The summer transfer window for 2019 is now open, with football clubs across Europe looking to bolster their teams with brand new signings.
Within Europe, the transfer windows vary depending on the country/league. According to the official website, the Premier League’s transfer window opens at 00:01 BST on May 16, 2019 and will close at 17:00 BST on August 8.
In Spain, the window opens on July 2 and ends on August 31 while in France, the transfer window opens on June 11 and ends on August 31. Transfer windows for the German and Italian leagues open on July 1, but while the it ends on August 31 for Germany, the Italian window shuts on August 18, two weeks ahead of the others.
Premier League
1. Vincent Kompany leaves Manchester City
Hours after Manchester City became the first team to win the English domestic treble, captain Vincent Kompany pulled a Zidane and announced that he will be leaving the club after very successful 11 seasons. In an emotional two-part letter he shared on Facebook, Kompany said that he would take up the role of player-manager at Anderlecht. Kompany had started his career at the Belgian club, and described the decision to go back as “the most passionate yet rational decision I've ever made.”
2. Daniel Sturridge leaves Liverpool
Following Liverpool’s monumental victory in the Champions League 2019, striker Daniel Sturridge moved from Liverpool FC. He moved to the club from Chelsea in Januray 2013 and has scored 67 goals out of 160 appearances for Liverpool.
3. Alberto Moreno leaves Liverpool
Another Liverpool left back Alberto Moreno too left the club after the European cup win. Moreno had been a part of Sevilla before he moved to Liverpool in August 2014. He has scored 3 goals from 141 appearances. While there are rumors that the Spaniard might be picked up by Arsenal or Barcelona, there has been no official communication in this regard.
La Liga
1. Eden Hazard from Chelsea to Real Madrid
Months of speculation preceded star striker Eden Hazard’s transfer from Stamford Bridge to Real Madrid. It had been no secret that Hazard had a soft spot for the club and its coach Zinidine Zidane, so when Zidane returned to Bernabeu for a second stint, Hazard’s move to the Spanish club became more a matter of ‘when’ rather than ‘if’.
At a reported fee of 100 million euros, he is the Spanish club’s most expensive signing ever.
Also read:What can Real Madrid expect from Eden Hazard, its newest Galactico?
2. Ferland Mendy from Olympique Lyon to Real Madrid
Left-back Ferland Mendy joins Real Madrid on a six-year contract for 48 million euros. The 24-year-old previously played for the French Ligue 1 club Olympique Lyonnais, and has made 79 appearances, scoring three goals and providing seven assists.
3. Luka Jovic from Frankfurt to Real Madrid
Serbian international forward Luka Jovic is one of the five new signings Real Madrid has made in this transfer window. Formerly with the German club Eintracht Frankfurt, the 21-year-old has signed a five-year contract for a reported fee of 60 million euros.
4. Eder Militao from FC Porto to Real Madrid
Brazil international defender Eder Militao was the first signing of Zidane’s second innings in Real Madrid. Militao, signed for a reported 50 million euros, is a versatile footballer, equally adept at playing centreback and rightback. He joins fellow Brazilians Marcelo, Casemiro and Vinicius Junior in the team.
5. Emerson from Atletico Mineiro to FC Barcelona
Defender Emerson will join FC Barcelona on a five-year deal for 12 million euros. The 20-year-old Brazilian is set to join the Catalan club on July 1 and will train at Real Betis until then.
6. Ludovit Reis from Groningen to FC Barcelona
Dutch midfielder Ludovit Reis has signed for Barcelona for 3.25 million euros for the next three seasons. The 18-year-old has appeared in 50 official matches with the Groningen first team, for whom he scored two goals.
7. Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid to Barcelona
Barcelona's pursuit of French World Cup-winner Antoine Griezmann has been often referred to as the Catalan club's worst-kept secret, and for good reason. The 'will he/won't he' cycle has been broken on July 12 after FC Barcelona issued a statement confirming that they have signed Griezmann for 120 million euros.
However, controversy continues after Atletico Madrid put out a statement saying it will demand that Barcelona pay what it considers the full 200 million euros. Griezmann had a contract with Atletico until 2023 with a buyout clause of 200 million euros ($224 million), but the clause automatically fell to 120 million euros on July 1.
