Top 4 clubs who had the best transfer window

The 2019 summer transfer window has come and gone, and with it came the attendant speculations, surprise transfers and downright rumour-mongering.

The window offered clubs an opportunity to strengthen their squads and get rid of unwanted players, and while some had dismal windows, others conducted excellent business.

Following the shutting of the summer window, clubs cannot add to their squads until the reopening of the window in January and would have to make do with whatever they have within their ranks.

Here, we shall be highlighting the four clubs who did the best business during the just concluded summer transfer window.

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#4 PSG

Paris Saint-Germain v Stade Rennais FC - Pre-game Training

PSG's transfer window was plagued with rife speculation over the future of Neymar, with tabloids reporting his proposed move to either Real Madrid or Barcelona almost every other day.

The Brazilian international was brought in for a world record fee to help the club rise to the next phase of its domination, but it is safe to say that the Neymar project has been hugely unsuccessful so far.

The 27-year-old has stated his desire to leave the French capital and made no secret of his preferred destination being Barcelona, leading ultras of the club to unveil banners hurling unprintable insults at him during their home league clash with Nimes in August.

However, despite all the furore generated, PSG remained firm in their valuation of Neymar, and the former Santos man is primed to remain at the Parc des Princes for at least another season.

Beyond his antics and recent injury problems, Neymar is still an exceptional player who is capable of taking PSG to the next level, and if he can keep his head in the game and get committed to the cause, he could help the club in their quest for that elusive Champions League trophy. As such, retaining his services is key for the Parisians.

They also conducted good business on the financial end, as for once, PSG has their books balanced, posting a minor net profit after the conclusion of their transfer dealings.

An impressive sum of just over €103m was raised by selling off mostly fringe players, while the highly divisive Adrien Rabiot was also let go and replaced with the highly-rated Paulo Sarabia.

Perhaps most excitingly for their fans, PSG managed to capture Mauro Icardi on a loan deal on deadline day to bolster what was already a fearsome attack.

The Argentine international has not exactly had things going smoothly for him over the last year but remains a centre-forward of the highest order, and together with the excellent forwards already at the club, PSG would fancy their chances against anyone.

#3 Borussia Dortmund

Borussia Dortmund Training And Press Conference

Borussia Dortmund pushed Bayern Munich all the way last season in their bid to wrest the German crown from the perennial champions but ultimately fell short in the dying stages of the campaign.

In response, the North-Rhine based club embarked on a spending spree, splashing the cash in the market to augment their squad in preparation for another assault this campaign.

Former skipper Matts Hummels returned to the Signal Iduna Park from Bayern Munich for a sum of €30m, while the fast-rising Thorgan Hazard was also brought in from Borussia Monchengladbach.

Julian Brandt dismissed interest from Bayern Munich and the rest of Europe to join Lucien Favre's side, while left-back Nico Schulz also joined from Hoffenheim.

These new arrivals coupled with the excellent players already at the club including Marco Reus and Jadon Sancho has improved Dortmund's chances of winning a first Bundesliga crown since 2012.

#2 Inter Milan

Cagliari Calcio v FC Internazionale - Serie A

There is a great sense of belief among Inter Milan fans that the unbroken dominance of the Serie A by heated rivals Juventus could be ended by their club, and this belief is not founded upon blind fanaticism or biased support, but on a genuine premise that the Nerrazurri have what it takes due to their smart recruitment in the window.

With Antonio Conte on the bench, Grande Inter have a seasoned coach who knows his onions when it comes to winning the Scudetto, and the 50-year-old has gone about moulding the side in his image.

After many failed attempts, he has finally gotten his hands on Romelu Lukaku, and the 26-year-old fits his ideal profile of a target man leading the line for his side. Others who came in through the door at the San Siro were Matteo Politano and Valentino Rozario.

There were also some excellent loan acquisitions, including the highly sought after Nicolo Barella and Stefano Sensi, while Alexis Sanchez could also prove to be a hit if things go accordingly.

For most of his managerial career, Conte has preferred to operate with a three-man defence, and the arrival of the hugely experienced Diego Godin to complement Stefan de Vrij and Milan Skriniar represents a major coup.

They also managed to offload Mauro Icardi on the last day of the transfer window, which would have come as a relief to all parties involved, as the drama was threatening to descend into chaos.

#1 Atletico Madrid

Club Atletico de Madrid v SD Eibar SAD - La Liga

This season marked the start of a new era at Atletico Madrid, as they bade goodbye to legends of the club including Diego Godin, Filipe Luis and Juanfran, while younger players like Antoine Griezmann, Rodri and Lucas Hernandez also departed.

The former set have been stalwarts of the successes enjoyed by the Rojiblancos in recent years and their exit represents the loss of a lot of experience in one swoop, while the departure of the latter group represented a major blow to Atletico's future.

However, credit must be given to Diego Simeone and this technical crew, as they have gone about their recruitment in the best way possible.

Godin was replaced by the well-regarded Mario Hermoso, who at 24 has his best years ahead of him and spent the last two seasons with Espanyol, making 54 league appearances. Though he is no Godin, the former Real Madrid youth academy product has looked comfortable with Jose Gimenez at the heart of defence so far.

Kieran Trippier is an attacking upgrade on Juanfran, while Marcos Llorente has impressed till this point and has shown to have what it takes to effectively replace Rodri at the base of midfield.

Renan Rodi came in for Luis and while his compatriot might be a tough act to follow, the 21-year-old has shown that attacking impetus which multiple of his fellow Brazilian left-backs including Marcelo and Roberto Carlos have shown over the years.

Perhaps most exciting was the purchase of Joao Felix from Benfica, and while the club might have spent a huge sum to get him, the 19-year-old is extremely gifted and has been tipped as one of the teenagers who would take Europe by storm this term. His form so far this season shows that he has what it takes, while Alvaro Morata's loan move was also made permanent.

Some excellent additions were also made to augment the first team, including Mexico's captain Hector Herrera and Felipe, and these players added to the likes of Koke, Saul Niguez, Thomas Lemar, Thomas Partey and Jan Oblak already at the club means that Atletico have every right to genuinely believe they can become league champions and their start to the campaign is already proof of that.

Furthermore, despite spending a significant sum on arrivals, Atletico still posted a profit of €70m in their net spend, as they recouped a total of €313.10m from the sale of players, with the departures of Griezmann, Lucas Hernandez and Rodri contributing a significant chunk of that, while purchases were conducted for the sum of €243m.