Power Ranking Europe's Top 25 Clubs on Transfer Window Activity so Far
If you want to keep up with the movers and shakers of European football, read this slideshow as it will power rank the top 25 clubs based on transfer window activity so far.
The transfer activity of the selected 25 European clubs will be subjectively ranked via two key factors:
- Economic efficiency of the transfer.
- Transferred footballer's quality.
25. West Bromwich Albion
1 of 25
| Notable Transfers In | Club | Fee |
| Brown Ideye | Dynamo Kiev | €12.7/£10M |
| Sebastien Pocognoli | Hannover 96 | €1.9/£1.5M |
| Chris Baird | Burnley | Free Transfer |
| Craig Gardner | Sunderland | Free Transfer |
| Joleon Lescott | Manchester City | Free Transfer |
Ideye has been on the radar of big European teams, so it is a coup for West Bromwich Albion to sign him.
"[Ideye is] a strong, quick, powerful player who likes to get in behind defences," West Brom manager Alan Irvine said, per the club's official website. "[He] is a quality striker and I'm looking forward to working with him."
Pocognoli is a serviceable defender.
Gardner and Baird provide West Brom cover.
Lescott may have been found wanting at the highest level, but he will be central to West Brom avoiding relegation.
| Notable Transfers Out | Club | Fee |
| George Thorne | Derby County | €2.5/£2M |
Thorne, an elegant ball-playing midfielder, did not want to stay.
"George has made two transfer requests," West Brom technical director Terry Burton said, per West Brom's official website. "Derby have now met our valuation for the player."
Two months ago, West Brom also released a bevy of players including Steven Reid and Zoltan Gera, per BBC Sport.
24. Hoffenheim
2 of 25
| Notable Transfers In | Club | Fee |
| Oliver Baumann | Freiburg | €7/£5.5M |
| Adam Szalai | Schalke | €6/£4.8M |
| Pirmin Schwegler | Eintracht Frankfurt | €1.9/£1.5M |
| Jin-Su Kim | Albirex Niigata | €1M/£790K |
| Ermin Bicakcic | Eintracht Braunschweig | €400/£316K |
When Baumann is not making mistakes, he is one of the best shot-stoppers in Germany.
Some games, Szalai looks like an elite No. 9, other days he plays at 3. Liga standard.
Schwegler bolsters Hoffenheim's midfield.
Don't know much about Kim.
Bicakcic was awful in Bosnia and Herzegovina's 2-1 defeat to Argentina, but he had a decent season for Braunschweig.
| Notable Transfers Out | Club | Fee |
| Joselu | Hannover 96 | €5/£4M |
| Eren Derdiyok | Kasimpasa | €2.5/£2M |
| Fabian Johnson | Borussia Monchengladbach | Free Transfer |
Joselu has size, is great in the air and can get past his marker.
Despite Derdiyok's promise, he flopped at Hoffenheim.
Johnson's directness will be missed.
23. Marseille
3 of 25
Marseille are wagering on the raw ability of Batshuayi and Alessandrini.
Should the two perform, Marseille could cash in.
Watch out for Alessandrini, who scores some of the most spectacular goals you'll ever see.
| Notable Transfers Out | Club | Fee |
| Florian Raspentino | Caen | €400/316K |
Raspentino was lively on loan at Bastia, in particular when he took over against Reims, scoring and creating a goal for Gianni Bruno.
Caen are depending on Raspentino to be the man like Youssef El-Arabi used to be.
Unconfirmed Transfers (at the time this slideshow was published)
"Arsenal and Liverpool are still in the race to sign Mathieu Valbuena after the player's agent rubbished talk of a move to Dynamo Moscow," per talkSPORT.
22. Sevilla
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| Notable Transfers In | Club | Fee |
| Grzegorz Krychowiak | Reims | €5.5/£4.4M |
| Aleix Vidal | Almeria | €3/£2.4M |
| Nicolas Pareja | Spartak Moscow | €2.5/£2M |
| Daniel Carrico | Reading | €1.9/£1.5M |
Krychowiak is superb in the air and a threat to score from set pieces. He is influential in midfield, winning back the ball 193 times last season.
Vidal provides pace and incisive passing.
Carrico and Pareja are cheap acquisitions who are already familiar with Sevilla's setup.
| Notable Transfers Out | Club | Fee |
| Ivan Rakitic | Barcelona | €18/£14.3M |
| Diego Perotti | Genoa | €300/£238K |
Rakitic arrived at Sevilla as a promising player and left as a world-class midfielder.
Perotti is the opposite because he gradually declined.
21. Wolfsburg
5 of 25
| Notable Transfers In | Club | Fee |
| Sebastian Jung | Eintracht Frankfurt | €2.5/£2M |
| Mateusz Klich | PEC Zwolle | €750/£594K |
| Aaron Hunt | Werder Bremen | Free Transfer |
Going forward, Jung was superb, creating seven goals in the Bundesliga last season. Though, he left gaping holes at the back.
If Jung ups his defending, he will be one of the most coveted right-backs in Europe.
Klich can make every pass, has expansive range, possesses vision and is technically brilliant.
He failed to make the grade in his first stint at Wolfsburg, so management activating a buy-back clause suggests they believe he can become a top Bundesliga midfielder.
You know what you are going to get with Hunt, who is a seasoned professional. He is a goal threat, he can create goals and he will hustle to win back the ball.
| Notable Transfers Out | Club | Fee |
| Tolga Cigerci | Hertha Berlin | €1.5/£1.2M |
| Nassim Ben Khalifa | Grasshopper | €150/£119K |
Cigerci could turn into a great all-round midfielder, so Wolfsburg may rue letting him go down the line.
In hindsight, Ben Khalifa should have stayed at Grasshopper.
Injuries have derailed a career once destined for greatness.
20. Hertha Berlin
6 of 25
| Notable Transfers In | Club | Fee |
| Valentin Stocker | Basel | €3.5/£2.8M |
| Julian Schieber | Borussia Dortmund | €3/£2.4M |
| Roy Beerens | AZ | €1.5/£1.2M |
| Tolga Cigerci | Wolfsburg | €1.5/£1.2M |
| Jens Hegeler | Bayer Leverkusen | €900/£713K |
| Genki Haraguchi | Urawa Red Diamonds | €500/£396K |
| Marvin Plattenhardt | Nurnberg | €500/£396K |
| John Heitinga | Fulham | Free Transfer |
It is an intriguing transfer window from Hertha Berlin thus far with management spending around €11.4 million on eight players.
Cigerci and Plattenhardt are the two players to keep an eye on. Cigerci has an all-round playing style, and Plattenhardt could transition into an elite left-back.
Hegeler and Heitinga will bolster Hertha's depth.
Schieber's career has been in decline, and Hertha are betting on his talent.
There are question marks around Beerens, Stocker and Haraguchi matching the standard of play at the Bundesliga level.
Though, Beerens is a make-something-happen type of footballer, capable of conjuring up moments of brilliance.
| Notable Transfers Out | Club | Fee |
| Adrian Ramos | Borussia Dortmund | €10.4/£8.2M |
| Pierre-Michel Lasogga | Hamburg | €8.5/£6.7M |
Ramos is one of the best centre-forwards in the Bundesliga, and Lasogga's goals kept Hamburg from going down.
19. Ajax
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Zivkovic scored six goals in his last 11 games for Groningen.
He has some of the highest upside of any European footballer. At just 17 years of age, he reached double digits in goals (11) last season.
Viergever can play at left-back, centre-back and in midfield.
The reason why these two signings are great for Ajax is both are likely to garner significant profits when they are sold.
Milik may have failed to make the grade in the Bundesliga, but he should find more opportunities to score in the more open Eredivisie.
| Notable Transfers Out | Club | Fee |
| Siem de Jong | Newcastle United | €7.6/£6M |
De Jong was a great player for Ajax, but it was time for him to test himself in the Premier League.
18. Schalke
8 of 25
| Notable Transfers In | Club | Fee |
| Sidney Sam | Bayer Leverkusen | €2.5/£2M |
| Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting | Mainz | Free Transfer |
| Fabian Giefer | Fortuna Dusseldorf | Free Transfer |
Bargain-basement acquisitions is how Schalke have approached this summer transfer window so far.
In the first half of the last Bundesliga season, Sam was one of the best players.
Choupo-Moting is an impact sub with tremendous take-on ability.
Giefer is a good signing if he can avoid making mistakes like Timo Hildebrand.
Schalke also extended Dennis Aogo's loan into a permanent deal.
| Notable Transfers Out | Club | Fee |
| Adam Szalai | Hoffenheim | €6/£4.8M |
| Philipp Hoffmann | Kaiserslautern | €1M/£790K |
| Lars Unnerstall | Fortuna Dusseldorf | €200/158K |
| Tim Hoogland | Fulham | Free Transfer |
Szalai looks like an elite centre-forward, but he never got it together for Schalke.
Hoffmann and Unnerstall were prospects who did not pan out. The latter's upside was considered lower than Giefer's by Schalke management.
Hoogland was a serviceable defender who competed with Atsuto Uchida for the starting right-back position.
17. Manchester United
9 of 25
| Notable Transfers In | Club | Fee |
| Luke Shaw | Southampton | €37.9/£30M |
| Ander Herrera | Athletic Bilbao | €36.6/£29M |
The £30 million valuation suggests United are projecting Shaw to become one of the greatest left-backs in history.
Not only does he need to be secure at the back, but he has to be a productive attacking outlet.
Ander's fee is overpriced, but he is a superb passer who works hard without the ball.
| Notable Transfers Out | Club | Fee |
| Alexander Buttner | Dynamo Moscow | £4.4M |
| Patrice Evra | Juventus | €1.9/£1.5M |
| Federico Macheda | Cardiff City | Free Transfer |
| Nemanja Vidic | Inter Milan | Free Transfer |
| Rio Ferdinand | Queens Park Rangers | Free Transfer |
United are also losing Evra, Vidic and Ferdinand, three senior players with invaluable experience.
That said, it was the right time to clean house.
While not a transfer, it was sad reading Ryan Giggs' official retirement.
Deep down he probably wishes he could do a Sir Stanley Matthews.
But, Giggs has the experience to become a great manager.
If all goes to plan, Giggs—the assistant manager—will succeed Louis van Gaal in three years' time.
16. Arsenal
10 of 25
| Notable Transfers In | Club | Fee |
| Alexis Sanchez | Barcelona | €44.2/£35M |
| Mathieu Debuchy | Newcastle United | €15.2/£12M |
Alexis is a world-class footballer who can provide a cutting edge to Arsenal's attack.
Debuchy was not the best right-back option available, rather, he was the safest.
| Notable Transfers Out | Club | Fee |
| Bacary Sagna | Manchester City | Free Transfer |
| Lukasz Fabianski | Swansea City | Free Transfer |
Arsenal should have treated Sagna better given his loyalty, but who can blame him for cashing in, especially after enduring two leg breaks.
Fabianski redeemed himself with some great displays of goalkeeping when his name was called.
In other news, free agent Nicklas Bendtner—one of the 11 players Arsenal let go last month—is living his life to the fullest.
15. Roma
11 of 25
| Notable Transfers In | Club | Fee |
| Juan Iturbe | Hellas Verona | €22/£17.4M |
| Radja Nainggolan | Cagliari | €6/£4.8M |
| Ashley Cole | Chelsea | Free Transfer |
| Urby Emanuelson | AC Milan | Free Transfer |
| Salih Ucan | Fenerbahce | Loan |
| Tonny Sanabria | Sassuolo | ? |
Iturbe is one of the most gifted players in the world. If he can improve his consistency, he will be a world-class footballer.
Nainggolan is a pit bull in midfield.
Cole and Emanuelson are useful additions to Roma's squad.
Though, Cole looked past it at Chelsea and Emanuelson is passable for a top-flight footballer.
Never-seen Ucan play.
January 29, 2014, per Barcelona's official website:
"FC Barcelona and US Sassuolo have agreed to terms for the transfer of Tonny Sanabria. The total transfer sum could reach €12 million. €4.5 million are guaranteed and the rest, up to €12 million, are dependent on the player's performance and his future value. The process to purchase the player started with AS Roma, but the transfer was closed with US Sassuolo.
"
Last season, Sanabria was a Sassuolo player, and now he is a Roma player—talk about wheeling and dealing.
UEFA president Michel Platini should investigate some of Italy's transfers, which are complex, elaborate and shady.
Jedvaj could develop as rapidly as Daniel Carvajal did at Leverkusen.
14. Juventus
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| Notable Transfers In | Club | Fee |
| Alvaro Morata | Real Madrid | €20/£15.8M |
| Stefano Sturaro | Genoa | €5.5/£4.4M |
| Luca Marrone | Sassuolo | €5/£4M + Federico Peluso |
| Patrice Evra | Manchester United | €1.9/£1.5M |
| Kingsley Coman | Paris Saint-Germain | Free Transfer |
Morata going down with a knee injury in training is a bad omen. If given an extended starting run, he is good enough to score 15-20 goals per season.
Sturaro can create scoring chances for his teammates, but his tackling needs to improve.
What you love about Marrone is how composed he is on the ball.
Evra is a seasoned professional who fortifies Juventus' defence.
Don't know much about Coman, but if he is half as good as Paul Pogba, then the transfer will be a success.
| Notable Transfers Out | Club | Fee |
| Mirko Vucinic | Al Jazira | €6/£4.8M |
| Fabio Quagliarella | Torino | €3.5/£2.8M |
Vucinic and Quagliarella leaving are not the reasons why Antonio Conte resigned.
Surely Juventus are prepared to sell their most valuable assets, a la Arturo Vidal and Pogba, which triggered Conte walking out.
13. Newcastle United
13 of 25
| Notable Transfers In | Club | Fee |
| Remy Cabella | Montpellier | €15.2/£12M |
| Siem de Jong | Ajax | €7.6/£6M |
| Emmanuel Riviere | Monaco | €7.6/£6M |
| Daryl Janmaat | Feyenoord | €6.3/£5M |
| Jack Colback | Sunderland | Free Transfer |
Newcastle United have been astute in their transfer business.
Cabella and De Jong are class players.
Riviere was Monaco's top scorer last season, and Janmaat is an adequate replacement for Debuchy.
Colback is a handy player able to start at left-back or central midfield.
| Notable Transfers Out | Club | Fee |
| Mathieu Debuchy | Arsenal | €15.2/£12M |
Janmaat may prove to be an upgrade over Debuchy.
12. Borussia Monchengladbach
14 of 25
| Notable Transfers In | Club | Fee |
| Yann Sommer | Basel | €8/£6.3M |
| Andre Hahn | Augsburg | €2.25/£1.78M |
| Fabian Johnson | Hoffenheim | Free Transfer |
| Ibrahima Traore | Stuttgart | Free Transfer |
| Thorgan Hazard | Chelsea | Loan |
Sommer has the unenviable task of replacing a once-in-a-generation goalkeeper in Marc-Andre ter Stegen.
Hahn, Johnson and Traore offer dynamism, incisive running and game-changing plays.
Excluding passing accuracy, Hahn is one of the most complete footballers in Germany.
He has speed, scores goals, sets up his teammates and is strong in the air.
It will be interesting to see if Hazard breaks into Gladbach's starting XI.
| Notable Transfers Out | Club | Fee |
| Marc-Andre ter Stegen | Barcelona | €12/£9.5M |
| Luuk de Jong | PSV Eindhoven | €5.5/£4.4M |
| Juan Arango | Tijuana | Free Transfer |
Ter Stegen will be a massive void to fill for Sommer.
Once Gladbach manager Lucien Favre changed to a system without a conventional No. 9 (he plays with two deep-lying forwards), De Jong was never going to last.
It is a shame that Arango will be off the European radar because he still has the quality to play at top-flight level.
11. Bayer Leverkusen
15 of 25
| Notable Transfers In | Club | Fee |
| Hakan Calhanoglu | Hamburg | €14.5/£11.5M |
| Wendell | Gremio | €6.5/£5.2M |
| Josip Drmic | Nurnberg | €5/£4M |
| Tin Jedvaj | Roma | Loan |
Calhanoglu is not ready for a major European club (yet), but he has the potential to develop into a world-class midfielder.
Leverkusen rate left-back Wendell highly.
"Wendell is a very talented player who...can help strengthen our squad," Leverkusen sporting director Rudi Voller said, per Leverkusen's official website. "We're convinced he can continue the tradition of top Brazilian players at Bayer 04 Leverkusen."
Paying €5 million for Drmic who scored 17 league goals is a steal.
Jedvaj, an 18-year-old centre-back, is one of Roma's many wunderkinds (the Serie A club even have one from Australia in Danny De Silva).
Jedvaj will be expected to perform at Leverkusen, a la Daniel Carvajal.
Vladlen Yurchenko from Shakhtar Donetsk has also been added to Leverkusen's squad.
| Notable Transfers Out | Club | Fee |
| Emre Can | Liverpool | €12.31/£9.75M |
| Sidney Sam | Schalke | €2.5/£2M |
| Arkadiusz Milik | Ajax | Loan |
Can was streaky throughout the season, though he has immense potential.
While Sam is a lethal impact player, the knock on him is inconsistency and injury issues.
Despite the hype, Milik failed to make an impression at Leverkusen and was below par on loan at Augsburg.
10. Liverpool
16 of 25
| Notable Transfers In | Club | Fee |
| Adam Lallana | Southampton | €31.6/£25M |
| Lazar Markovic | Benfica | €25.3/£20M |
| Emre Can | Bayer Leverkusen | €12.31/£9.75M |
| Rickie Lambert | Southampton | €5.1/£4M |
Can potentially could be Steven Gerrard's long-term replacement.
Markovic is one of the most exciting prospects in European football.
Lambert was a cost-effective signing, whereas Lallana was an inflated transfer. The positive is both have played together and are Premier League-proven.
Aspas never adjusted from being Celta Vigo's Luis Suarez to just another player at Liverpool.
What may happen is Aspas regaining his reputation—like Borja Valero, Diego Forlan and Giuseppe Rossi—post-Premier League.
If Alberto cleans up his act, he will have a lengthy top-flight European career.
If he doesn't, he will be playing football in obscure parts of the world to make a living.
Unconfirmed Transfers (at the time this slideshow was published)
"Liverpool on verge of sealing deals for Dejan Lovren and Loic Remy," per Alan Smith at The Guardian.
"Divock Origi close to joining Reds," per Ben Smith at BBC Sport.
9. Real Madrid
17 of 25
| Notable Transfers In | Club | Fee |
| Toni Kroos | Bayern Munich | €25/£19.8M |
Kroos is one of the best midfielders in the world, and he sets the tempo.
His signing signals another Galacticos era.
| Notable Transfers Out | Club | Fee |
| Alvaro Morata | Juventus | €20/£15.8M |
| Nuri Sahin | Borussia Dortmund | €7/£5.5M |
| Casemiro | Porto | Loan |
Morata is a quality prospect and should have received more extended starting runs.
Injury curtailed Sahin's chances of making it at Real.
There is not a lot separating Casemiro and Asier Illarramendi, so that is a major concern for Real supporters.
If Illarramendi does not improve, he will end up being shifted out on loan.
Unconfirmed Transfers (at the time this slideshow was published)
Per Carmen Colino at AS:
"James Rodriguez is a new Real Madrid player, with the transfer now only awaiting official confirmation. The 23-year-old has arrived in the Spanish capital after a short stop in Portugal, and an announcement of the deal is imminent. It is very likely that he will be unveiled on Tuesday lunchtime. Talks between Madrid and Monaco are complete. Los Blancos will pay around 80 million euros.
"
Per Sky Sports: "Levante coach Jose Luis Mendilibar ... insists the Costa Rica international [Keylor Navas] is still his player as things stand."
8. Barcelona
18 of 25
| Notable Transfers In | Club | Fee |
| Luis Suarez | Liverpool | €81/£64.1M |
| Ivan Rakitic | Sevilla | €18/£14.3M |
| Claudio Bravo | Real Sociedad | €12/£9.5M |
| Marc-Andre ter Stegen | Borussia Monchengladbach | €12/£9.5M |
Signing Suarez showed Barcelona's "More than a club" motto is as authentic as UEFA president Michel Platini's Financial Fair Play rules.
Suarez will lessen Lionel Messi's workload, who looked exhausted towards the end of last season.
Rakitic is a world-class midfielder who is a cheaper alternative to Cesc Fabregas.
Bravo and Ter Stegen will duke it out for the vacant No. 1 role.
| Notable Transfers Out | Club | Fee |
| Alexis Sanchez | Arsenal | €44.2/£35M |
| Cesc Fabregas | Chelsea | €34.1/£27M |
| Jonathan dos Santos | Villarreal | €2/£1.6M |
| Cristian Tello | Porto | Loan |
Alexis and Fabregas were sold off to fund Suarez in part to help Messi.
It goes to show how much Barcelona are investing in Messi to counteract Real Madrid's new Galacticos era.
Unconfirmed Transfers (at the time this slideshow was published)
"Luis Enrique will reportedly raise [Barcelona's] opening €15 million bid to Valencia's €20 million asking price in order to secure the services of French centre-back Jeremy Mathieu," per Tom Conn at Inside Spanish Football.
7. Borussia Dortmund
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| Notable Transfers In | Club | Fee |
| Ciro Immobile | Torino | €19/£15.1M |
| Adrian Ramos | Hertha Berlin | €10.4/£8.2M |
| Matthias Ginter | Freiburg | €10/£7.9M |
| Nuri Sahin | Real Madrid | €7/£5.5M |
| Dong-Won Ji | Augsburg | Free Transfer |
Immobile "was born in an offside position" like two-time UEFA Champions League winning centre-forward Filippo Inzaghi, per Rob Bagchi at The Guardian.
Having scored 22 goals in Serie A last season, Borussia Dortmund are receiving a marksman in Immobile.
Ramos is a complete No. 9 able to lead the line, poach goals, create scoring chances for his teammates and take on opposing players.
If Ramos, 28, was five years younger, he would be joining compatriot James Rodriguez at Real Madrid.
While Ginter is a world-class prospect, his positional play at times was woeful.
He can be worse than Mats Hummels on a bad day.
Though, Ginter has world-class upside at 20 years of age, he possesses prototypical centre-back size (6'2", 187 pounds) and is a passing outlet.
He also gives Dortmund manager Jurgen Klopp flexibility by interchanging from defence into midfield.
Sahin's resurrection reinforces the cliche: "The grass is not always greener on the other side."
Ji will be a glorified squad player.
It is a comprehensive and economically efficient transfer window so far for Klopp.
There is depth and quality, so Dortmund should seriously contend for the Bundesliga title.
| Notable Transfers Out | Club | Fee |
| Julian Schieber | Hertha Berlin | €3/£2.4M |
| Robert Lewandowski | Bayern Munich | Free Transfer |
Remember when Schieber was a top talent?
He was a constant threat for Nurnberg, but his career has since gone downhill.
Lewandowski out, Immobile in—keep calm and trust Klopp.
6. Manchester City
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| Notable Transfers In | Club | Fee |
| Fernando Reges | Porto | €15.2/£12M |
| Willy Caballero | Malaga | €7.6/£6M |
| Bacary Sagna | Arsenal | Free Transfer |
Fernando and Sagna further strengthen Manchester City's team, one of the deepest squads in Europe.
Caballero is an incredible shot-stopper, who will most likely relegate Joe Hart to the bench.
City signed three elite players at economically efficient prices—unbelievable.
To put that in perspective, Luke Shaw—€37.9/£30 million—is worth more than Fernando, Caballero and Sagna combined.
| Notable Transfers Out | Club | Fee |
| Costel Pantilimon | Sunderland | Free Transfer |
| Gareth Barry | Everton | Free Transfer |
| Joleon Lescott | West Bromwich Albion | Free Transfer |
| Marcos Lopes | Lille | Loan |
Lopes should have joined a smaller Ligue 1 club to maximise his potential playing time.
5. Porto
21 of 25
| Notable Transfers In | Club | Fee |
| Adrian Lopez | Atletico Madrid | €11/£8.7M |
| Yacine Brahimi | Granada | €8.5/£6.7M |
| Bruno Martins Indi | Feyenoord | €7.7/£6.1M |
| Daniel Opare | Standard Liege | Free Transfer |
| Casemiro | Real Madrid | Loan |
| Oliver Torres | Atletico Madrid | Loan |
Porto generally win out in transfer deals.
Let's say Adrian scores 20-30 goals this season. You can guarantee a club offering a chance for Porto to make a profitable transaction on their calculated gamble on Adrian.
Brahimi is one of the most lethal dribblers in Europe, so he will create a plethora of highlight-reel moments, a la Hulk and Ricardo Quaresma.
Martins Indi is a defender with immense physical attributes.
Opare was a highly touted youth international, so it is a low-risk, high-reward transfer for Porto.
Casemiro and Oliver can contribute greatly if afforded an extended starting run.
| Notable Transfers Out | Club | Fee |
| Fernando Reges | Manchester City | €15.2/£12M |
| Juan Manuel Iturbe | Hellas Verona | €15/£11.9M |
| Andre Castro | Kasimpasa | €3.5/£2.8M |
Just another regular transfer window for Porto.
4. Bayern Munich
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| Notable Transfers In | Club | Fee |
| Juan Bernat | Valencia | €10/£7.9M |
| Robert Lewandowski | Borussia Dortmund | Free Transfer |
| Sebastian Rode | Eintracht Frankfurt | Free Transfer |
Bernat is a risk-free passer, can zip past opposing players and is a left-back with upside.
Bayern Munich signed Bernat for €10/£7.9 million, meanwhile Manchester United spent €37.9/£30 million on Luke Shaw.
Lewandowski and Rode on free transfers are an indication of Bayern wining and dining opposing players.
Bayern's plan is a winning strategy: consolidate power and weaken the rest of the Bundesliga.
| Notable Transfers Out | Club | Fee |
| Toni Kroos | Real Madrid | €25/£19.8M |
| Mario Mandzukic | Atletico Madrid | €22/£17.4M |
Borussia Dortmund need to follow in Bayern's lead. If a star player does not want to commit long term, sell him as opposed to losing him on a free transfer.
That was Bayern's thought process when they sold Kroos.
Kroos and Mandzukic provided another €47 million to Bayern's reserve—the rich keep getting richer.
3. Southampton
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| Notable Transfers In | Club | Fee |
| Dusan Tadic | Twente | €13.8/£10.9M |
| Graziano Pelle | Feyenoord | €11.4/£9M |
Tadic can play across midfield and was one of the most productive players in Europe last season.
He scored 16 times and created 14 goals in the Eredivisie.
Graziano Pelle is a target man with outstanding technique and a lethal scoring record. But failing to make the grade at Serie A is a red flag.
| Notable Transfers Out | Club | Fee |
| Luke Shaw | Manchester United | €37.9/£30M |
| Adam Lallana | Liverpool | €31.6/£25M |
| Rickie Lambert | Liverpool | €5.1/£4M |
Not only have Southampton recruited two top-notch players at a fair price, they have reaped the rewards of backing Shaw, Lallana and Lambert.
This is why Southampton are ranked so highly on this list.
2. Chelsea
24 of 25
| Notable Transfers In | Club | Fee |
| Diego Costa | Atletico Madrid | €40.4/£32M |
| Cesc Fabregas | Barcelona | €34.1/£27M |
| Filipe Luis | Atletico Madrid | €25.3/£20M |
| Mario Pasalic | Hajduk Split | €3.8/£3M |
Chelsea manager Jose Mourinho is assembling his version of the Invincibles with the intent of not having a weak link in the team.
Fernando Torres is desperately clinging on to his excessive and inflated contract a la Winston Bogarde, so signing Costa addresses Chelsea's weak link of not being able to rely on a No. 9.
Despite receiving Mesut Ozil-like criticism in Spain, Fabregas is Premier League-proven and a world-class passer.
Finding an elite left-back is rare, but Luis bolsters Chelsea's back four.
Pasalic is a cash cow who has been loaned out to Elche, per Heath Chesters at Inside Spanish Football.
Chelsea owner Roman Abramovich avoided making knee-jerk decisions late in the transfer market.
"The market closes Aug 31 and we close our market on July 18," Mourinho said, per Matt Law at The Telegraph. "We did our business in almost record time."
In return, Abramovich will be expecting attacking and free-flowing football to be Chelsea's method of winning trophies.
| Notable Transfers Out | Club | Fee |
| David Luiz | Paris Saint-Germain | €49.5/£39.2M |
| Demba Ba | Besiktas | €5.9/£4.7M |
| Ashley Cole | Roma | Free Transfer |
| Tomas Kalas | Koln | Loan |
| Thorgan Hazard | Borussia Monchengladbach | Loan |
£39.2 million for Luiz? This was Abramovich's reaction.
Ba was a serviceable centre-forward for Chelsea who had expended his best football for Newcastle United.
After years of being mocked as Ca$hly, Cole proved his haters wrong.
Instead of going for financial gain playing in Major League Soccer or the Middle East, he will extend his European top-flight career by playing for Roma.
"Roma is an ambitious club, it's a challenge for me and I'm prepared to fight for my place," Cole said, per The Guardian. "This is a chance for me to try a different language, culture and way of living."
Hazard and Kalas are two of the many Chelsea young guns loaned out.
Chelsea also released Frank Lampard, Henrique Hilario and Samuel Eto'o.
Lampard is one of the greatest footballers in Premier League history and a consummate professional.
Hilario was a handy squad player who has a stack of trophies from his Porto and Chelsea days.
Eto'o's relationship with Mourinho was never the same after the age-cheating accusations, per Sky Sports.
1. Atletico Madrid
25 of 25
| Notable Transfers In | Club | Fee |
| Mario Mandzukic | Bayern Munich | €22/£17.4M |
| Jan Oblak | Benfica | €15.9/£12.6M |
| Guilherme Siqueira | Granada | €10/£7.9M |
| Miguel Angel Moya | Getafe | €3/£2.4M |
Mandzukic scored 18 goals in the Bundesliga despite not starting every game. He is a quality No. 9, who will spearhead Atleti's attack next season.
Atletico Madrid have smartly dealt with filling Thibaut Courtois' void.
Oblak is a goalkeeper of immense quality, but he is untested in La Liga.
To cover him flopping in Spain, Atleti have brought in Moya, a La Liga veteran.
Siqueira is a risky signing given his defending can be Andre Santos-like.
| Notable Transfers Out | Club | Fee |
| Diego Costa | Chelsea | €40.4/£32M |
| Filipe Luis | Chelsea | €25.3/£20M |
| Adrian Lopez | Porto | €11/£8.7M |
| Roberto | Olympiacos | €6/£4.8M |
| Sergio Asenjo | Villarreal | €5/£4M |
| David Villa | New York City FC | Free Transfer |
| Diego Ribas | Fenerbahce | Free Transfer |
| Oliver Torres | Porto | Loan |
Now this is a revenue stream.
If only Atleti ran their football club this efficiently throughout their history, because the Spanish club are struggling financially, per Alex Duff at Bloomberg:
"Atletico was late with 37 percent of payments to suppliers last season, according to its latest financial statement.
Chief Executive Officer Miguel Angel Gil said that, with Spanish banks restricting lending to the club during a six-year slump, the team turned to investors from Azerbaijan, the U.S. and Kazakhstan to help finance the signings of six players including striker Diego Costa.
Gil said he has also used a home he owns as collateral to secure a loan.
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Statistics via WhoScored.com
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