Sideline Story

Winners and losers after the transfer window

The European football summer transfer window closed with some significant moves of players. Which of the signings have reflected the value? Who disappointed the most in the deals? Also in this episode, we touch on why big powers in European football are spending more cautiously in the transfer market.

Duration:: 25m
Broadcast on:: 13 Sep 2024
Audio Format:: mp3

Hello and welcome to Science Line Story, your destination for sports news, analysis and discussions. Amiens Guao, in this episode, we'll dive into our favorite discussions about the European football transfer window in the past summer. How did the top clubs do? Which transfers courts your eyes? To unpack these questions, I'm joined here with my co-hosts Tienyu and Brandon Gates via video. Alright, I guess it's a bit late to touch on this topic about the European transfer window because the summer market closed a couple of weeks ago. But the season just got started and the players are back with their clubs now after their international duties. The season just, it's an early part of the season. The new signings have fully reflected their values and the help to different clubs. Brandon, which transfer was the best in your mind in the past summer transfer window because there are so many surprising moves. Like you said, Yang Guang, it's very early days in the actual season. I know it's late in terms of the closing of the European transfer window, but most of the European leagues have kind of just begun. And like you mentioned, we haven't really seen the best of all of the biggest transfers so far, but I think on paper, without a doubt, it has to be killing Mbappe. I mean, each Wayne's Real Madrid on a free transfer, he's also earning quite a low salary for someone that's of his calibre. And the fact that Real Madrid managed to get, I would say, a 300 to 350 million pound player for free is just an absolute coup for Real Madrid and an absolute disaster for PSG. But I think Real Madrid were quite fortunate because I think Mbappe was just desperate to join Real Madrid. So Madrid were kind of in the power seat in terms of negotiation tactics and being able to negotiate a low transfer. Even some of the support players, the likes of Indrick, who's also coming for quite a big transfer fee for someone of his age, he also looks incredibly impressive. And there's some other up and coming young talent around them that's also going to be really exciting for Real Madrid. Of course, due to Bellingham's going to continue to dominate, I think, in La Liga this season. Yeah. Yeah. Can you, we all know you're a big Real Madrid fan. I assume you would mention the Real Madrid fan part of this discussion, yeah. But has this transfer matched your expectations before the season started? Well, yeah, as a Real Madrid fan, we have to bring the signing of Killian Mbappe into the equation, and we talked about how this deal could mean to Real Madrid, you know, more firepower into the game, the cloud of a superstar. Yeah, of course. And, yeah, and potentially a surge in their Jersey sales. But after Mbappe really landed in La Liga, we have also seen some problems arising in Real Madrid's game. And the biggest one is the coexistence issue between him and Venice's junior, because I think it was in the last game against last Palmas, we could see some serious congestion in the left side of the Real Madrid throughout the whole game. Venice's junior Mbappe and sometimes Rodrigo would all come to the left side for a ball possession. Too many talent, but just one ball. Yeah. This has led to some really serious chaos in their coordination. And even though Ancelotti put Mbappe in the, on the position of a center striker, we all know that he's not a Real center forward. For most parts of the game, we could still see him inclined to play his favorite row, which is the left winger, and create spaces for himself. So how to deal with the problem of Mbappe's row in the formation is an urgent issue for Real Madrid. And as a tactics master, I think Ancelotti has the genius to come up with a solution for the problem. Maybe he should give Andrick more time and put Mbappe on the right, or he could follow what he has been doing last season, which is giving Jude Bellingham more freedom and put him into the box. So I believe once the problem is solved, Real Madrid will still be one of the biggest contenders for champions, both in La Liga and in Europe. Yeah, we kind of expected, and there would be some overlap between Venusus Jr and Kilean Mbappe, even some other names. But as things progress, maybe in the future, they would, you know, fit more into each other and build this chemistry up front. Yeah. And I think Tianyu, as a Real Madrid fan, I don't think there's too much to be concerned about because, yes, it is a bit of a mess at the moment in terms of figuring out that chemistry up front. But in terms of the larger scheme of things, and in terms of financials, it hasn't really been too much of a risk for Real Madrid to bring in Kilean Mbappe, because, like we mentioned, he's on quite a low salary, and he was brought in for free. And I think it's quite a unique problem to have in terms of figuring out that chemistry up front. But I don't think there's anyone better than Ancelotti to try and sort out that problem. I think it's very early days. And because there is so much talent up front, I think once they do gel and kind of figure out the system that works best for all of the attacking talent, once that is sorted, I think Real Madrid are going to be absolutely unstoppable. And even with that problem, I still think they will beat the majority of teams. I think they might struggle against some superpower teams like Manchester City, for example, if it's not sorted out by the latter stages of the Champions League, for example. But I still think, without a doubt, they're the strongest team in La Liga. And I think they're also going to be one of the top contenders in the Champions League this season. I think what Real Madrid have to do is identify, I mean, this is my opinion, I think they have to identify that Kilean Mbappe is their most lethal, valuable attacking weapon. And I think he needs to be the priority. So the likes of Benisius, Rodrigo, Endrick, and a couple of the other supporting players need to fit into a system that allows Mbappe to flourish, because he's going to be the man that they rely on to score goals for them consistently. I agree. Yeah, I guess Real Madrid fans, obviously, are not concerned about their teams. They are too concerned about your team. Happy concerns. But as a non-Real fan, I have to say, no problem. We will see in the Champions League. But in my mind, Liverpool signing a factory called Kiesa for 13 million euros was a real bargain. Yeah, it was a really brilliant move. Before the season started, Liverpool fans complained about their club's non-action in the transfer market. They didn't buy any players. But they sent out a few names fans were familiar with. People started to doubt if they can form a competitive force in the new Premier League season. But it seemed like as the season started, Onslaught was telling everyone no big deal, no big deal to stick to the original squad. Yeah, they really extended their form from last season. But I guess Federico Kiesa's joining is a bigger confidence boost for the team, for Liverpool fans. And he really cost the club really little money. I mean, Chinese fans commented on social media. People can point fingers at Kiesa and say he's not fast enough. He can't get used to the pace of the Premier League. But at the end of the day, 13 million euros for experience the Euro 2020 winner. You really can't complain anything about it, yeah, I agree. But it's the only significant move done by Liverpool this summer, because there are so many teams that made multiple transfers, like on top of my head, a Clad Comadret made really some successful transfers, signing, Julian Alvarez, Conor Gallagher, and French defender, Luntley. They really are a great add up to Atlantico's backbone, and they are really quality players that can immediately help the team. Brandon, which club do you think did the best in the past transfer window? Yeah, so I think Atlantico did a fantastic business. I think bringing in Julian Alvarez, Conor Gallagher and Luntley at the back, like you mentioned Yang Guang, I think it's really strengthened their spine. And I think they are potentially, for me, the only club that looked like they're going to pose a serious threat for Real Madrid in La Liga this season. I know Barcelona still have a relatively strong squad, and they've brought in Danny Almo, who we know had a fantastic euros. But I still think Barcelona didn't do enough to really catch up with Real Madrid. I mean, it is early days in the season, so Barcelona could prove me wrong, and they often do prove that it's wrong, and they've gotten off to a fantastic start to La Liga. But I think in the latter stages, they might struggle a little bit. But I think Atlantico Madrid have strengthened immensely, and I think they could potentially be a serious challenger to Real Madrid this season. And I think the strength of Real Madrid, Atlantico, and Barcelona this season is going to make La Liga very, very exciting to watch indeed. I also think looking at Serie R, I think Napoli have also done some quietly good business, I think, as a Man United fan, I was very disappointed to see Scott McTominay lead Manchester United, and I think he's going to have a big impact on Serie R, because I think he's a very tough box to box midfield, and I think that's the type of player that could thrive in Serie R. I also think Lukaku coming in, I'm not the biggest fan of Lukaku, to be honest, but he does seem to do relatively well in the Serie R, and I think someone of his quality and experience is a very good signing for a Napoli side that hasn't been very good in recent seasons. And then bringing it back to the Premier League, I still think Manchester City are without a doubt the strongest club in the Premier League in terms of what they did last season. And I know they haven't done much in the transfer market, but they didn't really have to, in my opinion, because their squad is just incredibly strong. And I think the return of Lukaku into one is also going to be massive for them, not necessarily in terms of what he can do, but I think just for Cloud Morale and support Morale, I think that's also going to be very big. But I think Arsenal quietly did some good business. I think Califiori is going to be very impactful for them at the back. I think he's a very strong defender that also offers a lot of variety. And I think the late signing of Raheem Sterling is also going to bring them a lot of variety and experience in attack. So I think they've strengthened the little bits and might be able to push Manchester City a little bit closer to the season to the title, along with the likes of Liverpool. But I still think City are going to run away with the title again. And then looking at Manchester United, yes, a lot of players have come in, but in these early stages of the season, we haven't seen much impact from any of them besides Matswari, I would say, who I did not know who he was when the season began, to be honest. But he's slotted in at right back seamlessly and already looks like a season Premier League campaign. So he's been absolutely brilliant. But I do think that when Huyland comes back in attack, I think, and when we see what kind of impact Manuel Ughate has in midfield, when he makes his first appearance after his move from PSG, I think United could get into that top four conversation, but I don't see them challenging for the title. And then looking at your club, Yang Guang, I think Alise and Paulina could potentially have a relatively good impact on a strong buy-in squad, so that'll be interesting to watch as well. But I guess looking at all of those dealings in terms of names and signings and overall strengthening, I would say that Atletico Madrid, at this point, looked like they've done the best, at least most eye-catching business so far. Yeah, I would touch on buy-in later, but from a different perspective. But yeah, Sterling's joining Arsenal was quite a surprising move to me. I really didn't see that coming. I think that really helped Arsenal in terms of their depth as the season progress, where we see Hebrew function as a very important part of the team, especially in the Champions League. And Napoli did a fantastic job, this transfer market, I mean, Matt Hummus signing him for free. I would say that's a dream for every team at this stage. But Tianyu, any successful teams in your mind besides Real Madrid? Well, of course, I think Randall would be glad to hear that. I think Manchester United actually did a very great job in the summer window. They have got some key replenishment in different positions. Like you just mentioned, the likes of Manuel Garte, Joshua Xerxes, Mattes De Litt, Maslawi and Lenny Yoro are all very talented players. Yeah, Yoro and Xerxes in particular. And even though Yoro got injured soon after he joined the team, which would be a very pitiful thing to see for Brandon, he's still 18 years old. And he has very impressive natural gift in terms of physical conditions. And judging from his performance at his Premier League debut, I think he will grow into a very reliable defender for United in a very short notice. And as for Xerxes, I think he could play a key role in United's squad. Instead of being a goalscoreer, Xerxes is more capable of adding more coherence into this team's attacks and bringing his teammates into play. So I think with more playing time, he could add more variety into United's attacking tactics. And also, apart from United, as you guys have mentioned, I think Arsenal also did a great job in adding some key players into the squad. Like you just mentioned Ricardo Calofiori and Michael Marino have played quite well in Euro 2024. And also I think bringing Raheem Sterling like Brandon mentioned is another wise move. He knows Arteta quite well as they used to work together in Man City. And Sterling can be a very important substitute for other attackers like Bukayo Saka and provide more experience and variety into Arsenal's game. So yeah, I would say the Gunners can be a real winner in the summer window. Yeah, maybe Sterling can tell Arteta some secrets, tactics of City and Chelsea. That would be a big asset for them. But wherever there's a winner, there's always a loser, I think. There are always teams that fans think didn't do enough in the transfer market. From my perspective, I think Bayern really didn't dig deep enough in the transfer market. I mean, don't get me around. Paulineia and Olizi are great players. I mean, they complimented Bayern's deficiency in some key positions. But the question is, would they elevate Bayern's squad into the next level? That's a big question mark there. And Bayern let go of some key players like Dilhitt, who I think was the best essential defender in Bayern's squad last season. I just don't get it. I mean, I can't watch the partnership of Obamacare and the Kimi and Jay anymore. They are a disaster duo in the back. I think many Bayern fans would agree. But has Bayern got better than last season? I don't know. But what I do know is they really can't easily dominate the German Bundesliga with this squad this season compared with what they've done in the past. So it's kind of a disappointing for me with what Bayern had done this summer. Brendan, any disappointments from your side of things? Manchester United have been a disappointment just in terms of the way that they play compared to how things ended last season. I think there's still some problems within Manchester United that could potentially be solved with some of these incoming signings where at the beginning of the season, we've been a little bit unlucky. Like Tian Yu mentioned, of course, Yarrow got injured. Huyland is still missing. And I think he's going to be massive for Manchester United this season. But I think Erichton Hogg's tactics are just not working at the moment. I don't think we have the talent on the ball to play out from the back. And I think we're just looking too open in midfield. Cassimiro has been an absolute disaster. So while we brought in some unbelievable signings, they haven't really impressed me yet so far. I think Xerxes is a good young talent, but he's not going to be somebody that like Yang Guang mentioned, you know, are these signings going to elevate your club to the next level or to champions of the league or to, you know, champions league level? And I don't think the signings that we've brought in as of right now have done that. They may do that in the future. The likes of Ughate and Xerxes delift, Yarrow, they all relatively young and they might prove to be great signings in the future. But I think at the moment Manchester United don't look any stronger than they did last season, which is a big concern. And I think a lot of that has to do with the performance of some current players, like I mentioned, Cassimiro. And I mean, he's not the only one. There's been a couple of other disappointing performers, but he's definitely the one that stands out in Erichton, Hogg's tactics just don't seem to be jelling with the players at the moment. But in terms of individuals, I think one loser in the transfer market has to be Victor Osseman. Yeah. Because for me, I think he's an absolutely world-class talent. I think he's one of the best or one of the best available strikers in the in the transfer market. And I think he's a Champions League level player. And I think he's a centre forward that any football club would be lucky to have. And for some reason, he seemed to have a massive fallout with Napoli. And then I think he was tempted by the money that the Saudi Pro League would offer, but he didn't seem that keen to join. And then I think he got very close to joining Chelsea and they just couldn't get it over the line. So he kind of joined Galatasaray on loan at the last minute, which could prove to be good for him in terms of playing minute thing. But I think he, for someone of his level, I think that he should have secured a better move than he did before the transfer window shut. So I think the losers at this point in terms of money spent and in comings and performances at the beginning of the season, it's probably matches to United. And in terms of individuals, I think Victor Osseman, the way that the transfer market unfolded for him was very unfortunate. Yeah, things didn't really end up well for Osseman this summer. I think he used to be the target of the likes of Real Madrid in the past, but Galatasaray. I mean, what a round destination for him. And meantime, I can say we are agreed that we're not happy with what our favourite club did in the transfer market, like Brandon with United Mi with Bayern, except Real Madrid fast. But from your perspective, can you, who did the worst business this summer? Well, my pick would be another Premier League club, which is Chelsea. They have collected a series of attackers into their squad, Blackus, Joe Felix, Pedro NATO, and Jaden Sancho. But the biggest problem in the team remains unsolved. They are still in need of reliable centreful ways and go-keepers. And their squad, from my point of view, is very imbalanced. And I don't see any point in their transfer plan as they simply keep stockpiling so many players. Piling up names. Yeah. In similar positions. Now they have over 40 players at their disposal, but few of them, I would say, could really play a role in helping the team gain any points in the new season. So yeah, I would say Chelsea is potentially one of the biggest losers in this summer window. I think at one point, they had over 40, even 50 players that can be two teams in the Premier League. But yeah, I think it's kind of a mess in terms of their strategies in the transfer market. I don't think they have a very clear target in terms of which player I want the most. In the meantime, I don't know if you guys noticed it or not. But it seemed like to me that this summer, the big clubs didn't really spend that much. And this band really, I could say, more cautiously in terms of their investments into players. We didn't see those huge blockbuster signings in the past, like how Barcelona acquired Neymar, how Real Madrid signed Gareth Bale, even Manchester City started to profit from the transfer window. Can you imagine that? And Kilean Barpeh's move to Real Madrid was a free transfer. And if my memory doesn't fail me, I don't think there was a single signing that exceeded 100 million euros in terms of the transfer fee. Brandon, what do you think? I think Premier League clubs and just clubs around Europe actually, I think just being a little bit more conscious of financial fair play rules. And I think they've also just seen that in the past, it was very rare that a lot of these major 100+ million pound signings had a massive impact on their clubs in terms of consistent success. I mean, it might, like we've mentioned before, it might have boosted shirt sales and it might excite fans when the season begins. But I think from the business side of things, I think a lot of financial people within clubs in Europe have realised that spending all of this money on one or two signings isn't really impactful on a club's success long term. It seems to be a lot more emphasis on the financial side of things in terms of maintaining financial stability within clubs because we also saw what's bringing in massive signings to the financial side of things for the likes of Real Madrid and Barcelona, for example, I mean, particularly Barcelona, those signings that brought them so much success in the past, but cost crazy amounts of money really destroyed financial recovering from now. It also seems to be a lot of emphasis on playing young talent. I think we've seen a lot more minutes played by teenagers and players in the early 20s than we have seen in the past. So there definitely does seem to be an emphasis on financial sustainability and long term prosperity. Yeah, good deals announced, I guess, time will eventually tell and we will see how these signings will make or break the European clubs as things progress. With that, we end this episode of Science Line Story. Thank you so much for joining us. For more information, you can also check our website radio.cgtn.com. See you next time. [Music]