Grading The Biggest Summer Transfer Moves
Whenever the summer transfer window rolls around, every fan goes through three stages. Stage one is faith, believing their team will do exceptionally well and enthrall them with new signings. Stage two is denial, believing their team will remain a force without any major signings. Stage three is desperation and disbelief, as fans try to find any excuse possible for their team’s lack of business. But we aren’t here to discuss the teams who have upset their fanbases. Rather, the transfers have excited fan bases so much that they will fill up eighty thousand seater stadiums just to catch a glimpse of them. Consequently, how much will their departure upset these players’ now-former clubs? I’ll be handing out grades to each team, determining if they came out of the deal better or worse than before.
Mbappe to Real Madrid (Free)
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG): D-
Real Madrid: A+
We are getting off to a strong start with the biggest transfer of the summer. Kylian Mbappe, one of the biggest names in the soccer world, has finally, after years of speculation, completed a move to Real Madrid. Even more shocking is that PSG has let him go for free. Gross mismanagement of the situation by the club’s hierarchy has allowed Mbappe to waltz off to Madrid for nothing, after rejecting a $150 million bid just two years ago. This gross mismanagement is exactly why PSG has received a D- grade. On the other hand, Real Madrid president Florentino Perez has pulled off a masterclass by getting one of the world’s best players for less than the price of a chocolate bar. Mbappe will surely continue to torment defenses in Spain and across Europe after this move for years to come, so anything less than an A+ would be an unfair grade for Real Madrid when it comes to this move.
Dominic Solanke to Tottenham ($60 million)
Bournemouth: A+
Tottenham: C+
Oh no. Just no. Please tell me a supposed “big club” has not just paid $60 million for the bang-average Dominic Solanke. I do not care that he scored 19 goals last season (I could have with the number of chances Bournemouth created); he is still the most painfully average player the Premier League has to offer. Going from Harry Kane to Dominic Solanke is a bit like trading in your new Ferrari for a used Honda Accord. Yet, Tottenham have done exactly that. I think Tottenham will be lucky if Solanke ever hits 10 goals again, let alone 20, becoming a symbol of how painfully average they will become in years to come. Bournemouth, though, can’t believe their luck. Not only have they sold Solanke for a ridiculous amount of money but they have also brought in an improvement on him for only a fraction of the price. Evanilson was brought in for just shy of $50 million days after Solanke’s departure and has already seemed three times the player Solanke ever was.
Joao Neves to PSG ($70 million)
Benfica: A
PSG: A-
I used to love to criticize PSG transfers. Similar to Manchester United, they would pay any big name just to come to Paris and look good rather than do anything on the pitch. Over the past two years, however, their approach has completely changed. Focusing heavily on youth rather than big names, their team has transformed into one of the most exciting in world soccer. They may have found their midfield monster to add to that excitement with Joao Neves from Benfica. Even with the steep price tag of $70seventy million, I still think the 19-year-old will prove to be a worthwhile investment in the midfield for PSG. On the other hand, I still can’t believe how much Benfica are getting for their players. Virtually spawning them from nothing, selling their two previous star midfielders for nearly $ 200 million is ridiculous, no matter how good your recruitment team or academy is. If it were any other club losing their midfielder they would be getting a lower grade but I would be shocked if Benfica did not have their replacement already ready to start week one.
Dani Olmo to Barcelona ($55 million)
Barcelona: D+
RB Leipzig: B-
Why? I’m just dumbfounded by this move by Barcelona. They have lacked a proper number six since Sergio Busquets left a year ago, a center-back since Pique left two years ago, and a right-back since Dani Alves left nearly a decade ago. Their solution? To sign a player in the one position they were already heavily stocked with players in. After starting for Spain at the European Championships, Dani Olmo gained interest from clubs across Europe with Barcelona becoming his eventual destination. The selling club, RB Leipzig, will be more than willing to take the nearly $60 million on the slightly above average attacker, even though they could have got more money for him. On the opposite side of this transaction, I think Barcelona will soon come to regret not filling their positions of need in favor of picking up the flavor of the month.
Leny Yoro to Manchester United ($60 million)
Lille: A-
Manchester United: A+
I love this transfer. Leny Yoro is one of the most exciting young center-backs on the planet right now. So to get him for just $60 million is incredible business from Manchester United. Usually overpaying for over-the-hill big names since the end of the Sir Alex Ferguson era, this move is a show of intent by Manchester United’s new owners. At just 18 years old, Yoro has the potential to anchor their backline for the next two decades, despite being injured for a portion of his career up to this point. One of the most expensive sales in club history, Yoro will be giving his boyhood club Lille a fat check with his departure, helping to ease the pain of such an impactful loss.
Michael Olise to Bayern Munich ($60 million)
Crystal Palace: B
Bayern Munich: A+
Michael Olise has been the jewel in Crystal Palace’s crown for the past few seasons ever since he arrived from Reading three years ago. However, when he signed his new contract this time last year, his agent cleverly inserted a release clause that would let him leave for $60 million this summer. Bayern Munich has taken full advantage of this and brought Olise in to help newly appointed manager Vincent Kompany. While Crystal Palace would have preferred to get more money for Olise, they should be more than happy with the $60 million they received for a player they bought for just $8 million three years ago. On the Bayern side of this transaction, they receive a flair player who has plenty of room to grow as a winger at just 22 years old.
All six of these transfers will have pivotal roles in determining the future of their clubs for the foreseeable future. Will they turn out to be a phenomenal bit of business? Or will their transfer be a horror story known by fans across the world?
By Luke Birch