The summer transfer window in Europe’s leading leagues has closed, with Manchester City’s €145m signing of Enzo Fernandez from Chelsea the most expensive deal of the summer.
The record for the most expensive transfer remains Neymar’s €222m move, but the latest window still produced a series of major deals. English Premier League clubs again dominated the market, with nine of the 10 biggest transfers involving Premier League players or clubs. The other deal in the list was completed by Real Madrid.
The scale of the spending was underlined by two particularly striking moves. Manchester City paid €135m for a 23-year-old who had been involved in a relegation battle with Nottingham Forest until the final weeks of last season, while Tottenham paid almost €100m for a West Ham midfielder whose former club had been relegated to the Championship.
Here is a closer look at the 10 biggest transfers of the summer.
Bruno Guimaraes – Newcastle United to Arsenal
The Brazilian midfielder had long appeared to have outgrown Newcastle United, making a departure seem increasingly likely. Manchester United showed interest in the spring, while Liverpool also made enquiries during the summer.
Arsenal, however, were the most determined suitors. The Gunners remained in the negotiations after Newcastle rejected several offers and eventually reached an agreement to sign Guimaraes.
Savinho – Manchester City to Tottenham Hotspur
The attempt to take Savinho to Tottenham Hotspur had been running for a year. Pep Guardiola rejected approaches from Spurs twice, first last summer and again in January.
Guardiola left his position as Manchester City manager after the 2025-26 season, apparently making a move more possible. Even so, negotiations remained difficult and the transfer was not completed until 25 August, just a week before the deadline.
Ayyoub Bouaddi – Lille to Manchester City
The 18-year-old Morocco international attracted widespread attention after an impressive performance at the 2026 World Cup.
Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United were among the clubs competing for Bouaddi, but Manchester City won the race. Some clubs withdrew from the deal, while others could not match the near-€100m offer made by City for a player with limited experience at the highest level.
Fernandes – West Ham United to Tottenham Hotspur
The 22-year-old Portuguese midfielder spent last season with West Ham United, who finished 18th and were relegated from the Premier League.
Fernandes nevertheless impressed a number of leading clubs, including Real Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur. The serious contest was ultimately between Spurs and Manchester United, with Tottenham winning the race. The deal was, at that stage, the most expensive transfer in the club’s history.
Sandro Tonali – Newcastle United to Tottenham Hotspur
Tottenham’s record lasted only four days. The London club then paid Newcastle United €108m for Sandro Tonali, a player who had frequently been linked with a return to Italy.
Arsenal and Manchester City were also serious contenders for the Italy international. Arsenal decided against pursuing Tonali because of his wage demands, while Manchester City turned its attention to other targets.
Diomande – Bundesliga to Real Madrid
The 19-year-old Ivory Coast player had an excellent World Cup, while also enjoying a successful season in the Bundesliga.
Diomande had been widely expected to join Paris Saint-Germain, with reports in the international media repeatedly suggesting a move to the French club. PSG ultimately decided not to commit such a substantial fee, unlike Real Madrid.
The Spanish club paid €125m for the transfer and also spent about €20m on agents’ fees and the winger’s signing-on payments.
Bradley Barcola – Paris Saint-Germain to Liverpool
Paris Saint-Germain strengthened its attack by signing three players: Ferran Torres, Maghnes Akliouche and Mika Godts.
That recruitment made Barcola’s departure understandable. The France international had not always been a regular starter and his opportunities were expected to decrease further during the new season.
Liverpool negotiated at length with PSG and managed to reduce the asking price slightly, although the deal remained expensive enough to place Barcola in the top five transfers of the summer.
Elliot Anderson – Nottingham Forest to Manchester City
This appeared to be Manchester City’s easiest major deal of the window. The club may have been so keen to sign Anderson that it quickly accepted Nottingham Forest’s terms.
An oral agreement was reached before the World Cup, while the official announcement came a week after the tournament ended. Manchester United were City’s only genuine competitor, but the Red Devils withdrew at an early stage after being deterred by the asking price.
Morgan Rogers – Aston Villa to Chelsea
The 24-year-old attacking midfielder was Arsenal’s main transfer target. The Gunners were prepared to spend about €100m to sign Rogers, while Tottenham Hotspur also showed interest.
Neither club was willing to meet Aston Villa’s financial demands. Chelsea, by contrast, demonstrated how strongly they wanted the player, completing the deal in July without lengthy negotiations.
Until the final day of the transfer window, Rogers’ move was the most expensive of the summer. Manchester City’s late deal for Enzo Fernandez eventually displaced it at the top of the standings.
Enzo Fernandez – Chelsea to Manchester City
Real Madrid were identified at the start of the summer as Enzo Fernandez’s main transfer target. However, negotiations progressed with difficulty and ultimately failed to produce an agreement.
Representatives of the Spanish club repeatedly attempted to dismiss reports that talks were taking place, while several sources accused Real Madrid of misleading the public.
Manchester City also expressed interest in Fernandez during the opening days of the window, but substantive negotiations did not begin until August. City either needed more time to decide whether the transfer was worthwhile or hoped to lower the asking price for the Argentina international.
They were unable to do so. On the final day of the window, Fernandez joined Manchester City for €145m, making his transfer the most expensive of the summer.
