Some huge fees were spent this window by Europe’s elite.
With another transfer window now officially closed, fanatix takes a look back at what was a summer of huge spending – mostly outside of the Premier League.
10. Fernandinho: Shakhtar Donetsk to Manchester City, £30m.
City’s first purchase of the summer, with a deal for the 28-year-old being completed back at the start of June and what resulted in being the club’s biggest buy of the window.
It may seem like a lot to pay out for a defensive midfielder who is not even a regular for Brazil, but the Citizens are hoping the presence of Fernandinho can liberate box-to-box player Yaya Toure.
9. Marquinhos: AS Roma to Paris Saint-Germain, £30.1m.
The highly rated Brazilian was being touted by some of the continent’s best sides, but eventually joined two other centre-back’s from the 19-year-old’s nation at the Parc des Princes.
Along with Thiago Silva, Marquinhos makes up a central defensive partnership that cost PSG almost £70m.
8. Mario Goetze: Borussia Dortmund to Bayern Munich, £31.5m.
This was a controversial move when the attacking midfielder decided to switch from the Westfalenstadion for the Allianz Arena and the transfer was bizarrely announced before the Champions League final between the two sides.
Goetze is one the brightest young talents in world football however and Dortmund are used to having to part with their best players by now – unfortunately for their rivals, the club just keep producing more though.
7. Gonzalo Higuain: Real Madrid to Napoli, £34.5m.
It was touch and go throughout the summer for the destination of the Argentine when it became apparent the striker would be leaving the Santiago Bernabeu, but Napoli won the race.
The Italians used their income from another name on this list to fund the move, although since heading to the club Higuain has not quite made the desired impact and also required stitches when falling onto a rock on a day out – oops.
6. James Rodriguez: FC Porto to AS Monaco, £38.4m.
There was some ambiguity over the exact cost of the Colombian and Porto team mate Joao Moutinho when the pair made a joint £60m switch to the Principality.
It has since emerged that Rodriguez’s fee dominated the lion’s share of that cost, with the winger expected to help Monaco challenge for the Ligue 1 title despite having only just returned to the French top tier.
5. Mesut Ozil: Real Madrid to Arsenal, £42.4m.
Yes Gunners fans you did read that correctly and deadline day wasn’t all a wonderful dream, the notoriously cautious north London club paid the second highest fee in British history for Ozil.
The German ace made the switch to the Emirates Stadium from Madrid when a certain Welshman made the move the other way and could seriously make Arsene Wenger’s men title contenders.
4. Neymar: Santos to Barcelona, £48.6m.
The long expected arrival of the talented Brazilian in Europe eventually arrived when Barca made the plunge and paid the second highest fee in their history to land the 21-year-old.
Along with four-time Ballon D’Or winner Lionel Messi, Neymar is expected to bring Champions League pride back to the Nou Camp following a humiliating 7-0 aggregate loss at the hands of eventual champions Bayern Munich last term.
3. Radamel Falcao: Atletico Madrid to AS Monaco, £51m.
With Russian billionaire owner Dmitry Rybolovlev’s money, Monaco decided to spend big this summer and landed marquee signing Falcao early on in the window.
The Colombian’s goal-scoring record at previous clubs Atletico and Porto is world-class and the Ligue 1 outfit are hoping for more of the same now the forward is in Monte Carlo.
2. Edinson Cavani: Napoli to Paris Saint-Germain, £55m.
Another South American in a list dominated by players from the continent and another striker with a prolific goal-scoring record.
The French league has seen an influx of serious amounts of money in the past few years and Cavani became PSG’s record signing when making the switch from Italy.
1. Gareth Bale: Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid, £85.3m.
Of course it wouldn’t be a rich list if Los Blancos weren’t involved somewhere and the Spanish giants certainly made their mark by smashing the £80m world record transfer fee the club set four years ago.
Bale’s move to the Bernabeu makes the 24-year-old the most expensive player of all time ahead of new team mate Cristiano Ronaldo and the pair make up an attacking duo that cost £165.3m.
