Ranking the 10 best signings of this transfer window

This transfer window has been one of the most unusual ones we have ever seen. The financial strain caused by the Covid pandemic affected all clubs to a great extent and several clubs had to walk away from deals that they would have otherwise sanctioned.

We had an exciting transfer deadline day yesterday and now the clubs are going to have to settle down with the squads at their disposal. Several top European clubs made giant strides in the transfer window despite the pandemic by striking some bargain deals.

On that note, let's take a look at the best 10 signings of the transfer window.

---

#10 Ruben Dias to Manchester City

Leeds United v Manchester City - Premier League

Benfica have been one of the best sellers around and they continue to stay true to their habit of offloading their youth players for a fortune. Benfica centre-back Ruben Dias joined Manchester City for a whopping €68 million.

Manchester City hadn't earmarked Dias as a priority signing. In fact, Pep Guardiola wanted Kalidou Koulibaly from Napoli. However, the Cityzens share a fractured relationship with Napoli after the Jorginho fiasco from last summer and an agreement couldn't be reached.

They also looked at Atletico Madrid's Jose Gimenez but they couldn't afford him. So they turned to Ruben Dias. At the end of the day though, Pep wanted a promising centre-back who can be a long-term partner for Aymeric Laporte and Dias fits the bill.

#9 Gareth Bale to Tottenham Hotspur

Gareth Bale

Gareth Bale, by the end of his Real Madrid stint, had become a part-time footballer and full-time golfer. It would be unfair to say that Real Madrid didn't reap the reward for spending €100 million for the Welshman back in 2013. His contributions have been great but his rapport with everyone involved at the club, not so much.

His stint at the Spanish capital had been blighted by injuries and he had fallen out of favour with the board and Zinedine Zidane. But Tottenham Hotspur have now offered a lifeline to Gareth Bale and it could be a signing that could work out great for both parties.

Given the way Spurs are playing now, the integration of Gareth Bale could further boost their title aspirations and bring a whole another dimension to their overall game. As such, we think it's a great piece of business for Spurs.`

#8 Donny van de Beek to Manchester United

Donny van de Beek

It's not the signing that Manchester United fans had been hoping for but it's one they will not complain about. Donny van de Beek has learnt from the best at Ajax and is one of the most intelligent youngsters in world football at the moment.

He rose through the ranks at Ajax and has made a name for himself with his excellent movement and dynamic playing style. He is a good addition to the Manchester United midfield as he is unlike the rest in terms of what he offers on the field.

As far as Manchester United are concerned, signing Van de Beek for €40 million is a steal in the current market. Ajax have, meanwhile, once again made a great profit from selling one of their youth products.

#7 Kai Havertz/Timo Werner to Chelsea

Timo Werner

RB Leipzig had signed Timo Werner in 2016 from VfB Stuttgart for €10 million. Though they couldn't do much about Werner's situation since he had a release clause and Chelsea were willing to trigger it, they still made a big profit from his sale.

As for Chelsea, they desperately needed yet another star striker and they definitely have signed one of the most promising young attackers in the game. Werner has also looked promising in his outings for the Stamford Bridge outfit so far.

Chelsea were also able to pay for the transfer by using the funds from the Alvaro Morata transfer, the payment of which happened this summer though the deal had been agreed with Atletico Madrid in the 2019 transfer window.

Kai Havertz is a joy to watch on the football pitch. His delicate touches and flicks will improve Chelsea's game in and around the final third and though they had to break the bank to secure his services, it's an investment that is expected to pay dividends in the near future.

#6 Sergio Reguilon to Tottenham Hotspur

Sergio Reguilon

That Zinedine Zidane did not want Sergio Reguilon back at Real Madrid after his loan spell at Sevilla was no reflection of the young left-back's abilities. He is an attacking fullback who loves to shuttle up and down the flanks and can also whip in some delightful balls into the box.

He fits a Jose Mourinho system to the T. To make things better, Tottenham Hotspur were able to sign him for €30 million though it has been reported that Real Madrid have a €45 million buy-back clause.

Manchester United were also interested in the fullback. However, since they remained committed to the Jadon Sancho pursuit in which they ultimately failed, they were not willing to pay €30 million for Reguilon particularly when Real Madrid wanted to insert a buy-back clause.

#5 Ben Chilwell to Chelsea

Chelsea v Crystal Palace - Premier League

Ben Chilwell was expected to make the switch from Leicester City to Chelsea as soon as the latter's interest in the youngster started getting widely documented. Chilwell had burgeoned into one of the most promising fullbacks in the English top-flight and Chelsea did well to get their man.

Leicester had initially insisted on Chelsea paying £80 million in order to sign him. However, their post Covid restart slump saw them miss out on a Champions League spot and ended up having to sell Chilwell for £50 million; which is still a lot of money.

Chelsea have Marcos Alonso and Emerson on their payroll but both had been in quite underwhelming in recent times. So Chilwell is a great addition to the team.

#4 Thiago to Liverpool

Thiago Alcantara

It's not every summer that a playmaker of Thiago's quality is available for around £20 million. In fact, it is almost unheard of in recent times. But Jurgen Klopp has got such an exciting project going on at Anfield that the continental treble winner Thiago decided that if he were to seek a fresh challenge, he was going to Merseyside.

Thiago is 29-years-old and still has quite a few years left in his tank and is one of the best midfielders in the world. The only criticism that Liverpool have faced of late is that they do not have enough creativity in midfield to complement their incredible frontline.

Now, Jurgen Klopp has found a £20 million world-class solution. They also pipped Manchester United to Thiago's signing and that just makes the deal sweeter.

#3 Leroy Sane to Bayern Munich

Leroy Sane

The immense wealth of world-class attacking talent at Pep's disposal was too good to last a long time. Leroy Sane was excellent for Manchester City in the 2017-18 season, winning the PFA Young Player of the Year award but had to compete with Raheem Sterling for a starting spot.

His form suffered subsequently but he came close to joining Bayern Munich for a reported £100 million in the summer of 2019. However, he suffered a torn ACL in what was supposed to be his final game for Manchester City and the move fell apart. Sane's contract at Manchester City would have run its course in 2021 and as such, this summer, the Cityzens were keen to cash in on him.

So Bayern Munich got their man for €49 million, less than half of what they were willing to pay for him last summer. Sane is now viewed as a long-term replacement to the likes of Arjen Robben and Franck Ribery.

#2 James Rodriguez to Everton

James Rodriguex

James Rodriguez was the star of 2014 FIFA World Cup and Real Madrid signed him up immediately for a €75 million. After impressing initially, his form faded and given how rich Real Madrid were in the midfield department, they did not take kindly to Rodriguez's dip in form.

The Colombian subsequently had a largely impressive 2-year loan spell at Bayern Munich under Carlo Ancelotti. Ancelotti, who is now the Everton manager, is well aware of Rodriguez's talent and wanted to build his team around a creative playmaker.

To land James Rodriguez for €23 million is an absolute bargain and Rodriguez has already shown signs of being one of the standout performers of this season. The Toffees remain undefeated so far this season and it is no small part thanks to James Rodriguez excellent performances.

#1 Achraf Hakimi to Inter Milan

Achraf Hakimi

At times, it is very hard to make sense of the the way that Real Madrid do business in the transfer market. It is uncertain what else Hakimi could have done during his loan spell at Borussia Dortmund to convince the Real Madrid bosses to keep him at the club.

Hakimi was one of Borussia Dortmund's best players last season and has the quality to walk into the playing XIs of several European giants. However, Real Madrid could not guarantee Achraf Hakimi a starting berth and a player of his quality shouldn't really settle for any less.

Props to Inter Milan for showing up on time to strike a cut-price deal though. They were able to sign one of the best full-backs in the world for €40 million and he should fit seamlessly into Antonio Conte's system at Inter Milan.