Analyzing Top 15 Expensive Summer Transfers

For better or worse, depending on who you support, the summer transfer window has slammed shut at last. Premier League clubs were once again among the top spenders in Europe with over €1 billion spent on players this summer. With the dust still settling, let’s take a look at the 15 most expensive transfers from this summer.

 

Filipe Luis: Atletico Madrid to Chelsea £20.0m

With Ashley Cole ageing and eventually moved on to Roma, Chelsea needed to address the lack of a top-quality left back in the squad. Queue Chelsea’s swoop for Filipe Luis. This should prove to be a fantastic piece of Chelsea’s stellar summer. Last season with Atletico, Filipe registered 107 tackles and 49 interceptions in 32 La Liga games. Clearly Chelsea have signed one of the world’s top left-backs and I consider this to be a fantastic move. However, Azpilicueta has kept Filipe Luis out of the starting line-up through some fantastic form but I don’t expect to see Filipe Luis on the bench by Christmas.

 

Lazar Markovic: Benfica to Liverpool £20.0m

Part of Liverpool’s splurge on attacking players to replace the outgoing Luis Suarez, Lazar Markovic was brought in from Portuguese giants Benfica this summer. The young Serbian is a dribbling wizard and although it may take time for him to adjust to the Premier League, he’s only 20 and could mature into a very talented player under Brendan Rodgers’ guidance. Although he may not pay off his transfer fee immediately, this is a great signing by Rodgers that could prove valuable a few years down the road.

 

Toni Kroos: Bayern Munich to Real Madrid £25.0m

This is both a great and puzzling transfer. On the one hand, obtaining the services of one the premier midfielders in the world for £25m in today’s market could be considered a great piece of business. However, his transfer could upset the midfield balance that Real Madrid had achieved last season to win La Decima. Kroos is an undoubtedly talented player that any team would like to have, but he won’t provide as much defensive cover in midfield as Alonso did and can’t replace what Di Maria brought to the team. In order for this to be considered a good transfer, he needs to improve on the defensive side of his game and prove that he can play in midfield with Modric without exposing Real Madrid’s defense.

 

Adam Lallana: Southampton to Liverpool £25.0m

This is a perfect example of English players being overpriced. Not to say that he isn’t a good player. He created 68 chances and also scored 9 goals for Southampton in the Premier League. He was also fouled 76 times and completed 70 take-ons, showing his ability on the ball. However, I don’t think that he would have been worth £25m if he wasn’t English. With Liverpool’s best system seemingly being their 4-4-2 diamond formation, where will that leave Lallana? Sterling has shown himself to be a deadly player in the No10 position while Coutinho can also play there extremely well. Lallana will give Liverpool options to change their midfield shape and depth but is overpriced for that role.

 

Luke Shaw: Southampton to Manchester United £27.0m

Luke Shaw became the world’s most expensive teenager this summer after his blockbuster move to Premier League giants Manchester United. Despite his age,Shaw was a regular for Southampton and was one of their top performers. Shaw created 33 chances and completed 61 tackles. There is still much room for improvement considering he only won 58% of his duels, but considering his age and potential this could be a great transfer. Another question that is posed by this transfer is how Shaw will adapt to a wing-back role in Louis van Gaal’s 5-3-2. However, despite some early struggles with his season, this could turn out to be a great transfer long term for Manchester United.

 

Romelu Lukaku: Chelsea to Everton £28.0m

Lukaku’s ordeal at Chelsea was finally put to an end by Everton this summer. This could be considered a statement of intent from Everton and I consider to this to be a fantastic piece of business for both teams involved. Chelsea were able to sell a player who wasn’t in Mourinho’s plans for a huge sum while Everton were able to acquire one of the top young forwards in soccer today. Either way this will be a great move for Everton, he’ll perform at Everton for years or he could be sold for a profit in a few years. Lukaku is a proven Premier League goal scorer at a young age(having scored 15 goals last season) and this is one of the top deals of the summer in my opinion.

 

Ander Herrera: Athletic Bilbao to Manchester United £29.0m

Central midfield has been an area of concern for Manchester United for some time now but this summer the team finally made a move to address the issue with the transfer of Ander Herrrera. Herrera will provide Manchester United the creativity and energy in midfield that they have so desperately needed for a few years. Last season with Athletic Bilbao, he created 53 chances for his teammates(which was the second highest on the team behind Markel Susaeta) while also completing 75 tackles and 33 interceptions. He also suffered 86 fouls which is another clear indicator of his ability on the ball.

Overall this should be a great transfer, although a little pricey. Herrera will be hitting his peak as a player in the next few years and Manchester United did well to sign him as he will be a key player in the evolution of the team under Louis van Gaal.

 

Cesc Fabregas: FC Barcelona to Chelsea £30.0m

Chelsea easily had the most efficient and successful transfer window and Fabregas will prove to be one of the best signings from this summer. Despite not fulfilling his potential at Barcelona, Fabregas was on his way to being one of the top midfielders in the world during his time at Arsenal and it appears as though a move to the Premier League will greatly benefit him. Already in his first three games for Chelsea, he has created 10 chances(four of which are assists). He has also maintained an 88% pass completion rate which will probably stay around the same until the end of the season. This is a fantastic transfer and Fabregas should prove vital to Chelsea’s title challenge this season.

 

Eliaquim Mangala: FC Porto to Manchester City £32.0m

FC Porto continue to be the masters of the transfer window as they sold Mangala to Manchester City for a huge sum this summer. This move will leave questions in Manchester City as where Nastasic fits into the team and may prove to be an unintelligent move considering how much it cost. Mangala is undoubtedly a great defender but is definitely not worth the £32 million Manchester City paid for him. Despite his ability and strength, he’s prone to defensive lapses. I would consider this a pretty good transfer if it wasn’t for the ridiculous price tag which turns it into a questionable decision in my mind.

 

Diego Costa: Atletico Madrid to Chelsea £32.0m

Now we head back to Chelsea to analyze the move of Brazilian-born Spaniard Diego Costa. This was a perfect match: throughout last season it seemed as though all they lacked to push on and start winning trophies was a consistent goalscorer while Diego Costa was making Atleti fans forget about Falcao with 27 goals in La Liga. It seems as though Chelsea have found the final piece for their title-winning team. He already has four goals from his first three appearances, showing that he won’t be another expensive flop.

Costa also provides incredible work rate up front and will relentlessly press the opposition defense and chase loose balls. He is a very physical presence up front and Premier League defenses will have trouble handling him this season. A great piece of business by Chelsea and one that could prove to win the league for Chelsea this season.

 

Alexis Sanchez: FC Barcelona to Arsenal £35.0m

Alexis Sanchez’s time at Barcelona wasn’t necessarily a nightmare for either party, but Sanchez was never really a player that suited how Barcelona. I think that move to Premier League outfit Arsenal will suit him well as his dynamic play will find a more natural place at Arsenal. He hasn’t started out as well as other summer signings, but don’t forget that he scored 19 goals in the league for Barcelona last season and created 47 chances.

This World Cup also served to remind us just how great a player Sanchez is in a different system. In just four games at the World Cup, he completed 22 take ons and was fouled 24 times. This is a great signing for Arsenal as Sanchez can play through the center if needed while he will also provide a pacey outlet in attack out on the flanks.

 

David Luiz: Chelsea to Paris St. Germain £40.0m

I still question whether this transfer actually happened. David Luiz on his day, is a fantastic defender who can also contribute to the attack, but those days don’t happen often enough for him to be worth the £40 million that PSG shelled out to obtain his services. His forays forward from defense often leave his team exposed on the counter and his decision making doesn’t warrant his ridiculous price tag. That being said, he gives PSG more options as he can also play in midfield and could provide a more physical presence there if needed.

It will also be interesting to see whether his performances improve when playing alongside his national teammate Thiago Silva. PSG will just be hoping that he doesn’t repeat his shambolic performance against Germany when Silva isn’t starting alongside him. Overall this is a bizarre transfer in which PSG definitely overpaid.

 

Angel Di Maria: Real Madrid to Manchester United £59.7m

One of the key pieces from Real Madrid’s Champions League winning team last season was shipped off to Manchester United this summer for a huge transfer fee. The silky Argentine dribbler will give a seemingly stagnant United attack more impetus and if he adapts to the Premier League, will become a key player as they challenge for a Champions League spot. Last season in La Liga, Di Maria created 90 chances, more than any other Real Madrid player created. This ability to fashion chances could be lethal for Manchester United as both Falcao and Van Persie are clinical finishers.

One question over the transfer is the fee, £59.7 million is an exorbitant fee and if Di Maria doesn’t adapt to the Premier League well then this could turn out to be a mistake from Manchester United.

 

James Rodriguez: AS Monaco to Real Madrid £71.0m

This is a prime example of what a good World Cup can do for a player. Before the World Cup, there was seemingly no interest in James from Real Madrid but after his performances for Colombia this summer, Real Madrid were willing to pay more than £70 million to acquire his services. He was in imperious form for Colombia and the stats reflect that. He scored 6 goals and created 11 chances. He also completed 15 dribbles and was fouled 12 times.

He was definitely one of the best players at the World Cup but I find myself disappointed in this transfer. In a team with the attacking talents of Ronaldo and Bale playing on the wings, the only place for James is in the No10 position. However, that is Isco’s preferred position and this transfer(as well as this summer in general) shows a step away from the Spanish project that Real Madrid were beginning to build last season with the signings of Isco and Illarramendi. James is a fantastic player and will definitely develop into one of the world’s top players so despite the fact that I disagree with it, I think that he will become a vital player for Real Madrid in the next few seasons.

Luis Suarez: Liverpool to FC Barcelona £75.0m

The most expensive transfer of the summer window: Luis Suarez to Barcelona. This is a massive transfer as Luis Suarez was playing like a man possessed last season. He scored 31 goals in just 33 appearances and he tore defenses to shreds consistently in the Premier League. He completed 93 dribbles and was fouled 67 times to show just how dangerous he is on the ball. He also showed that he can create chances as he completed 12 assists and created 87 chances overall. With a massive transfer ban looming for Barcelona, this was a great move on their part. He won’t be able to play until October but once he is available, he will give them another dimension to their attack and allow Luis Enrique to tinker with his attacking set up.

The front three of Messi, Neymar, and Suarez could potentially be the most deadly in the whole world. All three are creative, intelligent, and versatile forwards who could be arranged in a number of ways to keep the defense on its toes. It was pricey, but I think that his was a great transfer for Barcelona and Suarez will definitely prove his worth when he starts scoring goals after his ban.

 

 

Premature Predictions: Barclays Premier League Top 4

The Premier League kicks off on the 16th of August and fans will be counting down the days until it begins. Last season was a fantastic season and we were treated to drama, high-scoring shocks, and some excellent football. Both Liverpool and Manchester City surpassed the 100 goal mark and took part in some ridiculously high-scoring matches. Everton played some incredible football under Roberto Martinez on their way to breaking the club’s point record. Things weren’t great for all teams however as Manchester United finished in 7th place and failed to qualify for European football for the first time since the 1989-90 season.

With the new season just a few weeks away, I take a look at who I expect to finish in the lucrative top four spots of the league. I take into account completed transfers but will also go into what each team still needs to do to finish inside the top 4.

 

Fourth: Manchester United

After a disastrous season in which they failed to qualify for European football, Manchester United will be looking to bounce back under Louis van Gaal and return to European football’s grandest stage. Van Gaal showed at the World Cup that he is an excellent manager tactically and can make the most out of what he has(remember, not many people expected the Dutch to progress so far into the tournament). Manchester United fans will be hoping for more of the same this season and the club will be buoyed by the fact that they don’t have to deal with the rigors of European football. Liverpool, Roma, and Juventus have all shown what an advantage that can be and that will be what allows them to finish in the top four.

Manchester United’s impressive summer business so far is also a factor in my prediction for them. Bringing in Shaw is an excellent signing considering the team’s need for a quality left back and although the price tag is hefty, Shaw is an incredible player at such a young age. Herrera is also a fantastic move by Manchester United and his box to box influence will be crucial for them. United have also been heavily linked to Juventus midfielder Arturo Vidal and a midfield compromising of Vidal and Herrera will be a massive upgrade on last season’s midfield duo Cleverley and Carrick.

United can also count on the talents of players such as Mata, Januzaj, van Persie, Rooney, and Kagawa. It will be fascinating to see how van Gaal shapes his teams with the amount of attacking talent he has at his disposal. De Gea was one of the few players at Manchester United who could hold his head high after last season and will be looking to continue his impressive form this season. Fans will also be hoping that van Gaal can get the best out of Phil Jones(who should be starting at center-back this season).

However, United still need to make some more transfers if they are to qualify for the Champions League again. The Vidal transfer could be key because if it goes through, United will have one of the most complete players in the world at their disposal and they could feasibly push for a title challenge with that kind of signing. With Ferdinand and Vidic both leaving the club, another center-back should be signed as well. The Daily Mirror reports that United could be bringing in Hummels although I expect the price to be much higher. Despite Klopp’s insistence, United should do everything they can as Hummels would be a fantastic signing to help replace club legends Ferdinand and Vidic.

 

Third: Liverpool

Liverpool were agonizingly close to a Premier League title last season but fell short in the last few weeks. Rodgers will now be looking to keep the team competitive in the Premier League while also doing well in the Champions League. I don’t think that they will be able to challenge for the title as well this season now that they have European football to deal with but I still see them finishing third in the coming season.

Losing star striker Luis Suarez to Spanish giants Barcelona is a huge blow to the team but Rodgers has taken some intelligent steps to improving the attack in an effort to replace Suarez. Lallana, Markovic, and Lambert are all great signings and will help provide quality and depth to the attack. Emre Can is an astute signing and his ability to play multiple positions will be a handy tool for Rodgers.

Despite losing Luis Suarez, the attack is still Liverpool’s greatest strength. They can still count on Sturridge, Sterling, and Coutinho to bang in goals and terrorize opposition defenses. Liverpool will need their midfield to improve defensively(something that the signing of Emre Can should help solve) and their defense remains a weak point. Both those areas need to be addressed if Liverpool are to finish third while playing in the Champions League.

Out of the top four teams in the league last season, Liverpool conceded the most goals and their defense badly needs signings. The reported signing of Dejan Lovren(via Daily Mirror) will help but Liverpool need to sign a left-back. With Cissokho returning to Valencia and Jose Enrique under-performing last season, left-back is an area that should be a priority for Liverpool. After an impressive World Cup, Blind should be the left-back they look to sign although Alberto Moreno has also been linked with them. Signing either of the two will go a long way to resolving their defensive issues that ultimately prevented them from winning the league last season. In the same article reporting Dejan Lovren signing, the Daily Mirror reports that Origi and Remy are close to signing with Vidal, Pogba, and Reus also on Liverpool’s transfer list.

The transfers of Origi and Remy would provide extra depth to the attack although Liverpool should be looking to reinforce the midfield and defense more than their already talent-packed attack. Though the transfers of Vidal, Pogba, and Reus would be fantastic they are unlikely to go through and Rodgers should be looking at more realistic alternatives.

 

Second: Manchester City

I don’t expect Manchester City to retain their title next season despite having one of the most talented squads in the league. Pellegrini has been a great appointment for City so far and the board will undoubtedly be happy with his work in the league. However, City so desperately want to make an impact in the Champions League and that focus could cost them the league.

City have had a relatively quiet transfer window so far. Fernando and Caballero are both astute signings that will provide depth and competition in defensive midfield and goalkeeper while signing Sagna on a free is a masterstroke. However, I think that City should push and go for one or two more signings.

With Real Madrid bringing in Kroos and probably James Rodriguez as well, Isco could be available. The Daily Mail reports that Manchester City could be set to swoop for the young Spanish midfielder. Manchester City already have incredible players in midfield but this could be a fantastic signing as it will give them more depth and Pellegrini has previously worked with him at Malaga. A problem that City have had in the recent past is finding a suitable partner for Kompany in defense. I don’t think that Manchester City need to dip into the transfer market to solve this issue however considering they have a great young center-back in Nastasic. He didn’t have a great season last year but I believe that City should keep their faith in him for at least one more season.

City’s squad is certainly one of the most impressive in the whole league. In defense they have the aforementioned Sagna, Kompany, and Nastastic as well as Clichy and Kolarov vying for the left-back berth. In midfield they can count on such talents such as Fernandinho, Yaya Toure, Nasri, and Silva among others. They have a star-studded offense with Aguero, Negredo, Dzeko, and Jovetic. Pellegrini showed last season that he can get the best out of these players and City fans will be hoping they can continue the kind of form that won them the Premier League last season.

Champions: Chelsea

I predict Mourinho to win yet another Premier League with Chelsea. The sly tactician should have a fantastic squad going into the beginning of the season and it seems as though Chelsea have finally fixed their greatest weakness: lack of a goal-scoring center forward. With this critical weakness amended I expect Mourinho to lead Chelsea to the Premier League title.

Chelsea have been the most impressive Premier League team in the transfer window so far this summer. Bringing in Luis Filipe and Fabregas are both incredible transfers that bring massive amounts of talent to the squad and both players could be key to Chelsea’s title win. Perhaps the most important one however is Diego Cost. He is the perfect striker for Mourinho’s system: he’s strong, hard-working, plays extremely well as a lone forward, and(perhaps most importantly) consistently scores goals. If he can adapt to English football, he will be lethal for Chelsea and will work well with onrushing midfielders such as Fabregas or Hazard. One cannot ignore the sale of David Luiz to PSG which was a fantastic piece of business.

With Courtois returning from Atletico Madrid, Chelsea have two world-class goalkeepers who can compete for the starting spot and competition often brings out the best in players. Luis Filipe and Azpilicueta are contenders for best full-back pairing in the Premier League while Cahill and Terry are both excellent center-backs. In midfield Mourinho has both depth and quality to work with in both defensive positions and more offensive positions. Hazard’s performances will be key for Chelsea but he will no longer have to carry the offense as much now that Fabregas(a midfielder with proven goal-scoring ability in the Premier League) and Diego Costa have joined. Manchester City might just edge Chelsea in terms of talent, but Chelsea’s squad definitely suits Mourinho’s tactics well and I believe that is what will allow them to beat City to the title.

In terms of transfers that Chelsea need, there really aren’t any. Chelsea got their transfer business done quickly and efficiently and it appears as though Mourinho is satisfied with the transfer window. For right now, Chelsea are undoubtedly Premier League favorites in my eyes.

 

 

 

The Scouting Report: Juan Manuel Iturbe

 

Team: Hellas Verona(on loan from FC Porto)

Value: €10 million(according to transfermarkt) Age: 20 

Appearances: 32  Goals: 7  Assists: 5

This young Argentinian has been lighting up Serie A with this season’s underachievers Hellas Verona. By the time this season ends, Porto will regret giving Hellas Verona the option to buy him for €15 million considering the fact that his performances have attracted the attention of several of Europe’s top clubs. That clause in the loan agreement could lead to a complicated transfer saga in which Hellas Verona will attempt to buy him before other teams make offers and selling him quickly for a profit(via talkSport). In this article I’ll be looking at his strengths and weaknesses and evaluating what teams should be looking at Iturbe this summer.

Strengths:

Right off the bat, it’s clear that Iturbe’s strongest asset is definitely his dribbling. It’s one of the things that really makes him stand out and he has the tremendous ability to both take defenders on full speed when cutting in from the right onto his natural left foot and to wriggle his way out of tight spaces. His affinity for dribbling can clearly be seen in his stats, having completed 93 dribbles in 32 games. He can use his dribbling to create chances for himself and his teammates or he can use it to win free kicks(he has been fouled 74 times this season) which is something that could potentially interest teams capable of scoring from free-kicks. That ability to take defenders on is completed quite well by his incredible pace. He can often be seen speeding past defenders and using his pace to beat players to 50/50 balls.

Another one of his strengths is his finishing ability, particularly from long-range. His power and accuracy from outside the box is quite obvious when you consider the fact that 5 of his 7 goals this season from outside the box. He is very dangerous cutting in from the right on his left foot from outside the box and defenders know that they have to close him down quickly which(in theory) could create more space for other attacking players. That ability could be harnessed very well by some of the top attacking teams in Europe.

Even though his greatest strengths undoubtedly lie in his ability to attack, Iturbe is also willing to track back and help his side win the ball. He has 49 tackles in 32 games and teams who employ pressing would be delighted with his work-rate.

Weaknesses:

Although Iturbe is a very talented player, he is a rough diamond and still has parts of his game that he needs to improve upon to reach the top of the game. Perhaps his greatest weakness is his passing and ability to keep possession. His pass completion rate stands at 72.9% and although one could say that this comes from his desire to constantly move forward(60.8% of his completed passes were forward passes), it is clear time and again that his decision-making and passing accuracy in the final third could use improvement. There are often times where rather than passing to a team-mate in a better position he goes for goal himself.

This stems from one of his great qualities, his ability for the spectacular. However, that ability can at times turn him into a selfish player and whoever picks him up will be looking for that part of his game to mature so that he can make the right decision in key areas more often.

Who should be looking at him this summer?

Several of Europe’s top teams have been linked to a move for Iturbe, but Liverpool have been the team he is most commonly linked with. The move would make sense considering the attack minded football that Liverpool have been playing. However, they may be put off by his £24 million price tag set by Verona’s sporting director, Sean Sogliano(via Daily Express).

If Brendan Rodgers thinks that he can iron out Iturbe’s decision making and passing accuracy, I think that Liverpool should move for him even if they have to pay upwards of £20 million. He is clearly a very talented player who would give them another attacking option and considering that he is only 20, there is still a lot of room for improvement.