CORNERFLICK
With the summer transfer windows now closed in England and Spain, the biggest deals across two of Europe’s leading leagues have been confirmed, following another window dominated by blockbuster moves and multi-million-euro spending.
According to data published by Transfermarkt, Premier League clubs accounted for some of the biggest fees of the window, with several deals exceeding the €100 million mark. In La Liga, meanwhile, the battle between Spain’s two traditional giants to secure high-profile signings played a major role in shaping the summer market.
**Premier League Record: Fernandez Tops the List ** The most expensive Premier League signing was Enzo Fernandez’s €145 million move from Chelsea to Manchester City. The deal ranks among the biggest transfers of the summer and inevitably attracted considerable attention.
Morgan Rogers was second on the list after completing a €138 million switch from Aston Villa to Chelsea, while Manchester City were also responsible for another blockbuster deal, paying Nottingham Forest €135 million for Elliot Anderson.
Bradley Barcola’s €125 million move from Paris Saint-Germain to Liverpool ranked fourth, while Tottenham Hotspur spent €108 million to sign Sandro Tonali from Newcastle United.
Further down the list, Mateus Fernandes joined Tottenham from West Ham United for €99 million, while Manchester City paid Lille €95 million for Ayyoub Bouaddi.
Savinho’s €87.7 million move from Manchester City to Tottenham and Bruno Guimaraes’ €87.5 million transfer from Newcastle to Arsenal were also among the biggest deals of the window.
Brighton midfielder Carlos Baleba completed the Premier League’s top 10 most expensive signings after joining Manchester United for €75.9 million.
**Gordon Leads Premier League Departures ** In terms of outgoing transfers, Anthony Gordon was the most expensive player to leave the Premier League, completing an €80 million move from Newcastle to Barcelona.
Tijjani Reijnders left Manchester City for Al-Qadsiah in a €61 million deal, while Ollie Watkins joined Al-Hilal from Aston Villa for €58.4 million.
Marc Cucurella departed Chelsea for Real Madrid in a €55 million transfer, with Rasmus Hojlund moving from Manchester United to Napoli for €44 million.
Among the other notable Premier League departures, Cristian Romero left Tottenham for Atletico Madrid, while Curtis Jones, Djed Spence and Trevoh Chalobah each secured €30 million moves to new clubs.
Donyell Malen, meanwhile, joined Roma from Aston Villa for €25 million.
**Real Madrid and Barcelona Lead La Liga Spending ** In Spain, Yan Diomande topped La Liga’s list of most expensive arrivals after completing a €125 million move from RB Leipzig to Real Madrid.
Barcelona also endured a costly summer, bringing Anthony Gordon to the Camp Nou from Newcastle for €80 million before adding Rodri from Manchester City in a €60 million deal.
Real Madrid followed up the Diomande signing by bringing in Marc Cucurella from Chelsea for €55 million.
Atletico Madrid were another of La Liga’s most active clubs, signing Morten Hjulmand from Sporting for €40 million.
Lee Kang-in joined Atletico from Paris Saint-Germain for €35 million, while Cristian Romero completed a €33 million switch from Tottenham to the Spanish capital.
Real Madrid also signed Carlos Espi for €25 million.
Elsewhere, Karim Adeyemi moved from Borussia Dortmund to Barcelona for €22 million, while Denzel Dumfries joined Real Madrid from Inter Milan in a €20 million transfer.
**Torres Tops La Liga Sales ** At the other end of the market, Ferran Torres was La Liga’s most expensive departure after leaving Barcelona for Paris Saint-Germain in a deal worth €48.5 million.
Victor Munoz joined Liverpool from Osasuna for €40 million, while Gonzalo Garcia left Real Madrid for Fulham for the same fee.
Matteo Ruggeri completed a €25 million move from Atletico Madrid to Aston Villa, while Alvaro Rodriguez left Elche for Bournemouth in another €25 million deal.
Nobel Mendy joined Hull City from Rayo Vallecano for €23.4 million, while Thiago Almada returned to River Plate from Atletico Madrid for €20 million. Pep Chavarria, meanwhile, completed a €19 million switch to Chelsea.
Sergi Altimira moved from Real Betis to Sporting for €18.5 million, while Gustavo Puerta left Racing for Olympiacos in a €16 million deal. Akor Adams also departed Sevilla for Venezia for the same fee.
The closing of the transfer window brings an end to months of summer speculation, but the real test now begins. After spending huge sums to reshape their squads, clubs must prove on the pitch that their blockbuster investments were ultimately worth the price.