5 most unexpected transfers of this summer
This summer transfer window has sprung an array of surprises and we could be in for even more before it draws to a close in a couple of weeks. There have been plenty of big-money transfers this summer and a large number of clubs have spent fortunes on bolstering their respective squads.
Some of the Saudi Pro League clubs have also emerged as strong players in the transfer market. Backed by the Saudi Arabian Public Investment Fund, these teams have been able to entice top footballers with enticing contracts. As a result, several stars of the game have now moved to Saudi Arabia.
Without further ado, let's take a look at the five most unexpected transfers of this summer.
#5 Wataru Endo to Liverpool
Liverpool were left red-faced as their efforts to sign Moises Caicedonot only bore no fruit but also led to them missing out on Romeo Lavia. The Merseysiders desperately needed to sign a new holding midfielder and time was quickly running out.
It looks like the Reds have been forced to find a stopgap solution in the meantime. According to the Guardian, Liverpool have agreed an €18 million deal for VfB Stuttgart defensive midfielder Wataru Endo.
The Japanese midfielder is set to undergo a medical on Thursday and will be announced as a Liverpool player subsequently. Endo is 30 years old and is quite a departure from the profile that the Reds were on the lookout for at the start of the summer. As such, this deal comes as a surprise.
#4 Kepa Arrizabalaga to Real Madrid
Kepa Arrizabalaga's time at Chelsea has been tainted by mishaps, errors and an inability to live up to the tag of the most expensive goalkeeper in the world. Following the departure of Edouard Mendy, Kepa might have expected to regain his status as the club's number one.
But those hopes would have diminished following the arrival of Robert Sanchez from Brighton & Hove Albion in the first week of August. Elsewhere, Thibaut Courtois, widely considered to be one of the best goalkeepers in the game, suffered an ACL injury forcing Real Madrid to look for a new custodian.
With David de Gea available on a free transfer, Los Blancos were tipped to finally join hands with a player they once coveted. However, they have surprisingly chose to sign Kepa on loan instead.
The Chelsea goalkeeper has hardly been a consistent performer over the years and signing him is quite a gamble for a club as big as Real Madrid.
#3 Ruben Neves to Al Hilal
Ruben Neves is 26 years old and is currently in his prime. He was almost certain to depart Wolverhampton Wanderers this summer. The Portuguese midfielder was linked with European giants like Barcelona, Manchester United and Liverpool, as per reports.
That's why Neves' move to Al Hilal came as a shocker. He is the kind of player who can run the show from midfield for several years. After toiling away at Wolves for all these years, it looked like it was finally the right time for Neves to make a step up.
#2 Oriol Romeu to Barcelona
Oriol Romeu was playing in Southampton's midfield in the 2021-22 season before copping a switch to La Liga side Girona ahead of the 2022-23 campaign. Romeu is certainly a very effective and functional midfielder. But hardly anyone could have predicted that a move to Barcelona would have been on the cards for him.
Romeu not only impressed with Girona last term but he is also no stranger to Barcelona, having spent seven years as a youth-team player there. Barca are the kind to rope in the crème de la crème and signing Romeu for €8 million to fill in the void left by Sergio Busquets seems quite out of character.
If Barca had money, they wouldn't have signed the 31-year-old defensive midfielder. But desperate times call for desperate measures.
#1 Neymar to Al Hilal
Due to his niggling injury issues and deterioration of form, Neymar was starting to become a burden on Paris Saint-Germain. This summer looked like the right time for PSG to cash in on the player who cost them a whopping €222 million back in 2017.
Neymar was linked with multiple top European clubs. But owing to his wage demands, the fact that he is now 31 and injury-prone made him less of an interesting prospect to top clubs across the continent.
But at 31, a move to Saudi Arabia still feels a bit too early for Neymar. He is still an incredible footballer on his day. However, the Brazilian has opted to take the fat paycheque and chosen the less competitive environment of the Saudi Pro League much to the surprise of football fans.
€90 million is only a portion of the fortune PSG threw away to sign him in 2017 but it's still something.