Record deals, resounding blows and unfulfilled dreams: a comprehensive review of the summer transfer window

The summer transfer window in Europe's big five leagues closed yesterday evening, the first of September 2026.

 The English window shut at 11pm British time. Spain kept trading until 11:59pm, while Germany and France had already closed on 31 August at 8pm.

Premier League clubs once again ruled the market, blowing past the two billion pound barrier. Chelsea and Manchester City led the way as the biggest spenders, with Liverpool and Arsenal close behind in the race to reshape their squads for the new season.

You can discuss topics and news in greater depth in the "Kooora" forums

Real Madrid entered the summer transfer market with a clear mindset: sign players who could compete straight away while investing in the future. Nothing captured that better than one of the club's biggest deals, the capture of young Ivorian winger Yan Diomande from Leipzig. The move carries a total value of around 125 million euros, rising to 135 million with add-ons, and ties him down until 2033.

Diomande was far from the end of it. Real also bolstered their ranks with Marc Cucurella from Chelsea and Denzel Dumfries from Inter, plus the free-transfer arrivals of Bernardo Silva and Ibrahima Konate. The window strengthened both the defensive and attacking lines.

Outgoings told a different story. Nico Paz left for Como, Gonzalo Garcia joined Fulham, Dani Ceballos returned to Real Betis and Franco Mastantuono headed to Fiorentina on loan. Dani Carvajal and David Alaba both retired, and a number of young players moved on too. Yet the club sold no major first-team players to match the scale of the spending.

You can discuss topics and news in greater depth in the "Kooora" forums

For all their success in wrapping up notable deals, Real fell short on the transfer that gripped their supporters all summer. They were strongly linked with Rodri, the Manchester City player and captain of the Spanish national team, amid reports of an initial agreement.

Barcelona had other ideas. They snatched the deal for around 76.5 million euros, leaving the Royal Club empty-handed on one of their main midfield targets.

Here are all the deals concluded by the Royal Club in the concluded transfer window:

Joining Real Madrid

Departing Real Madrid

Barcelona ranked among the busiest of Europe's giants this summer, and their priority was obvious: rebuild the frontline. They kicked off the window by landing England's Anthony Gordon from Newcastle in a deal worth 70 million euros, plus a further 10 million in add-ons, tying him down until 2031.

Karim Adeyemi followed. The Germany forward arrived from Borussia Dortmund for 22 million euros fixed plus 7 million in variables, also signing until 2031, handing Hansi Flick the extra pace and attacking depth he craved.

Two more names arrived to bolster the squad. Barca snapped up talented Egyptian Hamza Abdelkarim on a permanent basis from Al Ahly, and brought back Joao Cancelo from Saudi side Al Hilal.

Several outgoings eased the wage bill, most notably Robert Lewandowski when his contract expired, along with defenders including loanee Ronald Araujo. That freed up room to spend. Rather than reinforce elsewhere, the board poured most of it into the final third, before pulling off one of the summer's biggest coups.

The Catalans struck an agreement with Manchester City for Rodri, a deal worth roughly 76.5 million euros in total, snatching the Spain midfielder from under Real Madrid's noses.

Not everything went their way. Barcelona missed out on the one signing their fans dreamed of, Atletico Madrid striker Julian Alvarez, and pivoted to Brazil's Gabriel Jesus from Arsenal instead.

President Joan Laporta revealed that Barcelona had tabled an offer topping 100 million euros. Atletico refused to budge. They even released a statement putting the chance of Alvarez joining Barcelona at "zero per cent", ending one of the window's most gripping sagas without the happy finish the Catalans wanted.

Here are all the deals the Catalan club completed in the concluded mercato:

Those joining Barcelona

Those leaving Barcelona

Atlético Madrid have pulled off a notable coup, signing South Korea's Kang In-lee from Paris Saint-Germain in a deal media reports value at between 35 and 40 million euros, on a contract running until 2031.

The Spanish club confirmed the agreement with Paris Saint-Germain in an official statement, revealing the player will wear the number 7 shirt. They also ran through his numbers with the French club, where he scored 16 goals and laid on the same number of assists across 124 matches while collecting several domestic and European titles, the most prestigious being the Champions League twice.

They didn't stop there. Atlético beefed up their midfield with Morten Hjulmand, added the flying full-back Alejandro Grimaldo and the rock-solid Cristian Romero, and clung on to Argentine star Julián Álvarez despite fierce pressure from Barcelona and Arsenal to prise him away.

An official statement ended Barcelona's pursuit. In it, Atlético refused to open any negotiations over Álvarez, insisting they would only discuss the other offers that "respected the rules".

That policy left them as one of the window's tactically shrewdest winners. They strengthened the squad with fresh faces without sacrificing their key men, Álvarez chief among them, though historic star Antoine Griezmann did depart for the American league.

Here are Atlético Madrid's most notable deals:

Arrivals at Atlético Madrid

Departures from Atlético Madrid

Paris Saint-Germain built their summer around selling to fund the rebuild. They ranked among the market's biggest sellers, sending Gonçalo Ramos to Milan for 74 million euros, Randal Kolo Muani to Juventus for roughly 38-41 million euros, and Kang-in Lee to Atlético for 35-40 million euros.

The headline departure, though, was Bradley Barcola. The French winger joined Liverpool in a huge deal worth up to 125 million euros, while Ibrahim Mbaye moved to Aston Villa for 55 million euros.

Those sales pushed PSG's total income to almost 370 million euros, according to French reports, handing the club room to plough part of that back into the squad.

On the incoming front, Saint-Germain landed Magnes Akliouche from Monaco for 50 million euros, Ferran Torres from Barcelona for 48.5 million euros, and Mika Godts from Ajax for 45 million euros, plus full-back Lucas Digne and others.

Rebuilding the attack after Barcola and Ramos was the priority. PSG have looked every bit a side that sells to buy, leaning heavily on the Barcola windfall to bankroll other targets, Diomande among them, before Real Madrid swooped to seal that one.

Here are all of the French club's deals in the transfer window:

Incoming to Paris Saint-Germain

Departures from Paris Saint-Germain

Bayern Munich had a quieter window than many of their rivals across Europe's major leagues. The German champions concentrated on reshaping their squad and reintegrating loanees, among them Sacha Boey, Tarek Buchmann and Armindo Sieb.

New faces still arrived, most notably Mathaus Marits and Bra Ndiaye. Their standout piece of business was landing the sparkling Moroccan Ismael Saibari, though the Bavarians kept their spending in check throughout.

Several names went the other way. Leon Goretzka left after his contract expired, as did Raphael Guerreiro, while goalkeepers Daniel Peretz and Alexander Nubel completed permanent moves. A clutch of young talents also headed off to mid-table clubs.

Bayern's window pointed to a clear priority: control the budget and recycle what they already had rather than launch a full revolution. That restraint could leave a technical question mark hanging over them against rivals who reinforced far more aggressively over the summer.

Arrivals at Bayern Munich

Departures from Bayern Munich

Liverpool were among the busiest movers in the transfer market, wrapping up one of the biggest deals of summer 2026 by signing French winger Bradley Barcola from Paris Saint-Germain in a deal worth 125 million euros.

Barcola wasn't the only arrival. Liverpool also strengthened their ranks with Victor Munoz from Osasuna and defender Ronald Araujo, brought in on loan from Barcelona with an option to buy. Add goalkeeper Luca Broegmans and young French defender Jeremy Jacquet, and the shape of both the defence and the attack looked markedly different.

Several familiar faces left, including Curtis Jones and Harvey Elliott. For the first time, the squad contained not a single player born in the city.

Away from the new signings, Mohamed Salah's departure was the biggest story of Liverpool's window. The Egyptian star ended a legendary nine-year journey at Anfield, joining Turkey's Trabzonspor on a free transfer with a two-year contract, running until 2028 according to some reports.

Trabzonspor confirmed the signing on their account on the "X" platform, posting a video and photos of Salah putting pen to paper. Financial reports revealed the deal hands the player a salary of 17 million euros per year plus 20% of the revenues from products bearing his name, making it one of the biggest in the history of Turkish football.

So Liverpool paired a huge attacking signing in Barcola with the exit of one of the most prominent stars of their recent history. A new phase begins at Anfield now the Salah era is over.

Tickets for Trabzonspor matches in the Turkish leagueBuy your ticket now!

Those joining Liverpool

Those leaving Liverpool

Manchester City tore up their midfield almost entirely this summer, splashing huge sums on a raft of new faces. Chief among them were young Moroccan Ayoub Bouaddi, who arrived from Lille in a deal worth around 117 million dollars, and England's Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest for 116 million pounds sterling.

The biggest deal of the lot brought Enzo Fernández from Chelsea. According to ESPN and the BBC, City paid 125 million pounds sterling on a five-year contract, matching the British record set when Liverpool signed Alexander Isak last year.

City confirmed the deal officially on their website and posted a video on their "X" account, wrapping up one of the summer's biggest midfield overhauls.

Up front, they added Senegalese winger Iliman Ndiaye from Everton for 60-65 million pounds sterling. That move came after a failed pursuit of Cody Gakpo from Liverpool, and Ndiaye now joins a crowded group of wingers including Phil Foden, Jérémy Doku and Antoine Semenyo.

The traffic was not all one way. City lost one of their most important midfielders as Rodri chose to move to Barcelona, while Jack Grealish left for Everton on loan. Bernardo Silva departed on a free transfer, and Omar Marmoush and Savinho both headed for Tottenham.

Those joining Manchester City

Those leaving Manchester City

Manchester United poured the bulk of their transfer market activity into rebuilding the midfield. They signed Brazil's Andre Santos from Chelsea for around 48 to 50 million pounds sterling, added Youri Tielemans from Aston Villa for 35 million, and brought in Carlos Baleba from Brighton in a deal worth around 65 million.

Spending on new arrivals reached around 160 to 170 million pounds sterling. A large number of players headed the other way, foremost among them Rasmus Hojlund, who moved to Napoli for around 38 to 44 million. Casemiro, Jadon Sancho and Tyrell Malacia all left for free after their contracts expired.

English media verdicts on United's mercato varied. Some analyses reckoned the club had fixed its midfield problems and earned a rating close to "B", but the failure to land a top-class striker left a big question mark over the team's ability to compete going forward.

Those joining Manchester United

Those leaving Manchester United

Arsenal ranked among the busiest clubs of the transfer window. They landed Brazilian Bruno Guimaraes from Newcastle for 75 million pounds on a four-year deal with the option of a further year, one of the biggest investments the club have made under Mikel Arteta.

The London side didn't stop there. In came Ezri Konsa from Aston Villa for around 51 to 55 million pounds, Piero Hincapie from Bayer Leverkusen, Christos Tzolis, and goalkeeper Illan Meslier on a free transfer.

Out went several familiar faces. Gabriel Jesus joined Barcelona for around 10 to 12 million euros, Gabriel Martinelli moved to Al-Hilal for 60 million, and Leandro Trossard left for Besiktas.

All that activity still left one glaring gap. Arsenal never signed a striker capable of leading the line, and English reports pinned that as the failure of their mercato. The club couldn't get a top-tier number nine over the line, which left Guimaraes as the standout arrival with no comparable boost up front.

Arsenal arrivals

Arsenal departures

Chelsea's transfer window has laid bare a stark contrast between who they sold and who they bought. Enzo Fernandez left for Manchester City in a huge deal, while the club pulled off the biggest signing in its history by landing Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa.

The "BBC" and "The Athletic" both put the Rogers deal at 117 million pounds, tied to a six-year contract with the option of an additional season. That made him the most expensive signing in Chelsea's history, and the most expensive British player at the point the deal was announced.

Barco, Maxence Lacroix, Emiliano Martinez, Danny Welbeck and Jordan Henderson all followed as Chelsea kept bolstering the squad, joined by another group of players arriving on permanent deals or on loan.

The outgoings told a different story. Marc Cucurella moved to Real Madrid, Enzo Fernandez went to Manchester City, and a raft of young players scattered across English and European clubs. It all fits the club's habit of reshaping its squad again and again.

Players joining Chelsea

Players leaving Chelsea

Italy's major clubs have stayed busy in the transfer market, and Inter Milan rank among the most active. They bolstered their backline with Djed Spence from Tottenham for 35 million euros and Manuel Akanji from Manchester City for 15 million, then added goalkeeper Ivan Provedel from Lazio for 3 million and John Stones on a free transfer.

The midfield got a lift too. Inter signed Aleksandar Stankovic for 23 million euros before landing Curtis Jones from Liverpool for 30 million, an English player with plenty of European pedigree.

Denzel Dumfries went the other way, joining Real Madrid for 20 million euros.

Juventus, meanwhile, poured their energy into the front line. They signed Lois Openda from Leipzig permanently for 43 million euros and Randal Kolo Muani from Paris Saint-Germain for around 41 million, then brought in defender Jhon Lucumi from Bologna for 20 million and midfielder Kerim Alajbegovic from Bayer Leverkusen in a deal worth around 32 million.

Milan put Goncalo Ramos from Paris Saint-Germain at the top of their shopping list, paying 74 million euros. They also signed Diego Moreira from Strasbourg for 50 million and Mario Gila from Lazio for 30 million.

Two big names left in return. Rafael Leao moved to Galatasaray for 38 million, while Christopher Nkunku headed to Leipzig on loan.

 The Italian league free on stc tv for Baity Fiber, Mafoteer 4, Max, Pro 4 and 5 package customersWatch now!

Enzo Fernández tops the list of the most expensive signings in the summer of 2026, after moving from Chelsea to Manchester City for around 125 million pounds, in a joint-record deal in England on a five-year contract.

Real Madrid slot into second. They signed Yan Diomande from Leipzig for 125 million euros, plus 10 million in add-ons, making him the most expensive player in the club's history on a seven-season contract.

Third place belongs to Bradley Barcola, who swapped Paris Saint-Germain for Liverpool in a deal that could reach 123 million pounds. That breaks down into 106 million fixed, with the rest in add-ons.

Morgan Rogers comes in fourth. Chelsea paid around 117 million pounds to prise him from Aston Villa, making him the most expensive British player according to reports from the BBC and The Athletic.

Rounding out the top five is Elliot Anderson, who left Nottingham Forest for Manchester City for around 116 million pounds. The move formed part of City's push to rebuild their midfield.

The transfer window has slammed shut, but the real answers won't come from the fees or the size of the deals. They'll be revealed on the pitches of Europe over the coming months. Some clubs spent billions chasing titles. Others gambled on stability or a rebuild, while a handful of stars backed themselves with fresh challenges that could reshape their entire careers.

One question will linger until the final whistle of the season: who genuinely got their business right, and who simply won the newspaper headlines? Results will write that answer, not official statements or record fees.

Will he take immediate revenge on Real Madrid? Betis announce the signing of Ceballos

Turning the page on Barcelona: Alvarez begins a new chapter with the help of 3 stars