B/R Football Ranks: The 10 Most Improved Teams This Summer
Clubs in Europe have now had two full months to secure the deals they think will make them stronger for the season ahead, and over that period, we've seen some serious names change shirts.
From Aaron Ramsey and Antoine Griezmann to Thorgan Hazard and Tanguy Ndombele, a good proportion of the world's best players will represent different teams in 2019-20.
Here, we've taken a look at the work done so far and picked the 10 most visibly improved teams from Europe's top five leagues based on transfer work.
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It's an on-paper assessment, as that's all that's possible at this stage, but an interesting exercise nonetheless. Taking into account ins and outs, who looks stronger now than in May?
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10. Bayern Munich
Notable ins: Lucas Hernandez, Benjamin Pavard, Jann-Fiete Arp
Notable outs: Mats Hummels, Franck Ribery, Arjen Robben, Rafinha
Bayern are yet to purchase the winger many are expecting them to given both Ribery and Robben have gone, but their business still stands up as some of the most notable regardless.
After experiencing real defensive issues last season, Niko Kovac has wisely opted to bolster his back line, spending around £100 million combined on Lucas and Pavard—two World Cup winners with France in 2018.
They're both centre-backs who can play at full-back, meaning they provide a series of options to Kovac: He can use them together in the middle, either side of Niklas Sule in a three, or in wide berths, allowing Joshua Kimmich and/or David Alaba to move into midfield.
Arp is a talented young striker whose development has stalled, but he profiles quite similarly to Robert Lewandowski and Harry Kane. He now has a mentor in the former to help him out.
9. Borussia Dortmund
Notable ins: Mats Hummels, Thorgan Hazard, Nico Schulz, Julian Brandt, Mateu Morey
Notable outs: Abdou Diallo, Alexander Isak, Christian Pulisic
Borussia Dortmund head into 2019-20 without Diallo and Pulisic—two players who have played a fair role for the club over the last year and two years, respectively.
But in typical BVB fashion, even when losing talent, they look to have come out on top.
Hummels isn't what he was in 2014, but he still has plenty left to offer—particularly from a leadership standpoint—and both Hazard and Brandt are excellent young players.
Schulz's rapid improvement at Hoffenheim convinced Lucien Favre to pull the trigger on him as the club's new left-back; Morey is full of potential and could grow into a role on the opposite side.
8. Bologna
Notable ins: Andreas Skov Olsen, Riccardo Orsolini, Takehiro Tomiyasu, Stefano Denswil, Jerdy Schouten
Notable outs: Filip Helander
The list of players Bologna have brought in this summer is extremely intriguing. You won't be familiar with all of them, but this is your advance warning: Tune in and catch this side to see how they get on.
Particularly interesting are Olsen, who scored 22 goals in Denmark last season, showcasing a wand of a left foot, and Tomiyasu, who has put in some dominant performances against good strikers for Japan over the last year.
Denswil has Champions League experience, and Schouten shone at Excelsior in 2018-19.
7. West Ham
Notable ins: Pablo Fornals, Sebastian Haller
Notable outs: Marko Arnautovic, Pedro Obiang, Edimilson Fernandes, Lucas Perez
West Ham have had too many false dawns over transfer windows in the past, so if fans are feeling a little cautious over what's happened so far this summer, you can understand it.
But this summer has been different.
Sidestepping their usual scattergun approach, they've instead invested bigger sums in a couple of excellent players. Getting Fornals in before the Under-21 European Championships was a masterstroke, while Haller is an excellent replacement for Marko Arnautovic.
Fornals, Manuel Lanzini and Felipe Anderson working off Haller's big frame will be very difficult for Premier League defences to handle.
6. RB Leipzig
Notable ins: Ademola Lookman, Christophe Nkunku, Hannes Wolf, Luan Candido
Notable outs: Bruma
As usual, RB Leipzig have spent their summer recruiting top young talent ready for moulding.
With Julian Nagelsmann at the helm, players know they'll get both the chance to play and a good education—it's a winning formula, and it's no surprise more and more are going for it.
The east German outfit have welcomed Lookman back on a permanent basis after borrowing him for a spell in 2018, while they've also taken advantage of Paris Saint-Germain's short-termism, securing Nkunku on the cheap.
Playmaker Wolf and full-back Candido complete the set so far, with only Bruma—who never quite found his groove in Leipzig—going the other way. The big question hovering, though, concerns Timo Werner's future. Should he leave this summer, Leipzig's net transfer work will look rather different.
5. Barcelona
Notable ins: Antoine Griezmann, Frenkie de Jong
Notable outs: None
Barcelona's reaction to failing at the Champions League semi-final stage again has been to hit the market—and what they've come back with strengthens them greatly.
It's unclear exactly how Griezmann fits into this side, but a versatile, attacking piece of his overwhelming quality will only make them better—and most importantly, perhaps, less reliant on Lionel Messi in big moments.
De Jong is the heir to Sergio Busquets' throne, and given his slight decline last season, Barca have timed this addition perfectly. A Barca midfield not controlled by any of Busquets, Andres Iniesta or Xavi will be a strange sight, but one we are undeniably rapidly approaching.
4. Inter Milan
Notable ins: Stefano Sensi, Diego Godin, Valentino Lazaro, Nicolo Barella
Notable outs: None
Antonio Conte's first season at a new club is always intriguing, as the immediate boost he often gives can propel a set of players to new heights.
He's completely revamped the central midfield, bringing in rising Italian stars Sensi and Barella for a different look; they now boast incredible depth in that area.
Lazaro should provide the impetus at right-wing-back required, while Godin will settle into the middle of the defensive three and immediately start calling the shots.
3. Aston Villa
Notable ins: Wesley, Tyrone Mings, Douglas Luiz, Matt Targett, Ezri Konsa, Trezeguet, Anwar El Ghazi, Bjorn Engels, Jota, Kortney Hause
Notable outs: Albert Adomah, Glenn Whelan, Alan Hutton, Mile Jedinak, Tommy Elphick
It's no surprise Aston Villa have breached the £100 million spending mark given the state of the squad entering the summer.
A slew of contract releases left them with as few as 13 legitimate outfield options on the books, meaning they not only needed to find quality as they stepped up a division, but also quantity.
An entirely new defensive line has been purchased in 2019, the midfield's been bolstered, the wings have been added to and there's a new focal point up front in Wesley.
It remains to be seen whether this many new players can jell and perform together—though it should be noted three are returning loanees and two more have worked with manager Dean Smith in the past—but they're undeniably a lot stronger than last season, replacing a glut of 30-something-year-olds with younger, better players.
2. Real Madrid
Notable ins: Eden Hazard, Luka Jovic, Eder Militao, Ferland Mendy, Rodrygo
Notable outs: Mateo Kovacic, Marcos Llorente, Raul De Tomas, Theo Hernandez
It might sound a strange thing to say following a 7-3 defeat in the International Champions Cup, but Real Madrid have got a lot stronger this summer; you need only glance through the names they've brought in to remind yourself of that.
Hazard is the headline capture, followed up by excellent buys in Jovic, Mendy and Eder Militao. The only players sold have been fringe or rotational options.
Now the question becomes how Zinedine Zidane pieces it all together formation-wise—that, more than anything else, was the problem at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on Friday.
1. Juventus
Notable ins: Matthijs de Ligt, Cristian Romero, Luca Pellegrini, Merih Demiral, Aaron Ramsey, Gianluigi Buffon, Adrien Rabiot
Notable outs: Leonardo Spinazzola, Riccardo Orsolini
Juventus have carved out a reputation as extremely smart operators in the transfer window, and a glance at this summer's work illustrates why.
They're buying for both a short-term Champions League tilt and the long-term stability, while simultaneously selling off fringe players for good money to fund it.
De Ligt was one of the prizes of the summer, and Juve secured him; Ramsey and Rabiot bolster an already excellent midfield; and Buffon returns home.
Romero, Pellegrini and Demiral can develop either on loan or on the training fields.
All statistics via WhoScored.com.
