We’re heading down the final stretch of the 2023 summer transfer window and clubs across the world are throwing money around like confetti.
The latest batch of transfers are a mixed bag – a factor which has been prevalent throughout what is proving to be a crazy summer period.
Let’s look at some of the top transfers completed in the past week, starting with one which left Liverpool hurriedly revising their plans.
Moises Caicedo – Brighton & Hove Albion to Chelsea – £115m
While Moises Caicedo’s move from Brighton to Chelsea probably does not qualify as one of football’s best transfers heists, it is still pretty funny.
Having decided not to push the boat out to try and sign Jude Bellingham, Liverpool dipped their toes in the water by offering silly money for Caicedo.
He was having none of it after setting his heart on working under a manager yet to win silverware in England. At least there were other targets available for Liverpool…
Romeo Lavia – Southampton to Chelsea – £53m
Not content with putting Liverpool’s noses out of joint with Caicedo, Chelsea had a second bite at the cherry by signing Lavia from Southampton.
It’s been suggested in some quarters that Liverpool have ‘played’ Chelsea by forcing them to spend more than they wanted on two midfield targets.
The truth is the Reds no longer look as shrewd as they once did in the transfer market – a point evidenced by this next fella…
Waturu Endo – Stuttgart to Liverpool – £16.2m
Jurgen Klopp did his best to put a positive spin on this move, but it is difficult to view it as anything other than a desperate transfer.
Endo is steady rather than spectacular – a player who has reached his 30th birthday without ever setting the world alight.
Liverpool have gone from being a club that operated well in the transfer market to one which looks rather clueless.
Alexsandr Mitrovic – Fulham to Al-Hilal – £46m
Aleksandar Mitrovic secured his big-money move to Saudi Pro League club Al-Hilal over the weekend to end weeks of speculation about his future.
The Serbian striker has tripled his wages by moving to the Middle East – the primary factor in his eagerness to force Fulham into a sale.
His antics over the past few weeks speak volumes about his character – regardless of his goals, Fulham are better off without him.
Neymar – Paris Saint-Germain to Al-Hilal – £77m
Having failed to help Paris Saint-Germain conquer the Champions League, Neymar has scuttled off to Saudi Arabia to pad out his already sizeable bank balance.
He joins a growing list of underachievers to head to the Middle East this summer and is another whose exit will not be mourned in Europe.
Neymar is the poster boy for how football has changed since the turn of the century – style over substance. Good riddance.
James Ward-Prowse – Southampton to West Ham United – £30m
It took West Ham a little while to get rolling in the transfer market, but they deserve a massive pat on the back for securing Ward-Prowse’s services.
The midfielder has been supremely consistent for Southampton in the Premier League and is an excellent signing for the Hammers.
He showcased his talents against Chelsea on his debut yesterday to demonstrate that West Ham may have pulled off one of the shrewdest moves of the summer.
