It feels like the calm before the storm. It is very much a case of when and not if this transfer window will burst into life again. For now though, a round-up of some of the biggest deals this week.
Robin Koch
Leeds United to Eintracht Frankfurt
Fee: Loan
With Leeds United looking to trim their squad following their relegation to the Championship, versatile defender Robin Koch has returned to Germany. The 26-year-old centre-back-cum-defensive-midfielder has joined Eintracht Frankfurt on a season-long loan and will likely fill the void left by Evan Ndicka.
The former SC Freiburg man started 36 matches for Leeds last term, six more than he managed across both of the 2020/21 and 2021/22 campaigns combined. He will be a big loss for Daniel Farke as he looks to get them back into the Premier League.
Manuel Ugarte
Sporting to Paris Saint-Germain
Fee: £52million
Paris Saint-Germain finally completed the signing of the highly-sought after midfielder. Ugarte once looked set to join Chelsea following a staggering offer from the Blues but the Uruguayan destroyer opted for the French capital. The 22-year-old has had a meteoric rise over recent years.
After an impressive campaign with Portuguese side Famalicão, Sporting signed him as an understudy to João Palhinha. He eventually replaced him in the team and was one of the key reasons for his departure to Fulham. Ugarte is a pitbull without the ball, forever hunting down opponents in a quest to regain possession. He’s much more than just a destroyer though and his passing ability is underrated. Luis Enrique could do a lot of good with him.
Enzo Le Fee
Lorient to Rennes
Fee: £17million
This is something of a surprise move. Le Fee was linked with Bournemouth in January and it appeared he would be plying his trade in the Premier League. He rejected the Cherries and despite reported interest from elsewhere, he remained in Ligue 1. He did, however, say he wanted a new challenge.
Few would’ve expected to see him move to a rival French team in Rennes but that is exactly what happened. It is a bigger platform for the 23-year-old to star on and positive performances there could see bigger clubs make their move.
Kang-In Lee
Mallorca to Paris Saint-Germain
Fee: £19million
Another move that few would’ve pictured. The Ligue 1 champions have been busy in the transfer window and the capture of the former Mallorca man has the potential to go under the radar.
The 22-year-old scored six times and assisted a further six goals in LaLiga last season. Used across a number of positions, the versatile attacker racked up a FotMob rating of 7.19 for the 2022/23 campaign. He has the potential to improve under Enrique and at just £19million, he could turn out to be a bargain in the long term.
Lucas Hernandez
Bayern Munich to Paris Saint-Germain
Fee: £40million
The Frenchman has had a strange career. He was a starlet at Atlético Madrid and was tipped for greatness following his £75million move to Bayern. To this day, he is still the record signing for the Bundesliga giants.
The 27-year-old played as a full-back on occasion but would get opportunities at centre-back, however, he wasn’t ever able to make either position his own. Bayern spent more money on centre-backs every summer, highlighting the fact they didn’t have complete faith in him. PSG clearly feel as though there is some value there as they parted with £40million to bring him back to his homeland. It will be interesting to see how he slots into the backline there.
Manor Solomon
Free Agent to Spurs
Fee: Free Transfer
Having caught the eye in glimpses for Fulham last season, Solomon bagged himself a move to Tottenham Hotspur. His situation was a tricky one given he was a Shakhtar Donetsk player but FIFA ruled he could suspend his contract following the Russian invasion.
The 23-year-old scored four times in 563 minutes while on loan with Fulham and many thought they would turn the move into a permanent one. However, Spurs swooped and managed to sign him for nothing. A real coup in the current market and someone who could play a significant role for Ange Postecoglou this season.
Shea Charles
Manchester City to Southampton
Fee: £14million
Last summer, Southampton raided the Manchester City academy for a number of players. They brought in Gavin Bazunu, Roméo Lavia and Samuel Edozie for a combined £32million. If reports are accurate, they are set to sell Lavia for £50million this summer. So it is safe to say it was a successful trip to Manchester. With that in mind, it is no surprise to see them looking to repeat that trick this summer. The Saints parted with £14million to bring Shea Charles to the South Coast. He could eventually replace Lavia in Russell Martin’s midfield.
Sergej Milinković-Savić
Lazio to Al Hilal
Fee: £34million
The powerhouse Serbian has been linked with a move away from Lazio every summer for the past six years. Despite interest from some of Europe’s biggest clubs, he always stayed put in Rome. There was even some talk that the 28-year-old might retire at the club. But then Saudi Arabia came calling.
He notched nine times for Lazio last term as they claimed a surprising second place finish in Serie A. Milinković-Savić was a key player for Maurizio Sarri and earned himself a FotMob rating of 7.44.
Christian Pulisic
Chelsea to AC Milan
Fee: £14million
There had been interest from Lyon but the 24-year-old opted to make the switch to Milan. Depending on what the plan is, the 2021/22 Serie A champions have the opportunity to field Pulisic on one flank and Rafael Leão on the other in what would arguably be one of the quickest pairings in Europe.
The former BVB winger had a disappointing 2022/23 campaign with Chelsea, appearing in just 812 minutes and scoring just one goal. He isn’t the first player to leave Stamford Bridge looking to restart his career and he definitely won’t be the last.
(Images from IMAGO)
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