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The transfer window has entered its home stretch and there have been a number of shrewd acquisitions in addition to those which raised eyebrows.
This year sees the Premier League transfer window slam shut on the 9th of August while it remains open for the rest of the world till the 31st.
Premier League clubs, as is the norm, have brought in a lot of players through their door. The La Liga clubs have also been quick on their feet and have tried to fill the gaps in their squad. Meanwhile, the clubs in Italy have gone big to try and assemble a squad capable of challenging on the continental front.
With the clubs working against the clock, trying to get their deals over the line, it is appropriate that we look at the transfer dealings that have taken place thus far.
A fair share of surprises has come our way and the season ahead has a very different look than what one would have envisaged. An exciting and unpredictable transfer window has raised the stakes for the season ahead and we can’t wait for it to start.
Through this article, we would look at five such transfers this summer that shocked the footballing world to its core.
5. Lee Grant to Manchester United
Manchester United signed Lee Grant from the recently relegated Stoke City for an undisclosed fee, as per Sky Sports. At 35 years old, Grant does not represent an upgrade on Sergio Romero. Hence, this transfer left a lot of football fans and pundits scratching their heads.
Grant started his professional career at Derby County in 2002. Despite being capped at various age groups for England, he never showcased the required quality to earn a call-up to the senior side. It was only after his move to Stoke City in 2016 that people started to take notice of him. Though he came up with a few men of the match performances, most notably at Old Trafford against the Red Devils, he is not a goalkeeper cut out for Manchester United. Though he amassed 30 Premier League appearances in the 2016-17 season, he appeared only thrice in the season gone by.
Even in the pre-season games, he hasn't painted a very solid picture between the sticks for Manchester United. This leads those at Old Trafford to question why he was signed altogether.
In Lee Grant, Manchester United have signed a squad player which would help them send Pereira out on loan. However, they should’ve been a bit more ambitious and tried to land a better goalie to challenge Romero as the ‘cup’ keeper. These factors in addition to the fact that Grant is 35 years old, make the transfer as baffling as any this summer.
4. Gianluigi Buffon to Paris Saint-Germain
Buffon moved to PSG in the summer, calling time on his 18-year association with the Old Lady. After expressing his desire to not renew his contract, many thought that Buffon had run his race. He was tipped to retire after leading Juventus to another domestic double. However, a few days into the transfer market, PSG lured him to Paris with their ambitious project.
It has been a well-established fact that PSG wants to get its hands on the Champions League. In Buffon, they have signed a goalkeeper and a leader who has the experience of winning football’s biggest prize. While Buffon might not be able to play 50 games a season anymore, he would represent a solid option whenever called upon. His presence would also aid the development of PSG’s young French goalkeeper, Areola.
Last season, Buffon made 44 saves in the Serie A, on his way to 11 clean sheets in 21 appearances. In his first few outings for PSG, Buffon has been a stable presence in goal and has helped organise the inexperienced defence around him. When the season starts proper, PSG would hope that he can come up with more of the same.
The signing of Buffon represents a shrewd piece of business on PSG’s behalf. The fact that Buffon moved to another club in Europe, after his contract with Juventus expired, shocked the footballing world. By moving to PSG, Buffon has ensured that his last Champions League contribution would not be the infamous red card against Real Madrid.
3. Malcom to FC Barcelona
Malcom is a Brazilian winger, aged 21, who plied his trade for French side Bordeaux, before making the move to Barcelona. He moved for a fee of £36.5m, according to Sky Sports.
He was impressive in his time at Bordeaux, contributing 20 goals and 13 assists in 84 Ligue 1 games. He was one of the best players in Ligue 1 last season and scored 12 times while bagging 7 assists.
Malcom’s transfer was packed with controversy to the brim. Before Barcelona swooped in for the Brazilian, Roma had a deal in place to take Malcom to the Eternal city. Barcelona stepped in at the eleventh hour with an increased offer and the rest is history.
Malcom is a wonderful signing for the Blaugrana. Ironically, his first game for Barcelona was against Roma. He scored a beautiful goal and kept the Roma defenders on their toes throughout. He looks a player cut out perfectly for Barcelona with his movement and passing looking up to the mark. He looks set to challenge Dembele for a starting berth and if his performances are any indicator, he has quite a good chance to usurp him from the starting eleven. However, the way this transfer dealing was handled, left a lot to be desired.
After Roma and Bordeaux had agreed upon a fee, Barcelona set the cat among the pigeons by offering more money. To the shock of the footballing fraternity, Bordeaux accepted. The transfer of Malcom makes the list, not for the transfer per se, but for the way he ended up at Barcelona.
2. Rob Green to Chelsea
Another goalkeeper makes our list and this time it's Rob Green. Huddersfield did not extend Green's contract after last season. Green was a free agent and Chelsea snapped him up in the summer. He has been around the upper echelons of English football for the best part of two decades. Green has also been capped 12 times for England and was part of the squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
At 38 years of age, Green does not provide a long-term option for Chelsea. On the other hand, his goalkeeping prowess has also been on the decline. He played 47 times for Derby County in the 2016-17 season in England's second-tier. However, in the 2017-18 season, he made a solitary appearance for Huddersfield in the EFL Cup. These factors made the signing of Green more puzzling.
Thibaut Courtois is the first-choice keeper for Chelsea. However, Chelsea surely needs a better second-choice keeper than Willy Caballero. Caballero had a wretched World Cup and did not cover himself in glory with his error against Croatia. It would have made more sense for Chelsea to go all out for a keeper like Jack Butland or Yann Sommer. Butland and Sommer are reliable keepers and would have been an able deputy for Courtois.
Hence, the signing of Green left the Stamford Bridge faithful bewildered and have left many questioning the Blues’ transfer policy. This signing slots straight into the Top 2 most shocking signings of the summer.
1. Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus
The most shocking transfer of the summer involves arguably, the greatest player in the world, Cristiano Ronaldo. Ronaldo bid adieu to the Santiago Bernabeu to embark on a new escapade in Turin. He moved to Juventus for a fee around £105m, according to Sky sources.
Ronaldo had earlier expressed his desire to play out the majority of his career at Madrid. It was believed that when Ronaldo would eventually leave, it would either be for Manchester or the MLS. Hence, his move to Juventus, when at the peak of his powers, surprised the planet.
Ronaldo is showing no signs of letting up and led Real Madrid to an unprecedented 3rd successive Champions League crown in May. He scored 15 times in their victorious Champions League campaign, in addition to the 26 goals he bagged in La Liga.
For Juventus, he represents the perfect man to quench their thirst for Champions League glory. With Ronaldo in their midst, Juventus have a frightening front three of Dybala, Ronaldo and Douglas Costa in store for the rest of Europe.
Though it is a signing that seems best for all parties, not many would have predicted it coming to fruition. However, this transfer has again put weight behind the old adage: “The transfer window never ceases to amaze”.
