5 best deals completed on transfer deadline day
Transfer deadline day is always a whirlwind of excitement and chaos that sends fans, players and managers into a frenzy. The rumour mill goes into overdrive and plenty of players' futures hang in the balance as clubs scramble to get last-minute deals over the line.
As the clock winds down, the tension and excitement become almost palpable and it's an absolute rollercoaster ride of emotions. While some teams look to make a blockbuster signing, other teams would be trying to desperately hold on to a star player on deadlineday.
Without further ado, let's take a look at five of the best deals completed on transfer deadline day.
#5 Randal Kolo Muani | Eintracht Frankfurt to Paris Saint-Germain |
Randal Kolo Muani desperately needed this deal to go over the line after his relationship with the Eintracht Frankfurt top brass seemed to have broken up beyond repair. Kolo Muani went on strike to force an exit and Frankfurt were none too pleased about it.
But all's well that ends well, isn't it? Kolo Muani signed for Frankfurt on a free transfer last summer. They've now managed to sell him to Paris Saint-Germain for a whopping €95 million.
With Lionel Messi and Neymar having left the club this summer, PSG needed to make some quality additions to their attacking setup. They've not done too bad for themselves.
#4 Joao Cancelo | Manchester City to Barcelona |
Joao Cancelo is too good a player to be spending his prime on loan deals. Loan spells at the likes of Bayern Munich and now Barcelona are not unsavoury by any stretch of the imagination. But the Portuguese right-back should ideally be committed to a cause for the long term at this point in his career.
However, a fallout with Pep Guardiola halfway through the 2022-23 season seems to have rendered him a journeyman for now. It's a poor deal for Manchester City as Cancelo is, without a doubt, one of the best full-backs in the world.
It's a great one for Barcelona as it's not a drain on their financial resources and they get a top player for an absolute bargain.
#3 Sofyan Amrabat | Fiorentina to Manchester United |
Most football fans know about Sofyan Amrabat by virtue of his heroics for Morocco at the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Amrabat is a combative central midfielder who will be greatly missed at Fiorentina and hugely welcome at Manchester United.
Letting him leave on deadline day on loan, albeit for a loan fee of €10 million, might not be the worst thing that could have happened to the Series A side on deadline day. But it cuts quite close.
With Kobbie Mainoo and Mason Mount sidelined with injuries and United getting cut through midfield on a regular basis, the Red Devils desperately needed to bolster their midfield department.
They've got themselves a bargain and Amrabat looks like he should thrive in the Premier League thanks to the sheer physicality he brings.
#2 Matheus Nunes | Wolverhampton Wanderes to Manchester City |
Manchester City needed to reinforce their midfield this summer and they've gone about it in typically commendable fashion. If bringing in Mateo Kovacic to replace Ilkay Gundogan wasn't enough, they managed to sign Matheus Nunes from Wolves on deadline day.
Nunes is 25 and has already proven that he can hack it in the Premier League. He is a great ball progressor and we'll have to wait and see just how good he can be with world-class players all around him.
At €62 million, he is an expensive signing but he is likely to hit his prime shortly and could prove to be a huge hit at the Etihad.
#1 Joao Felix | Atletico Madrid to Barcelona |
Joao Felix is yet another top player who has been shut out of his team after a falling out with the manager. Diego Simeone and Felix doesn't see eye to eye and Atletico Madrid's most expensive signing of all time was desperate for a move away this summer.
Atletico Madrid might not want anything to do with him but they can do much better than sending him to Barcelona and strengthening a direct rival. Barcelona cannot be afforded the high ground either. After all, they decided to let Ansu Fati leave to accommodate Felix.
But Felix can become a world-beater and Barcelona are likely to be a great fit for him. This might just be the move that revives his career and Barca would benefit greatly from it.