News in the high command. Several of the generals of the defenses of the main clubs in Europe have changed sides in this transfer market. The vast majority, at the price of gold. As if they were great scorers, the operations carried out by some central defenders have reached extraordinary figures. Up to 347 million euros add up to the transfers of the nine most expensive centrals. The most expensive forwards (Haaland, Raphina, Richarlison, Gabriel Jesus, Sterling, Lewandowski, Haller, Adeyemi and Mané) add up to a total expense of 422 million. When the more than predictable signings of Koundé (to Chelsea) and Skriniar (to PSG) become official, whose transfers will total more than 100 million, the balance will be practically the same.
Until the signing of the Sevilla center-back is confirmed, the most expensive defender of the summer is De Ligt, for whom Juventus already paid Ajax 85 million euros three seasons ago and for which Bayern has now paid 67 million to one vecchia signora very disappointed with the performance of the Dutchman. His gap at Juve will be occupied by Bremer, for whom Torino has received 41 kilos. De Ligt, for his part, arrived in Munich to fill the void left by Süle, who went free to Dortmund, where he will partner Schlotterbeck, signed from Freiburg for 20 million.
The other great transfer carried out by a central defender to date has been that of Lisandro Martínez. United have spent years spending millions in search of a leader for their defense (Maguire, Bailly, Varane…) and they hope that the Argentine, for whom they have paid Ajax 64 million, will finally be the center-back they need.
Chelsea, great agitator
Without leaving the Premier, the great agitator of the central market is being Chelsea. Waiting for what happens with Koundé, the Stamford Bridge club has signed Koulibaly, from Napoli, for 38 million euros. This need to bring defenses arises from the free exits of Rüdiger and Christensen to Madrid and Barça, respectively, and the more than possible departure of Azpilicueta, also in the direction of Barcelona. The Barça club, for its part, has loaned Lenglet to Tottenham.
The other three major operations involving central defenders have been carried out by clubs that are less likely to carry out this type of transfer. On the one hand, Diego Carlos changed Sevilla for Aston Villa in a transaction that was closed at 31 million euros. Newcastle, England’s nouveau riche, spent 38 kilos on Botman, a 22-year-old Belgian center-back who played for Lille last season, and finally, West Ham surprised everyone with the addition of Aguerd, a 26-year-old Moroccan for the that Rennes received no less than 35 million.
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