The COVID-19 pandemic has made the transfer window quite different from usual. After months without football, the Premier League announced the dates for starting their summer transfer windows, while a coordinated Oct. 5 end date on the cards.
Sergio Reguilon (£27.5m)
Real have not seen the best of the young left-back, but then they have not given him much opportunity to prove himself. Promoted to the first team by manager Julen Lopetegui in 2018, Reguilon showcased his skills and was sent on loan by Zidane and impressed at Sevilla. It is probably best he moves on, and €30m is a decent fee, with a €45m buyback option included.
Tottenham needs full-back depth, and the 23-year-old has potential. He is not the best defensively but makes up for that going forward to bring an added dimension to the club. Man United was interested, so Spurs did well to get him.
Thiago Alcantara (£20m)
Bayern has a host of talented players but losing one of Thiago’s class for a relatively low fee is surprisingly lousy business for the German champions. Thiago is aged 29 and still has plenty to give, although his contract is expiring next season and a desire for a new challenge, there was not much Bayern could do to keep him.
Klopp wanted creativity and experience in midfield, and the Spanish international certainly has that. He will join an already impressive side and will not break the bank either.
James Rodriguez – €25m
Rodriguez has been with Real since he moved from Monaco after an impressive 2014 World Cup for around €75m. It is safe to say things have not really worked out in Spain. He has been on loan to Bayern for two years, and finally, his nightmare is over. But Madrid lost out big time on their investment.
Carlo Ancelotti was the key here, and it is quite a coup for the club to land a player of James’ quality. However, it is also a risk as the Colombian is far from his 2014 self. He could sink or swim in the EPL.
Kai Havertz – (£62m)
It is all profit for Leverkusen. The club brought the midfielder through their youth ranks and turned him into Europe’s top creative talents. Kai was always going to leave for bigger things. Leverkusen did incredibly well to hold out for a hefty fee (plus another €10m in add-ons). However, it’s not the €100m-plus they would have expected before the COVID-19 pandemic hit.
Chelsea has been on a transfer charge this summer already with Timo Werner, Ben Chilwell, and Hakim Ziyech, and, strictly speaking, they do not need another attacker. However, Kai Havertz could be a real star, and it was worth getting ahead of the competition for a player of serious quality.
Havertz showed flashes of all-time greatness in the Bundesliga last season, so we can bank on him being in contention for PFA Young Player of the Year with new online bookmakers this year already touting him the favourite just two weeks into the new season.
