The 2021 Summer transfer window has come and gone and we witnessed some of the most expensive transfers in the history of some of the top clubs.
Clubs like Paris Saint-Germain were busy in the market even though a lot was not spent on buying players from other clubs.
However, clubs like Manchester City made one of the most expensive transfers of 2021 with the signing of Jack Grealish from Aston Villa.
Elsewhere, Manchester United coughed out a whopping sum of money to secure the services of Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund after years of negotiations between the club clubs.
Highlighting the top 10 most expensive transfers of 2021 summer window
1. Jack Grealish (Manchester City)
Transfer Value: €117,5M
Jack Grealish was one of the major standout players at Aston Villa since the club’s return to the Premier League.
The English attacker’s brilliance was also behind the club’s promotion back to Premier League.
Particularly during the 2020/2021 football season in England, the English man was linked with numerous clubs including Manchester United who wanted his services.
However, Manchester City broke the bank to secure his signature in one of the English new transfer records.
For Pep Guardiola, Grealish was the most preferred option even though attempts at securing the services of Tottenham Hotspur striker Harry Kane suffered a major blow.
The Cityzens signed Jack Grealish for a record 100 million pounds which makes him the most expensive signing made by any Premier League club.
To successfully sign Grealish, Man City activated Aston Villa £100M release clause that was on the contract of the 25-year old attacker.
At present, Jack Grealish is one of the highly-rated footballers in the Premier League.
Although his debut for Manchester City during the 2021 Emirates FA Community Shield ended on a disappointing note, Grealish has begun from where he stopped at Villa.
In Manchester City bashing of Arsenal FC in Premier League matchday three, Grealish opened scoring which opened doors for the team to score more goals.
He was handed the No.10 shirt after the official contract papers were signed. He picks up the number left by club legend Sergio Kun Aguero.
Grealish who signed a six-year contract with Manchester City will earn a weekly wage of over £200,000.5.
The deal will see him remain with the Cityzens until the summer of 2027.
Grealish came through the youth ranks in Aston Villa before shooting himself to the top with his brilliant performance after the club’s recent return to the top flight.
He is expected to be a major goal contributor at Manchester City even as Pep Guardiola searches for his first UEFA Champions League title with Manchester City.
One of the main reasons behind his move was to increase the level of goal scoring in the team with the departure of Aguero already exposed the weakness.
For Pep Guardiola, his current idea of midfielders as preferred options instead of direct strikers could be gradually paying off with Grealish brilliance already felt.
Grealish had a memorable debut for Man City in the UEFA Champions League against visitors RB Leipzig at the Etihad Stadium on matchday one.
The former Aston Villa man scored and provided an assist as Man City scored six goals and conceded three.
The English attacker has already begun a new era in his football career with Manchester City which is expected to be at the highest level.
2. Romelu Lukaku – (Chelsea)
Transfer Value: €115M
Romelu Lukaku was the major force alongside Lautaro Martinez at Inter Milan throughout last season.
His impressive performance helped Inter Milan claim the title at the expense of Juventus who had already claimed the title for a record nine-year running.
Lukaku was signed by Inter Milan from English Premier League side Manchester United.
Breaking a record transfer fee, Chelsea could not resist the goal-scoring abilities of Belgium which led to the payment of €115M to secure his signature.
Lukaku is arguably one of the most consistent goal scorers around the world alongside Robert Lewandowski, Erling Haaland, etc.
For contact details in numbers, Chelsea paid Inter Milan over €115M before the final papers were signed.
The London based club confirmed the signing of the top attacker from Internazionale with a contract that will keep him at the club until 2026.
The “Pride of London” paid a club-record €115m (£97.5m) for Romelu Lukaku from Inter Milan. The Belgian makes a return to the club 10 years after joining from Anderlecht.
For the Champions League defending Champions, there’s a justification for the payment of €115m (£97.5m) to secure his services.
Lukaku is currently one of the best attackers of world football and has proved it right on most occasions.
Making his debut for the club in the Premier League against Liverpool, he found the back of the net to give his team an early lead even though the game ended in a draw in the end.
Chelsea’s quest for the English Premier League has already begun with the signing of Lukaku who promises to help with the issues of goal scoring in the long run.
For the 2021/2022 season, Lukaku has been saddled with the responsibility of providing the needed goals as Chelsea aim to defend the Champions League title.
Although for the task of Champions League, Lukaku scored the only goal in Chelsea’s UCL opening matchday against Zenit Saint Petersburg from Russia.
Coach of the side Thomas Tuchel was delighted with the signing of the player.
For him, this is another opportunity to conquer Europe as well as the domestic scene.
Last campaign, Chelsea lost in the FA Cup final against Leicester City, a game that exposed the problems of Chelsea centred around goal scoring when it matters.
Lukaku in his first season did not enjoy much before heading out of the club. This time, he is expected to surpass his previous record.
He’s already tipped to lead the attack for Chelsea throughout the current campaign and beyond.
3. Jadon Sancho (Manchester United)
Transfer Value: €85M
After over a year of negotiations between Manchester United and Borussia Dortmund ended, it was time for an official announcement.
United signed Jadon Sancho as a clear solution not just for the current campaign, but for the future of the club.
Sancho enjoyed a memorable career with Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga. At least crown his efforts for the club, the Englishman helped the club to claim the DFB-Pokal.
Man United officially completed the signing of promising footballer Jadon Sancho from Borussia Dortmund.
The Premier League club signed the Englishman on a five-year deal with the option of a further 12 months.
Manchester United paid Borussia Dortmund over €85 million ($99.98m) but the transfer window came to an end.
The “Red Devils” are looking at plans and not necessarily what would become of the club.
Sancho is one of the most gifted young players in England.
Although he started at a much more slow pace, Sancho is expected to continue from where he stopped from his time with Dortmund.
With Sancho in form, the Man United attack is expected to take shape and wear a new look.
Even as the club continues its search for trophic, Sancho presents the club with more opportunities to win titles even though it looks shaky at the moment.
He would play along with Marcus Rashford, Mason Greenwood, Jesse Lingard, Bruno Fernandes, Henderson, etc.
4. Achraf Hakimi (Paris Saint Germain) €60M
The journey of Achraf Hakimi of a thousand miles started with a step at Real Madrid which saw him sail his ship to Dortmund.
At Borussia Dortmund, Hakimi quickly established himself as a household name in the heart of the defence for Dortmund who had lots of improvement results most especial in the UEFA Champions League campaign.
PSG signed Achraf Hakimi from Inter Milan on a five-year contract.
For the deal to be completed, Paris Saint-Germain paid over €60 million as well as other bonuses to Inter Milan.
For the Hakimi journey, his impressive performance at Inter Milan prompted Paris Saint-Germain to make the quick move even though there was interest from other top European clubs.
Hakimi is currently one of the best defenders.
For PSG, the increasing quest for a Champions League title has been behind the club’s busy market dealings.
PSG also signed other top players including Wijnaldum, Donnarumma, Sergio Ramos and Lionel Messi to form a complete squad for the tough season ahead.
5. Ben White (Arsenal)
Transfer Value: €58.5M
Arsenal’s bid to end the dwindling form was behind the big-money move for Ben White who had incredible stats during his time at Brighton.
Arsenal needed a change in so many areas and the defence was the first place to start with.
Coach of the side Mikel Arteta wants to write the wrongs at Arsenal in the past few seasons.
Arsenal signed defender Ben White from fellow Premier League side Brighton & Hove Albion worth £50m.
The Englishman signed a five-year deal with his new club Arsenal which has an option of a further year.
He was handed the No.4 shirt.
Arsenal is expected to improve in the area of defence as well as the first team in general.
6. Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Múnich)
Transfer Value: €42.5M
Bayern Munich completed the signing of young french defenders after monitoring the performance over the last couple of seasons.
The former RB Leipzig defender agreed to join Bayern Munich in the summer and was handed the No.2 shirt.
The deal for Dayot Upamecano is €42 million (£38 million).
The deal was officially confirmed by Bayern Munich sporting director Hasan Salihamidzic whose interest had been on the player.
Upamecano played a big role during RB Leipzig’s record-breaking semifinal finish in the UEFA Champions League.
Upamecano expensive to be part of his Julian Nagglesman’s team, whom he worked with an RB Leipzig before Nagglesman’s switch to the German Bundesliga giants.
Although the defender’s move had been expected, it was only his final destination that went under strong debate even though rumours suggested a Premier League move instead.
Bayern Munich’s quest for another Champions League title could be aided by the brilliance of Upamecano as well as other players at the back.
Bayern Munich has top players in its team including Robert Lewandowski, Kingsley Coman, Serge Gnabry, Leroy Sane, Joshua Kimmich, Jamal Musiala, Marcel Sabitzer, etc
Coach Julian Nagglesman is expected to replicate the same achievement his predecessor Hansi Flick who’s currently in charge of the German senior men’s national team.
7. Raphaël Varane (Manchester United)
Transfer Value: €40M
Although Varane’s move to Manchester United could compare as a surprise, his presence at Old Trafford means well for the team.
Raphael Varane was an outside player for Real Madrid over the years he spent at the club.
Man United signed the centre-back on a four-year deal until June 2025.
The transfer for a fee which includes add-ons is valued at around £41m.
Varane is the top player capable of bringing stability to Man United defence even as the club continues its search for a trophy since Solskjaer took charge of the team.
8. Ibrahima Konaté (Liverpool)
Transfer Value: €40M
Liverpool signed Ibrahima Konate from RB Leipzig on a five-year contract.
The former RB Leipzig defender passed his medical and thereafter completed his move to Anfield.
9. Tammy Abraham (AS Roma)
Transfer Value: €40M
Tammy Abraham’s reign at Chelsea ended as AS Roma officially announced his capture.
The Italian Serie A club led by Jose Mourinho expected more fireplace even as the Portuguese legendary manager had already announced his intentions of pushing the club higher.
Tammy Abraham completed the move to join AS Roma from Chelsea for a club-record fee of £34m.
The Englishman signed a five-year contract with the Serie A club.
Upon completion of the contract details, the 23-year-old was handed the number nine shirt at Roma for the 2021/2022 season.
Abraham was outstanding at Chelsea although the appointment of Thomas Tuchel coupled with the signing of new players for the attacking position made it difficult for him to thrive.
10. Emiliano Buendía (Aston Villa)
Transfer Value: €38.4M
Aston Villa released over 38.4M to secure the service of Buendía for the new season.
The sale of Jack Grealish had already given the club a financial boost.
Buendía is expected to help Villa’s quest for a favourable Premier League campaign this season and beyond.
The above are the top 10 most expensive transfers of 2021 at the end of the summer transfer window. – (Source).
