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The Uruguay star tops the list of the biggest
deals in a hectic window which saw a number of
moves among the world's major clubs
By Joe Wright
Sep 2, 2014 07:00:00
The 2014 summer transfer
window has finally slammed
shut after a remarkable few
months of big-money moves.
Although the world-record
set by Gareth Bale's €100
million move from
Tottenham to Real Madrid last year still stands, we
have seen the €80m barrier broken twice this time
around. The British transfer record was also
shattered, while Barcelona enjoyed a lavish final
window before their ban on signings is expected to
begin in January.
With clubs enjoying greater commercial and
broadcast revenues than ever, and on the back of
the shop window that is the World Cup, clubs have
been increasingly willing to take the plunge in the
market - but which are the biggest deals of the
summer?
Luis Suarez may have seen his World Cup end in
ignominy, but it wasn't long after his time in Brazil
that Barcelona paid what was the biggest fee of the
summer - a staggering €88m - to bring the Premier
League player of the year to Spain.
Upheaval| James Rodriguez was part of a summer
of big change at Santiago Bernabeu
Not to be outdone by their Clasico rivals, Real
Madrid splashed out €80m on James Rodriguez,
who captured the attention of the world with his
Golden Boot-winning performances in Brazil and
promptly moved to the Spanish capital from
Monaco. Interestingly, this is the only transfer in the
top 10 not to include a club from England's top
flight.
Manchester United smashed the British transfer
record to bring Angel Di Maria to Old Trafford for
€75m as part of an unprecedented level of upheaval
within the Red Devils' squad.
David Luiz will not be missed at Chelsea according
to Jose Mourinho, but Paris Saint-Germain will hope
that their €49.5m outlay on the Brazilian - the
highest fee ever paid for a defender - will not go to
waste. Luiz just edges ahead of Eliaquim Mangala,
who became Manchester City's big-money deal of a
more restricted summer by their standards.
Chelsea, of course, wasted little time in reinvesting
the funds, paying €44m to Atletico Madrid to bring
Diego Costa to Stamford Bridge.
In seventh place is Alexis Sanchez, who became
Arsenal's second-most expensive player when he
joined from Barcelona. Just behind him is Luke
Shaw, whom Manchester United made the costliest
teenager in football history when they forked out
just over €37.8m to Southampton for his services.
Shaw's new United team-mate Ander Herrera is
ninth in the table, with Athletic Bilbao receiving
€36.5m for the midfielder, while in 10th place - the
third deal involving Chelsea in the top 10 - is Cesc
Fabregas, who joined for €36m. The Spaniard edges
out Romelu Lukaku, who departed Stamford
Bridge for Everton for €35.4m.A number of other significant summer moves just
fall short of a place in our list. Toni Kroos and
Antoine Griezmann both cost a fraction over €25m
as they joined Real and Atletico, while Mario
Mandzukic - Costa's replacement at Atleti - is down
in 15th with a fee of around €22m.
Juan Iturbe is the most expensive signing made by
a Serie A side, with Roma's new attacker placed
ahead of Alvaro Morata. Jeremy Mathieu became
the most expensive defender ever over the age of
30 when he joined Barca, while Ciro Immobile was
the priciest Borussia Dortmund arrival of the
summer at €18.5m.
Medhi Benatia makes the top 15 after his late
move to Bayern Munich in August - a deal which
makes the Moroccan the most expensive Bundesliga
signing of the window.
Ivan Rakitic and Marcos Rojo are also within the
top 25, with Mario Balotelli edging his way into the
mix after his €20m move to Liverpool - a transfer
matched in value by Danny Welbeck's dramatic
late move to Arsenal.
TOP 10 MOST EXPENSIVE TRANSFERS OF
SUMMER 2014
No. Player From To Total
fee
1 Luis
Suarez Liverpool Barcelona €88m
2 James
Rodriguez Monaco Real
Madrid €80m
3 Angel Di
Maria
Real Madrid Manchester
United
€75m
4 David
Luiz
Chelsea Paris Saint-
Germain
€49.5m
5 Eliaquim
Mangala
Porto Manchester
City
€44.5m
6 Diego
Costa
Atletico
Madrid
Chelsea €44m
7 Alexis
Sanchez
Barcelona Arsenal €40m
8 Luke
Shaw
Southampton Manchester
United
€37.8m
9 Ander
Herrera
Athletic
Bilbao
Manchester
United
€36.5m
10 Cesc
Fabregas
Barcelona Chelsea €36m
deals in a hectic window which saw a number of
moves among the world's major clubs
By Joe Wright
Sep 2, 2014 07:00:00
The 2014 summer transfer
window has finally slammed
shut after a remarkable few
months of big-money moves.
Although the world-record
set by Gareth Bale's €100
million move from
Tottenham to Real Madrid last year still stands, we
have seen the €80m barrier broken twice this time
around. The British transfer record was also
shattered, while Barcelona enjoyed a lavish final
window before their ban on signings is expected to
begin in January.
With clubs enjoying greater commercial and
broadcast revenues than ever, and on the back of
the shop window that is the World Cup, clubs have
been increasingly willing to take the plunge in the
market - but which are the biggest deals of the
summer?
Luis Suarez may have seen his World Cup end in
ignominy, but it wasn't long after his time in Brazil
that Barcelona paid what was the biggest fee of the
summer - a staggering €88m - to bring the Premier
League player of the year to Spain.
Upheaval| James Rodriguez was part of a summer
of big change at Santiago Bernabeu
Not to be outdone by their Clasico rivals, Real
Madrid splashed out €80m on James Rodriguez,
who captured the attention of the world with his
Golden Boot-winning performances in Brazil and
promptly moved to the Spanish capital from
Monaco. Interestingly, this is the only transfer in the
top 10 not to include a club from England's top
flight.
Manchester United smashed the British transfer
record to bring Angel Di Maria to Old Trafford for
€75m as part of an unprecedented level of upheaval
within the Red Devils' squad.
David Luiz will not be missed at Chelsea according
to Jose Mourinho, but Paris Saint-Germain will hope
that their €49.5m outlay on the Brazilian - the
highest fee ever paid for a defender - will not go to
waste. Luiz just edges ahead of Eliaquim Mangala,
who became Manchester City's big-money deal of a
more restricted summer by their standards.
Chelsea, of course, wasted little time in reinvesting
the funds, paying €44m to Atletico Madrid to bring
Diego Costa to Stamford Bridge.
In seventh place is Alexis Sanchez, who became
Arsenal's second-most expensive player when he
joined from Barcelona. Just behind him is Luke
Shaw, whom Manchester United made the costliest
teenager in football history when they forked out
just over €37.8m to Southampton for his services.
Shaw's new United team-mate Ander Herrera is
ninth in the table, with Athletic Bilbao receiving
€36.5m for the midfielder, while in 10th place - the
third deal involving Chelsea in the top 10 - is Cesc
Fabregas, who joined for €36m. The Spaniard edges
out Romelu Lukaku, who departed Stamford
Bridge for Everton for €35.4m.A number of other significant summer moves just
fall short of a place in our list. Toni Kroos and
Antoine Griezmann both cost a fraction over €25m
as they joined Real and Atletico, while Mario
Mandzukic - Costa's replacement at Atleti - is down
in 15th with a fee of around €22m.
Juan Iturbe is the most expensive signing made by
a Serie A side, with Roma's new attacker placed
ahead of Alvaro Morata. Jeremy Mathieu became
the most expensive defender ever over the age of
30 when he joined Barca, while Ciro Immobile was
the priciest Borussia Dortmund arrival of the
summer at €18.5m.
Medhi Benatia makes the top 15 after his late
move to Bayern Munich in August - a deal which
makes the Moroccan the most expensive Bundesliga
signing of the window.
Ivan Rakitic and Marcos Rojo are also within the
top 25, with Mario Balotelli edging his way into the
mix after his €20m move to Liverpool - a transfer
matched in value by Danny Welbeck's dramatic
late move to Arsenal.
TOP 10 MOST EXPENSIVE TRANSFERS OF
SUMMER 2014
No. Player From To Total
fee
1 Luis
Suarez Liverpool Barcelona €88m
2 James
Rodriguez Monaco Real
Madrid €80m
3 Angel Di
Maria
Real Madrid Manchester
United
€75m
4 David
Luiz
Chelsea Paris Saint-
Germain
€49.5m
5 Eliaquim
Mangala
Porto Manchester
City
€44.5m
6 Diego
Costa
Atletico
Madrid
Chelsea €44m
7 Alexis
Sanchez
Barcelona Arsenal €40m
8 Luke
Shaw
Southampton Manchester
United
€37.8m
9 Ander
Herrera
Athletic
Bilbao
Manchester
United
€36.5m
10 Cesc
Fabregas
Barcelona Chelsea €36m