We are over a month into the 2025 summer transfer market, with deals seemingly concluded every other day.
It’s not long before Europe’s major leagues kick off, so there’s a mad scramble for clubs across the continent to finalise their squads ahead of another gruelling season.
The emergence of Saudi Arabia as a transfer destination has changed everything in recent years, and though it’s all seemingly quiet on that front, there has been some movement.
Closer to home, Premier League champions are not resting on their laurels, with the Bundesliga seemingly where the Reds have looked to in strengthening Arne Slot’s squad. Germany’s golden boy, Florian Wirtz, swapped Bayer Leverkusen for Anfield, with his £116million acquisition being the biggest signing of this window.
But for every big story, some moves go under the radar. Here are some examples from this week alone.
Kyle Walker-Peters
- From: Southampton
- To: West Ham
Following a five-year stay in Southampton, where he earned two England caps and made 202 appearances in all competitions, Kyle Walker-Peters is returning home to London. But it’s not with boyhood club Tottenham Hotspur. Instead, he’s now at rivals West Ham United, with the full-back set to provide competition for Aaron Wan-Bissaka. However, he could also play at left-back if needed.
Sean Longstaff
- From: Newcastle
- To: Leeds
The lesson of the past two seasons for those newly promoted Premier League clubs is that staving off relegation back to England’s second tier is easier said than done. So understandably, Leeds United, Burnley, and Sunderland have been on a recruitment drive. The Yorkshire club in particular have bolstered their midfield with the experienced Sean Longstaff, who has joined from Newcastle United. There he played over 170 top-flight matches since breaking through from the Magpies’ youth setup.
Noni Madueke
- From: Chelsea
- To: Arsenal
With opportunities to come through at Tottenham limited, Noni Madueke started his professional career at Dutch giants PSV, where he scored 11 goals and provided nine assists across 51 league games. That earned the winger a move back to England, with Chelsea paying £30m for his services. Although inconsistently utilised, Madueke registered 20 goals and nine assists in 92 appearances before leaving Stamford Bridge for Arsenal, a path that has been taken on numerous occasions in recent years. Given his preference to be deployed from the right, Madueke may provide back-up for “star boy” Bukayo Saka, though it remains to be seen how Mikel Arteta’s team shapes up.
Noa Lang
- From: PSV
- To: Napoli
The last time Napoli signed a winger from PSV, he became the club’s all-time top scorer. Noa Lang aspires to achieve even a fraction of the success that Dries Mertens enjoyed, and his potential is clear. The Dutch international recently concluded his second most successful season, scoring 11 goals as Peter Bosz’s team secured the Eredivisie title.
Thiago Almada
- From: Botafogo
- To: Atletico Madrid
What an interesting career Thiago Almada is enjoying so far. The promising Argentine midfielder, who models his game on idol Juan Roman Riquelme, was a sensation at MLS outfit Atlanta United before joining Botafogo, who loaned him out to Lyon. But the 24-year-old has returned to Europe to continue his journey under the leadership of countryman Diego Simeone at Atletico Madrid, where that potential to reach elite status should hopefully be realised.
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Junior Firpo
- From: Leeds
- To: Real Betis
Four goals and 10 assists marked Junior Firpo’s most standout league campaign as Leeds made their emphatic return to Premier League football. But the Dominican Republic native will not be joining them as he returns to Real Betis, where his footballing career began. The left-back had spent time at Barcelona between his periods at Betis and Leeds, with the 28-year-old still fondly remembered in Seville. Los Verdiblancos hope Firpo can help them break into La Liga’s top five and go on another European run, as the beaten Conference League finalists enter the Europa League.
Johan Bakayoko
From: PSV
To: RB Leipzig
Once a guaranteed starter at PSV, it wasn’t the case towards the end of last season, with Johan Bakayoko often coming off the bench. A move from Eindhoven seemed likely, and the Belgian international has indeed departed for RB Leipzig, where he’ll reunite with former teammate Xavi Simons. The pair have played 24 times together and, interestingly, only combined for one goal, which actually came during their first game when Simons assisted Bakayoko to break the deadlock against FC Emmen in August 2022.
Djordje Petrovic
- From: Chelsea
- To: Bournemouth
For a while, Djordje Petrovic may have felt Chelsea’s number one shirt was within his grasp. But an immediate loan move to Strasbourg (where he kept 10 clean sheets across 31 Ligue 1 outings) suggested otherwise. The Serbian shot-stopper has since exited west London for the pastures of England’s south coast, where he should be Andoni Iraola’s first choice following the departure of another ex-Chelsea keeper, Kepa Arrizabalaga, who has returned to London but is now representing Arsenal.
Jordan Henderson
- From: Ajax
- To: Brentford
As fate would have it, Liverpool’s final game of 2025-26 will see them host Brentford, who could have former Reds skipper Jordan Henderson leading them out. It will be fascinating to see what kind of reception the former Jurgen Klopp stalwart will receive; suffice to say, his departure wasn’t met with the most enthusiasm, considering its nature. Henderson’s time in the Saudi Pro League was brief, as he left Al-Ettifaq, then coached by ex-Reds teammate Steven Gerrard, to join Eredivisie powerhouse Ajax, where the midfielder somewhat rehabilitated himself. Henderson would return to England’s set-up under Thomas Tuchel, thus becoming the first Ajax player to represent the Three Lions.
Luka Modric
- From: Real Madrid
- To: AC Milan
It feels like a lifetime ago that Marca readers in 2012 named Luka Modric as the worst signing of the season after his initial struggles in switching Tottenham for Real Madrid. But the Croatian midfielder would go on to become a pivotal member of Los Blancos, helping them win six Champions League titles as well as four La Liga crowns. During his time in Spain’s capital, Modric earned the Ballon d’Or following Croatia’s run to the 2018 World Cup final, and before leaving world football’s most decorated club, he was awarded the prestigious Marca Leyenda award. Another of Europe’s royal clubs, AC Milan, will now be the 39-year-old’s new home, and the Rossoneri understand that Modric may not be as good as he once was, but they hope he will be as good as he ever was.