Ranking the 5 best signings of this transfer window in Europe

The 2023 summer transfer window in Europe drew to a close on September 1. It was a summer marked with a lot of transfer activity and we've seen plenty of deals happening in the past few months.

Top clubs across the continent set out their transfer agendas pretty early and were proactive about getting deals over the line from the start of the summer. Despite most clubs approaching the transfer window in a systematic fashion, we still managed to juice plenty of chaos and drama on deadline day.

Now that the transfer window has closed, it's time to shift the focus back onto the pitch. Teams will need to make do with what they have now and we're all excited to see how the new signings will fare in their new teams.

Without further ado, let's take a look at five of the best signings of this transfer window in Europe.

#5 Manuel Ugarte | Sporting Lisbon to Paris Saint-Germain |

Tough defensive midfielder Manuel Ugarte gave Sporting Lisbon more than their money's worth in two seasons since joining them for €6.5 million in 2021. Paris Saint-Germain needed to sign a tenacious defensive midfielder this summer and decided to trigger Ugarte's €60 million release clause.

Ugarte is an excellent midfield destroyer who can break up attacks and turn over possession. He is also a very neat passer of the ball and at just 22 years of age, he has a very bright future ahead of him.

€60 million doesn't seem too dastardly a fee in the current transfer market and Ugarte could become a very important player for the Ligue 1 champions.

#4 Dominik Szoboszlai | RB Leipzig to Liverpool |

Newcastle United v Liverpool FC - Premier League

RB Leipzig are one of the best selling clubs in Europe. They signed Dominik Szboszlai in 2020 for a sum of €20 million and sold him to Liverpool for €70 million this summer. The mark-up in price has definitely been made easy by the Hungarian midfielder's exploits in the past few seasons.

Szoboszlai is a technically gifted and dynamic midfielder who can play a variety of roles in attack and midfield. He is a wonderful ball progressor and is a player who will work tooth and nail every time he is sent out onto a football pitch.

The 22-year-old is also a set-piece specialist and he is an upgrade on the players Liverpool had in their midfield last season. The early signs are promising and it looks like Szoboszlai will prove to be an inspired signing for the Reds.

#3 Declan Rice | West Ham United to Arsenal |

Heading into the summer transfer window, Declan Rice was linked to multiple top European clubs. It came as a bit of a surprise that it was Arsenal who finally ended up securing his services.

The Gunners, coming off an impressive Premier League campaign, acted quickly and decisively to rope in one of the best defensive midfielders on the planet this summer. At €116 million, Rice is Arsenal's most expensive signing of all time.

His track record in the Premier League is unquestionable and will most certainly improve Arsenal's midfield considerably. It's a great deal for all parties concerned.

#2 Harry Kane | Tottenham Hotspur to Bayern Munich |

Having entered the final year of his contract with Tottenham Hotspur, there was every chance that Harry Kane was going to leave them this year. Whichever team was going to secure his services was going to benefit greatly. Kane is undoubtedly one of the best strikers of the modern era.

He also has quite a few years left in him. Spurs had to let their main man leave but they did get €100 million for him and that's not too bad for a player who has already turned 30. As for Bayern, they've finally replaced Lewandowski with a very reliable goalscorer.

Kane should prove to be worth every penny they've paid for him and should alleviate their goalscoring concerns massively for the next few years.

#1 Jude Bellingham | Borussia Dortmund to Real Madrid |

Real Madrid paid €103 million to Borussia Dortmund for Jude Bellingham. Even then, it looks like an absolute bargain for Real Madrid simply because of the sheer potential that Jude Bellingham has.

The 20-year-old is absolutely world-class and he's already started to repay the faith that Los Blancos have shown in him. He has been their standout performer in the opening weeks of the new season.

Bellingham has scored in each of Real Madrid's four La Liga matches so far. He has five goals and one assist in total and looks to be set to have a phenomenal debut season at the Santiago Bernabeu.