Here are ten summer transfers you probably didn’t realise were a thing. If you’re already aware of all ten, fair play to you.
Kamaldeen Sulemana to Atalanta
Potentially a replacement for Inter target Ademola Lookman, Sulemana followed his former Southampton boss Ivan Juric to Bergamo this summer, joining the Serie A club for a fee that could rise to £18million.
Sulemana is a dangerous but inconsistent player. We saw the best of him against a dysfunctional Manchester United team at Old Trafford in January, but Southampton’s awful season didn’t help bring the best out of the 23-year-old winger.
He has the potential to be a top winger, but we’re not sure when. It will be a difficult season for Atalanta after long-serving manager Gian Piero Gasperini left to join AS Roma.
Luka Modric to AC Milan
Undoubtedly the biggest name on this list — and usually any other list he’s on — Modric is still an elite midfielder at the age of 39, which is quite ridiculous.
The vast majority of readers will have been well aware of Modric’s transfer to Milan long before it actually happened, with the move delayed due to his participation at the Club World Cup with Real Madrid. It’s now official, and after such a drawn-out process, I kind of forgot, which makes me think others might have too.
Nicolas Kuhn to Como
Celtic have lined their coffers this summer with the sale of Kuhn, but fans are growing frustrated at the lack of transfer activity. They have cash to burn, but the lack of ambition shown this summer could leave the door ajar for Rangers to pounce. That’s not likely, but we don’t really know what to expect from Russell Martin and his players. If Saturday’s SPFL opener against Motherwell is anything to go by, then not a lot.
Kuhn, 25, won two league titles in two years in Scotland, scoring 24 and assisting 18 in 69 matches. That was enough to inspire Como to splash out €19million, and we look forward to seeing how the ex-Bhoy does in a big-five league.
Malik Tillman to Bayer Leverkusen
Leverkusen’s replacement for Florian Wirtz — who joined Liverpool this summer for an initial £100m — was signed after scoring 21 and assisting 12 in 54 Eredivisie appearances for PSV.
Tillman was one of the highest-rated players in last season’s Champions League, but PSV couldn’t get beyond the last 16 after being smashed by eventual semi-finalists Arsenal.
The United States international will be part of a new-look Leverkusen team that has lost Wirtz, Jonathan Tah, Granit Xhaka, and Lucas Hradecky, as well as head coach Xabi Alonso. Ex-Manchester United manager Erik ten Hag is now in charge, so we’ll be watching closely as the 2023/24 Bundesliga champions begin the new season.
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Johan Bakayoko to RB Leipzig
A second PSV sale in a row, Bakayoko will be competing against Tillman this season, with Leipzig and Leverkusen fighting with Borussia Dortmund and others for the honour of second place behind Bayern Munich.
The Belgian winger was a Nottingham Forest target before Nuno Espírito Santo reportedly got the club to divert their attention to Bologna’s Dan Ndoye, who joined Forest this week for a fee above £30m.
Bakayoko might not share the pitch in a competitive match with Chelsea-bound Xavi Simons or Newcastle and Manchester United target Benjamin Sesko, with Leipzig expecting a difficult season after losing their two best players. It won’t be quite as difficult as last season, mind. They don’t have European football to slow them down this term, and they can’t really do worse than a ninth-place finish…can they?
Vini Souza to Wolfsburg
After Sheffield United’s promotion failure, they lost arguably their best player as Souza joined Bundesliga side Wolfsburg for around £13m.
The Brazilian midfielder didn’t look out of place in the Premier League, proving himself a physically imposing, combative presence for the Blades. It was surprising to see him stay put following the club’s relegation to the Championship, and no surprise to see him leave this summer.
Wolfsburg will be delighted to land Souza for a solid price, and honestly, I had no idea this had happened. Did you?
Ansu Fati to AS Monaco
Fati was supposed to be what Lamine Yamal is, but injuries have contributed to his disappointing development. He now finds himself at Monaco on loan, with an option to buy included in the transfer.
Whether Monaco trigger that buy option depends on the season Fati has, both performance and fitness-wise. He signed a contract extension before leaving on loan, but surely only to preserve his value, not to reintegrate him.
Thomas Lemar to Girona
We move on to La Liga now, and an intra-league transfer between Atletico Madrid and Girona.
When you see Lemar’s name, it’s hard not to think about Arsenal’s monstrous £92m bid for him back in 2017. It was made out of sheer desperation to prove to their supporters that they were willing to spend big, only to panic and retreat into a hedge like Homer Simpson after Monaco accepted the offer. Reports suggested the player didn’t want to join anyway and favoured a move to Liverpool.
Lemar will add plenty of value to the Girona team with his versatility. He’s capable of playing anywhere in midfield and in either an attacking or defensive role.
Tyrhys Dolan to Espanyol
Blackburn Rovers fans were slightly confused and pretty annoyed when Dolan decided to leave on a free transfer, and the 23-year-old chose La Liga side Espanyol as his next club. It’s a very interesting move, and not one many would have predicted. I certainly didn’t. And I didn’t realise it even happened until Saturday afternoon.
Olivier Giroud to Lille
The only Ligue 1 signing here, we were pretty baffled when Lille signed a 38-year-old Giroud with five goals in 38 games for Los Angeles FC. It took him 20 games to score in MLS, but Lille were not bothered. He joined on a free and signed a one-year contract.
The former Arsenal, Chelsea, and AC Milan striker might find form back in his home country, but we’re not holding our breath.
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