And so begins the football frenzy of transfers – the time when fans of clubs get excited and anticipate the arrivals of new players to inject enthusiasms and fresh impetus into their teams. The European transfer window opens on July 1 every season officially. With the Qatar World Cup 2022 behind us, players can again shift their focus back to their clubs and gear up for another exciting football season. There’s much to look forward to this summer, and not just the transfer window but also the Saudi takeover of football and Manchester Utd’s ownership ordeal, but I will address these in future blogs.
The summer transfer window began with a bang as Liverpool made the first real mark swiftly moving in for Brighton’s World Cup winning Argentinean midfield maestro – Alexis Mac Allister. The Reds signed him for a £35 million transfer fee, which is being touted as a superb deal considering the inflated prices around the market. He will add much needed creativity and nous to an injury ravaged and ageing midfield, which many blamed for Liverpool’s lackluster previous season. The club quickly followed up that deal with the surprise signing of dazzling Hungarian youngster Dominik Szoboslai from German side Red Bull Leipzig. Szobolsai was seen as one of the rising talents of the Bundesliga and his contract with Leipzig contained a hefty £60.1m release clause, which Liverpool activated dramatically on the last day of June. The Premier League club don’t seem to be done in the market just yet as they are being constantly linked with recently relegated Southampton’s Romeo Lavia and Nice’s talented French midfielder Khephrem Thuram. The Reds also seem to be on the market for a left footed centre back, indicating just how much Jurgen Klopp realises the need for rejuvenation in his often fatigued looking Liverpool side last season. Their rebuild is one to keep an eye on.
Speaking of which, Arsenal recently agreed a record fee with West Ham for an English player when they signed Declan Rice for £105 million. The Gunners who had a tremendous season missed out on the Premier League title after a surprising title charge. But Mikel Arteta has wasted no time in bolstering his side by winning the race with Manchester City who also were interested in Rice. This signals a huge statement of intent as they look to challenge City again for the title. They continued their own spending with the £65 million acquisition of Kai Havertz from London rivals Chelsea, adding quality depth to a team which seemed sorely lacking halting their title charge. They aren’t done yet either in the market, having yesterday agreed a fee worth £38.5 million for Dutch centre back Jurrien Timber from Ajax. Arsenal too, are being linked with Romeo Lavia, who seems to be in demand this summer.
Another midfielder who was in demand in this transfer window was Mason Mount. The Chelsea academy graduate who won the much coveted Champions League in 2021 with his boyhood club was linked with various teams including Liverpool, Arsenal and Tottenham but the lure of playing Champions League football swayed his decision to move to Manchester United, who have had a good first season under Erik Ten Haag, finishing 3rd and winning the League Cup. Chelsea and Manchester United took a while negotiating a fee with few United bids being initially rejected before finally agreeing on a £60 fee for the England midfielder. The Red Devils don’t seem to be done just yet as they are close to agreeing a fee with Inter Milan for goalkeeper André Onana.
With so many clubs looking to rebuild their squads to challenge the dominance of Manchester City in England, the coming season looks to be one filled with excitement and anticipation. The treble winners under Pep Guardiola have shown complete dominance across Europe and in England as well. Will Liverpool, Arsenal or Manchester United be able to dislodge City from their perch or will the champions continue their reign? What about Chelsea, who seem to be going through a turbulent time under new ownership of Todd Boehly or Newcastle who seem reignited after their recent takeover from Saudi Arabia? It’s sure to be an enthralling transfer window!
Football on Tap! 