Erling Haaland to Karim Adeyemi: Most Expensive Transfers Between Football Clubs This Summer

London: The transfer window is well and truly under way, with clubs pushing to revamp, bolster, or trim their squads. Despite the window opening just a few weeks ago, clubs have completed deals for a number of players. In this article, we will go over the five biggest transfers formally announced by their clubs, not including players whose option-to-buy clause was activated.

Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund to Manchester City, €60m)

Probably the biggest transfer on this list. Despite not being the most expensive, this deal could very well be the most successful, with Man City not having played with a recognised striker for the whole of last season. Erling Haaland is surely a name all football fans know, ever since his hat-trick on his Champions League debut against Belgian club KRC Genk for RB Salzburg. The then-19 year old went from milestone to milestone, joining Borussia Dortmund soon after, where he once again scored a hat-trick on debut, 23 minutes after coming on as a substitute against Augsburg. Man City getting a player of his calibre for significantly lower than marker value was smart business. With Man City playing West Ham first, David Moyes will surely be petrified of the Norwegian continuing his streak.

Darwin Nunez (Benfica to Liverpool, €100m)

A deal that certainly raised eyebrows, not just because of the price but because of the player in question. Darwin Nunez, a 22 year old Uruguayan striker, becoming Liverpool’s record signing. The striker played for Benfica and had his best season to date, contributing 32 goals and 4 assists in 38 games, including 6 of those goals coming in 10 Champions League games. He is tall and quick, clocking a higher top speed this season (36.5km/h) than his new team-mate Mohamed Salah (33.5km/h). A player who loves to drift to the left and cut inside, a front three of him, fellow South American Luis Diaz, and the aforementioned Salah can be a fearsome prospect for Premier League defenses.

Aurelien Tchouameni (AS Monaco to Real Madrid, €80m)

A high profile signing by Real Madrid, as we have grown to know Real Madrid to do. Their strategy is now to replace their aging but still consistent midfield of Casemiro, Toni Kroos, and Luka Modric even while the three are at the club. They started with Eduardo Camavinga last year, and now Tchouameni. He is a defensive midfielder who has usually played in a double pivot, but with the guidance of Casemiro, he can definitely mature his game to initially cover for him, and then replace him. Despite the hefty price tag, the 22-year-old still has his best years ahead of him, and Real Madrid fans will be hoping those years will be for their club.

Brenden Aaronson (RB Salzburg to Leeds, €33m)

A deal that may have gone under the radar of many. Brenden Aaronson is an attacking midfielder who was heavily linked to Leeds in the winter as well, but a move materialized only in this window. Aaronson is a fairly tall but agile attacking midfielder, who is happy to put in a shift for the team, covering an average of 10.7km a match, perfect for Jesse Marsch’s high intensity style. He could give Leeds’s midfield something new, which could help them escape the drop next season.

Karim Adeyemi (RB Salzburg to Borussia Dortmund, €30m)

The man likely signed to fill the sizeable void left by Erling Haaland. Heavily linked to numerous elite European clubs, Dortmund stumped up the €30m Salzburg demanded and sealed the signing of the German forward, already called up by Hansi Flick despite his young age, with Adeyemi repaying Flick’s faith in him by scoring on his Germany debut. Adeyemi is rapid, just like Haaland, but unlike Haaland, he isn’t a massive aerial presence. However, he more than compensates for that with his positional acumen and the ability to drift wide to find space and then cut inside toward goal. Despite being statistically worse than Haaland, Adeyemi is an exceptional talent and definitely has the scope to become one of the best strikers in the world.

Written by Purv Ashar