Manchester City and Tottenham drive a record-breaking summer transfer market

The summer transfer window in Europe’s leading leagues has closed, with English Premier League clubs once again dominating the biggest deals and Manchester City completing the most expensive move of the window by signing Enzo Fernandez for 145m euros.

Despite the scale of this summer’s spending, Neymar’s 222m-euro transfer remains the record in football and still stands well clear at the top. Nine of the 10 most expensive deals involved Premier League clubs, with Real Madrid the only exception.

Manchester City paid 135m euros for a 23-year-old player who had been involved in a fight to avoid relegation with Nottingham Forest until the final stages of last season. Tottenham Hotspur also committed almost 100m euros to sign a midfielder from West Ham, who had finished 18th and been relegated to the Championship.

Here are the 10 biggest transfers of the summer.

Bruno Guimaraes joins Arsenal

Bruno Guimaraes had appeared to outgrown Newcastle United, making his departure seem increasingly likely. Manchester United showed interest in the spring, while Liverpool made enquiries during the summer.

Arsenal, however, proved the most determined suitor. The Gunners continued their pursuit after Newcastle rejected several offers and eventually completed the deal for the Brazil midfielder.

Savinho’s long-running move to Tottenham

The proposed transfer of Savinho to Tottenham Hotspur developed into a saga lasting almost a year. Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola rejected two approaches for the player, first last summer and again in January.

Guardiola left his position after the 2025-26 season, apparently creating an opportunity for Savinho to move on. Negotiations remained difficult, though, and the transfer was not completed until 25 August, only a week before the deadline.

Manchester City win race for Ismael Bouaddi

The 18-year-old Moroccan attracted widespread attention after a successful 2026 World Cup campaign. Paris Saint-Germain, Arsenal, Liverpool, Real Madrid, Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United were among the clubs competing for his signature.

Manchester City ultimately won the race after making an offer approaching 100m euros. Some interested clubs withdrew, while others could not match the size of the agreement for a player with limited experience at the highest level.

Tottenham Hotspur sign Mateus Fernandes

Mateus Fernandes spent last season with West Ham, who finished 18th and dropped out of the Premier League. His performances nevertheless attracted attention from Real Madrid, Liverpool, Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur.

Only Manchester United and Tottenham Hotspur pursued the Portugal midfielder seriously. Tottenham Hotspur prevailed, making Fernandes the club’s most expensive signing at that stage.

Sandro Tonali moves from Newcastle United

Tottenham Hotspur’s transfer record survived for only four days. The London club then paid Newcastle United 108m euros for Sandro Tonali, despite frequent speculation linking the Italy international with a return to his homeland.

Arsenal and Manchester City were also serious contenders. Arsenal abandoned their interest because of Tonali’s wage demands, while Manchester City turned to other targets.

Real Madrid pay 125m euros for Ousmane Diomande

Ousmane Diomande enhanced his reputation both at the 2026 World Cup and during an impressive Bundesliga season. Paris Saint-Germain were widely expected to sign the 19-year-old Ivory Coast winger, but were unwilling to meet the financial demands.

Real Madrid completed the transfer for 125m euros and also paid about 20m euros in agent fees and signing-on payments.

Bradley Barcola joins Liverpool

Paris Saint-Germain strengthened their attack by signing Ferran Torres, Maghnes Akliouche and Mika Godts. Bradley Barcola was already not guaranteed a place in the starting XI, and his opportunities were expected to decrease further.

Liverpool negotiated at length with Paris Saint-Germain and reduced the asking price slightly, but the deal still ranked among the five most expensive transfers of the summer.

Elliot Anderson leaves Nottingham Forest

The move for Elliot Anderson appeared to be Manchester City’s easiest major deal of the window. The club seemingly wanted the England midfielder strongly enough to accept Nottingham Forest’s terms quickly.

An agreement in principle was reached before the World Cup, while the official announcement came a week after the tournament ended. Manchester United were Manchester City’s only rival, but withdrew at an early stage after being deterred by the fee.

Morgan Rogers becomes Chelsea’s priority

Morgan Rogers, 24, was Arsenal’s main transfer target, although the Gunners were prepared to spend about 100m euros on the attacking midfielder. Tottenham Hotspur also showed interest but did not want to meet Aston Villa’s financial demands.

Chelsea took a different approach, completing the signing in July without lengthy negotiations. Rogers remained the most expensive transfer of the summer until Manchester City moved ahead in the final hours of the window.

Enzo Fernandez completes Manchester City move

Real Madrid identified Enzo Fernandez as their main summer target, but negotiations proved extremely difficult and ultimately collapsed. Representatives of the Spanish club repeatedly denied reports of talks, while numerous sources accused Real Madrid of misleading the public.

Manchester City were also interested at the start of the summer, although serious negotiations began only in August. The club may have needed time to decide whether the transfer was worthwhile or may have been trying to reduce the Argentina midfielder’s price. Neither approach succeeded: Fernandez joined Manchester City for 145m euros on deadline day.