Power Rankings: The 20 best transfers of the summer so far

Cameron Smith

• Updated: 30 Aug 2024 12:09 CDT
• 8 min read

The 2024 summer transfer window is in its final hours.

It's been a maniac window as ever, but clubs have been reluctant to spend huge money on individual players this time around.

Long are the days of Moises Caicedo to Chelsea and Jude Bellingham to Real Madrid. But that's not to say there hasn't been some gems.

Below, FootballTransfers ranks the 20 best transfers of the 2024 summer transfer window so far.

20. Georges Mikautadze - Metz to Lyon (€18.5m)

Fresh from winning the Euro 2024 Golden Boot, Georges Mikautadze has sealed an €18.5m summer move to Olympique Lyonnais.

While there are always doubts when signing a player who has shone at an international tournament, Lyon will be confident that Mikautadze will hit the ground running.

The Georgia international notched 11 goals and one assist in 17 Ligue 1 games after re-joining Metz in January, and has returned to his hometown for a relatively moderate fee.

READ MORE: Who are the most expensive transfers of the summer?

19. Yankuba Minteh - Newcastle to Brighton (€35m)

A move that was laughed at at the time because it was clearly facilitated by Newcastle due to their need to balance the books, it actually looks a brilliant piece of business by Brighton.

Though a hefty fee was paid, Minteh has been an exciting addition for the Seagulls and if he can build on the promise he has shown so far, it will go down as yet another smart Brighton signing.

18. Mats Wieffer - Feyenoord to Brighton (€30m)

One year after losing Moises Caicedo and Alexis Mac Allister, Brighton & Hove Albion have finally signed an adequate replacement in the form of Mats Wieffer.

The Dutchman is a Champions League level central midfielder and although the transition from the Eredivisie to the Premier League hasn’t been a smooth one for most players, Wieffer could buck that trend.

He is a simply superb all-round midfielder, who excels in all facets of the game, most notably when distributing the ball from deep.

17. Federico Chiesa- Juventus to Liverpoool (€13m)

In Liverpool's only deal of the window, brought in Juventus outcast Federico Chiesa.

It's no secret that the the Bianconeri were desperate to offload him, with coach Thiago Motta publically stating that the Euro 2020 winner had become surplus to requirements. This meant that the Old Lady were prepared to give up his services for a cut price.

Liverpool have signed the Italian for just €15 million on a four-year contract.

16. Douglas Luiz - Aston Villa to Juventus (€51.5m)

Douglas Luiz was a key reason behind Aston Villa’s qualification for the Champions League last season, and his move to Juventus is a real coup for the Old Lady.

€51.5m is a fairly substantial fee, but the Brazil international is a fantastic central midfielder and will be crucial to Juve’s hopes of returning to the very top of Italian football.

15. Archie Gray - Leeds to Tottenham (€41.25m)

Tottenham Hotspur have banked on potential with Archie Gray, but the early signs suggest he could be a future world beater.

Gray shone at Leeds United last season, during his debut campaign in senior football, playing at both right-back and in central midfield as he displayed immense technical proficiency and tenacity off the ball.

He may not become an immediate starter at Spurs, but Gray has the potential to become an England regular, and his €41.25m fee could prove to be a snip in the future.

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

Serhou Guirassy burst onto the scene at the age of 27 last season.

The Guinea international scored a ridiculous 30 goals in 30 games for Stuttgart, which earned him an €18m summer move to Borussia Dortmund.

That price looks like an absolute bargain for a player in the prime of his career, especially considering the likes of Chelsea and Manchester United were also interested.

13. Aleix Garcia - Girona to Bayer Leverkusen (€18m)

Girona were the surprise package of LaLiga last campaign, and Aleix Garcia was one of their standout players.

A cool customer in the middle of the park, Garcia set the tempo in midfield and was an indispensable figure for Michel’s side.

He has joined Bundesliga champions Bayer Leverkusen for the cheap price of just €18m and will bolster a midfield that already contains Granit Xhaka, Exequiel Palacios and Robert Andrich. This is a sublime signing.

12. Joao Palhinha - Fulham to Bayern Munich (€51m)

Bayern Munich have been crying out for an out-and-out defensive midfielder for years, and they have finally signed Joao Palhinha from Fulham after their failed attempt to land him in 2023.

The Portuguese international was one of the best midfielders in the Premier League during his two years at Craven Cottage and will provide protection for the likes of Joshua Kimmich and Aleksandar Pavlovic in the Bayern midfield.

11. Aaron Ramsdale - Arsenal to Southampton (€30m)

Aaron Ramsdale appeared delighted to deal a move to Southampton in the latter stages of the window.

A boyhood Southampton fan, the England international dressed up as Hagrid as part of his announcement.

The shot-stopper had been displaced by David Raya at Arsenal and found himself without game time. The deal represents a significant coup for the Saints, with their No.1 choice being Alex McCarthy.

10. Pascal Gross - Brighton to Borussia Dortmund (€7m)

At 33 years old, Pascal Gross has sealed a memorable transfer to the club he supported as a boy.

The Germany international has left Brighton as a club legend after seven years at the AMEX Stadium, and he is undoubtedly one of the most underrated players in Premier League history.

Capable of playing virtually anywhere on the pitch, Gross was instrumental to Brighton’s rise up the English top flight table, and will provide valuable depth and quality for Dortmund for a mere €7m.

9. Matias Soule - Juventus to Roma (€25.6m)

Juventus have lost a gem in Matias Soule. The 21-year-old spent last season on loan at Frosinone and he scored 11 goals and provided three assists in 36 league appearances for the club.

The young Argentine was a shining light in a poor Frosinone side and Juventus will come to rue his departure.

At €25.6m, Roma have pulled off a masterstroke to sign one of the most talented youngsters in Serie A.

8. Amadou Onana - Everton to Aston Villa (€59.35m)

Eyebrows were raised when Aston Villa shelled out almost €60m on Everton midfielder Amadou Onana to replace Douglas Luiz.

However, the Belgian has been a solid Premier League midfielder since arriving from Lille and he got off to the perfect start for Unai Emery's side on his debut against West Ham, scoring after just a few minutes and instantly becoming a fan favourite.

7. Dominic Solanke - Bournemouth to Tottenham (64.3m)

Tottenham made Dominic Solanke their record signing this summer, snapping him up from Bournemouth for a fee that could rise to as high as €75m if all bonuses are achieved.

Despite the fee, it looks to be a brilliant piece of business, with the former Chelsea and Liverpool prospect looking an ideal fit for Ange Postecoglou's style.

Solanke is a penalty box finisher and this is exactly where Postecoglou wants his number nine to be.

6. Joshua Zirkzee - Bologna to Man Utd (€42.5m)

Joshua Zirkzee won’t be a guaranteed starter at Man Utd, due to the presence of Rasmus Hojlund, but the Dutchman is an excellent signing.

He hasn’t proven himself to be a clinical finisher just yet, but his all-round game is immense, and Marcus Rashford and Alejandro Garnacho will benefit greatly from his superb link-up play.

Considering the fees touted for other strikers across Europe, Man Utd have done extremely well to sign Zirkzee for less than €43m.

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

Atletico Madrid made Julian Alvarez the most expensive player of the summer (so far) by splashing a whopping €75m on the Man City striker, with the deal potentially rising to €95m.

It is a transfer gamble that simply has to pay off for Diego Simeone and company, but if it does, it could be an absolutely transformative signing for the La Liga giants.

Though he had a slump last season, Alvarez often showed in limited minutes that he can be an absolutely deadly forward, so this could turn out to be a fair price for the Argentine.

4. Riccardo Calafiori - Bologna to Arsenal (€45m)

Following the signing of Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna, Arsenal arguably now have the best defence in Europe.

The Italy international, who starred at Euro 2024, is one of the very best defenders in world football, and he will be an instant hit at the Emirates Stadium.

€45m is an outrageous fee considering Man City spent €90m on Josko Gvardiol last summer, and Calafiori could be the difference between a Premier League title and another disappointing second-place finish.

3. Xavi Simons - PSG to RB Leipzig (Loan)

Xavi Simons was wanted by virtually every top European club, but RB Leipzig have managed to re-sign him on another season-long loan deal.

He is the only player not signed on a permanent deal to appear in this list, and for good reason.

Simons contributed 23 goals and assists in 40 Bundesliga and Champions League appearances last season and will be key as Leipzig look to win the German top flight this campaign.

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

Bayern Munich’s pulling power has been questioned over the past five years, but the acquisitions of Harry Kane and Michael Olise in back-to-back summers put those doubts to bed.

Olise, 22, contributed a goal or an assist every 80 minutes in the Premier League last season and could feasibly play for any club in the world.

Bayern won the race for his signature, amid competition from Chelsea, Man Utd and others, and they will reap the rewards this campaign.

1. Kylian Mbappe - PSG to Real Madrid (Free)

The best signing of the 2024 summer transfer window is Kylian Mbappe’s free transfer move to Real Madrid.

The France international is arguably the best player on the planet, and he has joined his dream club on a Bosman deal after scoring 256 goals in 308 PSG games.

Real Madrid were favourites for the Champions League without Mbappe, and it would be a real shock if they didn’t retain the trophy following the 25-year-old’s arrival.