Bayern Munich themselves feel they had a very good summer transfer window, in part because they finalised the Luis Diaz deal from Liverpool. They now have another striker in the squad in the form of Chelsea loanee Nicolas Jackson. On top of that, they have the free transfers of a young national player like Tom Bischof and a boss in the defence in Jonathan Tah. So, you can see how Bayern are pleased with this business.
What must a footballer who costs 80m, 100m or more be able to do and prove? He should be a promising prospect at the age of 17 to 20; occupy a clear position on the pitch; be one of the five most important players in a team; perform consistently over many years; prove himself in international competition; and be physically strong. This applies to virtually all those players in this price range: Kylian Mbappe, Neymar, Ronaldo, Erling Haaland, Jude Bellingham and Ousmane Dembele.
"That's normal after such a big move abroad. But he's a superb player, he will get used to the Premier League over time and be able to handle the even bigger pressure. I felt the same way at Inter at the beginning. Andi Brehme, whose transfer was rather quiet, performed immediately at Inter. I had to get used to everything, partly due to the media hype and the higher transfer fee," said Matthäus told Sky Germany (as captured by @iMiaSanMia).
Image source, EPA Leeds United have signed AC Milan striker Noah Okafor for 18m to take spending by Premier League clubs this summer to a record 2.37bn. The Switzerland striker has joined the Premier League club on a four-year deal. The 25-year-old becomes Leeds' ninth summer signing since winning the Championship to secure their return to the top flight. Okafor's arrival means Premier League clubs have now spent more than the previous record in a single transfer window, the 2.36bn total in the summer of 2023.
Manchester United's signing of Bryan Mbeumo for a fee of up to £71m marks the second-biggest move in the Premier League this summer, addressing their need for major surgery after a poor season.
Bayer Leverkusen CEO Fernando Carro expressed his happiness that Florian Wirtz chose Liverpool over Bayern Munich, advocating for a competitive Bundesliga while rejecting Bayern's advances.