European Football Summer Transfer Window Review: Records and Dramas Coexist, Premier League Once Again the Main Character

 On the eve of a World Cup year, players were expected to act cautiously when changing clubs. Yet, over the past two months, the European football transfer market has witnessed another lively summer. It was not only about clubs spending massive transfer fees, but also about a series of dramas that pushed players into conflict with their clubs.

Thanks to its strong revenue, brand value, and appeal to players, the Premier League once again became the main character of the summer window. In both overall spending and the number of blockbuster transfers, the Premier League achieved a clear lead over other leagues.

According to the German transfer site Transfermarkt, this summer the Premier League’s total spending reached €3.56 billion, setting a new historical record and surpassing the combined total of Serie A, La Liga, Bundesliga, and Ligue 1. The five highest transfer fees among Europe’s top five leagues all came from the Premier League, while the top three most expensive signings—Isak, Wirtz, and Ekitike—were all made by Liverpool. This made Liverpool the club with the highest single-window spending in history.

Last summer, in the farewell to the Klopp era, Liverpool brought in only one new signing, Chiesa. Like a mirror image, a year later under Slot, Liverpool became the biggest buyer of the window. Despite spending nearly €500 million, the squad is not flawless. Their bid for Crystal Palace defender Guehi collapsed at the last minute, and young Italian Leoni still needs polishing. As a result, Liverpool will continue to rely on Konaté and Van Dijk at centre-back. The latter has already shown signs of fatigue in preseason and early league matches, casting doubts over Liverpool’s Premier League title defense.

Among the top ten clubs by total spending, the first seven were all Premier League teams. Ranked second to fifth were Chelsea, Arsenal, Newcastle United, and Manchester United. The Premier League’s purchasing power was not limited to traditional giants—promoted sides Sunderland, Burnley, and Leeds United also ranked within the top 30.

Real Madrid, who had signed Bellingham and Mbappé in the previous two summers, kept a lower profile this time but still invested heavily in the future, acquiring youngsters Heisen, Carreras, and Mastantono. Among them, Heisen—signed for more than €60 million—has already shown composure on the back line and even become an important ball-playing outlet.

Beyond blockbuster moves, several free transfers carried emotional weight. After 13 seasons at Real Madrid, Modrić joined AC Milan on a free transfer. Even at almost 40, Modrić rewarded the Rossoneri’s trust with excellent performances. Joining Serie A alongside him was De Bruyne. The Belgian midfield legend, who spent a decade at Manchester City, turned down offers from Saudi Arabia and MLS to sign with Napoli. For fans, watching these veterans continue competing at a high level late in their careers is a blessing.

Alongside the major deals, this summer also staged a series of “soap operas.” Several players forced moves by resorting to extreme measures such as refusing to train. Liverpool completed a last-minute €144 million signing of striker Isak from Newcastle United, making him the most expensive transfer in Premier League history. But behind the deal was a prolonged tug-of-war. After missing out on targets like Ekitike, Newcastle intended to keep their star forward and rejected Liverpool’s repeated bids. Yet Isak, unwilling to play for Newcastle any longer, not only sat out matches but also issued a public statement declaring there was no longer trust between him and the club. Although the move eventually went through, some fans questioned his professionalism.

Isak was not alone—players such as Dzekeres and Yassari also forced their way out, eventually joining Arsenal and AC Milan respectively.

But not every player got their wish. Atalanta winger Lookman, for example, was the subject of a serious €45 million bid from Inter Milan, which Atalanta rejected. In frustration, Lookman skipped training and lashed out on social media, accusing the club of breaking promises. Atalanta later explained there had indeed been a “gentleman’s agreement” to consider offers from top clubs, but only those outside Italy. As the standoff continued, reports emerged that Ivorian legend Drogba even delivered a 50-page petition from the African Football Confederation, urging Atalanta to treat the Nigerian forward fairly. For now, Lookman remains with Atalanta and may have to consider moves to leagues such as Turkey, where the transfer window is still open.

Atalanta coach Juric admitted that in such situations, the fans suffer most. He said: “Clubs and agents only care about their own interests, while the fans are left disappointed. They are the ones forced to balance reason and emotion.”

Perhaps influenced by the Isak saga, Newcastle remain winless after three Premier League rounds and sit 17th in the table, prompting some coaches to call for the transfer window to close before the season begins.

In Serie A’s opening round, Bologna defender Lucumí, caught up in transfer rumors, gifted a goal with a careless mistake—infuriating coach Italiano. He said: “Some players are still calling their agents on matchday mornings asking to leave. Others don’t want to train. It’s unbelievable. Clubs have had plenty of time to do transfers; now it should be over. Instead, we’re dropping points because players aren’t focused.”

Yet some clubs benefited from the current system. For example, shortly before the Serie A season began, Napoli announced Lukaku would face a long-term injury layoff. The defending champions quickly brought in Højlund from Manchester United, avoiding the embarrassment of relying solely on Luka as their only striker across multiple competitions.

Thus, even though proposals to close the transfer window earlier have long been discussed, given the practical realities, such debates remain stuck in a state of stalemate.