The 2026 summer transfer window has barely begun, but club football in Europe has already witnessed several truly tectonic series of deals.
While the focus of fans is mainly on the World Cup, the leading teams on the Old Continent are acting with lightning speed behind the scenes. Barcelona and Real Madrid have made a strong start to the summer, and the English Premier League has once again emerged as the main donor and buyer in the market.
Catalan bombshell and Madrid's response
The loudest deal so far has been made by Barcelona. The Catalans won the battle for the signature of the English winger Anthony Gordon, forking out a whopping 80 million euros (£69.3 million) to buy him from Newcastle. Gordon arrives at the "Camp Nou" with a basket of high expectations to lead the new generation in the team's attack.
Real Madrid did not remain indebted to their eternal rival and quickly showed muscle. "The White Ballet" strengthened its defensive line with Spanish international Marc Cucurreia. The full-back leaves Chelsea for 55 million euros (£47.5 million). The big win for the "Santiago Bernabeu" however, is the attraction of Portuguese wizard Bernardo Silva. The playmaker left Manchester City and donned the white shirt as free agent, which is considered one of the smartest moves on the market this summer.
Tottenham's massive shake-up and Liverpool's move
In England, Tottenham have become a major player in the past week. Spurs invested €60 million (£52 million) for Dutch defender Jan Paul van Hecke, who is making a transfer from Brighton. He is joined in North London by the highly experienced Scottish full-back Andy Robertson who arrives with free transfer after a glorious career at Liverpool.
Liverpool itself quickly reacted to the changes and found a new blade in the forward positions. The Merseysiders secured the services of the Spanish striker Victor Munoz of Osasuna, paying for his rights £34.5 million.
On the horizon: Enzo Fernandez and the records to come
The transfer frenzy is expected to continue in full force in the coming days. According to authoritative transfer experts, Chelsea's Argentine midfielder Enzo Fernandez has taken steps to transfer to Real Madrid, with personal terms already being negotiated.
At the same time, Arsenal are preparing a mega-bid from 80 million euros for one of the discoveries of the World Cup, and Tottenham has set a price of £45 million for young Swedish talent Lucas Bergwahl, who has officially asked to be sold.