The Transfers Podcast: Chelsea MADNESS, Mbappe DETAILS, €100m deals OVER?

Cameron Smith

19 Sept 2024 14:30 BST
5 min read

Enzo Maresca, Transfers Podcast — © IMAGO

The Transfers Podcast, powered by FootballTransfers.com and hosted by Duncan Castles, brings you the latest news and insight from the world of football.

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Here is a detailed look at the key headlines discussed in this week’s episode, which delved into a review of the summer transfer window across Europe’s big five leagues.

The end of the mega transfer?

For the first time since 2015, the most expensive transfer of the summer window was under the €80 million mark.

Julian Alvarez’s €75m move from Manchester City to Atletico Madrid was the priciest deal and it could signal the end of transfers that exceed €100m.

Paul Macdonald explained why to The Transfers Podcast. He said: “I think teams are just more wary of spending big money on transfers than ever before because of previously FFP, now PSR and future regulations that UEFA and the Premier League are looking to bring in.

“Teams just don't want to spend that kind of money. And also there's just the inherent risk involved in big transfer fees if you don't get it right.

“That is everyone rather than Chelsea who continue to scorch the earth in the transfer market.”

© IMAGO - Julian Alvarez joined Atletico Madrid this summer

Kylian Mbappe to Real Madrid

One of the biggest deals of the entire summer was actually a free transfer, with Kylian Mbappe finally joining Real Madrid upon the expiration of his contract at PSG.

The France superstar had been continually linked with a move to the Santiago Bernabeu for several seasons and he completed his switch to Los Blancos in July.

European football expert Peter Staunton detailed all the information regarding Mbappe’s spectacular transfer to Carlo Ancelotti’s side.

“It's a huge arrival, it's a landmark arrival for La Liga and of course for Real Madrid. They’ve added another Galactico to the pile there, but crucially this time they've not spent the transfer fees that they've spent on Galacticos in the past.

“All the money is going to Mbappe essentially rather than going to a selling club.

“Mbappe’s gross salary is around €15m a year and his signing-on fee is anything approaching €150m, payable until 2029.

“So it means that his wages top up to over €500k a week.

“PSG losing Mbappe for nothing is a disaster and any money that they could have banked on him is going straight to Kylian himself.”

Chelsea’s antics

Chelsea were once again one of the main protagonists during the summer window, with the Blues continuing to employ a bold transfer strategy of signing a multitude of young players from across the world.

However, Macdonald questioned the logic behind their approach in this week’s episode of The Transfers Podcast.

© IMAGO - Chelsea signed Pedro Neto from Wolves during the summer window

“I don't really understand why you would buy so many young guys,” he said. “Ultimately, some of them are not even playing for the club and they’ve not even got any chance of playing for the club.

“I think if you look at the news about a so-called civil war between Todd Boehly and Behdad Eghbali, there is no joined up thinking there.

“From a Chelsea fan perspective, you can only hope that at the very least Enzo Maresca might have some joined-up thinking because he’s had a lot of players to work with and he’s made it quite clear the ones that he does want to work with.

“So from that perspective, there is encouragement that he has a strategy on the pitch that he is going to try and employ. Even if the people in the boardroom don't really have one behind them.”

Other News

The Transfers Podcast also covered the following topics this week:

- Slot’s long-term plan

- Broke Barcelona

- Simeone’s spending spree

- PSG’s new approach

- Ligue 1’s TV nightmare

- Serie A’s TV nightmare

- Juve’s massive overhaul

- Vincible Leverkusen

- Bayern’s buys

- All change in Saudi

- Osimhen’s late, late move

- League One madness

Stay tuned to the Transfers Podcast for more in-depth analysis, and follow us on our social media channels for the latest updates in the world of football.