15 Biggest Signings of the 2024 Summer Transfer Window (Ranked)

The world of football now revolves around financial gain. Teams can’t compete without heavy backing from a lucrative owner, which has seen a divide occur between the lower depths of the footballing pyramid and the top. It was always bound to happen when the biggest teams in the world wanted more success.

This means that in every transfer window, clubs are consistently linked to making another marquee signing. Whether that’s to improve their attacking output or to become more defensively assured, they will be willing to spend a fortune to improve. It’s been made harder due to Financial Fair Play and the Premier League’s Profit and Sustainability Rules, but there are naturally loopholes around it.

As another season nears, the 2024 summer transfer window will be full of chaos for a handful of clubs in every league. Some big moves have already happened, while it’s likely the transfer fees will only rise in the coming weeks. We have outlined the 15 biggest transfers to be confirmed so far this summer.

Ranking Factors

• Quality of player – The better the player, the more it is typically considered a ‘bigger’ transfer.
• Transfer fee – If a player moves for a record-breaking fee, it is also normally considered ‘bigger’.
• Importance for club signed for – If a player is going to be crucial for the season, they have been included.

15

Tosin Adarabioyo

Tosin Adarabioyo joined Chelsea once his Fulham contract expired at the end of June. Whilst there have been more expensive signings, the centre-back’s move across west London epitomises a statement of intent from Enzo Maresca’s side. They have needed a strong and aggressive defender for some time, particularly due to injuries, and the Englishman has those characteristics in abundance. It is unclear if he will immediately start for Chelsea, but he will provide squad depth at a minimum as they venture into the Conference League for the first time. For Fulham, they have lost one of their best defenders for nothing.

14

Taylor Harwood-Bellis

Taylor Harwood-Bellis was once considered one of Manchester City’s best academy prospects, but as is typically the way at the club, he was rarely given opportunities. Over the years, there has been a procession of young Man City players to go to Southampton over the last two years, but Harwood-Bellis was the only one to truly make a name for himself successfully.

He started in their 1-0 play-off final win against Leeds to confirm a return to the Premier League. It came at the end of a season where the defender had been at the heart of their promotion charge — and, due to victory, Southampton’s loan move for him was made permanent for a fee of £20m.

13

Lewis Hall

Lewis Hall’s move to Newcastle from Chelsea last summer initially started as a season-long loan, but it was always going to be permanent at the start of the Summer Transfer Window. Hall, who is considered one of the best teenagers in the Premier League, struggled for minutes under Eddie Howe at St James’ Park.

Whether they would have signed him permanently if they had a choice is unclear, but there’s no doubt the youngster has natural talent in abundance. He did eventually sustain a prolonged period in the team at the end of the season, which is hoped will kickstart his career in Newcastle.

12

Igor Thiago

Ivan Toney is likely to leave Brentford during the summer transfer window, but that shouldn’t worry the Bees too much – at least in the long run. They were proactive when planning for the future, and opted to sign Igor Thiago in February 2024 ahead of the market opening. For £30m, it represented a club record fee and a major statement of intent.

However, it’s easy to see why; he scored 29 goals in 55 games for Club Brugge last season, providing a further six assists for the Belgian champions and Conference League semi-finalists. Naturally, it might take him time to adapt to life in England, especially following his serious injury, but there’s no doubt he has the ability to shine in west London.

11

Joao Palhinha

On the 11th July, Joao Palhinha joined Bayern Munich from Fulham. It was a move which so nearly happened at the end of the 2023 summer transfer window, but the German giants finally have the aggressive defensive midfielder. “This is one of the happiest days of my life. I’m now playing for one of the top clubs in Europe. It’s a dream come true for me, and I’m very proud of that,” the midfielder said when he joined. After a disappointing 2023/2024 campaign, Bayern Munich will be hoping he can help them win the Bundesliga again.

10

Joshua Zirkzee

Man United are embarking on a new era with Sir Jim Ratcliffe and his company INEOS in charge of the day-to-day running of the club. This naturally led to signing younger players for the future, including Joshua Zirkzee. He joined from Bologna for a fee of £35m midway through July. “I cannot wait to play my part in achieving success for Manchester United. I am a player who has always dedicated everything to winning; I’m ready for this next challenge, to go to another level in my career and win more trophies,” he said via the club website — and with Rasmus Hojlund already at Old Trafford, manager Erik ten Hag will be hoping the duo can form an impressive partnership in the Premier League.

9

Amadou Onana

Amadou Onana has consistently been linked with moves away from Everton ever since he joined the club. As a versatile, aggressive and determined midfielder, it’s easy to see why — and Aston Villa finally claimed him off the Toffees midway through July. As they look to perform in the Champions League and Premier League, two of the hardest competitions to win, the Villans desperately needed depth in the middle of the park. Onana brings that, but the pressure is on his back once you consider the £50m price tag. Unai Emery is slowing building a world-class squad at Villa Park.

8

Michael Olise

Michael Olise was considered one of the best wingers in the Premier League due to his impressive form at Selhurst Park. With his tricks, flicks and everything in between, the Frenchman got everyone off their feet. The former Reading star finally secured his dream move this summer, as Bayern Munich fought off interest from several English top-flight clubs to sign him. He will be expected to link up with the likes of Harry Kane, one of the best strikers in the world, and Leroy Sane in the final third, as Vincent Kompany’s new side look to take back their crown.

7

Douglas Luiz

For all the positivity in Aston Villa’s recruitment strategy, losing Douglas Luiz was a bitter pill to swallow. However, it wasn’t an act they wanted to do; the club were essentially forced to sell him to meet Profit and Sustainability Rules. Juventus took full advantage to secure him for a fee of £43m. “I’m really happy to be a Bianconero,” said Luiz in a video on social media via the BBC. “I can’t wait to play in the Allianz Stadium. See you soon and Forza Juve!” It’s likely we’ll never know how desperately he wanted to move to Northern Italy, but there’s no doubt Aston Villa have replaced him in impressive fashion.

6

Matthijs de Ligt

At just 25 years of age, Matthijs de Ligt has already enjoyed a number of high-profile transfers. Having made his name with Ajax before being bought by Juventus, the Dutch centre-back has been with Bayern Munich since 2022. While his potential has attracted all the world’s top clubs, his achievements have left many hungry for more.

Indeed, the former Amstelloden man has been relatively disappointing and is hoping to make a real move to Manchester United, where he will be reunited with Erik ten Hag, whom he played alongside in the Netherlands. In the Theatre of Dreams, all that remains now is to hope that his adventure does not turn into a nightmare.

5

Joao Neves

Strengthening their midfield was a priority objective for Paris Saint-Germain at the start of the summer mercato. And the French giants succeeded in convincing Joao Neves to join them. Considered one of the most promising players of his generation, the young Portuguese left Benfica to join Paris, where several of his compatriots are now playing.

An important addition to the squad, he will be discovering a new league and will have to show what he is capable of straight away, as the upcoming fixtures promise to be extremely tense. But the Lusitanian international has all the weapons needed to make his mark at one of the biggest clubs on the planet.

4

Leny Yoro

Leny Yoro was one of the most sought-after centre-backs in the world this summer. It looked increasingly likely that Real Madrid, the European champions, would secure his signature. However, almost out of the blue, Man United agreed to a deal with Lille which Carlo Ancelotti’s side were not willing to match. The Frenchman quickly flew over to Manchester and he is now a Red Devils star, even impressing in his debut match. For a fee of £52m, there’s pressure on the 18-year-old, but he symbolises a new era at Old Trafford. Youth is being prioritised, and there’s no doubt he will be a consistent figure at the back for the coming years.

3

Endrick

Brazilian youngster Endrick is one of the best teenagers in the world. Naturally, this has made him one of the most valuable teenagers in football, particularly after his arranged move from South America to Real Madrid. It was first agreed in December 2022 that he would move to the Spanish giants once he turns 18 in June 2024 — and, since the initial decision, he has only improved. For Palmeiras, he has acted as a consistent goalscoring threat, whilst he even scored against England during Brazil’s 1-0 win at Wembley.

2

Julian Alvarez

Julian Alvarez wanted more. The River Plate-trained striker, who won the FIFA World Cup in 2022, has never been a regular starter at Manchester City, where the competition does not seem to have allowed him to develop as much as he would have liked.

For this reason, the Argentinian striker has recently made a number of media appearances in which he clearly announced his desire to leave the Skyblues in order to gain more playing time. And it is to Atletico Madrid that La Arana is now preparing to take his destiny into his own hands. Transferred for the sum of £82m, he is set to reunite with his role model and now new coach Diego Simeone. It promises to be an explosive partnership.

1

Kylian Mbappe

Kylian Mbappe is one of the best players in the world. He’s always one of the favourites to win the Ballon d’Or — and the legendary Frenchman sends fear into the opposition when they see him running at them. However, despite all his natural talent and hard work, it’s hard not to feel that he wasted some of his career at PSG. He finally confirmed a move to Real Madrid at the age of 25, where he could line up with several other transfer targets to create one of the best teams of all time. His move is a ‘free transfer’, but there is a significant signing-on bonus for the Frenchman, estimated to be in the region of £128m.

Fees and Stats via Transfermarkt (correct as of 13/8/24)