Manchester City won the race. 1:14 The summer transfer window in 2021 will be a tough one with Lionel Messi moving from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain. There are many top players in Europe who have agreed to move on July 1. Transfermarkt says that clubs in the English premier league spent a huge amount of money last year. The Spanish LaLiga spent 300m in the summer and 78m in January. The transfer window for most leagues doesn't open until July 1 and the Premier League has set aside around 123m for new arrivals already. There are going to be some big-name transfers this year after Kylian Mbappe snubbed Real Madrid to stay at Paris Saint-Germain. There are grades for the major deals. Each day is the highest fee day, and the most recent write-ups are at the top. Check back later if you don't see a grade for a major move that has been completed. Unless confirmed with an asterisk, all fees are reported.
€60m (£51m, $65m) C is for Borussia Dortmund.
Man City: A+
July 1
ERLING HAALAND
When they signed him from FC Salzburg in 2020, they agreed to a release clause, so there wasn't much they could have done to keep him. If there had been no clause, his valuation would have been much higher. They already had his replacement lined up.
This could be one of the best moves the city has ever made. Haaland is only 21 but he is top class. He is an all-round star and should fit in well with the team. They beat their rivals to get the best around.
A huge statement signing. Landing the most attractive young player in the world -- and possibly the defining centre-forward of the next decade -- is a massive coup for City. Technically he might be slightly different from the classic Pep Guardiola type of forward, but it's hard to imagine Haaland not fitting into (and scoring goals in) a team that generates so many chances in and around the box. -- Tor-Kristian Karlsen
€40m ($43m)
TheSporting CP is a B-.
PSG: A
After his loan move expired, there was a chance that he would be signed on a permanent deal. The club can focus on finding the next star after the 19-year-old outgrew the Portuguese league.
The left-back impressed this season with 40 appearances. A player who could cement his place in the side for the next decade, his transfer fee seems on the low side and the French champions did very well to land him ahead of plenty of other interested sides.
€38m ($40m)
FC Salzburg: A.
Borussia Dortmund: A-
Salzburg bring young talent through and then move them on to bigger and better things. Adeyemi has been a star, but the Austrian club will have another waiting to take his place, and a good fee to get for a 20-year-old with no experience in a Big Five league.
It was obvious that Haaland would move this summer. The club has made a number of moves already and Adeyemi is highly rated, with all the skills needed to shine in the German Bundesliga.
Adeyemi hasn't quite managed to follow up on his explosive start to the season. After the turn of the year he was restricted to a few good streaks and his performances have generally dropped too (he also struggles to score away from home, in the comparatively modest Austrian league.) However, while it's impossible to replace Haaland like-for-like, Adeyemi's dribbling skills, pace and avid pressing game will clearly become assets for Dortmund. -- TKK
€27m ($29.5m)
FC Salzburg: A.
Leeds United B+
One of the top prospects in the country, who can play as a No. 10 or as an inverted winger, outgrew his life at Salzburg and moved to the United States. The club signed him for six million dollars in January of 2021 because he helped them to two Austrian Bundesliga titles. The transfer fee profit will go a long way in changing their squad.
Jesse Marsch, the American coach who managed him at Salzburg in the 2020-21 season, should help the youngster score more goals and get more assists. If the player can fulfill his potential then he will be a bargain.
One of the most fascinating moves of the summer. Will the talented American manage to make an impact in a league in which some of his signature qualities -- pressing, finding quick practical actions, incisive off-the-ball running, agility, defensive contribution -- are already such an integral part of the game? Likely to be greatly appreciated by the Elland Road crowd. -- TKK
€25m ($27m)
The B- is from Freiburg.
Borussia Dortmund: B+
After being sent on loan to Union Berlin in 2020-21, he has decided to move on with his contract, which ends in 2023. The transfer fee return for a 22-year-old is decent.
Another young Germany international who should grow into a fine player at Dortmund, the club landed a bit of a bargain. If Schlotterbeck reaches his full potential, he will be happy.
An outstanding performer for Freiburg this season. As excellent in the air as he is winning the ball high up the pitch, Schlotterbeck is a fairly complete centre-back who's also good at finding solutions in midfield when playing the ball out from the back. Will have to deal with more one-vs.one situations at Dortmund than was the case at Freiburg. -- TKK
€20m (£17m, $22m)
Barcelona: F
Aston Villa: A-
Over the past four years, Coutinho has been sent out on loan twice, after signing for Barcelona. The Catalan club accepted half of the 40m clause needed for a permanent deal with Villa because his contract was about to expire and they were struggling financially.
After five goals and three assists in 19 games back in the Premier League, Coutinho thrived under his former teammate Steven Gerrard. If Villa can get him near the form he once showed atLiverpool then it will be one of the deals of the year.
£5.2m ($6m)
The New England Revolution.
Arsenal: B
Turner took over the starting spot for the Revs in the middle of last year. He won the Golden Glove award as the best keeper at the Gold Cup and was named MLS Goalkeeper of the Year in 2021. He will be missed by the Revs, but they could not deny him a move to Europe.
Given that Bernd Leno is likely to leave this summer, the team needed a backup. Turner has international experience and a strong will to succeed, making it a good move to challenge Ramsdale.
£5m ($6.3m)
C is for Cottagers.
Liverpool: B
In the Championship this season, Carvalho had 10 goals and eight assists, helping the club to promotion. The young attacker was in demand so, once it was clear he wasn't going to sign a new contract, the Cottagers agreed an 8.6m move in January only for it to fall through at the last minute. It has cost them around 3.4m.
The transfer fee could have been higher than the one that was swooped early on. The Reds were forced to pay a record compensation fee for a 16-year-old when they signed HarveyElliott from Cottagers in 2019.
Free
Napoli: C
Toronto: A+
You have to ask questions when you lose your captain on a free transfer. The Italy international decided to leave after failing to agree on a new contract.
One of the best transfers Major League Soccer has ever done. The Toronto side missed out on star quality when Sebastian Giovinco left, but Insigne will provide that. A lot is expected of the 5-foot-4 superstar, who is set to become the highest-paid player in MLS history.
Toronto may have pulled of the coup of the year by signing Insigne in his prime. Not only is he going to lift the sporting standards on the pitch with his creativity, flamboyant style and goal threat, but he'll also attract a new crowd to MLS. Still a top player with a lot to give. -- TKK
Free
Atleti Madrid: C
Houston Dynamo: B
He played a key role in the LaLiga title win, but his impact waned as the season went on. He was going to be allowed to leave on a free transfer, but they were resigned to that.
One of Mexico's top players, he won a gold medal at the 2012 Olympic Games and has played at the World Cup and the European Championship. His best years are behind him, but he is still a game-changer and his signing will help the Dynamo.
Free
Inter Milan: C
Tottenham: B+
The versatile 33-year-old, who can play as a wing-back and a forward, was a major player for Inter this season with 10 goals and nine assists. His impact and experience will be missed, while Inter may be ruing the fact that they lost one of their best performers for nothing.
The ANTONIO CONTE factor was a huge factor in the landing of Perisic, with the pair linking up at Inter a few years back. It will be interesting to see how he settles in the English top flight after being linked with a move for many years. He is heading towards the end of his career but it is still a great deal for Spurs.
Free
Marseille: D
Aston Villa: A
One of their best young players left on a free transfer, and they dropped the ball. The departure of Kamara will leave a gaping hole in the club, as he helped them finish second in the league and qualify for the playoffs.
Villa were able to agree a deal ahead of their rivals for one of the most highly rated young players in Europe and should reap the rewards in the future. Despite being only 22 years old, Kamara has lit up Ligue 1 with his performances and, honestly, with the elite clubs that were linked with him, it was something of a surprise that Villa got their man.
All credit to Villa. Signing a player of Kamara's quality and reputation should normally be impossible without offering Champions League football. The dynamic defensive midfielder -- who can also play centre-back -- covers a lot of ground, links well in possession with his teammates and reads the game expertly. -- TKK
Free
Ajax Amsterdam: C
Bayern Munich: B
The quality is assured as he came through the youth academy at Ajax, and he caught the eye in the recent years. The right-back was linked with Barcelona when it became clear that he wouldn't sign a new contract. He could have left for a fee in January.
In recent years, the budget options at full-back have been difficult to find, but Mazraoui should add a touch of class. If Benjamin Pavard moves into the centre of defence, the Morocco international could become the first-choice right-back.
With his proactive style -- always supporting the attack on overlaps -- and quality on the ball, Mazraoui should be a good fit for the German champions. While he is mostly recognised for his attacking one-vs.-one abilities, he's a better defender than credited and still has margins for improvement too. -- TKK
Free
D is the letter of the alphabet.
Borussia Dortmund: A
Usually, the ones who sign players from the other team are the ones who are in their prime. They will need to replace him because he played 36 times this season for the champion. He decided to leave on a free transfer, and was unhappy with the offers from the club.
It may not be a signing which will change the destination of the league title, but it will be a PR boost for the team and they can pair up with another countryman in the future. He should blossom as a leader as a result of this move.
After two outstanding seasons at Bayern, Sule's career took a slight plunge this season as he appeared a bit non-reactive and on the back foot when being challenged defensively. Yet he remains among the most composed and precise passers of the ball in Europe and should, at least on paper, work well in tandem with Schlotterbeck -- TKK.
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