seasons left in the top tier of the game.
Tanguy Ndombele £55.5 million + £9 million to Tottenham Hotspur
Spurs hadn’t made a single signing in over 500 days and then went and made two in a single day. One of them was the French midfielder Tanguy Ndombele, who left Lyon for London with a price tag that broke the club transfer fee record.
Working his way to the top, he started in the third division of French football. He is very versatile, as he can play as both a defensive or more attacking midfielder.
He likes to pick the ball up deep and make forward runs and passes, like Paul Pogba. When comparing him to the other midfielders at Spurs, he beats them all with his number of assists, passes per game, attempted dribbles per game and tackles per game.
Aaron Wan-Bissaka £45 million + £5 million add-on to Manchester United
This is a huge signing for Manchester United. They haven’t had a recognized right back since Rafael joined them over 10 years ago and it has been evident in the past couple of seasons that they badly need one.
Wan-Bissaka joins United after a brilliant season at Crystal Palace. He was named their Player of the Year and impressed many in the league. He is the sixth most expensive defender ever and Man United’s fifth most expensive signing ever, so hey, no pressure!
Mateo Kovacic £45 million to Chelsea
This will be Chelsea’s only signing for the summer since they were handed a transfer ban earlier this year. It means they can’t sign any players until next summer. The Kovacic move got the go ahead due to them having him on loan from last season and they exercised a clause in his contract to take him on permanently.
He played 32 times in the Premier League last season but didn’t register a single goal or assist. Many have questioned whether Chelsea needs the Croatian or if they just signed him as they can’t sign anyone else. He did show potential at Real Madrid, Inter Milan and with the national team, but he just needs to do it for Chelsea now. Can newly appointed manager Frank Lampard get the most of him?
Youri Tielemans £40 million to Leicester City
The Belgian midfielder was on a lot of clubs’ wish lists this summer. Man United was thought to be very interested after he had a good loan spell at Leicester last season. But it was Leicester who got his signature for a club record fee of £40 million.
He joined them on loan from Monaco in January and in 13 games bagged four goals and three assists. Tielemans plays as a central midfielder and is known for his technical ability. His passing and shooting are the strongest parts of his game. He is only 23 but featured for Belgium in the 2018 World Cup and there has been a lot of hype around him for a few seasons now.
Rumors
As with every transfer window, there are a lot of rumors flying around as to who is going to end up where.
Sporting Lisbon’s Bruno Fernandes, who was involved in 50 goals last season, is one of the most talked about at the moment.
Harry Maguire is another player linked with both Man United and Man City. The England centre-back has impressed in the last two seasons, but Leicester are demanding a fee of over £75 million! United need to add some big players to their defense as that is where they struggled most of all last season. But will they part with £75m to get it?