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The summer transfer window is here and several European giants are looking to bolster their ranks over the next few months. We've already seen some high-profile deals go over the line and this summer, as opposed to recent ones, there are a raft of top players available on free transfers.
But that has not caused the big European clubs to shy away from breaking their bank. The transfer market remains inflated and we've seen some players being signed for ridiculously high amounts of money.
But we've also seen quite a few clubs make some economical and informed choices. Without further ado, let's take a look at three transfers which have been overpriced and two that have been value for money this summer.
Overpriced transfers
#3 Brendan Aaronson (RB Salzburg to Leeds United) - €27 million
Brendan Aaronson is one of the brightest young prospects to emerge from the United States of America in recent times. He is a versatile forward whose performances have helped the Austrian Bundesliga side win two league titles since joining them in 2021.
However, there are concerns over whether or not Leeds have overpaid for a player from a less competitive league. They shelled out a similar amount of money for Daniel James last summer and it didn't work out as expected.
#2 Aurelien Tchouameni (AS Monaco to Real Madrid) - €100 million
Real Madrid have signed Aurelien Tchouameni on an €80 million (+ €20 million in add-ons) deal from AS Monaco. The French defensive midfielder had plenty of potential suitors, which includes several European giants. That's why Real Madrid decided to break the bank to sign him.
Tchouameni is a very good defensive midfielder who excels at pressing and making interceptions. His main strengths are cutting off passing lanes and turning over possession at the heart of the pitch. But he has a long way to go if he is to become a reliable anchorman at Real Madrid.
Tchouameni is now Real Madrid's fourth-most expensive player of all time. He is also unlikely to start for Los Blancos next term given how well Casemiro performed in the 2021-22 season.
The 22-year-old has plenty of room to improve when it comes to distribution and shooting. If Real Madrid had signed him for half the amount they ended up paying for him, it would have been a great piece of business.
#1 Darwin Nunez (Benfica to Liverpool) - €100 million
Liverpool are known for being very shrewd when it comes to striking transfer deals. That's why the €80 million (+ €20 million in add-ons) they are paying to sign Darwin Nunez from Benfica feels like an aberration.
Nunez definitely had a breakout season with the Portuguese outfit. He scored 34 goals and provided four assists in 41 appearances across all competitions for Benfica in the 2021-22 season. He did a decent job in the Champions League, scoring six goals in 10 appearances.
Nunez also produced a good performance against Liverpool in the quarter-finals. But the fact of the matter is that the young Uruguayan striker might not be a significant upgrade on the personnel Liverpool already have on their side.
Diogo Jota has shown that he can be a reliable goalscorer. Mohamed Salah won the Premier League Golden Boot with Liverpool this past term.
Nunez will need time to settle down in the Premier League and it has proved to be quite a difficult league for proven strikers in the recent past. The likes of Timo Werner, Romelu Lukaku and Alvaro Morata are all good examples of this.
Value for money transfer deals
#2 Philippe Coutinho (Barcelona to Aston Villa) - €20 million
While Philippe Coutinho might go down in history as the biggest transfer flop in Barcelona's history, he could prove to be a real blessing for Aston Villa. The Brazilian midfielder impressed in his loan spell with the Premier League outfit and now they've signed him permanently for €20 million.
His release clause stood at €40 million and at €20 million, Coutinho is a real bargain. If Gerrard can get his former teammate to play at a level close to what we've seen from him at Liverpool, this could prove to be one of the deals of the year.
#1 Erling Haaland (Borussia Dortmund to Manchester City) - €60 million
Borussia Dortmund knew they wouldn't be able to keep Erling Haaland beyond this summer. Almost every single one of Europe's top teams wanted to sign Haaland. Manchester City ended up swooping him up for €60 million.
The Norwegian striker is already world-class at the age of 21. He looks like the missing piece in Pep Guardiola's puzzle and should have no trouble tearing it up in the Premier League.
Haaland's release clause was first reported to be at €75 million. City were able to land him for less than that. As such, Haaland is likely to be the best value-for-money transfer deal of the summer.
