London, English soccer flexed its unrivaled spending power by embarking on an unprecedented USD 4.7 billion outlay on players in the summer transfer window – and Manchester City saved the biggest signing of the lot right to the very end.
Chelsea responded to its sale of Fernandez by attempting to sign Senegal midfielder Lamine Camara from Monaco, but Sky Sports reported that the French club backed out of the deal. Ukraine winger Mykhailo Mudryk joined on a season-long loan, a month after he was cleared to play again following a doping case, and defender Tosin Adarabioyo moved on a permanent deal. Argentina midfielder Enzo Fernandez became one of the most expensive players in soccer history by completing a marquee move to City from Premier League rival Chelsea for 125 million pounds in the final hours of the window that closed across Europe on Tuesday. City’s spending alone on new players this summer – its first in the post-Pep Guardiola era – soared past USD 600 million, a record splurge by a club in a single transfer window. Abu Dhabi-controlled City recouped almost USD 400 million in sales this window – among the departures were Spain’s World Cup-winning captain Rodri and midfield stalwart Bernardo Silva – and the club let Jack Grealish leave on another season-long loan to Everton on Tuesday.
Tottenham’s summer recruitment has been almost as remarkable as City’s and the London club was active right up to the deadline on Tuesday, signing two players from Chelsea.
British broadcaster Sky Sports reported there were some last-minute hitches. The deadline passed with Everton not concluding the signing of U.S. striker Folarin Balogun from Monaco, and neither club made an official comment about the proposed deal.
Liverpool signed 18-year-old goalkeeper Lucca Brughmans from Belgian team Genk in a deal that reportedly could be worth up to 30 million pounds . Newcastle signed Belgium forward Matias Fernandez-Pardo from Lille for a reported 51 million pounds and sent Nick Woltemade on loan to Juventus, with the Germany striker having spent just one season in the Premier League after a 69 million pounds move. Brughmans has gone back to Genk on loan for the rest of the season.
