Summer Transfer Window: Who Won And Who Lost?

The curtains have come down on the summer transfer window. There have been some high-profile signings, Cristiano Ronaldo, and some near misses, Kylian Mbappe, as well. In the ongoing pandemic, clubs were expected to be extremely prudent concerning money but extravagance ruled the roost in the cases of some clubs, especially the English. So, let us find out the winners and losers of this year’s transfer window. 

Barcelona (Loser) 

Undoubtedly the Catalan club has been one of the biggest losers this summer. A few years back, the Barcelona FC had annual revenue of €840.1 million (£720m/$990m) but at present, the club is approximately €1.3 billion (£1.1bn/$1.5bn) in debt. The biggest setback was Messi, as Barca did not have enough money to keep the Argentine legend even after he agreed to a 50 percent wage cut. The Spanish club had also requested senior players to bear further pay deductions so that it can easily accommodate the fresh signings; Memphis Depay, Sergio Aguero and Eric Garcia; going forward.  

Paris Saint Germain (Winner) 

The Paris club has gained a lot out of the latest transfer window, Apart from securing Messi the club also got Gigi Donnarumma, Gini Wijnaldum, Sergio Ramos, Nuno Mendes and Achraf Hakimi on board. Resultantly, they have a team brimming with some incredible talents covering all the bases of the game. However, the Argentine coach Mauricio Pochettino will be under immense pressure to win the Champions League trophy after the superb financial backing of the Qatari owners that made these signings possible. But, it cannot be denied that the club has not only reinforced itself but also weakened some of their opponents with some smart shopping during the transfer window.  

Bayern Munich (Winner) 

The German club has always been chastised for the eroding tough competition in the Bundesliga by stealing players from the arch-rivals, prominent among them being Borussia Dortmund. Currently, the club has shifted its focus to RB Leipzig, a tough competitor in German football during the last five years. The biggest achievement for the Munich-based club has been to retain Robert Lewandowski in the face of some desperate attempts by other clubs to take him away. With a good squad at disposal, the German club is expected to provide a tough Champions League challenge. 

Manchester United (Winner) 

The English club has managed to bring in Jadon Sancho, Raphael Varane and Cristiano Ronaldo during the summer window. With Varane the United has gained good muscles in the back-line. By signing up Sancho and Ronaldo they have forged an enviable attack featuring Paul Pogba, Bruno Fernandes, Mason Greenwood and others. The Champions Trophy that has been eluding them since 2013 looks very much in their realm now. The manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer would be on cloud nine at the moment but the Glazers will be expecting much more out of the club post these high-profile investments.