The transfer window is upon us, and the general consensus on social media is that Paris Saint-Germain have done the best business with the signings of Sergio Ramos, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Georginio Wijnaldum on free transfers. Meanwhile, across the channel in England, Manchester United have announced they have secured the services of Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane. With clubs making one world-class signing after another, let’s take a trip back in history to recall some of the best summer transfer hauls in the last two decades. The reason why we have kept our area of study restricted to the last two decades is because FIFA introduced a ‘transfer window’ and brought it into compulsory effect from the 2002/03 season.
The transfer window is upon us, and the general consensus on social media is that Paris Saint-Germain have done the best business with the signings of Sergio Ramos, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Georginio Wijnaldum on free transfers.
Meanwhile, across the channel in England, Manchester United have announced they have secured the services of Jadon Sancho and Raphael Varane.
With clubs making one world-class signing after another, let’s take a trip back in history to recall some of the best summer transfer hauls in the last two decades. The reason why we have kept our area of study restricted to the last two decades is because FIFA introduced a ‘transfer window’ and brought it into compulsory effect from the 2002/03 season. Before that season, most leagues allowed clubs to buy players at any time before March 31.
5. Barcelona 2004/05Barcelona’s summer transfer window in 2004 saw them bring in several players who were instrumental in the Champions League triumph two years later.
4. Real Madrid 2010/11 3. Chelsea 2004/05The summer of 2004 at Stamford Bridge gave birth to a revolution. The club had just appointed Jose Mourinho as manager, and the Portuguese made a litany of signings who would go on to form the backbone of the club and win trophies for years to come.
2. Inter Milan 2009/10Inter Milan made six major signings in the 2009/10 season. Five of those six signings started in the Champions League final win against Bayern Munich rounding off a treble.
Real Madrid 2009/10Florentino Perez broke the bank in 2009 on Cristiano Ronaldo. But after averaging over one goal per game, the former Manchester United winger’s fee seems like peanuts.