The transfer market in Europe’s top 5 leagues is closed. But free agents can still sign contracts with clubs. And in many countries, full-fledged deals between teams are still being concluded. The beginning of September brought with it several interesting transfers. Let’s talk about them.
Victor Osimhen: Napoli → Galatasaray (loan)
Victor Osimhen
Photo: Islam Yakut/Anadolu via Getty Images
Osimhen never agreed to the terms of his contract with Chelsea. And he never went to Saudi Arabia either. The Nigerian broke off all ties with Napoli, so the club did not include him in the candidacy for the season. The solution was to rent to Galatasaray. If the striker receives an offer from a big club, he will be able to leave Istanbul in the winter. A convenient agreement for all parties: Osimhen gets to play, Napoli gets rid of a toxic asset and Galatasaray adds a big star to its squad.
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Alex Telles: Al-Nassr → Botafogo (free agent)
Alex Telles
Photo: Yasser Bakhsh/Getty Images
Al-Nasr got rid of the foreign player for other signings. Alex Telles returned to his homeland and signed a contract with Botafogo. The black and whites are the leaders of the Brazilian Serie A. Therefore, Telles has the opportunity to help Botafogo become champions for the first time since 1995.
Kerem Aktürkoglu: Galatasaray → Benfica (12 million euros)
Kerem Akturkoglu
Photo by: Benfica FC
Akturkoglu could have ended up at Spartak, but he refused to move to Russia. Kerem, however, ended up at the Red and White club. The Turkish winger became a Benfica player and Galatasaray received 12 million euros. At the end of his stay in Istanbul, the footballer was going through a crisis in his relationship with coach Okan Buruk. The parting is a logical outcome.
Steven Bergwijn: Ajax → Al Ittihad (21 million euros)
Steven Bergwijn
Photo by: Al-Ittihad FC
Bergwijn’s move to Saudi Arabia sparked outrage among Dutch national team coach Ronald Koeman: “Steven left for Saudi Arabia at the age of 26. It’s clear that this has nothing to do with sporting ambitions. His history with the Dutch national team is over. You probably know what I would say to that.”
Bergwijn responded just as harshly: “I don’t want to play for this coach anymore. I won’t play for someone who portrays me the way he did in the media. He could have called me and heard my side of the story. How can he say such things without speaking to me?”
Saudi Arabia became more active in September:
Saudi Arabia shook up the market as the transfer deadline approached. Even Zenit and Loko made money
Mario Hermoso: Atletico Madrid → Roma (free agent)
MarioBeautiful
Photo: Luciano Rossi/AS Roma via Getty Images
Hermoso left Atlético in July and remained a free agent until recently. Without waiting for offers in the summer, Mario finally found a new club at the beginning of September. Daniele De Rossi received a great defender and an additional option for the team. Hermoso can play both in two and three backs. Mario can also play on the left flank if he so wishes.
Danilo Pereira: PSG → Al Ittihad (5 million euros)
Danilo Pereira
Photo by: Al-Ittihad FC
At PSG, Pereira lost competition to other midfielders. Why not go to Saudi Arabia and earn some extra money? With this logic, Danilo headed to Al-Ittihad. The 32-year-old Portuguese signed a two-year contract with the Club.
Pereira has been with PSG since 2020. Over four seasons, he played 157 games, scored 10 goals and provided three assists. With PSG, Danilo won the French Championship three times, the French Cup twice and the Super Cup three times.
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Chris Smalling: Roma → Al Feiha (free agent)
Chris Smalling
Photo: Fake Images
Roma are not only signing centre-backs, they are also getting rid of them. Smalling can no longer keep up with the pace of Europe’s top 5 leagues, so the Englishman has moved to a simpler league. Chris was snapped up by Saudi Arabian side Al Feiha. The 34-year-old defender has signed a two-year contract.
Mohamed Simakan: RB Leipzig → Al-Nassr (€43m)
Mohamed Simakan
Photo by: Al-Nasr FC
A big purchase for Al-Nasr. The Saudis managed to get 24-year-old defender Mohamed Simakan from RB Leipzig. The footballer was tipped to have a future with top European clubs, but he unexpectedly left for the Middle East. Simakan signed a five-year contract with Al-Nasr. Do you think we will see the lad in Europe again?
Willian: Fulham → Olympiacos (free agent)
willian
Photo by: Olympiacos FC
The former Anzhi, Chelsea and Arsenal winger is leaving England. Willian’s last club was Fulham and now the Brazilian is in Greece. Olympiacos snapped him up. The 36-year-old winger has signed a one-year contract. Willian help them win the league and go deep in the Europa League?
Iker Munyain: Athletic Bilbao → San Lorenzo (free agent)
Iker Munyain
Photo by: San Lorenzo FC
Muniain played his entire career at Athletic Bilbao. But at the age of 31 he left the club on his own initiative. Iker will (unexpectedly) write a new chapter in his career in Argentina. He signed a contract with San Lorenzo for a year and a half. What do we know about this team? San Lorenzo is a 12-time champion of Argentina and Pope Francis himself supports the club.
André Gomes: Everton → Lille (free agent)
Andre Gomez
Photo by: Lille FC
André Gomes’ career was severely derailed by injuries. Because of them, he never managed to establish himself at Barcelona, and at Everton he eventually became a reserve. The Portuguese’s contract with Liverpool has expired. The next stage of my career is France. Gomes signed a contract with Lille, where he played on loan in the 2022/2023 season. The agreement with the 31-year-old midfielder was signed for two years.
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Mats Hummels: Borussia → Roma (free agent)
Mats Hummels
Photo by: FC Roma
Hummels never won the Champions League with Borussia Dortmund, he left the club and founded a new one. The 35-year-old defender will now lead Roma’s defence. The best signing for the Romans: they got a top footballer for free. Mats is not only excellent in defence, but also dangerous in set pieces. He is also excellent at passing. Hummels signed a one-year contract.
Rade Krunic: Fenerbahce → Red Star (free agent)
Rade Krunic
Photo by: FC Red Star
The Bosnian was not needed by Jose Mourinho. Fenerbahce therefore looked for options for Krunic to continue his career. Thus, the 30-year-old midfielder moved from Turkey to Serbia. Rade signed a contract with Red Star. We will also see Krunic in Champions League matches.
Angelo Gabriel: Chelsea → Al Nasr (23 million euros)
Angel Gabriel
Photo: Jonathan Moscrop/Getty Images
Chelsea have sold 19-year-old Brazilian striker Angelo Gabriel to Al Nasr for 23 million euros. The Londoners acquired the footballer in the summer of 2023 from Santos, after which they loaned him to Strasbourg. During the season in France, the striker made 25 appearances, in which he scored four assists. And Angelo did not play a single official match for Chelsea. But now Gabriel will play alongside Cristiano Ronaldo.
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