'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
#3 Arthur (Barcelona to Juventus)
Barcelona have an ageing core and are now desperate to find some young players who can serve the club for the long-term. Then why would they sell a 24-year-old Arthur and bring in a 30-year-old Miralem Pjanic you ask? Simply because they had to do it to balance their books.
The Catalans needed to pocket €124 million from player sales in order to balance their books and the €70 million they received for Arthur's sale was used towards that. However, it does not help them much beyond serving that particular purpose.
In exchange, they have added yet another ageing midfielder to their pack. Meanwhile, Juventus has also been looking to revitalize an ageing side and they were more than content to let go of Miralem Pjanic in order to acquire the 24-year-old Arthur who has massive potential.
Though they were separate deals on paper, it effectively worked like a swap deal.
#2 Achraf Hakimi (Real Madrid to Inter Milan)
Here's a piece of business that is most likely going to come back to haunt Real Madrid. The 21-year-old had a spectacular 2 year loan spell at Borussia Dortmund and had blossomed into one of the best young right-backs in the world.
However, Real Madrid were not ready to let him bench Dani Carvajal and Achraf Hakimi did not want to wait around either. Inter Milan showed up subsequently and surprisingly signed up a bright young prospect instead of an ageing used-to-be as they have so often done in the transfer market.
Inter Milan signed Achraf Hakimi for €40 million. For a 21-year-old right back who scored 9 goals and registered 10 assists from the Bundesliga and the UEFA Champions League, that is quite a bargain.
#1 Thomas Meunier (Paris Saint-Germain to Borussia Dortmund)
While he might not have been a fan favourite in Paris, Thomas Meunier's quality is undeniable. PSG were in a precarious position heading into the transfer wind looking set to lose both their full-backs Thomas Meunier and Laywin Kurzawa.
However, they ended up extending Kurzawa's contract but decided to let the Belgian right-back leave. Meanwhile, Borussia Dortmund had the difficult task of replacing Achraf Hakimi who was going back after his successful 2 year loan spell in the Bundesliga.
They swooped right in and signed Thomas Meunier for a free. Meunier is still just 28-years-old and has several years left in his tank and given that he has been signed for free, Dortmund can keep looking for a long-term solution whilst having a top player filling in at right-back.
