The impact of the Coronavirus outbreak is being felt across the globe, with almost 600,000 confirmed cases and over 25,000 deaths at the time of writing. In football, the vast majority of leagues have been suspended until May at least, with play now expected to continue into the Summer. However, it remains to be seen how this may impact the Summer Transfer Window.
In 2017, Nathan Ake moved away from Chelsea to Bournemouth in search of first team football. Since then he has gone from strength to strength as he helps the south coast club to solidify their position in the Premier League. Whilst the club may be battling to avoid relegation this season, Ake has still continued to impress and has led to some teams towards the top of the table showing an increased interest in the Dutch international defender.
When Gabriel Barbosa (Gabigol) burst onto the scene as a 16 year old at Santos, many of Europe’s largest clubs began tracking the young Brazillian. The forward eventually joined Inter in the Summer of 2016, which was regarded as somewhat of a coup for the capital Club. However, any initial excitement generated by this signing quickly turned to disappointment. After returning to Brazil, his form has rebounded, once again drawing attention for the player from Europe, with a host of clubs again beginning to circle for his signature.
An exodus in Naples appears likely after a disappointing start to the season for Napoli, which has already seen Carlo Ancelotti replaced by Gennaro Gattuso. A consequence of the Neopolitan’s poor start to the season is that De Laurentiis is rumoured to be ready to let many of the team’s star players leave the Club. One such player is centre-back Kalidou Koulibaly. Previously one of the most sought after defenders in European football, the Senegalese captain now appears free to move in the upcoming January transfer window. But where is he likely to end up?
Jadon Sancho may have had a short career so far but he has already become one of the most sought after players in world football, with a host of high profile clubs looking to prize him away from Borussia Dortmund. The 19 year old was recently left out of the Dortmund squad to face Borussia Monchengladbach and fined a weeks wages after returning late from England duty, as well as being benched for their Champions League clash against Barcelona for turning up late to a team meeting. These issues have meant that clubs across Europe are now queuing up to try and secure his signature.
Despite only being 19 years old and still in his first season in Serie A, Sandro Tonali is already being linked with a host of top European clubs. The 19 year old defensive midfielder is currently playing for Brescia Calcio, who he joined in January 2018 and is already considered one of the most exciting talents in Europe.
With the Summer Transfer Window now complete, it's time for our annual review of the business conducted. Which Club spent the most efficiently and which was the most inefficient? Which player proved to be the best value? The review also looks at Leagues as a whole and a new feature for this year, efficiency tables, which ranks each Club in the seven European leagues considered by transfer efficiency?
Just one season after moving to Turin from Liverpool on a free transfer, it seems that Juventus are now keen to offload Emre Can. Last season the German midfielder made 37 appearances and scored 7 goals for the Old Lady, proving to be a key part of the team as they pushed for another Serie A title and hoped to capture the Champions League. However, after the arrival of Maurizio Sarri and after a busy summer which saw the arrivals of fellow midfielders Aaron Ramsey and Adrien Rabiot it seems that Can has fallen down the pecking order.
One of the transfer sagas of the summer rumbles on as Juventus look to try and offload Paulo Dybala, a player who was seen, until recently, as one of the best players at the club. The most crucial change since then has been the signing of Cristiano Ronaldo. After dominating Italian football, Juventus have increasingly been turning their attention to trying to win the Champions League for the first time since 1995/96. Ronaldo was seen as a clear statement of intent as the Portuguese international has had repeated success in the competition, winning it 5 times with two different clubs.
With Kieran Trippier recently leaving for Atletico Madrid and Tottenham looking to refresh an aging squad, the next in the firing line seems to be Danny Rose. After 12 years in North London and almost 200 appearances racked up, the left back has been left out of the Spurs squad for their pre-season tour of Asia, which has only intensified the rumours.