Even with the Saudi Pro League emerging as a major player in the market this summer, European clubs still managed to rack up quite the transfer tab.
Recruitment in the continent is in a strange place in 2023. Although the elite sides possess considerable financial power, with Premier League clubs in particular capable of paying transfer fees that many others could only dream of, many storied European teams are only able to complete bargain deals and free transfers.
The situation has created a smorgasbord of different transfer strategies and if recent seasons have taught us anything, it's that splashing the cash is never a guarantee of success. That's not to say that the big spenders have wasted this money this summer, however, with the top two players on this list, where GOAL has ranked the best summer transfers of the European season, costing almost £180 million ($228m) combined.
