The 2022/23 season is around the corner with clubs already beginning their preseason tour. Movements are not only restricted to the pitch, however, as the dealings are happening in the transfer window in full swing. The clubs have found their spending power after a resourceful last summer following a Covid-hit season. High-profile signings have continued this summer too with clubs hell bound to strengthen up their squad for a tricky season ahead. The players themselves have ambitious moves not thought of before with the World Cup in sight this November in Qatar.
Unlike other seasons, most star signings happened on free but it didn't restrict the high budgetary clubs to break the bank to bring in talents from the market. Even at a time when the desired player's transfer fees are astronomical. Unsurprisingly, Premier League has hit the front again in the race for top transfers to keep adding to its reputation. The clubs believe these signings will help them improve their standings from last season and increase the level of football. We pick out five of the biggest signings that happened in the transfer window till now with two more months to go before it closes.
5) Richarlison - Tottenham Hotspurs ($60 million)
On a club record signing, Tottenham Hotspurs announced the arrival of Richarlison from Everton. The Brazilian was one of the most talked about players in the Premier League market for clubs to make a bid for and finally Spurs were able to secure the deal that amounted to $60 million. He penned a five-year-contract with the club fending off interest from their rivals Chelsea who made a last attempt to sign him but failed to meet the conditions set by Everton. Manager Antonio Conte has been able to produced more top signatures at the club this summer in the form of Ivan Perisic, Yves Bissouma, Fraser Forster, Clement Lenglet on loan from FC Barcelona and Djed Spence. Richarlison’s addition also fits perfectly to Conte’s plan as the former Watford player is very good defensively as well as offensively. Any claims of him playing the wing-back role akin to the Italian’s tactics is dashed in the preseason showings at least with Richarlison making himself a member of the illusive front three of Dejan Kulusevski, Heun-Min Son and Harry Kane. Richarlison has 64 goal contributions in 173 Premier League appearances so far.
4) Matthijs de Ligt - Bayern Munich ($80 million)
The transfer speculation of Matthijs de Ligt has been dragged on for seasons since he made the move to Juventus from Ajax in the summer of 2019 following a memorable season with the Dutch club. The highly regarded defender at that time found it difficult to adjust himself to the style of the Turin giants and like the rest of the squad is a victim of the club’s overall present situation. Now the 22-year-old have got his wish to leave the club to refigure his long career ahead. To his relief, Bayern Munich agreed to a huge $80 million deal with Juventus for the center back’s service. The Bundesliga champions needed an additional defender for the role after the departure of Nicolas Sule to rivals Dortmund and Dayot Upamecano still settling in so it looks to be a win-win situation for all the parties involved. Juventus have to sign a new center back to fill up the shortage at the back but it opens the chance for De Ligt to express himself again in a new environment. The contract will run until 2027 with the fee equaling the money spent by Bayern to bring in Lucas Hernandez from Atletico Madrid in 2019.
3) Aurelien Tchouameni - Real Madrid ($80 million)
Real Madrid have always been look out for emerging stars side by side their age old method of galatico signings in recent years and 22-year-old Aurelien Tchouameni’s transfer from AS Monaco says just that. Los Blancos reportedly splashed out 80 million to have him in the midfield to potentially turn into a key figure for the team in future. With another top French talent in Eduardo Camavinga and Federico Valverde also in the ranks, Real Madrid are looking forward to the era without the golden trio of Casemiro, Toni Kroos and Luka Modric. Tchouameni impressed hugely in the principality club last season so much that Didier Deschamps didn’t waited long to give him his debut earning 10 caps already. He also made 95 appearances for Monaco since 2020. Real Madrid has proven by the signing of Vinicius Junior that how they can nurture talent and it will be no different for Aurelien. Like the Brazilian, he seems to be another transfer coup made by the team.
2) Darwin Nunez - Liverpool ($102 million)
Probably having the best club project regarding transfers in the Premier League if not the world, Liverpool did the trick again to add another class in the making player to their ranks. The Reds broke the bank to sign Darwin Nunez, the hugely talented Uruguayan from Benfica who has bagged 26 goals in 28 appearances in the Portuguese league. Similarly, like the case of Luis Diaz, Liverpool robbed Nunez from other seriously interested club having caught the attention from manager Jurgen Klopp with the player giving his green light without dragging the transfer saga too long. The forward signed a six-year-contract and will pocket €163,000 per week at the club. Nunez gives a variety of options upfront for Klopp to try out due to his flexibility. His goal scoring exploits will help share the numbers with Mo Salah, Diogo Jota and cover up the void left by the departed Sadio Mane. In all, the Reds have added a star to their remarkable team in order to continue their brilliance over the years.
1) Erling Haaland - Manchester City ($102.6 million)
Arguably, the transfer of the window goes to Manchester City as they completed the move for Europe’s and World’s most hotly wanted striker Erling Haaland. The cash-rich club activated the release clause of the player applicable from July 01 to take him from Borussia Dortmund. City reportedly had the highest transfer fee in this summer market of 102.6 million dollars in total taking into account agent fees, signing bonuses and other clauses. Not new to football lovers, Haaland was a wanted player for every clubs since he broke out to the scene. The Norwegian scored goals in an extraordinary rate wherever he went with 89 goals in 86 appearances for his previous club. City have now added an incredible athlete to their ranks to spearhead them for more Premier League titles or the long waited Champions League trophy in future. Guardiola’s team caused devastation to the rest of the league just by playing a false nine and now putting a proper world-class number nine makes a strong team even more stronger. The transfer not only set new levels in the market but in the Premier League too.
