The transfer market of summer 2021 will remain in history forever. It was a transfer window that had everything: surprise moves, many big clubs involved and star players at the centre of the most important transfers in the world.
The negotiations surrounding Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo received a huge amount of attention from the media. But let’s not forget Grealish, Lukaku, Sancho, Varane and the long list of other talks that went on.
Here I’ve selected three clubs that put in a truly standout performance last summer. Watch the video to see who I believe made the best deals.
1. Paris Saint-Germain
PSG’s work on the summer transfer market has been incredible.
They secured some of the best free agents in the world, such as Gianluigi Donnarumma, Nuno Mendes and Sergio Ramos. But also brought in top-quality players like Wijnaldum and Achraf Hakimi, the best right-back in the world.
Clearly Leo Messi is the masterpiece of a perfect summer for PSG, which also managed to keep Kylian Mbappé in spite of Real Madrid's attempts to entice him away.
The end result is a truly impressive team; one of the strongest ever in Europe.
2. Manchester United
Buying Cristiano Ronaldo has had an incredible impact on the team. Many Manchester United fans worried Ronaldo would strike a deal with rivals Man City, but in the end, he chose to return to Old Trafford.
But Man United's success doesn’t end there.
Getting Jadon Sancho for €85 million was a brilliant deal considering Borussia Dortmund were asking for €120 just last summer. While the addition of Varane – one of the top defenders in the world – was the icing on the cake.
Manchester United will need time to improve on the pitch, but these important changes brought an excellent summer transfer window to its close.
3. Atletico Madrid
The incredible work of the Atletico board is much underestimated.
The highlight of their transfer window was almost certainly buying top player Antoine Griezmann on Deadline Day – a deal that seemed impossible for weeks before happening last minute.
Rodrigo de Paul was also a high-level signing. Fortunately for Atletico, it went through before the Copa America, otherwise his price would have doubled.
Last but not least, Matheus Cunha is an excellent talent for now and for the future.
The team has improved without losing any key players. So, they will compete to win La Liga… and perhaps more.