With this year’s summer transfer window set to end in a couple of days, clubs will be looking to finalize their squads for the upcoming season. Be it to offload dead wood (no offense to any player) or finding the final piece to their transfer jigsaw, these are crucial times for players as well as the clubs.
Well, let’s leave that to the big guns of these clubs and focus on the transfers which have already been wrapped up. So we’ve got quite a few transfers this season that raised a few eyebrows due to their hefty price tag as well as the switch they made.
All transfer values have been taken from www.transfermarkt.com
#5 Renato Sanches (to Bayern Munich for €35 million)
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At the tender age of 19, Renato Sanches can boast what few teenagers can. International Trophy? Check. Playing alongside Cristiano Ronaldo? Check. Representing one of the biggest European clubs? Check.
The calm, composed central midfielder who emerged through the Benfica Youth setup was snapped up by Bayern Munich for 35 million from under the noses of quite a few super clubs, most notably Manchester United. United scouted Sanches thoroughly but submitted no official bid(presumably because of Van Gaal vetoing the move).
All said and done now its time for the youngster to deliver under new boss Carlo Ancelotti. In a team comprising of central players such as Xabi Alonso, Aturo Vidal, Javi Martinez and also Thomas Muller, no doubt Sanches has a daunting challenge to not just play well but also keep hold of a first XI role.
Whether he turns out a hit or miss, Manchester United would be disappointed on missing out one of the hottest young prospects based on his Euro 2016 exploits.
#4 N’Golo Kante (to Chelsea for €35.8 million)
With most champion clubs having lethal tridents such as BBC or MSN, Leicester became champions of England by virtue of their own trident comprising of Jamie Vardy, Riyad Mahrez, and Kante. While the first two wrecked havoc on Premier League defenses, Kante sat back and did all the dirty work.
The pocket-sized French dynamo has loads of stamina and can cover the whole field pretty easily. At times watching Leicester play, it felt as if Kante was everywhere.
When Chelsea came knocking, he did not think twice before signing on the dotted line for the Blues. Much is expected of the the diminutive player to add steel to Chelsea’s dysfunctional midfield of last year. The beauty of Kante’s play is that it is invisible to common people yet is the vital ingredient for any team’s success (ask Leicester).
#3 John Stones (to Manchester City for €55.6 million)
Perhaps one of the best English defenders to show potential since John Terry and Rio Ferdinand, Stones is standing at the crossroads of his fledgling career. Yet something hasn’t gone right for the former Everton man in the last year. Defensive howlers which aren’t expected of Premier League players was committed multiple times by the young Englishman that ultimately led to Everton’s downfall.
This new season his was given a way out of Everton by City who broke their own records of the most expensive English player (Raheem Sterling) as well the most expensive defender (Elaquim Mangala). While City aren’t new to splashing the cash on English prodigies to fill their home grown quota, John Stones has to repay Guardiola’s as well as Manchester City’s faith in him by delivering top-notch performances in the heart of City’s porous back line.
It is yet to be seen whether he is Vincent Kompany’s ideal successor or partner, bearing a 50+ million price tag is no easy task for any player let alone John Stones.
#2 Gonzalo Higuain (to Juventus for €90 million)
With Alvaro Morata bought back by Real Madrid and Mario Mandzukic performing below his usual self, someone experienced was needed to partner Paulo Dybala upfront.
While Juventus are known to be shrewd buyers because of their acquisition of talented or proven players at cheap (Paul Pogba, Sami Khedira, Dani Alves, and so on), they did splash the cash this year on Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain making him the 4th most expensive transfer of all time. Higuain was on the back of his best ever season scoring 38 times in 42 appearances for Napoli. So it was a pretty much calculated move on Juventus’ part in an effort to challenge for continental success which has eluded them since 1996.
No doubt Higuain can help the Old Lady with his goal scoring abilities, but the concerning fact is that the Argentine attacker is a serial choker. Be it World Cup 2014 or Copa America Centenario, Higuain has fluffed his lines with national colors resulting in Argentina’s wait for a major trophy as well as Lionel Messi’s mini-retirement. Only time, as well as Higuain knows how is his move from arch rivals Napoli turns out.
#1 Paul Pogba (to Manchester United for €105 million)
You guessed it right folks!! Pogba’s transfer to the English giants not only broke Real Madrid’s streak of world record transfers but also is kind of a homecoming for the elegant Frenchman.
Back in 2012, Pogba left United for Juventus on a minimal compensation fee, due to lack of first team opportunities. At Juventus, he was molded into one of the finest midfielders and that's when Paul Pogba announced himself to the world. Clubs like Real Madrid and Barcelona tried to pursue his signature but to no avail. Pogba went on to win four consecutive Scudettos as well as making it to the finals of the Champions League in 2015.
Whilst it was expected that Pogba would end up joining either of the aforementioned two clubs due to his liking of Barca as well as the influence of his countryman Zidane at Real, Manchester United emerged as surprise contenders for Pogba’s signature.
The longest saga of this summer transfer window, marked by denials from the player as well as agent, twisted reports in press conferences, haggling over the transfer fee and agent fees, ended with Pogba returning to his old stomping ground for a staggering 105 million, shattering all records set by clubs.
Some call him over-rated, some call him talented, yet without an ounce of doubt, we can say that Pogba is what Manchester United have been missing since the heydays of Paul Scholes and he can certainly bring back the club to its former glory.
