5 biggest winners of the summer transfer window

Summer is always an interesting time for football clubs and fans alike. While some clubs go on to strengthen their squad with some fresh blood, others are dealt a blow when their emerging stars are snatched away by the big boys.These new signings not only add quality to the squad, but also give the fan base a new wave of optimism and hope. Here are 5 clubs who have done the best job so far at importing talents so far this summer.

#5 Bayer Leverkusen

While all eyes were on Borussia Dortmund and Bayern Munich, Leverkusen have gone on to bring in some real talent of their own. They are definitely looking to move ahead from their fourth place finish last season and are set to make a mark on the Champions League as well this time around.

The most impressive amongst the incoming players so far have been the signings of Swiss forward Josip Drmi and Turkish playmaker Hakan Çalhanolu.

Drmi has gone from being relatively unknown to one of the most prolific young strikers in Europe. Seventeen league goals in his debut season led to him finishing as the third highest goal-scorer in the Bundesliga. The €2.2 million that Nürnberg paid FC Zürich was certainly worth it. The Swiss striker almost single-handedly (albeit with some help from Raphael Schäfer) saved Der Club from certain relegation.

Hakan Çalhanolu’s rise has been equally dramatic. A season into the Bundesliga with Hamburg and he became the main man in their midfield in a stuttering season for die Rothosen. The Turkish wizard in the space of 12 months has put his name across the recruiting boards of a number of European elite.

However, Bayer jumped on the queue to bring the talented Turkish midfielder who scored 11 goals and provided 4 assists for Hamburg last term. While the transfer of Emre Can and Sidney Sam is certain put a dent in their line-up, they were also able to recruit Tin Jedvaj on loan from Roma and the highly rated Ukraine under-21 midfielder Vladlen Yurchenko.

#4 Newcastle United

It’s not often that a manager who has lost 14 of his last 20 games in charge of a Premier League club stays in the job, let alone expects his team to push for Champions League places in England the following season.

That’s exactly what Alan Pardew is doing at the moment at St. James’ Park. While many may believe that Pardew’s Champions League dreams might be too exalted an aspiration, there are certainly multiple reasons to feel optimistic again at Tyneside.

When it rains, it seems to pour at Newcastle. After failing to secure a single permanent signing in the last eighteen months, the club has gone on to cover all bases from present needs to future projects in the space of a couple of months as nine players have arrived at St. James’ Park this window.

The captures of Siem de Jong, Remy Cabella, Jack Colback, Emmanuel Riviere and Daryl Janmaat represent signings that are expected to immediately challenge for first-team spots. Meanwhile, the arrivals of Ayoze Perez from Tenerife and the Nottingham Forest duo of Jamaal Lascelles and Karl Darlow has given a strong hint that the club has its eyes on the future as well.

They were also right on the job to sign the talented Argentine striker Facundo Ferreyra on loan from Shakhtar Donetsk, after the forward refused to return to the Ukrainian club because of unrest in the region.

#3 Borussia Dortmund

The major transfer news surrounding Dortmund so far has been surrounding the departed Robert Lewandowski and future of Marco Reus. However, Jürgen Klopp has made sure he has all his bases covered when it comes to Dortmund’s needs at present or in the future.

In another impressive recruiting drive, Klopp brought in not one, but two forwards in the form of Adrian Ramos and Ciro Immobile who look well capable of filling the void created by Lewandowski’s departure.

Immobile was Serie A’s top scorer last season with 22 league goals in 33 games for Torino. Ramos is also a forward with proven pedigree at this level. The Colombian international was joint fourth on the top goal-scorer’s list last season in Bundesliga.

While Immobile accounted for 37% of Torino’s goals the previous campaign, Ramos had a role to play in 60% of goals for Hertha Berlin. The load on them is expected to be considerably lesser this time around with the likes of Aubameyang, Reus and Mkhitaryan there to take their share of responsibility going forward.

With Nuri Sahin now also signing on a permanent basis with the Germans to go with the additions of Ji Dong-Won and German international defender Matthias Ginter from Augsburg and Freiburg respectively, it has given their fans a whole new level of optimism going into the season.

#2 Chelsea

Jose Mourinho has finally put his mark on the squad he inherited last summer on his return to Stamford Bridge and now they resemble a side which can do real damage in the forthcoming season.

Gone are the former crowd favourites Juan Mata, Frank Lampard, Ashley Cole and David Luiz. Their places have been taken by Diego Costa, Cesc Fabregas, Filipe Luis and Nemanja Matic (added in January); the new generation of stars at Stamford Bridge that the “Special One” plans to unleash upon the Premier League and Champions League alike. The signing of Fabregas adds even more creativity to the midfield which already boasted of talents like Eden Hazard and Oscar, and brings in a player who already has the know-how of English football.

Filipe Luis brings a host of experience at the left back position while also lending balance to the Chelsea backline. He was part of the most miserly defence in La Liga last time around, helping Atletico Madrid to their first La Liga title in nearly two decades. Meanwhile, Diego Costa has been brought in to solve the goal-scoring problems that have plagued the Chelsea forward line in recent seasons. The Chelsea forwards scored only 19 goals in all competitions last season, while Costa himself scored 52 for Atletico Madrid.

Lest we forget, Didier Drogba is also back at his old stomping ground.

#1 Real Madrid

Real Madrid may have won the Champions League, but the insatiable appetite for trophies that drives this club has made them splash the cash again this summer.

The finances available to the Spanish giants is like a bottomless pit. They have certainly used the riches to good measure so far, bringing in arguably the two best young central midfielders in the world right now in Toni Kroos and James Rodriguez.

Toni Kroos’ appetite for success seems to be a perfect match for Madrid. The young midfielder has already won 11 titles with Bayern Munich and is a recent World Cup winner with Germany, having been capped 48 times by his national team. Yet, he is only 24-years old with expectedly, his best years still in front of him. That is scary.

James Rodriguez meanwhile is here because he shined at the right moment and at the right stage (by that I mean the biggest stage). His six goals and brilliant displays in the recently concluded FIFA World Cup landed him the Golden Boot and made him a coveted target of all the major European clubs.

While not on the same scale, the signing of Costa Rican star goalkeeper Keylor Navas from Levante represents a wise investment. The South American had the reputation of being one of the best goalkeepers in La Liga, and Navas did no harm to it with a series of fine displays for his country at the World Cup in Brazil.

He should push Iker Casillas if not be the first choice keeper (which for me, he deserves) for Los Blancos, after Diego Lopez decided to move to AC Milan.