2020 has been a difficult year in the transfer market. As soon as the coronavirus pandemic took hold in Europe from February and March, with stadiums closed and seasons suspended, budgets received an almighty blow that limited what was possible in the summer transfer window.
Clubs have had to be more careful with the funds they had and many are still feeling the adverse effects of the crisis as things remain far from normal.
Looking at the two transfer windows in 2020 – January and summer – here is a look at 15 of the best signings made in Europe this calendar year.
20 M € plus add-ons – RB Leipzig from Dinamo Zagreb – January 2020
It was RB Leipzig who won the much-talked-about race to sign Dani Olmo last January, as the former Barcelona talent took the somewhat bizarre route of joining Dinamo Zagreb in Croatia at the age of 16. .
Leipzig already has a good chance of making big profits for 22-year-old Olmo in the future, but is currently reaping the benefits as he leads the squad in Bundesliga assists.
£ 20m plus add-ons – Norwich Everton – October 2020
Everton bought Ben Godfrey because he is a young center-back with long-term potential. But what he and the club probably weren’t expecting to fulfill as a right-back and emergency left-back on multiple occasions this season.
Godfrey only played sparingly in his favored position and instead made sure that the loss of Seamus Coleman earlier in the campaign and more recently Lucas Digne was not as damaging as it might have been. ‘be.
Free transfer – Chelsea from Paris Saint-Germain – August 2020
Thiago Silva is by no means a long-term fix for Chelsea, although his impact has already been felt at Stamford Bridge in visible defensive improvements, particularly in October and November.
The 36-year-old Brazilian was selected as a free agent after leaving Paris Saint-Germain in August and brings a lot to the dressing room in terms of leadership and mentoring.
£ 28m plus add-ons – Brentford Aston Villa – September 2020
It was a bet for Aston Villa to spend £ 28million to sign Ollie Watkins from Brentford, claiming anything else would be incorrect – especially given Scott Hogan’s costly capture at the same club in January 2017.
Watkins, however, has proven to be a great success. He scored early with a hat-trick in an astonishing 7-2 beating from Liverpool and his energy was crucial in how Villa plays and why they are fighting for European places instead of fearing a relegation battle.
£ 5.4m – West Ham of Slavia Prague – October 2020
Although the signing of a good deal from Slavia Prague is little known, Vladimir Coufal has made West Ham’s tactical system work this season, with the Czech full-end proving to be a real gem.
Wingbacks are so important in this kind of training and the Hammers could have had real problems without Coufal performing as well as him.
5 M € – Barcelona from Las Palmas – July 2020
Now is not the perfect time for a player to be at Barcelona, but Pedri, 18, the struggling Catalans appear to have landed on a star from the future.
Barca reached a € 5million deal with Las Palmas which was recorded as soon as the summer transfer window opened and the teenage midfielder immediately became a regular first-team player.
The Catalan giants don’t really have the money to do otherwise at the moment, but it’s good that they’re going back to their roots of developing young players.
£ 36.5m – Leicester from Saint-Etienne – October 2020
Leicester have been forced to pay big bucks for young center-back Wesley Fofana – potentially up to £ 36.5million – but it already looks like a deal of exceptional value given his talent and impact.
Fofana’s fortune has been in stark contrast to that of former Saint-Etienne teammate William Saliba at Arsenal and he has already become a key player for the Foxes.
£ 21m – Everton from Naples – September 2020
Everton have gone big in midfield this summer and, for once, it seems to have worked. James Rodriguez and Abdoulaye Doucoure both added something positive to the squad, but Allan is the one whose impact has been felt the most keenly.
The Toffees lacked structure and discipline in the midfield prior to his arrival and eventually went from punches well under their weight to challenges for a top four spot as they had long wanted.
Free transfer – AC Milan from LA Galaxy – January 2020
Zlatan Ibrahimovic looked like he was gearing up to retire when he joined LA Galaxy and MLS in 2018. But the reality is he used it as a springboard to regain his form before he had a last chance. in Europe.
The 39-year-old has had a strong start to the season and has scored in every Serie A game he has played so far, helping AC Milan rise to the top of the table. Injuries have ruled him out lately, but his role off the field will be just as important.
£ 15m – Tottenham from Southampton – August 2020
Pierre Emile Hojbjerg instantly became a key player for Jose Mourinho as he tries to put together a Tottenham side capable of winning a major trophy.
The Denmark international is Mourinho’s chief midfielder general and if Spurs are to win the Premier League title, or even just get back into the top four, that will be a huge reason.
Hojbjerg was previously Southampton captain, but even though he doesn’t wear the Spurs armband he is still an invaluable leader on the pitch.
£ 41m plus add-ons – Liverpool from Wolves – September 2020
Summer 2020 for Liverpool was about adding deep strength to improve on a side that were already Premier League champions, but without breaking the bank. Come in, Diogo Jota.
Liverpool have agreed to a global package worth £ 45million with Wolves for the Portugal international and fans have been delighted with its impact in the first few months, already scoring nine goals.
Jota is a major upgrade over previous first alternative striker Divock Origi and his presence as a backup option for Mohamed Salah, Sadio Mane and Roberto Firmino without losing quality is crucial.
Loan of € 10m – Atletico Madrid Juventus – September 2020
Eyebrows were raised when Alvaro Morata joined Juventus on loan in September, another move that has made him five transfers since 2014, but he’s back to his best form at Turin.
Morata has scored goals, especially in the Champions League, but he has also added more assists to his game to become a more complete player. Juve have already paid € 10m and can make it permanent for € 45m.
Free transfer – Atletico Madrid from Barcelona – September 2020
Atletico Madrid signed Luis Suarez for free in September when a transfer offer to Juventus failed. Barcelona coach Ronald Koeman has claimed he does not want the Uruguayan veteran anymore, while releasing him easing the burden on the club’s finances. But Atletico is reaping the rewards.
Suarez has scored seven times in his first 10 La Liga appearances for Los Rojiblancos, who have a firm shot at clinching their first Spanish title since 2013/14.
€ 20m – Borussia Dortmund from Red Bull Salzburg – January 2020
Erling Haaland chose Borussia Dortmund at the end of 2019 and made his transfer from Red Bull Salzburg official when the January 2020 transfer window opens.
Haaland cost only € 20million due to a low hanging release clause and believed Dortmund to be the best place for the next chapter in their rapid development.
After scoring 28 times in the first half of the season for Salzburg, the Norwegian prodigy picked up where he left off and got 16 more in 18 games for Dortmund. He also started this season on fire and has scored more than one goal per game.
£ 47m plus add-ons – Man Utd of Sporting CP – January 2020
Even the most optimistic Manchester United fans could not have reasonably foreseen the impact Bruno Fernandes was going to have on the club.
United had decided not to prosecute Fernandes in the summer of 2019 over concerns about his ball retention. The fact that they turned around in January because they were clamoring for a creative player and had been completely transformed made that initial decision completely ridiculous.
At the time of writing, Fernandes has played 45 times for United and has amassed 43 goals and assists during that span. The club are massively better because of him than they were 12 months ago and are climbing the Premier League table instead of sliding down.
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