"...This is going to be the most consequential transfer window for European football..."

To the most ardent of football fans the phrase “this is going to be the most consequential transfer window” is an overused cliché.

I however believe this is truly going to be the most consequential of transfer windows and we are only in July.

To start with I cannot remember anytime in recent memory when there have been so many major European clubs going through periods of managerial changes. Chelsea have just recently appointed Pochettino, Manchester United have just finished the first season under Eric Ten Hag, Tottenham appointed Ange a mere weeks ago and Tuchel is still getting his feet under the table at Bayern Munich. Liverpool had a poor season by their standards, and everyone expects a rebuild to start in earnest, Real Madrid finished second and the fact that the La Liga was won by their archrival meant changes were expected at San Barnebeu. You can go on and on. Even though Manchester City won the treble, given Guardiola’s drive and thirst for excellence no one expected them to rest on their oars.

If you are an alien visiting Earth for the first time, you’ll probably find the weather at this time extremely unbearable, but you also be confused when you read the papers. On one hand we have people complaining about inflation and economic squeeze, yet you can be forgiven if confused by the amount of cash already splashed by soccer teams.

Real Madrid threw down the gauntlet spending over ￡100M for Jude Bellingham from Dortmund and that has been almost matched by Arsenal acquiring the service of Declan Rice for a mere ￡100M. With Brighton looking for circa ￡80M for Caicedo and clubs being put off by the over ￡100M price tag on Osimhen Victor things are about to get very warm very quickly. I mean you know how tough the market is when even underperforming strikers like Lukaku are being touted at about ￡40M.

Let’s do a deep dive at some of the major players that would totally make this summer transfer window perhaps a once in a lifetime event.

Take Tottenham Hotspurs for starters; over the last 4 to 5 years, analysts and pundits have fed us the same line around their talismanic striker, Harry Kane

“Spurs have to keep Kane to have chance of winning anything”.

Spurs have held onto Kane, and they haven’t won anything.

Is this transfer window going to be a continuation of the circus or would Daniel Levy say maybe it’s time to take cash and move on? What we know so far is Manchester United is interested but don’t have the funds and Bayern Munich needing a replacement for Lewandowski are not prepared to pay over the top. The truth though is that Spurs chairman only needs to look across the channel at Paris Saint Germain to see what happens when you allow your best6 asset to wind down their contract.

A year ago, PSG turned down a fantastic offer from Real Madrid in the hope that they can build a future team around Mbappe. Fast forward a year later and the relationship has soured so much that I don’t expect him to be in the home dressing room for the coming season.

In the last year or so the new Chelsea ownership have gone on a shopping spree, and they seem not to be looking to stop for now. The squad at the end of last season was large and needed trimming and it is now down to Pochettino to do that. In my view the squad now looks more like what you’ll assemble for Football Manager 2023 and with an owner that seems to be everywhere; you do worry as to how this is going to end. In fact, the first worry I guess for the new manager is “where are all these people going to play”?

Then there is Liverpool who shocked many with how underwhelming their season was. MacAllister has since joined but with the likes of Firmino, Henderson and perhaps Fernandinho leaving, a rebuild would have to happen but do Liverpool have the funds? Is Klopp ready for the challenge or would the lure of perhaps a Real Madrid vacancy next season be the ramp for him to exit Anfield?

Eddie Howe must be in seventh heaven given how well his Newcastle team performed last season. Expectations have now been raised and one of the most punishing aspects of being football manager is that when you raise the bar for yourself you also increase the risk of being sacked the next season for underachieving. Saint-Maximin used to light up Tynecastle with his dribbling runs and ability to open defences. It would be interesting to see if Harvey Barnes goals and work rate would be an adequate replacement for what the skilful Frenchman brought to the table.

Then there is Manchester United who for many years have been serial spenders and underachievers. For the first time since Sir Alex left the home dugout, it seems the red half of Manchester is on its’ way back, or are they? Last year the Glazers who ownership has been a source of anger and frustration for majority of the club’s fans decided that they would be exploring options to sell the club. Months have passed and even though we have come to know the identity of the two key bidders, no one is quite sure when a final decision on the potential sale would be made. The result of that is a summer transfer window that was expected to witness significant investment to push the club on is petering out to be one of looking for cheap deals and a shuddering delay to the rebuild. Yes, they have brought in Mount and Onana, the fact that they are struggling to sell players like Telles and Bailly is a testimony to the poor decision making from the past that has stretched its’ fingers into the present.

This transfer window has also witnessed the end of an era in European football. The Ronald-Messi rivalry was one of the defining characteristics of football on the continent. Last year Ronaldo took his game to Saudi Arabia and with Messi leaving this summer to Miami, we have come full circle. For many years the question was always about who would win the Ballon Door between the two; a fierce rivalry that kept fans transfixed and made this game we loved even more loveable. Ronaldo left for Saudi Arabia last season and with Messi departing to Miami, it marks a remarkable change in the character of the European League. This is even more obvious given that there is no real apparent heir, and no rivalry currently exists that can match the Ronaldo-Messi show.

A few years ago, the Chinese super league was very active in trying to attract players from Europe and it succeeded in pulling some of the well-known faces from the major European leagues but the emergence of the Saudi football league as a major player in the summer transfer business has been dramatic on many levels. They have the cash to back up their demand and when you look at the calibre of the players that have so far attracted and looking to attract, they mean business. Many years ago, the MSL was equally bullish in trying to attract players but then it was viewed as an attractive destination for players in their twilight years, the Saudis are different. They are talking to and now signing players who are still in their prime. The fact that their demand is an effective one makes them a major power to consider.

The above storyline has been restricted to the major clubs and we know that as we move towards August you should see the smaller clubs coming forward with their own deals.

This is going to be perhaps the most consequential summer transfer window ….

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