From Jude Bellingham’s move to Real Madrid and Kai Havertz’s to Arsenal, clubs are breaking the bank
Technically, there’s no off-season for football fans. While their favourite players are enjoying their yearly vacation, rejuvenating for the upcoming season that starts in over a month’s time, fans are busy keeping up with the transfer rumours. In January alone, clubs across Europe spent a whopping $1.57 billion in recruitment and given that they usually reserve bigger budgets for the end-of-the-season sale, the summer transfer will easily surpass that figure.
The departure of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi to places far away from Europe hasn’t dimmed the euphoria around the transfer market, with clubs giving stiff competition to each other as they battle it out to secure some of the most talented names in the market. We look at five of the biggest deals from the ongoing market so far.
Jude Bellingham – £88m plus £25.6m add-ons
(Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid)
You’ll find ample young prodigies capable of controlling the tempo, setting the tone and unfurling the whole range of trickery in the midfield. You’ll also find numerous youngsters with a huge appetite for goals and assists. But rarely do you come across someone who can do both, and that too with presumptuous ease. Jude Bellingham, the English wonder kid, is certainly one of them, and that pretty much explains the absurd amount which Real Madrid splurged on him. No doubt, Bellingham, 19, is for a long run. As the likes of Toni Kroos, Luka Modric, and Karim Benzema collectively enter the dusk of their respective careers, Real Madrid believes Bellingham is someone around whom they can build a team for posterity.
Kai Havertz – £65m
(Chelsea to Arsenal)
Arsenal came agonisingly close to winning their first Premier League title in ages last season. They led the points table for most of the season, before a string of draws towards the end pushed them to the second position. They’ll be back again, armed with new learnings and newer members to give Manchester City a run for the money. While the chase for their number one priority – Declan Rice – is still on, they have also added Kai Havertz from Chelsea to the mix. Havertz, unlike Rice, might not instantly improve their existing squad, but his contribution in the final third will be a big asset for Arsenal. If reports are to be believed, Arsenal boss Mikel Arteta had promised Havertz that he will be deployed in his favoured position, which is just behind the strikers.
Dominik Szoboszlai – £60m
(RB Leipzig to Liverpool)
RB Leipzig might not have a rich tradition but they are slowly becoming one of the best destinations in Europe for young talents who aspire to play for bigger clubs. A good season or two at this club will surely attract massive interest from top-tier clubs. The most recent example is Dominik Szoboszlai, who will be playing for Jurgen Klopp’s Liverpool in the upcoming season. Szoboszlai is a versatile player who can be deployed in numerous roles, but he prefers to operate as an inside forward, as this allows him to display everything from his impeccable shot-making to pacy dribbles and key passes into the final third. It would be interesting to see how Klopp utilises Szoboszlai.
Mason Mount – £55m
(Chelsea to Manchester United)
Mason Mount has had a tumultuous season at his boyhood club, having fallen out of favour as Chelsea seek to rebuild from scratch. Once he got to know about the interest from Manchester United, it was easy for him to leave his boyhood club. “Several months ago, it became clear that I wasn’t in Chelsea’s plans moving forward. Once I knew that United were involved, my decision was made up. A massive club, huge iconic players have played here and I wanted to be a part of that from the beginning,” said Mount to the club’s official handle. Apparently, the current United manager, Erik ten Hag, is a big fan of Mount’s immense work rate and wanted him back when he was in charge of Ajax.
Sandro Tonali – £52m
(AC Milan to Newcastle)
Perhaps the most surprising deal so far has been the acquisition of the Italian star Sandro Tonali by Newcastle United on a five-year deal. Widely considered as the heir apparent to the legendary Andrea Pirlo, Tonali helped AC Milan break their decade-long title drought in Serie A a couple of years ago. Newcastle United manager Eddie Howe is likely to play Tonali as a pivot, which will allow attacking freedom to Bruno Guimaraes.
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