Leandro Trossard to Besiktas
Revealed shortly before England’s crushing semi-final loss to Argentina, Trossard’s £15.3m switch to Istanbul could easily have gone unnoticed. After three and a half seasons with the club, and now aged 31, his departure feels like a timely end to his Arsenal chapter. Yet he will be fondly recalled for delivering decisive goals when it mattered most, playing a key part in the team’s first league championship in over two decades. He leaves having made 174 appearances and scored 36 times, many of those coming off the bench in moments of urgency. He departs as a cherished figure, rightfully earning a place among the cult icons of the Mikel Arteta era. Will Magee
Nathaniel Brown to Bayern
Germany’s World Cup showing did little to boost reputations, but Brown’s lively performances at left-back were enough to secure a transfer to Bayern Munich. A true Bavarian, born in Amberg and developed through Nürnberg’s academy, he spent two years at Eintracht Frankfurt and has collected eight senior caps. His swift rise to the country’s biggest club could prove a smart piece of business. With Raphaël Guerreiro departing and Alphonso Davies still sidelined, Vincent Kompany will welcome a specialist left-back after relying on a series of makeshift options to cover the position last season. Niall McVeigh
Denzel Dumfries to Real Madrid
The Dutch right-back frequently shines on the big stage. His two goals at Euro 2020 paved the way for a move from PSV to Inter, and he later propelled the Netherlands past the USA in the last 16 of the 2022 World Cup with a goal and two assists. During the tournament in North America, the 30-year-old notched two assists – both against Sweden in the group phase – as the Oranje advanced to the round of 32. After their elimination by Morocco, Dumfries signed a four-year contract with Real Madrid once his release clause at Inter was activated, joining Bernardo Silva and Ibrahima Konaté as free-transfer arrivals. It’s a blockbuster switch for a player whose name evokes the silver screen. Billy Munday
Emersonn to Ipswich
Confirmed just before the World Cup quarter-finals, the 22-year-old Brazilian forward had only joined Toulouse last summer but impressed enough in a single Ligue 1 season to prompt a newly promoted top-flight side to invest £24m. At 6ft 4in, he blends a traditional centre-forward’s physical presence with the agility to move into wide channels. His tally of six goals in 27 league matches points to a deal founded on promise rather than immediate returns, but Gary O’Neil evidently sees the hallmarks of a modern Premier League striker: aggressive, relentless in his running, and able to disrupt backlines even when not scoring. “He’s a young forward with genuine ability and potential who attracted a lot of attention this summer,” the manager said. Yara El-Shaboury
Harry Winks to Cagliari
In an alternate timeline, Harry Winks might have been a mainstay of England’s midfield, far surpassing the 10 caps he actually earned. Mauricio Pochettino once likened the neat midfielder to a potential English version of Andrés Iniesta. Reality has been less kind: injuries derailed his Spurs career and the difficulties persisted at Leicester, despite a short-lived resurgence under Enzo Maresca. Now 30, Winks moves to Cagliari alongside Everton youngster Demi Akarakiri; the Sardinian club’s only previous English player, forward Gerry Hitchens, departed in 1969. This won’t be his first taste of Italian football, having spent a loan season at Sampdoria in 2022-23 that ended in relegation. This time, he may be chasing a calmer, more settled life in Sardinia. NMc
Mathys Detourbet to Manchester City
Detourbet’s £21.6m switch to the Etihad Stadium was somewhat eclipsed by the subsequent announcement of Enzo Maresca’s appointment two days later and Elliot Anderson’s £116m move the following week, not to mention the conclusion of the World Cup group phase. Still, the 19-year-old was the club’s first summer acquisition. Arriving from Troyes, a club within the City Football Group network where he had been since the age of eight, the move had an intriguing feel for a teenage winger hailed by his former side as “a source of great pride.” He contributed three goals and six assists in 33 Ligue 2 outings last term, helping Troyes secure promotion as champions, and displayed plenty of promise. Sent on loan to Monaco for the upcoming season, he will aim to prove himself in Ligue 1 and catch Maresca’s attention along the way. WM
Illan Meslier to Arsenal
Supplanting David Raya as the first-choice goalkeeper will be a tough ask, but Meslier’s arrival at Arsenal on a free transfer could well push Kepa Arrizabalaga towards the exit. Confidence in Raya’s deputy was shaken by an underwhelming display in the Carabao Cup final last season, so the signing of the former Leeds stopper seems to pave the way for a change. Meslier is five years younger than Arrizabalaga and has 107 Premier League appearances to his name, though he slipped behind Karl Darlow and Lucas Perri in the Elland Road hierarchy last term. Frequently criticised for high-profile errors while at Leeds, he now needs to convince the doubters and, should Arrizabalaga leave, make the backup spot his own. WM
Gonçalo Ramos to Milan
Milan set a new club transfer record, paying £60.2m to land Ramos at the end of June. The 25-year-old scored 45 goals in 131 outings for Paris Saint-Germain, contributing to three league titles and two Champions League victories. He proved a valuable squad member under Luis Enrique, but with an attack built around Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, Ousmane Dembélé, and Désiré Doué, he was never going to be the central figure. Tellingly, he was limited to late substitute cameos in both of PSG’s successful Champions League finals, though he did convert the first penalty in the shootout against Arsenal. As Ruben Amorim’s inaugural signing at Milan, he will be the headline act, a role he was never afforded in Paris. WM
Robert Lewandowski to Chicago Fire
Poland missed out on the World Cup, but that hasn’t deterred their greatest ever player from heading to the United States this summer. Lewandowski admitted he couldn’t picture himself at another European side after leaving Barcelona, where he spent four years, won three La Liga titles, and scored 120 goals. Now 37, he still found the net 19 times in top-flight competition last season and remains in superb physical condition, raising the possibility of a Zlatan Ibrahimović-like impact in Major League Soccer, albeit without the bravado. Former US national team coach Gregg Berhalter will be his manager in Chicago. BM
Jakub Kaminski to Köln … and Benfica
Not content with one low-profile transfer, Kaminski has completed two this summer. The Polish winger rose through the ranks at Lech Poznan, joined Wolfsburg in 2022, but fell out of favour and spent last season on loan at Köln. He impressed the promoted Bundesliga side, featuring in every league match and operating in a variety of attacking positions. Köln made the deal permanent for €5.5m (£4.7m) in May, only for Marco Silva’s Benfica to trigger his €20m (£17.1m) release clause just two months later. Köln have banked a tidy profit — part of which went towards signing Manchester City youngster Reigan Heskey — but have lost a key summer addition before he could truly settle. NMc
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