So the Greatest Show on Earth comes to a close and the players can take a well earned, but short, breather; which is more than can be said for Europe’s money men!
The big leagues in Europe kick off soon, and FIFA 2018 will take its place as a fond memory of a fantastic tournament. Now it’s back to business, and the top coaches in La Liga, Serie A, the Bundesliga and Ligue 1 want to keep their best talent and, if possible, bring some new blood in.
The early bookies odds on the winners of the biggest leagues have already been set, but we’ll see a nudge or a jolt when the eye-catching deals happen.
Notable transfers
Of course, it’s not just the World Cup winners who attract the recruitment teams’ attention. With 32 teams to go to, the wealth of talent on show at the World Cup has been breathtaking at times. None more so than in Cristiano Ronaldo’s one-man show for Portugal against Spain. And no sooner had Portugal exited the tournament, the Beautiful One made a £120m switch to Juventus.
That move has set a flurry of rumours running as to who might replace Ronaldo, but Los Blancos’ biggest deal in the meantime is the £36m capture of Real Sociedad’s defender Alvaro Odriozola.
Ronaldo’s international teammate, William Carvalho, has just completed a £18m switch from Sporting Lisbon to Real Betis, and that looks like good value to me. The 26-year-old defensive midfielder impressed in Russia and has been rewarded with a five-year deal.
Barca picked up midfielder Arthur from Gremio in a £28m swoop, while Thomas Lemar’s £59m transfer, from Monaco to Atletico Madrid, has signalled Diego Simeone’s intentions to try and make another assault on the La Liga title.
Monaco already secured the signature of Lyon striker Willem Geubbels which will go some way to replacing the attacking threat of Lemar.
Radja Nainggolan’s £34m move from Roma to Inter Milan was the first big deal of the summer and, having been left out of the Belgium World Cup squad, he’ll be champing at the bit. The combative midfielder has quit international football and is ready to do his all for his new club. He’ll be a big asset in both Serie A and the Champions League.
Nice forward Alassane Plea has moved from Nice to Borussia Monchengladbach in a £22m deal, and that has upset Premier League’s Newcastle United who have done their best to capture his signature.
Swiss Midfielder Thomas Delaney has made a £20m move from Werder Bremen to Borussia Dortmund. After his solid displays in the World Cup, that looks like good value, too.
And who can forget Gigi Buffon’s move from Juve to PSG? The Bianconeri wish him the best of luck, and it would be great to see the great goalkeeper in the Champions League again next year. Here’s hoping.
Who’s next?
So how do you replace a man like Cristiano? Well, Eden Hazard has been mentioned as a serious target for Real Madrid, so it will be interesting to see if there is movement at Chelsea, following the departure of head Coach Antonio Conte.
Belgium coach Roberto Martinez says Hazard would be a perfect fit for the Bernabeu, and the attacking midfielder may feel the time is right for him to take on a new challenge.
Meanwhile. Los Blancos have denied they have made a bid for PSG’s Neymar, but the Ligue 1 giants are ready to make the Brazilian striker a huge offer to stay; even bigger than the last one. He’ll be rolling around in delight!
Maurizio Sarri has been installed as the new Chelsea boss, and Jorginho has followed him from Napoli to Stamford Bridge on a five-year deal. The Brazil star has been one of the most watched midfielders in Europe; Chelsea are delighted to get their man.
There is a whisper that N’Golo Kante may be interesting Barca and that the Catalans have also been offered the chance to sign Manchester United’s midfielder and World Cup finalist Paul Pogba.
Both Kante and Pogba have had good tournaments and there could be something in one, if not both.
Winners and Losers
As far as the Ronaldo deal goes, I expect both sides will be happy. Juventus have their man to sell bucket-loads of merchandise and help them win an eighth successive Scudetto, while Los Blancos have pocketed a cool £120m for a 33-year-old. Misty-eyed Manchester United fans’ hopes of their beloved CR7 ever returning to Old Trafford have now faded, if not gone.
Meanwhile, across the road at the Etihad, apparently, bosses at Manchester City are furious that their move for Jorginho collapsed. But then you wouldn’t swap Pep for Sarri, would you?
Atleti’s capture of Lemar is a coup; but I still think the best value of the summer to date is Nainggolan’s move from Rome to Milan, so Inter are my biggest winners…for now!
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