€143m in transfer fees - 8 interesting transfers that you may have missed in the last week

The summer transfer window is a frantic scramble that always leads to billions of Euros moving around dozens of clubs, which then leads to hundreds of players transferring from one end of the continent to the other. Of course, avid football fans are made aware of the blockbuster deals from around Europe’s top five leagues, but it’s simply impossible to keep track of every single deal - unless you follow our Latest Transfers page. So what have been some of the most interesting transfers that took place this week but more than likely slipped under the radar? Let’s take a look. 

Azor Matusiwa

On July 13, Ipswich Town confirmed the signing of Stade Rennais midfielder Azor Matusiwa for €11.5 million. Although the recently-relegated club are unlikely to return back to the Premier League upon first attempt at trying, Matusiwa should prove to be an exceptional ball-winning midfielder for Kieran McKenna’s side in what is often regarded to be one of the most physically-demanding leagues in Europe. The Dutch midfielder is also an excellent passer of the ball and while he may not be regarded as a de facto playmaker he should prove to be a very useful addition to the base of Ipswich’s midfield.

 

El Hadji Malick Diouf

Just two days later, West Ham signed Slavia Prague winger El Hadji Malick Diouf for €22m and while it may have raised a few eyebrows for fans that had never heard of the young talent, it could prove to be an excellent bit of business. Diouf bagged 10 goals and assists in just 24 league games last season and can play at left-back or even in the centre of defence if called upon. But it seems more than likely that he’ll be tasked with helping Graham Potter’s attacking line next season, as he continues to develop into an excellent player. 

Johan Bakayoko

On Wednesday RB Leipzig took much of European football by surprise by snapping up PSV talent Johan Bakayoko for just €18m. The young winger had been linked with a move to the Premier League for a number of years, but is now set for a move to the Bundesliga. While Leipzig do have some exceptional attacking players, they didn’t have anyone that could lay claim to the right wing spot. Bakayoko is clearly the man that will be tasked with filling that hole in their team and could prove to be one of the smartest signings in German football this summer. 

Noa Lang

Another Dutch talent that departed PSV this week was Noa Lang, who swapped PSV for Napoli in a €25m move on Thursday. Like Bakayoko, Lang has been the subject of incessant transfer rumours for a number of years now and has finally made his move to one of Europe’s top five leagues. It remains to be seen how he’ll fit into Antonio Conte’s side this season, but he should prove to be an excellent addition to the Italian champions’ squad. 

Máximo Perrone

Another transfer from the past week that is worth keeping an eye on was Máximo Perrone’s €13m move from Manchester City to Serie A minnows Como. After spending last season on loan at the Italian side, Perrone undoubtedly showcased his playmaking talents and is quickly developing into an exciting, attacking midfielder. While he may not be deemed good enough for Pep Guardiola’s first team, he should go on to play a starring role in Como’s season and could develop into an excellent talent in Serie A in the years to come. 

Danilo 

Nottingham Forest are having something of a summer clear-out this summer, having now made €107.4m from player sales thus far. Much of that is down to Anthony Elanga’s €61.4m move to Newcastle, but another large chunk of it comes from Danilo’s €23m move to Botafogo on Friday. Despite his obvious talent, the Brazilian midfielder spent much of last season on the sidelines with a broken ankle and was clearly surplus to requirement in Nuno Espírito Santo’s squad. But at just 24 years of age, there’s every chance that a return to European football could be on the cards in a few years time for the midfielder. 

Jhon Arias

Another deal that went through at the very end of the week was Wolves’ signing of Fluminense winger Jhon Arias for €17m. Although the 27-year-old forward wasn’t a starter for the Brazilian club last season. He still managed 17 goals and assists in 35 games across all games, averaging an impressive 0.49 goal contributions per game. If Arias can do that in the Premier League next season he’ll be a major hit at Molineux. 

Sean Longstaff

Leeds United will be hoping for a similar impression from their own new signing, following Sean Longstaff’s €13.8m move from Newcastle on Friday. Longstaff was a vital part of Eddie Howe’s team last season, bagging an impressive eight goals and assists in the Premier League last season. However, the midfielder is clearly on the look out for a starting role this season and at Leeds he may find exactly that and, finally, a chance to prove himself at the highest level.