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With little to no business occurring in the COVID-riddled transfer window of 2020, clubs have gone full out this season, shelling out close to €3.1b on signings. While the Premier League reigned supreme in terms of expenditure, with five of the top six spenders hailing from England, La Liga were on the opposite end of the spectrum.
Serial transfer window enthusiasts Real Madrid and Barcelona had to restrain themselves from forking out sumptuous amounts of money due to their financial predicaments. Nevertheless, this transfer period turned out to be one of the most bizarre windows in recent history.
Transfers that you might've missed amidst this chaos
As many as 1,547 deals were completed by clubs registered in Europe's top five leagues, in the transfer window just gone by. With so many signings materializing in such a short span, few transfers are bound to escape the human eye. Former Milan reject Andre Silva joined RB Leipzig for a nominal fee of €23m, following two brilliant seasons with Eintracht Frankfurt.
Elsewhere, Xherdan Shaqiri left the riches of Liverpool behind to join Olympique Lyon for a cut-price rate of €6m in search of regular game time. Having won multiple titles with the Reds, the Swiss international departs Anfield after three years. Meanwhile, serious Chelsea loanee Ethan Ampadu joined Venezia for his third successive loan spell. Tiémoué Bakayoko and Thomas Delaney also switched clubs, joining AC Milan and Sevilla respectively.
The sheer number of transfers that went through, coupled with the monumental significance of some, truly made this window extraordinary. Along with the gargantuan fees that the past three months witnessed, many clubs also capitalized on the expiration of players' contracts, bagging some big names for free.
PSG proved to be the clear winners of this window, completing seven deals, of which four were free transfers.
On that note, let's take a look at five of the most valuable free transfers that went through this summer:
#5 Hakan Çalhanoğlu (€35m) to Inter
In a move that absolutely no one saw coming, Hakan Çalhanoğlu joined Inter on a free transfer from cross-town rivals AC Milan. The San Siro patrons have exchanged multiple players over the course of history, with the Turkish playmaker becoming the 27th player to cross the Milan divide.
Having recently turned 27, Çalhanoğlu joined the Nerazzurri having spent four years with their noisy neighbors. The current Serie A title holders heartily initiated a deal to facilitate Çalhanoğlu's free transfer, assigning him jersey number 20 which was previously worn by Borja Valero. Having produced 80 goal contributions in 172 appearances for AC Milan, the Turk joins Inter with a big reputation.
Çalhanoğlu's inclusion will provide Simeone Inzaghi with some much-needed creative flair following the departure of Romelu Lukaku. The 62-time capped Turkish international has been utilized as a central midfielder so far and has already provided one goal and one assist in his first two games for Inter.
If everything proceeds in a similar fashion, this might turn out to be one of the best free transfers conducted by the Italian giants.
#4 Memphis Depay (€45m) to Barcelona
In a season full of gloom and doom, Barcelona managed to find a shining light in the form of Memphis Depay. The Blaugrana were victorious in persuading the Dutch attacker to join their ranks on a two-year contract. Depay arrives in Catalonia on the back of a brilliant season with Lyon, which saw him bag a career-best 20 league goals.
Following the exit of their talisman Lionel Messi, Barcelona were in dire need of an impactful frontman. With Antoine Griezmann struggling for form and Ousmane Dembele restricted to the treatment table, the Catalans turned to Depay to fill in Messi's boots. While the two players are clearly incomparable, the 27-year-old forward is already proving to be a brilliant signing by the Barcelona board.
In his first three La Liga outings, the prolific attacker has already notched up two goals and an assist. Depay possesses the audacity to taunt and take on multiple defenders and the skills to back up his claims. The confidence he exudes whilst rounding up opposition players is exactly what Barcelona need right now. Depay's signing has the potential to become the best piece of transfer business that the club have initiated in recent history.
Also read: 5 players who could still leave the Premier League
#3 David Alaba (€55m) to Real Madrid
In a rather uneventful transfer window according to their standards, Real Madrid managed to successfully pull off a major coup by signing David Alaba on a free transfer. While the combined departures of Sergio Ramos and Raphael Varane completely obliterated Los Blancos' backline, Alaba's arrival will bring some much-needed solidity to their defence.
Having spent all of his years as a professional footballer, contracted to Bayern Munich, the Austrian stalwart departed Germany after 13 years of loyal service to the Bavarians. While Real Madrid did land Alaba on a free transfer, he will reportedly earn €115m during the course of his five-year deal.
The two-time Champions League winner will prove to be an essential cog in Carlo Ancelotti's squad with Real Madrid currently possessing minimal depth at the back.
At 29, Alaba has a lot to offer to the Spanish giants, with his versatility enabling him to play as a left-back as well. With no transfer fee included in this deal, Real Madrid have managed to add an established defender to their ranks, exuding an astute business sense.
#2 Gianluigi Donnarumma (€60m) to PSG
An absolute shocker of a move, Gianluigi Donnarumma's free transfer to PSG baffled everyone in the footballing world, especially the Milan faithful. The Italian prodigy was always touted for a move away from the San Siro, ever since he made his debut in 2015. However, everyone expected the involved transfer fee to be monumental, not free.
Aged 22, Donnarumma has more than 280 appearances for both club and country under his belt. Considered to be a baby in goalkeeping years, the Naples-born wonderkid already displays the class and maturity of a seasoned shot-stopper. Due to his splendid performances at Euro 2020, Donnarumma was granted the player of the tournament award.
Refusing to sign a contract extension with his parent club AC Milan, Donnarumma was at the center of multiple transfer bids this summer but ended up choosing Paris.
Although he is yet to make an appearance for the French giants, his signing looks to be a masterstroke pulled by Nasser Al-Khelaifi and his board. With Keylor Navas already on their books, PSG arguably possess the best quality between the sticks in all of Europe.
#1 Lionel Messi (€80m) to PSG
The Ligue 1 mainstays completed a game of astute acquisitions by announcing the signing of Lionel Messi from Barcelona on a free transfer this summer. After 21 years of relentless service, La Pulga was forced to bid a tearful farewell to his childhood club due to financial restrictions imposed upon Barcelona by La Liga.
A record number of six Ballon d'Ors, 672 goals, 305 assists and a hoard of records later, Messi finally departed Catalonia earlier this summer. Spotting the opportunity of a lifetime, PSG wasted no time in persuading the Argentine magician to sign on the dotted line for them. Fortunately for the Parisians, they had Messi's best mate Neymar on their payroll to bolster their bid.
In a sensational turn of events, Lionel Messi arrived in Paris on the 10th of August to complete his fated move. He made his PSG debut against Reims, coming on as a 66th-minute substitute for Neymar.
With his current contract running until 2023, plus an option to extend for one year, the 'goat' has plenty of time to wreak havoc in the French top-flight and add another set of records to his name.
Also read: Ranking 5 clubs with the best transfer window in La Liga
