Grading the Summer of 2024’s Biggest Football Transfers (So Far) Pt 4
As the summer rolls on and some of Europe’s biggest clubs start their North American and Asian tours, the transfer dealings roll on — with a number of eye-catching deals coming across in the last few deals. Let’s dive into my assessment of them all — with more thoughts on Manchester United, their old friend José and more!
Check out Part 1 (Mbappé, Palhinha + More), Part 2 (Luiz, Olise, Thuram + More) and Part 3 (Zirkzee, Savinho, Onana + More) of this series!
Leny Yoro — Lille to Manchester United — €62 M
Without digging too deep into which rumors around this deal coming together were and were not true, I must admit some confusion over why it seemed like Yoro was content to hold firm and wait for Madrid, but a bigger bid to United changed the calculus and landed him at Old Trafford (though perhaps a bump in wages was also offered). In any case, this is the type of overpay which feels justified. Yes, Yoro is 18 and was going to be a free agent in just 12 months time, but if it means getting him before he goes to the Bernabéu, it might be a gamble that’s worth making. Add in the fact this is a huge area of need for United, and it’s pretty easy to talk yourself into this deal making sense. If Yoro can play anywhere near the level he was at in France last season, he’ll be comfortably the second best central defender at the club after Lisandro Martínez, and that duo could elevate Manchester United’s defense out of the zone of incompetence it’s operated in for long stretches of the last few seasons.
Individually, Yoro has most everything teams are looking for in a central defender. He’s decently big (190 cm), strong enough (with plenty of frame to grow into), fleet of foot and well balanced — a complete physical package. Technically, he’s also shown flashes of everything Guardiola inspired (or Ajax trained) coaches like Erik ten Hag are looking for with his comfort in possession, range of passing and willingness to carry the ball forward to break opposition lines. Yet, for all the positives I’ve underlined, there’s still lots of polish needed — a reality for all young players (especially central defenders). Yoro may seem like a sure thing to be one of the world’s best, but this wouldn’t be the first time United have failed to convert that talent into a finished product since Fergie left the club. If all goes well, Yoro will be one of United’s key players for a decade, but a sale for a fraction of this (the 13th biggest fee ever for a defender) would be par for the course. In any case, United get an A- for the amibition while Lille obviously get an A+.
Riccardo Calafiori — Bologna to Arsenal — €40M
The Italian will probably be sold to the English public by the media as a true central defender, but his history as a fullback is written all over the way he plays. In some respects, that will make him the perfect player for Arsenal’s style under Mikel Arteta, but I think they’ll also be expectations for him to continue improving as a one-v-one defender if he is to maximize his potential in the center of the Gunners defense. That being said, he is good enough now as a defender to make an incredible left back, and it seems as if this move might be Arsenal leaning towards the center back heavy system that Arteta’s old mentor Guardiola employed at City for much of their treble winning campaign in 2023. With Ben White and Tomiyasu both already capable of playing centrally and as fullbacks, Calafiori will be the latest addition who adds versatility, and there will be a place for him in the team even if he remains a player who excels considerably more with the ball than without.
And to that point, Arteta expects his side to be in possession more often than not anyways; so, the addition of a player with Calafiori’s nearly one of kind capabilities could be just what they need to finally push beyond City and win the Premier League. With the depth and quality of the Arsenal squad, players who are solid at everything but exceptional at nothing add little value to the starting line-up while a player like the Italian can give them the above-and-beyond quality needed in possession with his passing, ball-carrying and shooting ability. If he feels like an ‘overkill’ signing given all of the other quality defenders Arsenal have at the club he is, but, again, that’s part of the strategy to catch City (who keep signing central defenders despite their own strength in that area). I think what he did at Bologna will not translate as smoothly as Arteta may hope given how unique the style of play Thiago Motta employed was, but Calafiori is too good of a player not to be useful at one of his two positions with time. The price is nothing crazy for a high-end defender on the left or in the center, and he may wind up as both so Arsenal earn an A. The sellers owe Basel a shocking 50% (!!) of this fee after they brought him back from Switzerland for only €4M last year, but a €16M profit is still decent— giving Bologna a solid B.
Quick Hits
Martin Terrier (Rennes [A] to Bayer Leverkusen [A+], €20 M):
Though his most recent campaign was not as good as the two that came before it, Terrier has been an exceptional signing since joining from Lyon for only €12M in 2020. He’s played so well that, had he left for free, the purchase would be reflected on positively by Rennes supporters, but the profit they’ve pocketed here puts a perfect cap on his tenure. With some extra funds, Rennes can pour money into the next Sulemana or Doku — with the development of those types of players still their bread and butter. Meanwhile, Leverkusen have wisely added depth to their set-up with a player who, again, has been one of the most consistent attacking players in Europe’s big five leagues over the last four seasons. He’s a versatile forward who’s comfortable pretty much anywhere he plays, meaning he can get a lot of minutes without nailing down a consistent spot in the first eleven, and I think the expressive elements of his game will really shine in Xabi Alonso’s system. He’s also a pretty instinctual finisher in front of goal; so, a Leverkusen team that brought together goals from many sources last year can add him into the mix to have even more firepower. At this price, he’s a home run signing for Leverkusen, and the situation couldn’t be too much better from the player’s perspective. Everyone seemingly wins here.
Nikola Milenković (Fiorentina [B-] to Nottingham Forest [A], €14.3 M):
This is not a deal that generated much publicity, but it’s one that should go a long way towards keeping Forest safe in the Prem next term. Milenković played over 250 times in 7 seasons with Fiorentina and has accumulated 56 caps with Serbia but will still only be 27 in October. In other words, there’s plenty of time for him to continue playing at the prime level he’s shown for the last three seasons in Florence and at the Euros, and he looks to be an upgrade over Moussa Niakhaté (who’s off to Lyon). Given his play style and international success, I don’t see the transition to England being an issue — with Milenković likely ending up as a starter and, potentially, one of this window’s best values given the price point. At his age, there’s also some resale value if he excels or Forest are relegated; so, I see few risks in this deal for the buyers. For Fiorentina, it’s tough as the player likely wanted a new challenge, but they would need to spend more than this to acquire a replacement of a similar caliber. If his heart was set on a move, I think they could’ve pushed for a bigger fee with three years left on his contract, but they’ve at least acted swiftly to replace him with another international, Croatia’s Marin Pongračić.
Allan Saint-Maximin (Al-Ahli [N/A] to Fenerbahçe [B+], €8 M loan fee):
For Al-Ahli, I’m not sure this deal makes too much difference. They re-coup a good chunk of last summer’s €27M investment, but money is not of any real consequence to them. For Fener and José Mourinho, the cost of the loan makes this a huge swing for the fences. So much so that a B+ probably won’t be an accurate grade. Instead, this will likely be reflected on as either an A+ or an F when all is said and done. Because I think it’s more likely it works out than not, the mark I’m giving leans towards the positive, but I definitely see the risk in investing money that could’ve bought a rotational player into someone who will be gone next summer regardless of how things go. At the same time, Saint-Maximin is still just 27 and is a magical game changer at his best. If Fener can sneak their way into the Champions League group (now ‘league’) phase, it should be pretty easy for him to play up to this value while a deep run in one of the other European competitions or Fener finally snapping their decade-long title drought could also allow help to make this high price point worthwhile. In a best case scenario, he gets on with Mourinho, excels on the pitch and Fener send the Saudis more cash next summer to bring him back on a permanent deal.
