Transfers can sometimes fly under the radar, especially if you are focused on the Premier League but clubs in Germany, Spain, France, Portugal and others do business, even for famous players.
Here is a look at a number of banknote transfers you missed this summer …
Nicolas Gonzalez won the Copa America with Argentina this summer / Matthias Hangst / Getty Images
The injury limited Nicolas Gonzalez to just 15 league games for Stuttgart last season, but he went to the Copa America with a triumphant Argentina this summer.
The 23-year-old – who was also linked with Tottenham and Brighton – had previously impressed in the 2.Bundesliga and his relative lack of top flight experience did not stop Fiorentina from paying a large fee.
Omar Richards has jumped from Reading to Bayern Munich / Alexandra Beier / Getty Images
Bayern Munich signed Omar Richards on a long-term contract when his Reading contract expired in June, which means that the left-back will change championship for the Champions League.
Richards has been handed the jersey number three at the Allianz Arena, indicating that he will play a significant role in the first team in the competition with Alphonso Davies.
Ex-Newcastle winger Florian Thauvin upped sticks to Mexico / Jam Media / Getty Images
Half a season at Newcastle was an unfortunate blip and no longer on the record of French winger Florian Thauvin, who played in Marseille ever since returning to the club in 2016.
But Thauvin is now taking on a whole new challenge by exchanging his native France’s acquaintance for a whole new continent and joining former international colleague Andre-Pierre Gignac in Tigres, Mexico.
Mario Balotelli spent last season in Serie B / Jonathan Moscrop / Getty Images
Mario Balotelli spent last season playing Serie B football with Monza, making it his first season off a national top flight since he was 15 years old with first club Lumezzane.
Now, however, the Italian striker has joined Adana Demirspor, who has been promoted back to the Turkish Super Lig 2021/22.
Britt Assombalonga starts again in Turkey / James Williamson – AMA / Getty Images
Another striker who has joined Adana Demirspor this summer is Britt Assombalonga – who cost Middlesbrough a £ 15m club record in 2017 – following his release from Riverside Stadium.
Although he was born in Kinshasa and is a DR Congo international, the 28-year-old has lived for only a few months of his life in England and traveling abroad represents a major new step.
Gerson is back in Europe after joining Marseille / CLEMENT MAHOUDEAU / Getty Images
Marseille have paid big money to bring Roman midfielder Gerson back to Europe after leaving Italy in 2019 to join Flamengo, where he won the Copa Libertadores later that year.
At 24, Gerson has not yet made his senior international debut for Brazil, but strong performances for an ambitious Marseille this season may force him to fight for the 2022 World Cup.
Mamadou Sakho is back in France after eight years in England / Sam Bagnall – AMA / Getty Images
Mamadou Sakho cost Liverpool big 18 million pounds in 2013 and Crystal Palace about 26 million pounds in 2017, but now the midfielder has returned home to France.
The former Paris Saint-Germain captain has joined Ligue 1 champions 2011/12 Montpellier as a free agent after being released from Palace at the end of his contract.
Barcelona accepted 5 million euros for Carles Alena / Quality Sport Images / Getty Images
Carles Alena started the 2020/21 season with Barcelona’s iconic jersey number six, but now he has completed a permanent transfer to Getafe for around 5 million euros.
His boyfriend club retains a repurchase clause and first refusal of future offers, so it’s not necessarily over for him at Camp Nou. Barça is also entitled to a 50% transfer fee if he is sold elsewhere.
Andre Silva returned to his best at Eintracht Frankfurt / Octavio Passos / Getty Images
45 goals in two seasons with Eintracht Frankfurt was enough to convince RB Leipzig to shoot out more than 20 million euros on Andre Silva, who has found his feet once again after a disappointment at AC Milan.
The 25-year-old Portuguese international is commissioned to score goals to bring Leipzig closer to Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga after finishing second last season.
Kevin Strootman was once a target for Man Utd / Marco Canoniero / Getty Images
Louis van Gaal was determined to sign Dutch midfielder Kevin Strootman for Manchester United in 2014, an interest that only ended when the player suffered an ACL injury.
Strootman joined Marseille in 2018 and spent the second half of last season on loan at Genoa. He enters in Serie A 2021/22, after joining Cagliari on a season-long deal.
Patrick van Aanholt has joined Galatasaray / Clive Brunskill / Getty Images
Just over two months after his summer solution from Crystal Palace was confirmed, the Dutch left-back Patrick van Aanholt started his next chapter by joining the Turkish giants Galatasaray.
Apart from a two-year loan from Vitesse Arnhem, the 30-year-old has played exclusively in England since joining Chelsea’s youth academy at the age of 17.
Boulaye Dia swaps Reims for Villarreal / Quality Sport Images / Getty Images
Boulaye Dia’s goal record last season for Reims brought him West Ham’s attention, but it was Europa League winners Villarreal who won the € 15 million competition for their signature.
24-year-old Dia will replace Carlos Bacca in El Madrigal and will play in Champions League football for the first time.
Kieran Gibbs has left English football to go to MLS / Visionhaus / Getty Images
You may remember the news from March that Kieran Gibbs would join MLS club Inter Miami when his contract with West Brom expired this summer. It has now happened.
The former Arsenal left-back officially joined his new team on July 1 and has not actually played for West Brom since January.
Mike Maignan replaces Gianluigi Donnarumma in Milan / Claudio Villa / Getty Images
With Gianluigi Donnarumma leaving AC Milan at the end of his contract and choosing to sign with Paris Saint-Germain, Rossoneri moved quickly to replace Mike Maignan.
Trained by PSG as a youth player and Lille number one since 2017, Maignan won Ligue 1 last season and will soon have the chance to soon be France’s long-term start.
Konrad de la Fuente is a product of La Masia / Gualter Fatia / Getty Images
Florida-born Konrad de la Fuente played only three times for Barcelona’s first team but has already played senior international football for the United States.
The wing was still a teenager until recently and Marseille considered it a game worth welcoming a youth with a lot of potential.
Kevin-Prince Boateng has rejoined his boys’ club 14 years after leaving / Matthias Kern / Getty Images
Berlin-born Kevin-Prince Boateng has returned to where it all began and joined the boys’ club Hertha after leaving the Serie B team Monza, where he was a teammate of Mario Balotelli last season.
Boateng joined Hertha’s youth team at the age of seven, was 18 when he made his debut in the first team and was only 20 when he moved to Tottenham in 2007. Now he is 34 years finally home again.
Mitchel Bakker has only stayed for a short time at PSG / Eurasia Sport Images / Getty Images
PSG poached Mitchel Bakker from Ajax when he was only 19 years old. But despite choosing to sell to Bayer Leverkusen for initially 10 million euros, the French giants retain a repurchase clause.
Already now, Bakker has just recently turned 21 and is a player whose development is worth following. He played 40 times in all competitions for PSG alone last season.
Carlos Bacca now plays for Granada / Quality Sport Images / Getty Images
The Colombian striker Carlos Bacca had an impressive goal record for Club Brugge, Sevilla, AC Milan and Villarreal between 2012 and 2018 and has now joined his fifth European club in Granada.
A bit late-flowering, Bacca turns 35 just a few weeks into the new La Liga season and this could be one of the last draws of his career.
John Lundstram has moved north of the border to Scotland / Nigel Roddis / Getty Images
John Lundstram was a must for FPL players during his two years in the Premier League with Sheffield United. Following his release on Bramall Lane, the midfielder has moved to Scotland.
At Rangers, Lundstram gets the chance to play European football and challenge for domestic trophies under the leadership of colleague Steven Gerrard.
Paul Lopez starts again at Marseille / Paolo Bruno / Getty Images
Pau Lopez will have the chance to resume his borrowed career in Marseille, where veteran club captain and current number one Steve Mandanda turned 36 years old earlier this year.
The goalkeeper joined Roma in 2019 but did not have the best time in 2020/21 after starting the season on the bench and later being injured.
Ex-Spurs striker Roberto Soldado has a new club / Quality Sport Images / Getty Images
Much has happened in Roberto Soldado’s career since his failed move to Tottenham ended in 2015, but the now 36-year-old has probably never rediscovered his best form.
After playing for Valencia between 2010 and 2013 and earning his big money for Spurs on the back of his form there, Soldado is now back in his hometown, but this time with local rivals Levante.
Joao Mario signed for Benfica after leaving Inter / Gualter Fatia / Getty Images
Joao Mario began his youth career in Porto, moving to Sporting CP, where he made his professional breakthrough and now completes his set of Portugal’s big three.
Mario was contracted to the former club Inter for five years after a transfer of 45 million euros in the wake of Euro 2016. He also played cards for West Ham under a loan from 2018.
Cengiz Under is in France after spending last season at Leicester / Octavio Passos / Getty Images
After struggling to make an impact on loan at Leicester last season, Cengiz Under will have another chance to try and rediscover their best form at Marseille this season instead.
He enjoyed a breakout season as a teenager in Istanbul Basaksehir 2016/17 and then had a strong debut year in Roma, but he has not been able to reach those levels since.
Justin Kluivert has moved on again / Soccrates Images / Getty Images
Justin Kluivert recently turned 22 but will line up for his fourth senior club this season after joining Nice on loan from the parent club Roma. Ajax and RB Leipzig are the others.
Son of Dutch legend Patrick, the winger has yet to recreate his father’s success at the same age, although the time is still on his side to have a decent career.
Stevan Jovetic has moved to Germany for the first time / BSR Agency / Getty Images
An injured ravaged career since a £ 22million move to Manchester City in 2013 has always limited Stevan Jovetics’ once-huge potential.
After playing in England, Italy, Spain and France, the Montenegrin forwarder now ends his tour in Europe’s top five leagues by joining the Bundesliga club Hertha.
Ryo Miyaichi was once a promising youngster at Arsenal / Koji Watanabe / Getty Images
Once tipped for superstar when he joined Arsenal shortly after turning 2018, Japanese winger Ryo Miyaichi has returned home after spending the past 10 years in Europe.
His six seasons at the cult German club St Pauli were eventually ravaged by injury and Miyaichi now hopes that a move to Yokohama F. Marinos in the J1 League can be a new start for him.
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