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After an exhilarating summer transfer window and the World Cup, we are approaching the halfway line of the 2022-23 season with title races heating up in Europe's top five leagues. The Premier League is seeing promising signs of the renaissance of the old guard - Arsenal and Manchester United, the former being the surprise leaders.
Meanwhile, Barcelona are top of the table in Spain, three points ahead of bitter rivals Real Madrid. In Italy, Luciano Spalletti’s brilliant Napoli have left the rest of the pack in the dust with their free-flowing football. It’s a familiar tale in the Bundesliga and Ligue 1 with the usual suspects Bayern Munich and Paris Saint-Germain on course to win yet another domestic title.
The 2022 summer transfer window oversaw several high-profile signings made at exorbitant prices. Unsurprisingly, there are enormous expectations and pressure on big-money signings to perform their magic from the word go. While some transfers have lived up to their hefty price tags, a few others have flattered to deceive. Here are the 5 most expensive players of the 2022 summer transfer window and how they have fared so far.
#5 Casemiro to Manchester United (£63.5m)
A key architect of Real Madrid's wildly successful midfield trio, a lot of eyebrows were raised when Manchester United decided to break the bank for Casemiro's transfer. Former Manchester United legends were quick to criticize the signing, dubbing it a "panic buy." Pundits questioned the hefty price tag for a player in his 30s. Fans also feared that Casemiro, having won it all with Madrid, was looking for one last payday from his most recent transfer.
It took Casemiro a while to impose himself as a starter for Erik ten Hag's side. But his commanding presence, astonishing passing range, ability to win duels and intercept the ball has made him an invaluable part of the team. Footballing ability aside, Casemiro's leadership and elite mentality hasn't gone unnoticed either, quickly becoming a fan favorite at Old Trafford. The narrative has now shifted, with ex-players and pundits lavishing praise on Manchester United's new star.
Verdict: 9.5/10
#4 Darwin Nuñez to Liverpool (£67.5m)
Darwin Nuñez became Liverpool's most expensive transfer of all time when they splashed £67.5m on the mercurial Uruguayan. Darwin Nuñez has since become arguably the most entertaining player in the Premier League and an agent of chaos.
With five goals in 13 Premier league games, and three goals in six Champions League appearances, Nuñez has been the definition of a hit or miss player. His clever, energetic movement that troubles opposition defenders is often followed by moments of unpredictability, heavy touches, and wayward shooting. Nuñez has missed 15 big chances this season, more than any other player in the league with a shot conversion rate of 6.4%.
Liverpool have struggled to reach the standards of their previous seasons and Nuñez's transfer decision has been in the spotlight. However, Liverpool's problems go far deeper, and as Nuñez's excellent underlying numbers suggest, there is hope that the transfer will come good eventually.
Verdict: 6.5/10
#3 Aurélien Tchouaméni to Real Madrid (£72m)
Spanish giants Real Madrid's Luka Modric, Toni Kroos and Casemiro formed a legendary midfield trio that bossed the middle of the pitch for nearly a decade. As Modric and Kroos approached the dawn of their glittering careers, while Casemiro departed later in the summer, Madrid needed to infuse new blood into their midfield.
Following the transfer of Eduardo Camavinga from Rennes in the previous window, Real Madrid went after another highly rated French midfielder, Aurélien Tchouaméni, beating Paris Saint-Germain in the transfer race. Tchouaméni is a physical monster with elite ball-winning abilities, is press resistant, and a great progressive passer.
Following his transfer, Tchouaméni has become an integral part of the Madrid team, complementing Toni Kroos well. Filling Casemiro's shoes is a daunting challenge but Tchouaméni has every tool needed to match his illustrious predecessor. At 22, he is still young and will continue to grow, and looks destined to become a world-class holding midfielder for years to come.
Verdict: 8/10
#2 Wesley Fofana to Chelsea (£72.3m)
Dealing with the double blow of losing Antonio Rudiger and Andreas Christensen in the same window on a free transfer, Chelsea's hands were forced to spend big on their replacements. Quick, aggressive and intelligent, Fofana established himself as one of the best young defenders in the world before suffering a horrific injury in a pre-season friendly and missing most of the 2021-22 season.
Wesley Fofana has endured a frustrating start to life in west London. He featured in only four games in all competitions before injuring his knee that forced him out of action for more than two months. He injured his knee again on his return in a friendly that was held behind closed doors. Fofana's injury history depicts a worrying story; he has missed 455 days due to injury since the 2019-20 season.
Wesley Fofana is still young and has a lot of time on his side. However, with Chelsea loanee Levi Colwill impressing at Brighton & Hove Albion, Chelsea coughing up £72.3m on him is shaping up to be a colossal waste of money.
Verdict: 2/10
#1 Antony to Manchester United (£85.5m)
Manchester United spent a fortune on Erik ten Hag’s former protege at Ajax, Antony. After the failed pursuit of Frenkie de Jong, the Glazers were under pressure to deliver. They were forced into another exhausting transfer saga that involved Antony refusing to train and openly talking up a move to the Red Devils. Antony’s Brazilian flair, trickery and technical security made him one of the most exciting wingers on the market.
Since signing for United, Antony has featured in nine Premier League games, scoring three times, and in five Europa league games, with zero attacking returns. While he's shown glimpses of his undeniable talent, he has come under heavy criticism for his showboating, one-footedness and inability to consistently beat his man in 1v1s.
Although he is yet to justify his price tag yet, it’s still early days in his Manchester United career, and fans will have to remain patient with Antony.
Verdict: 5/10
