The summer transfer window in Europe’s top leagues is open up to and including Friday next week. Dangerous for the club elite of the UEFA: In Saudi Arabia, you can shop much longer, until September 20th. The desert league is the first to shake the Premier League’s longstanding monopoly on the transfer market. There can no longer be any talk of eye level with the other leagues in Europe.
Only three step out of line
This can be easily illustrated by looking at the most expensive transfers of the summer so far, i.e. around a week before the end of the transfer period in Europe: 17 of the 20 most expensive signings are for clubs from the Premier League and Saudi Arabia . Only the changes from Jude Bellingham to Real Madrid, Harry Kane to FC Bayern and Manuel Ugarte to Paris Saint-Germain are out of line.
Few world stars
Among the 17 players who have moved to the desert, to the island or within England, only a few recognized world stars cavort. For the biggest name, Neymar, PSG was desperately looking for a buyer and gratefully accepted the Al-Hilal option. Kane also fits into the category of an international top star, maybe Kai Havertz too. Otherwise, the richest clubs in the world are paying primarily for potential this summer.
Clubs pay primarily for potential
Including Jeremy Doku’s signing from Manchester City, which was sealed on Thursday night, 14 of the top 20 summer deals to date have been for players under the age of 25. Kane and Neymar, meanwhile, are the only two top purchases that are over 30 years old. This also somewhat invalidates the theory that only worn-out old stars who want one last big contract moved to Saudi Arabia.
This is how the 20 most expensive transfers of the summer are distributed
12 players moved to (or within) England for a total of €908m
5 players moved to Saudi Arabia for a total of 317 million euros
Jude Bellingham joined Real Madrid for €103m
Harry Kane moved to Bayern Munich for €100m
Manuel Ugarte joined Paris Saint-Germain for €60m
(Information via Transfer marketsocket replacement without bonus payments)
2023-08-24 18:52:15
#England #Saudi #Arabia
