Even by Chelsea’s standards, signing Joao Felix makes no sense: GOAL grades the biggest deals from the 2024 summer transfer window

For some football fans, the off-season is the part of the calendar that they look forward to the most, as that can only mean one thing: It’s time for transfers! And even while the window edges towards its closure, the biggest names continue to be linked with the biggest clubs, as speculation goes into overdrive.

We all know that some transfers turn out well for all parties involved, but there are plenty where at least one of the clubs, or even the player, are left wondering what might have been had they made a different decision while at the negotiating table.

GOAL is here, then, to ensure you know who did the best out of every massive deal before the ink is even dry on the contracts. Throughout the summer window, we are grading every done deal as it happens, letting you track the big winners – and losers – of transfer season.

Check out our latest grades below, and let us know what you think in the comments section…

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  August 20: Joao Felix (Atletico Madrid to Chelsea, £46m)

  For Atletico Madrid: Christmas has come early! By essentially swapping Felix for Conor Gallagher, Atletico are strengthening their midfield without weakening their attack – and making a small but significant profit in the process. The Rojiblancos are obviously still taking a heavy hit on the player they bought from Benfica for €126 million (£107m/$140m) five years ago, but they won’t care at this stage; the weight around the club’s neck has finally been removed after one unsuccessful loan spell after another. Atleti have finally found someone stupid enough to buy a player that the fans absolutely despised and Diego Simeone lost faith in years ago. Relief abounds at the Metropolitano. Grade: A

  For Chelsea: Even by the Blues’ standards, an incomprehensible decision – at least from a sporting perspective. This deal is obviously all about money. Indeed, it was tied to Gallagher’s move in the other direction and only happened because the previously agreed swap involving Samu Omorodion collapsed. Chelsea only turned to Felix because he was also an Atletico player. He doesn’t have anything like the same profile and there is no obvious space for him at Stamford Bridge, where he previously managed just four goals in 20 appearances during his 2023 loan spell. They didn’t think he was good enough to sign last summer, so why now, after Felix flopped at Barcelona too? None of this makes any sense – but then, nonsense is pretty much the Blues’ modus operandi under Clearlake Capital. Grade: F

  For Felix: An awful move, but it’s not like he had any other options available to him in Europe. No other top club would have even considered signing the Portugal international, who is unquestionably talented but horribly inconsistent. He has just never lived up to the hype generated during his time at Benfica. Consequently, it was pretty much Chelsea or Saudi Arabia for such an underperforming high-earner. Felix is said to be excited about returning to west London, but the Blues’ squad is even more bloated than before and he will just be one of about eight forwards battling for a starting spot under Enzo Maresca. Maybe Felix will find a way to thrive amid the chaos at Stamford Bridge but it’s stability that he’s long needed, not more uncertainty. Grade: F

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    August 19: Conor Gallagher (Chelsea to Atletico Madrid, €42m)

    For Chelsea: A damning indictment of the club’s farcical transfer policy. Gallagher was one of Chelsea’s best players and they’ve essentially traded him for the worst signing in Atletico’s history (Joao Felix). Gallagher ranked third for Premier League goal involvements last season, with only Cole Palmer registering more assists, while he also won possession more times (221) than any of his team-mates. And yet he’s been sold simply because he’s an academy product, meaning the pure profit made on his exit will help resolve some of the financial problems caused by the owners’ shambolic spending spree. It’s been argued that Gallagher doesn’t suit Enzo Maresca’s style of play, but the supporters aren’t stupid: he’s far more adaptable and talented than many members of an overinflated squad filled with flops. A homegrown hero has been unceremoniously shown the door solely to help balance the books. Shameful. Grade: F

    For Atletico Madrid: A fascinating move that could go either way. Few expected Atletico to make Gallagher one of the most expensive signings of the Liga transfer window so far and there’s talk that they would have preferred to sign Valencia’s Javi Guerra – but the England international could slot nicely into Diego Simeone’s starting line-up. Gallagher is the kind of all-action midfielder that the Argentine loves, a pressing machine that should immediately endear himself to his new coach and the club’s supporters. The pressure will obviously be on the 24-year-old to prove that he has the requisite level of technique to thrive in Spain. Gallagher has his limitations, as we saw during his cameo at the Euros, while there is stiff competition for midfield berths at the Metropolitano. Still, he could prove something of a bargain buy, given his high-energy game is, on paper at least, suited to Simeone’s intensive style of play. The fact that they’ve effectively got rid of Joao Felix in the process is a beautiful bonus. Grade: A-

    For Gallagher: A painful and protracted break-up that should prove a blessing in disguise. Gallagher clearly would have preferred to stay at Stamford Bridge, given he’s been on Chelsea’s books since he was eight years of age. Even after it became clear that he’d have to leave his childhood club, he probably would have favoured a switch to another Premier League side, and it’s been reported that he had serious doubts over moving to Madrid. However, while he could conceivably struggle to settle in the Spanish capital, the likes of Jude Bellingham have showcased the benefits of playing on the continent in recent years and Gallagher should enjoy working under Simeone, who knows a thing or two about the art of tenacious midfield play. Gallagher is also joining Atletico at a very exciting time, with the capital club clearly targeting next season’s Liga title after a busy summer window. It might not feel like it right now but being forced out of Chelsea could be the best thing ever to happen to him. Grade: B+

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      August 17: Desire Doue (Rennes to Paris Saint-Germain, €50m)

      For Rennes: Further evidence of the fantastic work being done by the club’s academy. A prodigious teenage talent sold for massive money, Doue is simply following in the footsteps of Ousmane Dembele, Mathys Tel and Eduardo Camavinga. Replacing the winger, who provided four goals and four assists from just 17 Ligue 1 starts last season, will not be easy and is certain to take some time, but then again, if anybody can do it, it’s Rennes! Grade: A

      For Paris Saint-Germain: Yet another exciting signing. In the last couple of windows, PSG have embraced a similar recruitment policy to Chelsea, in that they’re now focusing their attention on picking up promising players. The big difference is, though, that the French side’s approach is more about quality than quantity. In landing Doue, they have pulled off a real coup, as the 19-year-old had also been targeted by the likes of Manchester United and Bayern Munich. The fee is sizable but the two-footed Doue last season proved himself one of the most exciting dribblers in European football. Grade: A

      For Doue: The logical next step. Moving to Paris rather than Manchester or Munich makes an awful lot of sense for Doue, who won the 2022 European Under-17 Championship alongside PSG midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery, meaning he should fit right in at Parc des Princes, both on and off the field. Unsurprisingly for one so young, he still has some flaws in his game, but his former coaches say he’s a humble and dedicated kid who’s always looking to improve. The €50m (£43m/$55m) fee will obviously bring with it a certain amount of pressure and PSG do not lack options out wide, so establishing himself as a starter will not be easy. But that’s probably no bad thing at this stage of his career. Besides, as a versatile and hard-working attacker who is devastating in one-v-ones, he should still be given plenty of chances to impress a crowd crying out for a new hero following Kylian Mbappe’s exit. Grade: A-

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        August 13: Matthijs de Ligt (Bayern Munich to Manchester United, £43m)

        For Bayern Munich: Decent business. Bayern appeared to have pulled off a masterstroke by signing De Ligt from Juventus for far less than the Italians had paid for him in 2022, but after initially looking like he might become a mainstay of the Bavarians’ backline for years to come, the Dutchman ended up being nothing like the magnificent centre-half we’d seen at Ajax. He remained a regular until the end of Thomas Tuchel’s tenure but the mere fact that Bayern were so keen to sell is telling – as is his tally of precisely zero minutes for Netherlands at Euro 2024. Bayern will be happy to have recouped a significant chunk of the fee they paid for a player they no longer wanted. Grade: B+

        For Manchester United: A risk worth taking. There are definitely concerns that De Ligt was overrated during his time in Amsterdam – he’s just not proven himself capable of delivering on a consistent basis at the very highest level. But the fee is hardly astronomical and there’s undoubtedly still a top centre-half in there, so who better than former Ajax boss Erik ten Hag to bring it back out? Also, let’s face it, De Ligt is significantly more talented than many of the centre-backs United had on their books last season! Grade: B

        For De Ligt: Potentially his last chance to prove himself at a club of this size. De Ligt is still only 24, but if he flops at United, after underwhelming at both Juventus and Bayern, it’s hard to envisage another member of Europe’s elite paying top dollar for his services. The world-class potential is certainly there: he’s a two-footed and physically imposing centre-half. But there are ongoing questions over his pace and propensity for making unforced errors and costly lapses in concentration. The onus is very much on De Ligt to prove that he can cope with the pressure of delivering in every single game for a top team. He should get plenty of chances to do so under Ten Hag at Old Trafford. Grade: B+

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          August 13: Noussair Mazraoui (Bayern Munich to Manchester United, £17m)

          For Bayern: An understandable decision. Mazraoui proved a useful squad player, capable of filling in at either left-back or right-back, but he was never really first-choice in either position when everyone was fully fit. If either Joshua Kimmich or Alphonso Davies had left this summer, things perhaps would have been different. But when one considers that Sacha Boey and Raphael Guerreiro are also still at the club, and the fact that new signing Hiroki Ito can also play at left-back, cashing in on Mazraoui makes sense. Grade: B

          For United: A definite upgrade on Aaron Wan-Bissaka. United have been involved in an awful lot of disastrous deals over the past decade, but they’ve done well here by effectively paying for Mazraoui by selling Wan-Bissaka to West Ham. The Moroccan is not only more versatile, he’s also far more comfortable on the front foot, meaning he should prove a solid attacking outlet no matter where he’s deployed. Grade: B+

          For Mazraoui: An opportunity to lock down a starting spot at one of the biggest clubs in world football – and under one of his former bosses. Mazraoui showed both at Ajax and during Morocco’s marvellous run to the semi-finals of the 2022 World Cup that he has the talent and composure to shine at the very highest level. Working in tandem with fellow full-back Achraf Hakimi in Qatar, he helped keep opponents at bay while also causing problems going forward. Although not on the same level as his international colleague, Mazraoui is capable of becoming a low-key crowd favourite at Old Trafford. Grade: A

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          August 12: Julian Alvarez (Manchester City to Atletico Madrid, €75m)

          For Manchester City: Another huge windfall from the sale of a player that they didn’t necessarily need. City have cashed in on the likes of Raheem Sterling, Ferran Torres, Gabriel Jesus, Leroy Sane and Cole Palmer in recent seasons – and not one of those exits affected the club’s unprecedented cycle of Premier League success. Alvarez is a fine player – he’s proven that at both club and international level – but the summer signing of Savinho meant that the competition for starting spots around undisputed first-choice No.9 Erling Haaland had only intensified. It’s not in the least bit surprising, then, that City have accepted a massive offer, which could end up totalling €95m, for their €21m signing from River Plate. Grade: A+

          For Atletico Madrid: A colossal statement of intent. During a relatively quiet summer transfer window so far, Atletico had already stood out as one of the more active participants, bringing in the likes of Alexander Sorloth, Robin Le Normand and Conor Gallagher. The acquisition of Alvarez, though, is on a whole other level. The Argentine is a multi-functional forward who has already won pretty much every major trophy in the game at 24 years of age. He’s also managed to score goals consistently despite restricted game time and being regularly played outside of his preferred position. The fee may be big, but Alvarez’s potential is even greater. He could explode at the Metropolitano next season. Grade: B+

          For Alvarez: The opportunity he’s long craved. We’ve long known that Alvarez is good enough to lead the line on a weekly basis for a top team; it was only the presence of Haaland that was holding him back at the Etihad. Now he has the chance to prove that he can become an elite striker in his own right. He’s certainly got all the tools to do so; he’s quick, physically strong, technically gifted and an incredibly hard worker – he’s basically everything that Diego Simeone wants in a No.9. Given the size of the investment in his services, Alvarez will come under plenty of scrutiny this season, but as he showed at Qatar 2022 and while leading the line for City during Haaland’s injury-enforced absences, he has the talent and temperament to become one of the game’s best centre-forwards. Expect him to embrace the pressure of playing for such an ambitious club and before such passionate supporters. Grade: A

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            August 11: Pedro Neto (Wolves to Chelsea, £54m)

            For Wolves: Disappointing, but decent money all the same. Neto is one of the top chance-creators in the Premier League and his loss will be keenly felt next season. Still, it’s not as if Wolves haven’t got used to playing without the injury-prone winger. Gary O’Neil’s team will undoubtedly prove a lot less threatening without Neto, but the hope will be that they can sign a promising replacement – and they’re almost inevitably being linked with another young Portuguese player in Ajax’s Carlos Forbes. And besides, Neto was always going to move on at some stage and Wolves, to their credit, have managed to procure a fine fee for a player that was sidelined twice last season alone with hamstring injuries. Grade: B+

            For Chelsea: Yet another gamble. Neto is a proven Premier League player but he’s also got a concerning track record of missing matches. Indeed, he’s had four significant lay-offs in the past three years. If Chelsea can keep him fit, he should prove a productive addition – he’s quick, creative, dynamic and hard-working – but, based on what we’ve seen so far, that’s a pretty big ‘if’. Consequently, this feels like quite a lot of money for Chelsea’s version of Diogo Jota: a talented Portuguese player signed from Wolves plagued by injury problems. Grade: B

            For Neto: An overdue step up in class. With all due respect to Wolves, it’s been clear for some time that Neto deserved a crack at a really big club. He’s got that now, although whether Chelsea is really the right move remains to be seen. The Blues’ squad is horribly bloated, the owners appear to have little idea of what they’re doing and several expensive signings have already struggled to settle at Stamford Bridge. Neto certainly has the talent to thrive at a top team but he definitely needs to add goals to his game (he’s never scored more than five across a single Premier League season) if he’s to succeed where so many others have failed before him. Grade: B-

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            August 10: Dominic Solanke (Bournemouth to Tottenham, £65m)

            For Bournemouth: Massive profit but also a major problem. Bournemouth have lost their best forward just over a week before the start of the new season. It had been coming, of course, and owner Bill Foley said last month that the club had “two or three candidates lined up” to replace Solanke in the event of his departure. Whether any of them will be capable of replicating the 19 goals that the England international scored last season is doubtful. There have been links with the likes of Ivan Toney and Dominic Calvert-Lewin, but it’s hard to see either player moving to Dean Court. Still, the fee is colossal, even if it’s important to note that Solanke’s former club Liverpool reportedly inserted a 20 percent sell-on clause in his contract when he joined the Cherries for £19m in 2019. Grade: B

            For Tottenham: A truly stunning outlay from a chairman still considered parsimonious. Solanke was excellent last season and his impressive all-round game has already seen him touted as Harry Kane’s belated successor at Spurs. However, there’s no hiding the fact that this is a colossal amount of money for a 26-year-old forward with just one good Premier League campaign under his belt. Still, if Spurs can convince Richarlison to accept a big-money move to the Saudi Pro League, Daniel Levy will deem £65m a price well worth paying, especially as Solanke appears well suited to Ange Postecoglou’s style of play. Grade: B-

            For Solanke: A third – and probably final – chance to show that he can cut it at a top club. The Chelsea academy product failed to make the grade at Anfield but he slowly managed to turn his career around at the Vitality Stadium and was understandably desperate to make this move happen. The immense challenge now facing him is justifying his massive transfer fee. Spurs are not exactly Liverpool or Chelsea, though, and the level of competition he’s previously had to deal with won’t be anywhere near as intense in north London. He should be a certain starter, in fact, and while doubts persist over his finishing, Solanke is the kind of complete centre-forward that should link well with the likes of Son Heung-min and James Maddison. Grade: A

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              August 9: Dani Olmo (RB Leipzig to Barcelona, €55m)

              For RB Leipzig: A transfer that had been coming for quite some time, which is why they fought so hard to hold onto Xavi Simons. Olmo has long been linked with a move away from the Red Bull Arena, so his stellar showing at Euro 2024 made his departure a formality. On the face of it, the fee might appear a little low for one of the key players in Spain’s triumph in Germany, but we’re talking about a 26-year-old attacker who never managed to score more than five times across a single season in the Bundesliga. Leipzig have also effectively pocketed twice what they paid for Olmo when they signed him from Dinamo Zagreb all the way back in 2020. Grade: B+

              For Barcelona: Welcome relief. It’s fair to say that Barcelona fans were getting a little antsy with the new season approaching and the club yet to sign a single player. The return of a former youth team star will obviously defuse the tension a tad. There will, of course, be questions over what exactly Hansi Flick intends to do with Olmo – and whether his arrival will result in the sale of a fellow forward – but the Spain international is capable of playing on either flank, as well as in the No.10 role which he performed so effectively for his country at the Euros. Being back at Barca could well bring the best out of Olmo. Grade: B

              For Olmo: A belated chance to become a star at Barcelona. Olmo stunned the club when he decided to leave for Dinamo in the summer of 2014, when he was still only 16 years of age, but he would argue that leaving La Masia benefited his development as a player and a person in the long run. Still, the challenge now for Olmo is to achieve the kind of consistency that has eluded him up until this stage of his career. We know he’s been blessed with wonderful technique – we saw that at the Euros – but his final product has always been a problem. The onus is now very much on Olmo to prove that he can deliver on a weekly basis at one of the biggest clubs in the world. Grade: A

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              August 5: Joao Neves (Benfica to Paris Saint-Germain, €70m)

              For Benfica: Seriously mixed emotions. Benfica have once again banked an enormous fee for one of their star players, but the fans are unsurprisingly devastated by the exit of such an exciting academy graduate after so little time in the first team. President Rui Costa says he both understands and shares the supporters’ pain, but pointed out that PSG made an offer for a teenager that was simply too good to turn down. This deal has only enhanced Benfica’s reputation as the masters of the transfer market in terms of procuring massive transfer fees for promising players (just look at the obscene amounts of money they’ve made on Darwin Nunez and Enzo Fernandez in recent windows), but that’s little consolation to the Eagles’ frustrated fans right now, particularly as there’s a real risk that Neves could actually end up proving undervalued. Grade: B

              For PSG: A remainder that the Qatari-backed club remain capable of statement signings. Granted, this is a serious sum of money for a 19-year-old, but Neves’ world-class potential is undeniable. We really could be talking about a generational talent here, so PSG have done very well to pick Neves up for only €20m more than Bayern Munich paid for another Portuguese defensive midfielder, Joao Palhinha, who has 10 years on his international team-mate. The Ligue 1 champions remain renowned for wasting millions in the transfer market, but the recent, Luis Campos-led shift in recruitment policy away from superstar signings to young players of enormous potential should eventually pay off for the Parisians. Certainly, Neves, who was wanted by a number of top European teams, could become a Parc des Princes regular for years to come. Grade: A

              For Neves: Plenty of pros and cons. Parc des Princes is not the most stable of environments and it’s worth noting that Manuel Ugarte, who arrived at PSG from Portugal last summer for a similar fee, was unable to lock down a place in Luis Enrique’s midfield last season. Neves, though, already appears to have even more about him than the Uruguayan and could form a formidable midfield with compatriot Vitinha, fellow teenage sensation Warren Zaire-Emery and maybe even Fabian Ruiz should the Spain star stay put. Much will be expected of Neves, but he should thrive in Ligue 1 while also building upon what was an impressive Champions League group-stage campaign with Benfica last season. Grade: B+

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                August 5: Niclas Fullkrug (Borussia Dortmund to West Ham, £27m)

                For Dortmund: A tremendous fee for a 31-year-old centre-forward. Fullkrug was Dortmund’s joint-top scorer last season and he played a pivotal role in their remarkable run to the final of the Champions League, with big goals against both Atletico Madrid and Paris Saint-Germain. He also impressed off the bench for Germany at the Euros. At the end of the day, though, Dortmund have younger, more attractive attacking options and have banked double what they paid for Fullkrug a year ago – that’s great business by any rationale. Grade: A

                For West Ham: Something of a surprise. The Hammers were obviously in dire need of a new No.9, given both Michail Antonio and Danny Ings are both the wrong side of 30, but for that very reason it was presumed that they’d bring in a much younger player, such as Jhon Duran. Instead, they’ve ended up with Fullkrug, whose best years are no doubt behind him. In that sense, the fee is eyebrow-raising, but that’s not to say that the Germany international won’t prove a valuable addition, at least in the short-term. Indeed, he has the style and personality to become a cult hero at the London Stadium if he hits the ground running. Grade: B-

                For Fullkrug: A crack at the Premier League that he really should relish. Fullkrug appears ideally suited and constructed for the physicality of the English game, while his underrated technique could see him become an excellent target man for the likes of Mohammed Kudus and Jarrod Bowen to play off. As he showed during the Euros, he’s a player capable of making a big impact on games, even when he doesn’t start. Grade: B+

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                August 5: Xavi Simons (Paris Saint-Germain to RB Leipzig, loan)

                For PSG: Hardly ideal for a club still looking to strengthen their squad. A permanent move away from Parc des Princes appeared to suit both PSG and Simons, who has only made seven Ligue 1 appearances since being prised away from Barcelona in 2019. Instead, a final decision over the Dutchman’s long-term future has been postponed for another season. Of course, PSG could yet end up making even more money on Simons next summer if he enjoys another impressive campaign in Leipzig, but one imagines that they would have the Parisians would have preferred to cash in on a player that Luis Enrique clearly feels he can do without, given the external interest in the attacker’s services only intensified after his strong showing at the Euros. Grade: C

                For RB Leipzig: A delightful development. After hitting double figures for both goals and assists during last season’s loan spell at the Red Bull Arena, Simons appeared almost certain to join one of Europe’s elite this summer. Worse still, the 21-year-old appeared bound for Leipzig’s Bundesliga rivals Bayern Munich, which would have been a seriously bitter pill for the supporters to swallow. So, Rouven Schroder & Co. deserve enormous credit for convincing Simons that his career would be best served by spending a second season on loan in Leipzig. If the club can also now hold onto Dani Olmo, this would be a wonderful summer for coach Marco Rose – no matter what else happens between now and the close of the transfer window. Grade: A

                For Simons: A surprising but perhaps sensible decision. Simons appeared ready to make another step up in class, having first proven his worth at PSV before excelling in Leipzig last season. However, the word is that after initially agreeing to move to Munich, he began to have doubts over just how much game time he would see at the Allianz Arena. Consequently, he was lured back to Leipzig by the promise of a role of even greater responsibility and importance for the coming campaign. It could well prove the correct call. Simons is still incredibly young and, just like Benjamin Sesko, who has also decided to remain at the Red Bull Arena amid incessant transfer talk, he could benefit from another year at a club renowned for nurturing top talent before moving on. Grade: B+

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                  July 30: Filip Jorgensen (Villarreal to Chelsea, £21m)

                  For Villarreal: Always a pleasure doing business with Chelsea. Last summer, Villarreal sold Nicolas Jackson to the Blues for £32m after the striker’s purple patch during the second half of the 2022-23 season. Now, they’ve banked another £21m for a player that only made his Liga debut in January of last year. It’s pure profit, too, as Jorgensen came through Villarreal’s youth sector. The Denmark Under-21 international may have been the Yellow Submarine’s first-choice goalkeeper, but this was another offer from Chelsea that the Spanish side simply couldn’t refuse. Grade: B+

                  For Chelsea: Entirely in keeping with the club’s recent transfer strategy of buying as many promising young players as possible and giving them long-term contracts. Jorgensen could prove money well spent, though. He’s clearly lacking in experience, as he only became Villarreal’s No.1 last season, but he ended up making more saves than any other goalkeeper in La Liga (143) and his impressive distribution is the main reason why the Blues believe that the Swedish-born shot-stopper will prove ideally suited to Enzo Maresca’s style of play. Grade: B-

                  For Jorgensen: “A dream come true”, as he said himself. This time last year, Jorgensen never could have imagined that he’d be snapped up by one of the most high-profile clubs on the planet during the 2024 summer transfer window. However, he came on leaps and bounds at El Madrigal last season and is now quite rightly talking optimistically about establishing himself as Chelsea’s starting goalkeeper, given Robert Sanchez and Djordje Petrovic are not exactly elite-level performers. Jorgensen remains a raw talent, but the truth of the matter is that, for all the chaos and confusion at Stamford Bridge, he wouldn’t have got such an unexpected opportunity at any other ‘top’ team. Grade: A

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                  July 29: Riccardo Calafiori (Bologna to Arsenal, £42m)

                  For Bologna: Another painful loss in a summer of devastating departures. Bologna may have stunned Serie A by qualifying for this season’s Champions League, but they’ve since seen coach Thiago Motta leave for Juventus and striker Joshua Zirkee move to Manchester United. Calafiori’s exit has only accentuated the heartbreak. The fact that Bologna will only get half the fee because of the sell-on clause Basel shrewdly included in the contract Calafiori signed last summer is also tough to take. The Rossoblu have still made a tidy profit on a player for just €4m, but to not even get a second season out of the 22-year-old is a bitter blow. Still, at least he didn’t join another Serie A side… Grade: B-

                  For Arsenal: A player made for Mikel Arteta and his aim to create a fantastically fluid football team. Some Arsenal fans have questioned this signing, given the Gunners have a settled centre-back pairing in William Saliba and Gabriel Magalhaes, while the versatile Jurrien Timber is also going to be fully fit for the start of the new season. Such scepticism is understandable. But Calafiori is a multi-talented player and his signing is only going to give Arteta even more options. This is a defender so good on the ball that Luciano Spalletti even utilised him as a No.10 in an Italy training match during the Euros, while his line-breaking ability was perfectly illustrated by his wonderful assist for Italy’s vital equaliser in the decisive group game against Croatia. Where will Calafiori fit in at Arsenal? Pretty much anywhere Arteta decides to use him. Grade: A

                  For Calafiori: An offer too good to turn down. Clearly it would have made more sense for Calafiori to follow Motta to Juve, given it was the former Italy international who played the most pivotal role in his transformation from an attack-minded left-back into a ball-playing centre-half. But the 22-year-old should also enjoy playing under Arteta, who most likely sees him as a significant upgrade on Oleksandr Zinchenko, a left-sided defender capable of serving as an auxiliary midfielder. Calafiori will obviously need time to get to grips with a new league and language, but don’t let the hairband and the good looks fool you: this is an extremely determined individual with the requisite talent to become Italy’s next great defender. Grade: A-

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                    July 22: Amadou Onana (Everton to Aston Villa, £50m)

                    For Everton: An unsurprising sale. Everton have well-documented financial issues that made the sale of a first-team regular imperative. The fans will, thus, be hoping that Onana’s exit means that they won’t also have to cash in on the far more popular Jarrad Branthwaite. While there is an acceptance at Goodison Park that the Belgium international has the potential to develop into a world-class defensive midfielder, there was also a feeling that he viewed the club as a stepping stone and only ever showed up in big games to put himself in the shop window. In that sense, all the supporters care about is holding onto Manchester United target Branthwaite and seeing some of the Onana fee – which is undeniably decent for such an inconsistent performer – reinvested into Sean Dyche’s squad. Grade: B

                    For Aston Villa: The Douglas Luiz replacement? The 22-year-old is not yet as complete a midfielder as Luiz, who joined Juventus last month, meaning it’s likely he’ll just be asked to sit in front of the back four by Unai Emery – but Onana is adamant that he is capable of becoming a true box-to-box midfielder. He doesn’t yet offer anything like the same goal threat as Luiz, of course, but he’s physically imposing, strong in the air and a decent distributor of the ball. Honestly, the price feels a little high, but Onana definitely has a high ceiling and is the kind of imposing presence Villa’s midfield had been missing. Grade: B-

                    For Onana: A chance to show what he’s really all about at a resurgent club that will be playing Champions League football next season. Onana is rated highly by Belgium boss Domenico Tedesco and played every minute of the Red Devils’ Euro 2024 campaign – but he wasn’t particularly impressive and clearly has to work on the offensive side of his game. Still, the presence of international colleague Youri Tielemans should help him settle quickly into Emery’s engine room, while he could end up proving the perfect foil for Boubacar Kamara in a midfield pivot when the Frenchman eventually returns from injury. Indeed, no matter what way one looks at the deal, Onana should, at the very least, benefit from playing under a better coach at Villa Park – and alongside better players too. Grade: B

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                    July 18: Leny Yoro (Lille to Manchester United, £52m)

                    For Lille: An incredible fee for a teenager with just one year left on his contract. Lille’s primary concern last season was holding onto Yoro during the January transfer window so as to help sustain their bid to qualify for the Champions League. With that twin-objective realised, Yoro was always going to depart this summer – the only question was, for how much? Lille have done sensationally well, then, to convince Yoro to join United instead of Real Madrid, given the Old Trafford outfit offered significantly more money. Losing such a promising player is obviously a major setback for a club that also saw coach Paulo Fonseca leave for AC Milan during the summer, but funds will be made available to strengthen the squad ahead of the Champions League third qualifying round. Grade: A

                    For Manchester United: An encouraging sign. Let’s face it, most United fans have probably never seen Yoro play but it’s no surprise that his imminent arrival is being so widely celebrated, given the club’s struggles of late, coupled with Madrid’s interest in the centre-back. Yono is without a shadow of a doubt one of the most exciting young players in Europe, an 18-year-old with 60 Ligue 1 appearances under his belt that has drawn comparisons with William Saliba because of his comfort on the ball. There are legitimate concerns over the Frenchman’s physique – he’ll clearly need to bulk up to cope with the physicality of the Premier League – but Yoro’s enormous potential is beyond dispute. There’s undeniably a temptation to sarcastically congratulate United for “saying the biggest number”, given they’ve paid well above market value, but the new powerbrokers at Old Trafford do deserve credit for capturing such a coveted prospect without being able to offer Champions League football. Grade: B+

                    For Yoro: A little risky. Old Trafford has proven something of a career-killer in recent years. Plenty of top talents with far more experience than Yoro have been chewed up and spit out by a club in a constant state of flux. In truth, he probably would have been better off joining Madrid, whose very astute squad building contrasts starkly with United’s scattergun approach to the transfer market. His two compatriots Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga certainly don’t appear to have any regrets about joining Los Blancos at a young age. Still, United are seriously short on quality in the centre of defence, meaning Yoro should see plenty of game time at what remains one of the biggest clubs in the world. The possible arrival of Matthijs de Ligt may also prove a positive for Yoro as there would be far more pressure on the Dutchman to deliver right away than the youngster, who should hopefully be given time to find his feet in Manchester. Grade: B

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                      July 18: Mason Greenwood (Manchester United to Marseille, €30m)

                      For Manchester United: An end to one of the most depressing and dreadfully drawn-out sagas in the club’s history. United have handled the entire Greenwood case horribly from start to finish, having alienated and upset numerous supporters and staff members over the past two years. From a purely financial standpoint, United have done well to secure such a big fee for a player that most teams across Europe wouldn’t have even considered signing. They’ve also managed to insert a hefty sell-on clause in his Marseille contract but, to be brutally honest, it just feels distasteful that United are likely to make more money on Greenwood, who should have been got rid of the moment the Red Devils decided he was no longer fit to represent the club. Grade: F

                      For Marseille: A predictably divisive deal. Even the mayor of Marseille has weighed in, arguing that buying Greenwood goes against “the values” of the city and the club. OM believe that this was a chance too good to pass up, given Greenwood is a rare talent that a team of their limited financial resources never would have normally been able to attain. The club will argue that the former England international was never found guilty of any crime and that they were well within their rights to sign a versatile striker that should add a lot to Roberto De Zerbi’s team. Marseille are also acutely aware that modern football fans are both fickle and terribly tribalistic. If Greenwood scores goals, the supporters will quickly forget the furore that surrounded his arrival and defend the deal until the death. It’s awfully sad but it’s the way of the modern game. Ethics no longer come into the equation. Grade: F

                      For Greenwood: Another step back up the footballing ladder. After being cast out by United, Greenwood kick-started his career during a very successful loan spell at Getafe, for whom he contributed 14 goals in 33 appearances last season. The challenge now is for him to maintain that momentum in Marseille. It’s a chaotic environment but an enormous club, meaning Greenwood has a golden opportunity to re-establish himself as one of the best young attackers in football. Certainly, working with De Zerbi has the potential to take his game to a whole new level. The more goals he scores, and the more time passes, the more likely it is that he’ll be back playing in the Premier League in a few years’ time. Grade: B+

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                      July 18: Savinho (Troyes to Manchester City, £30m)

                      For Troyes: A very modern affair – and a glaring example of the perils of multi-club ownership. Savinho signed for Troyes two years ago but he never played a single game for the club. They were – and still are – a pawn in someone else’s game. Troyes will obviously receive a significant sum of money from their owner, the City Football Group (CFG), but is that going to make the fans feel any better about the fact that they’ve suffered back-to-back relegations since Savinho became their record signing? Expect more bitterly sarcastic chants of ‘Merci, City!’ when Troyes kick off their Championnat National campaign next month. Grade: F

                      For Manchester City: The perfect illustration of why the CFG stockpile talent. City signed an exciting Brazilian teenager from Atletico Mineiro via Troyes, allowed him to learn his trade at PSV, watched him grow at Girona and then finally brought him to the Etihad. Savinho is essentially proof that their system works and illustrates why other club owners are trying to copy it. In this instance, there’s no real point in analysing the fee. It’s essentially irrelevant. But, from a footballing perspective, Savinho should prove a fine addition to the City squad. He’s just 20 years of age but has already been capped seven times by Brazil – and one can understand why. He both scores and creates goals, can play on either flank and is a devastating dribbler (he completed more than anyone else in La Liga last season). Basically, Savinho and Jeremy Doku are going to be a serious problem for the Premier League next season. Grade: A

                      For Savinho: The obvious next step. The hope was that Savinho would prove himself good enough to make the move to Manchester and he did exactly that at Girona last term, with his nine goals and 10 assists playing a pivotal part in the Catalans qualifying for the Champions League for the first time ever by finishing third in La Liga. Of course, he won’t be one of the key players at City – at least not immediately – given the intense competition for places in Pep Guardiola’s starting line-up. But there’s a changing of the guard coming at City and Savinho should be a big part of the process. He may take a little time to get to grips with the Premier League – and Pep’s demands – but it certainly wouldn’t be a surprise to see the winger quickly become a fan favourite at the Etihad. Grade: A