With just a few weeks left until the resumption of football in Europe’s top five leagues, several top teams are still scrambling to bring in new faces. While several clubs have made promising moves over the summer, others have taken a step back. For the clubs in the latter group, there is still time to fix it but not much time as the new season and the end of the transfer window is almost here. Join us as we take a look at the teams that have made positive moves in the window so far and the teams that have failed to take advantage.
**Winners – Real Madrid** Losing Karim Benzema would weaken any team, even a team as strong as the 13-time winners of the UEFA Champions League, Real Madrid. Los Blancos have improved, however - they completed the signing of arguably the brightest young midfielder in the world in Jude Bellingham this summer, with the English midfielder arriving from Borussia Dortmund for 105m. Ancelotti’s decision to switch to a midfield diamond means he can accommodate his other midfielders and still allow his star signing play with the freedom he needs to thrive. Real finished second in the league last season to a resurgent Barcelona side but will aim to bounce back strong despite a comprehensive 3-0 preseason loss. Luckily for them, it seems like they have the right tools to do so. ‘Turkish Messi’, Arda Guler also arrived from Fenerbahçe and will be given chances to impress once he recovers from the injury he picked up in preseason. His ability to play on the wings and behind the two strikers will give the Lilywhites plenty of quality cover in several positions. Add in Joselu’s arrival on a season-long loan from Getafe and Ancelotti’s men certainly look well-equipped to return to the summit of European football in the coming season. And that’s all before you factor in the ongoing pursuit of French superstar, Kylian Mbappe. **Breakdown of Real Madrid’s transfer activity this summer** **Incomings**
**Outgoings**
**Winners - Manchester United** Manchester United look like they’re finally back to their best under Erik ten Hag, finishing last season’s EPL campaign in third place. The Red Devils also lifted a trophy, the League Cup – their first since 2017, and rounded up their season with a Europa League semi-final exit and an FA Cup final defeat to Manchester City. The future under Erik ten Hag is certainly bright and they have begun the transfer window impressively. Mason Mount has arrived from Chelsea for £55m (€64m) including bonuses, bringing some much-needed intensity and an offensive contribution from midfield. They’re set in the goalkeeping department too. Despite losing legendary goalkeeper David De Gea upon expiry of his contract, Cameroonian #1, Andre Onana has been snapped up from Inter Milan for 47m. Onana’s arrival is especially important as he instantly raises the ceiling of the team’s build-up, which was an area De Gea struggled with for United. Ten Hag will be especially pleased as the Dutch gaffer expects his goalkeeper to be able to distribute at a high level and Onana certainly gives United the required level between the sticks. **Breakdown of Manchester United’s transfer activity this summer**
**Outgoings**
**Losers** There have been losers in the transfer window, too. While some clubs have made canny moves, others have made head-scratching moves such as the two clubs we have analyzed below. **Chelsea** The Blues finished 12th last season, a stunning underachievement by their lofty standards. They also ended the campaign with 44 points, the lowest points tally ever recorded by the club since the league rebranded in 1992. The uncertainty didn’t help either - Chelsea had four different managers in charge over the course of that dreadful last season, Thomas Tuchel, Graham Potter, Bruno Saltor and Frank Lampard. Heading into the summer break, no club needed to have a great transfer window as much as Chelsea did with selling the players was just as paramount as buying. While the Todd Boehly-Clearlake Capital ownership have done a decent job with selling players, the real problem is that the Chelsea squad remains bloated in numbers and not in real quality. Nicolas Jackson has come in from Villarreal to solve some of the issues in attack for a team that struggled to score goals last season. Wesley Fofana’s long-term injury means they need a new starting defender and club record signing Enzo Fernandez remains the only top-level midfielder at the club with their pursuit of Moises Caicedo still ongoing. If the Blues do not make the right moves in the coming weeks, their chances of getting back into Europe will take a dive. **Breakdown of Chelsea’s transfer activity this summer** **Incomings**
**Outgoings**
**Losers - Manchester City** It is almost impossible to improve on a treble winning season. Which is why it’s perhaps too harsh of us to include City in this column. However, the club’s exacting standards means that they will be looking to improve on last season- only a quadruple would suffice as a preseason goal for Pep Guardiola’s men. Pep Guardiola is facing a summer rebuild, one that he is certainly capable of, but the signs have been less than positive up till now. City have lost their captain and talismanic figure Ilkay Gundogan to Barcelona on a free transfer. Gundogan was highly crucial to their treble triumph last season, with vital goals in the run-in and two goals in the FA Cup final against Manchester United. While Mateo Kovacic has arrived from Chelsea to fill that void, he is a significant downgrade on the departed German. Riyad Mahrez is another one who has completed a move to Saudi Arabian side Al Ahli for €35m and his absence is sure to leave a gaping hole in City’s right wing. The Man City squad was already thin and could be even thinner in the coming weeks with Kyle Walker expected to join Bayern Munich and Bernardo Silva’s future at the club still uncertain. At the time of posting, City have only brought in just Mateo Kovacic and Josko Gvardiol. Considering the business being done by the teams around them especially Arsenal and Manchester United, there is a real chance Pep Guardiola’s men could struggle to compete at a title-winning level in all competitions next season. **Breakdown of Manchester City’s transfer activity this summer** **Incomings**
**Outgoings**
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