The 10 best transfers of the season in Europe

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 28 Apr 2025 15:13 BST
• 6 min read

Analysis

The 2024 summer transfer window was a hectic few months in the market, although clubs across Europe were fairly reluctant to spend huge fees on individual players.

Instead, teams were eager to find cheaper alternatives and several bargain buys have exceeded all expectations this campaign.

Below, FootballTransfers runs through the 10 best transfers of the season in Europe.

READ MORE: The 10 worst transfers of the season in Europe

Julian Alvarez - €75m (Man City to Atletico Madrid)

Julian Alvarez was the most expensive signing during the 2024 summer window, courtesy of his €75 million move from Manchester City to Atletico Madrid, but he has arguably paid back a large chunk of that investment.

The Argentina international has slotted in perfectly under Diego Simeone, as many expected, and he has already exceeded 30 goal contributions across all competitions.

Furthermore, Alvarez’s Estimated Transfer Value (ETV) surpassed the €100m mark in April 2025, which is testament to his incredible form at the Wanda Metropolitano.

READ MORE: The five best Premier League transfers of the season

Joao Neves - €59.9m (Benfica to PSG)

Joao Neves was heavily linked with a move to the Premier League after his breakthrough at Benfica, but his decision to join Paris Saint-Germain instead has worked out brilliantly.

He has formed a world class midfield trio with Vitinha and Fabian Ruiz, and he could be set to help PSG end their Champions League drought.

At just 20 years old, Neves is one of Europe’s most talented midfielders and PSG have a superstar in their midst.

Michael Olise - €53m (Crystal Palace to Bayern Munich)

Michael Olise was on the verge of joining Chelsea for two consecutive summers, however the Blues missed out on his signature when Bayern Munich agreed a €53m deal last summer.

The Frenchman departed Crystal Palace as one of the greatest players in the club’s history and he has immediately hit the ground running in Germany.

Olise has been one of Bayern’s most important players since his arrival in July and he has already contributed over 25 goals and assists in the Bundesliga and Champions League combined so far this campaign.

Mateo Retegui - €20.9m (Genoa to Atalanta)

Mateo Retegui scored seven Serie A goals during his one and only season at Genoa and this prompted Atalanta to spend just shy of €21m to bring him to the club last summer.

Since his arrival, Retegui has been arguably the best striker in the Italian top flight and he is on course to win the Capocannoniere award as the top scorer in Serie A.

Atalanta are set to secure Champions League qualification for the second consecutive season and Retegui is a key reason behind their immense form this year.

Serhou Guirassy - €18m (Stuttgart to Borussia Dortmund)

Multiple Premier League clubs were tipped to sign Serhou Guirassy last summer, after a sublime season at Stuttgart, but Borussia Dortmund won the race for his signature for a measly €18m.

Guirassy has continued his stellar form at the Signal Iduna Park and he netted 13 goals in just 14 Champions League games as Dortmund reached the quarter-finals before being knocked out by Barcelona.

Furthermore, Guirassy now has a €70m release clause and several teams in Europe are interested in paying that fee, meaning Dortmund could be set to earn a major profit.

Hugo Ekitike - €16.5m (PSG to Eintracht Frankfurt)

After a promising loan spell during the second-half of last season, Eintracht Frankfurt paid €16.5m to sign Hugo Ekitike on a permanent deal from PSG and that decision now looks like a masterstroke.

The France U21 international has developed into one of Europe’s most promising young strikers this campaign and he is wanted by virtually every elite Premier League club, many of whom are willing to pay his €80m asking price.

Ekitike has already netted more than 20 goals in all competitions this term and Eintracht are almost guaranteed to turn a significant profit on the youngster.

Dean Huijsen - €15.2m (Juventus to Bournemouth)

Juventus’ decision to sell Dean Huijsen last summer looked rather foolish at the time and it now looks incredibly foolish.

The centre-back has become a fully-fledged Spain international since his move to Bournemouth and he is widely considered to be one of the best young defenders in the world.

Huijsen has been a key part of Bournemouth’s fantastic campaign under Andoni Iraola and the Cherries are set to sell him for a huge fee amid interest from Arsenal, Chelsea, Liverpool, Real Madrid and several others.

Samu Aghehowa - €15m (Atletico Madrid to Porto)

Samu Aghehowa was on the verge of joining Chelsea last summer, but the deal collapsed at the final hurdle and he eventually moved to Porto for just €15m.

He would have likely played a back-up role to Nicolas Jackson at Stamford Bridge, however Aghehowa has become a star at Porto and he earned his first senior Spain cap in November.

Aghehowa scored six goals in nine Europa League matches this season, including a brace versus Manchester United, and his €15m transfer fee now looks like a bargain.

Moise Kean - €13m (Juventus to Fiorentina)

Since his breakout year at Juventus, Moise Kean has only had one season of consistently impressive performances and that came during a loan spell at PSG.

His stint at Everton went miserably, while he flattered to deceive after returning to Juventus in 2021. However, he has saved his career since joining Fiorentina for a mere €13m last year.

Kean has already usurped his goal tally from the past three seasons combined (14) during his time at Fiorentina and the likes of Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur are reportedly eyeing a potential swoop.

Victor Osimhen - Loan (Napoli to Galatasaray)

A loan transfer being included in this list may come as a slight surprise, but Victor Osimhen has been immense since his arrival at Galatasaray and he is on course to help them win the Super Lig title for the third consecutive time.

The Nigerian was forced to join Galatasaray on a season-long loan deal after his proposed move to Chelsea collapsed, and he has been a revelation in Turkey.

Osimhen hit the 30-goal mark for the campaign with a strike against Konyaspor in the Turkish Cup semi-final on 22 April and Galatasaray will hope to convince him to join the club on a permanent deal this summer.

The FootballTransfers app

Check out FootballTransfers' new app for all of football's big storylines, transfer rumours and exclusive news in one convenient place directly on your mobile device.

The FootballTransfers app is available on Google Play and in the Apple App Store. Download here:

•Google Play

•App Store