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#3 Dayot Upamecano to Mohamed Simakan (RB Leipzig)
In classic Bayern Munich fashion, the Bavarians yet again raided their fellow Bundesliga side to secure one of the most coveted transfers in world football at the moment. Dayot Upamecano has been a highly sought-after player ever since his breakout move to RB Leipzig.
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Valued at €60m according to transfermarkt, the Frenchman was acquired by Bayern for a cut-price rate of €42.5m. To replace their star defender, Leipzig authorized the transfer of Mohamed Simakan from Ligue 1 side Strasbourg. At €15m, the 21-year-old Frenchman can prove to be an astute signing by Die Roten Bullen but, as of now, he is no Upamecano.
Simakan, despite being a young prospect, has just two seasons of experience under his belt. In sharp contrast, his compatriot Upamecano had already made 154 appearances for Leipzig before jumping ship. Aside from the blatant inexperience, there is also a huge gap in quality.
In the previous league season, Upamecano maintained a higher tackle win percentage of 31 in 51 attempts than Simakan's 30% win rate against 44 tackles. Harboring clear potential, the young Frenchman has much to prove at a very tender age.
#2 Rui Patricio to Jose Sa (Wolverhampton Wanderers)
Premier League mainstays Wolverhampton Wanderers have yet again indulged in the transfer of a Portuguese player, bringing Jose Sa to Molineux Stadium for €8m. His signing was initiated to fill in for the departing Rui Patricio, who moved to Rome in the same transfer window.
After three years of relentless service for Wolves, Patricio earned a deserved upgrade to Italian giants Roma. Since arriving in England in 2018, the Portuguese international managed to keep 37 clean sheets in 127 games for his club. During this period, he also appeared regularly for his national side.
Replacing him between the sticks at the Molineux is Jose Sa. The 28-year-old shot-stopper enjoyed an impressive three-year stay with Greek side Olympiacos before securing a transfer to the Premier League. However, with no international caps in his eight-year-long career, there is no debate on who is the better goalkeeper between Sa and Patricio. From the looks of it, Wolves fans already have low expectations from their latest Portuguese signing.
#1 Romelu Lukaku to Edin Dzeko (Inter)
Easily slotting in first place is the bizarre transfer of Edin Dzeko to Inter as a direct replacement for the outgoing Romelu Lukaku. Chelsea forked out a massive €115m to capture the services of their former striker. In response, Simeone Inzaghi's side signed 35-year-old Edin Dzeko from Roma on a free transfer.
Along with Lautaro Martinez, Lukaku formed one of the deadliest striking partnerships ever at Inter. In his two seasons with the Italian giants, the sturdy Belgian managed to score 64 times and registered 16 assists for the Nerazzurri. His 34 goal contributions in Serie A last season paved the way for Inter to win their first Scudetto since 2010.
Without Lukaku, Inzaghi will have to rely on Martinez and Edin Dzeko as his preferred strikers. While Dzeko has been a constant attacking threat for over a decade now, his stock has taken a serious hit due to his age.
With deteriorating pace and physicality, the Bosnian forward might produce decent numbers at the San Siro, but is unlikely to replicate what Lukaku did for Inter.
Also read: 5 players with the highest combined transfer fees (2021)
