Who is worth the money?: These are the tops and flops of the summer transfers

The five top leagues from England, France, Italy, Spain and Germany spent more than 6 billion francs on new players last summer. Almost half of this insane amount goes to the money-hungry Premier League’s account.

But how did the new signings perform at the start of the season? Who proved they are worth all that money? And who should put up with the label ‘bad purchase’? We present the tops and flops of international summer transfers. Without claim to completeness.

Top five:

A new king rules Madrid: Jude Bellingham (20), who was signed by BVB this summer for just over 100 million euros, has quickly become a key figure at Real Madrid. The Englishman has scored an impressive eight goals in his first eight league games, plus a further two goals in the Champions League. He has had a better start than Cristiano Ronaldo (38), who “only” scored seven times in his first eight appearances in a Real shirt. An incredible speed that Bellingham can boast of. And mind you, as a nominal midfielder, and not as a striker. It’s clear: anyone who excels at Real CR7 is well on their way to becoming a club legend. In Bellingham’s case, not just because of the goals, but also because of his playing style. He directs, dominates and puts his stamp on the real game in every zone.

Nati captain Granit Xhaka (31) is undoubtedly one of the best transfers of the summer. Six wins in seven games, plus confident leadership at the table – the old Arsenal star is currently conquering the Bundesliga with Bayer Leverkusen. Coach Xabi Alonso (41) has installed the Basel player as the new anchor of his very dynamic system. And Xhaka fulfills this role par excellence and has quickly become indispensable as a leader and stabilizer. In an interview with Blick, Leverkusen goalkeeper Lukas Hradecky (33) also praised him about the green clover. “He’s the boss on the pitch, you can’t emphasize him enough. He is one of the most important signings this season, if not the most important.” Coach Alonso also shares the praise and calls Xhaka a “great personality”. Granit and Leverkusen – that’s right. Its influence on the rise cannot be explained away. top transfer for all parties and with a rumored transfer fee of 15 million euros, the bargain of the summer.

The Tottenham Hotspurs got off to a brilliant start under their new coach Ange Postecoglou and are undefeated at the top after eight matchdays. In addition to the popular Australian trainer – to whom Robbie Williams recently dedicated his own number – several new signings also played a major role. For example, central defender Micky van de Ven (22), who came over from Wolfsburg. But James Maddison (26) especially stands out. The attacking midfielder came over from relegated Leicester for 46 million euros and quickly grew into a pivotal player. After eight appearances, Maddison has an impressive seven scoring points (two goals, five assists) and sits at the top of the Premier League assist rankings. The four-time England international did not get a single minute of action at last year’s World Cup. After his brilliant development, ‘Three Lions’ coach Southgate will hardly be able to avoid Maddison.

Bayern spent no less than 100 million euros on Harry Kane (30) this summer. The reason is clear: the three-time Premier League top scorer must finally close the Lewandowksi gap in Munich that has existed since his departure to Barcelona last year. There was great euphoria in the fan camp when the English superstar signed with the German record champions in mid-August. There was a real ‘Kane mania’. And the hair clipper lives up to expectations. After seven Bundesliga games, he has no fewer than twelve goals (eight goals, four assists). Without Stuttgart’s wonder striker Guirassy (13 goals in seven games), Kane would be at the top of the Bundesliga’s top scorers list.

FC Girona is currently shaking up Spain. Only last year they were promoted to the Premier League. Now the small club from Catalonia surprises the heavyweights and is currently in second place, just two points behind leaders Real. A player who was completely unknown until recently is causing a lot of fuss: the young Brazilian Sávio (19). The winger was loaned out by partner club ESTAC Troyes in France this summer and now delights the crowd with fast dribbling and technical tricks. Sávio has already contributed six scoring points (two goals, four assists) to Girona’s soaring heights – despite his very young age, he is responsible for almost a third of his team’s goals. His name will soon be known far beyond Girona.

Flop five:

As the new number one, he should have helped Manchester United gain more defensive stability. Instead, André Onana’s slapstick videos are now going viral on social media. The Red Devils transferred no less than 52 million euros to Inter Milan for the services of the Cameroonian goalkeeper. An amount that raises questions given his numerous errors and mistakes. The English press is already discussing possible successor candidates for the error-prone goalkeeper. And the fans also judge Onana harshly. Can it still be saved?

In his three years at Chelsea, Kai Havertz (24) was never completely happy. Also because no coach could find a really suitable position for the German national player. This summer, Arsenal transferred a total of €75 million to their city rivals in the hope of finally unlocking Havertz’s great potential. But acclaimed Arsenal coach Mikel Arteta (41) didn’t really succeed at the start as he too struggled to find a suitable role for the former prodigy. Havertz was often unhappy for the Gunners, with a lack of scoring points contributing to his inability to play. Given the price tag, some questions arise.

PSG spent just €240 million on a new attacking line this summer after the departures of Messi and Neymar. A key role in the newly formed superstorm was reserved for Ousmane Dembélé (26). He should be the new Neymar. The Qatari club bosses are putting 50 million euros on the table for the FC Barcelona winger. An amount that he has not been able to justify to date. After a total of nine games, the 2018 world champion is still waiting for his first goal of the season. It doesn’t help that PSG are collectively failing to meet expectations; The Parisians are currently behind Nice and Monaco in the rankings.

BVB earned 100 million euros this summer from the sale of Jude Bellingham alone. The Englishman would be replaced in the group by newcomers Marcel Sabitzer (29, Bavaria) and Felix Nmecha (23, Wolfsburg). An idea that has not really gotten off the ground yet. Dortmund invested 30 million in Nmecha, making him the fifth most expensive signing in the club’s history. However, he has not yet shown anything at his new club that could explain this amount. Pale, hardly any charisma, no impact. That won’t get you far at BVB.

Chelsea FC resembles a bazaar under new owner Todd Boehly (50). There are numerous squad changes during every transfer window, and more than a billion euros have already been wasted during the American’s one-year tenure. And that for sporty mediocrity. The Blues finished in twelfth place last season. Chelsea is also falling far short of expectations this season; eleven points from eight games is an absolute travesty considering the money they have spent. Ecuadorian Moisés Caicedo (21) from Brighton was worth 116 million for Chelsea, which earned him a new record signing. The effect of this? Absent. Even with the multi-million dollar Caicedo in midfield, Chelsea are playing as headlessly as they did the season before.