The European transfer market’s most active clubs right now
Transfer silly season is in full swing, with clubs around Europe doing their best to strengthen ahead of the 2019/20 season.
Some have been relatively measured, with the likes of Manchester United only bringing in two players so far, targeting specific areas of their squad for improvement.
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Others, though, have been far more active, casting their net far and wide in search of added quality and more squad depth.
At Squawka, we’ve taken a look at the most active clubs in the 2019 summer transfer window among Europe’s top five leagues and analysed their deals so far.
10. Sevilla
Number of incomings: 9
Players signed: Moanes Dabour (from RB Salzburg), Diego Carlos (from Nantes), Joan Jordan (from Eibar), Luuk de Jong (from PSV Eindhoven), Jules Kounde (from Bordeaux), Lucas Ocampos (from Marseille), Sergio Reguilon (from Real Madrid – loan), Fernando (from Galatasaray), Oliver Torres (from FC Porto).
Sevilla were just two points short of securing Champions League football last season but have already lost the likes of Quincy Promes (to Ajax), Pablo Sarabia (to PSG) and Luis Muriel (to Atalanta), meaning a dip into the transfer market has been required.
Lucas Ocampos has been brought in to replace Promes for £11.7m – quite a bargain– while Luuk de Jong and Moanes Dabour should help ease the pain of losing Muriel and Sarabia. Sergio Reguilon is an astute loan signing from Real Madrid, while highly sought after midfielder Joan Jordan could be quite the coup, arriving from Eibar for £13.5m following summer links to Arsenal.
Having spent over £100m so far, the Andalusians certainly haven’t been waiting around for their Spanish counterparts.
9. Norwich City
Number of incomings: 9
Players signed: Patrick Roberts (from Man City – loan), Daniel Adshead (from Rochdale), Josip Drmic (from Borussia Monchengladbach), Archie Mair (from Aberdeen), Rob Nizet (from Anderlecht), Rocky Bushiri (from KV Oostende), Ralf Fahrmann (from Schalke), Aidan Fitzpatrick (from Partick Thistle), Charlie Gilmour (from Arsenal).
Norwich are back for yet another crack at the Premier League and this time, they’ve prepared with no fewer than nine signings so far.
Talented playmaker Patrick Roberts should finally get his real chance at Premier League football and will be heavily relied upon for chance creation, while Switzerland international Josip Drmic adds plenty of pedigree up top for the Canaries on a free transfer.
8. Bologna
Number of incomings: 9
Players signed: Nicola Sansone (from Villarreal), Roberto Soriano (from Villarreal), Riccardo Orsolini (from Juventus), Mattia Bani (from Chievo), Danilo (from Udinese), Jerdy Schouten (from Excelsior Rotterdam), Stefano Denswil (from Club Brugge), Takehiro Tomiyasu (from Sint-Truiden), Musa Juwara (from Chievo).
Bologna are looking to consolidate after a solid 10th-placed finish in Serie A last season and with the likes of Nicola Sansone and Roberto Soriano arriving from Villarreal, as well as winger Riccardo Orsolini from Juventus for £13.3m, they’re certainly giving themselves a great chance.
7. Parma
Number of incomings: 9
Players signed: Andrea Adorante (from Inter), Alessandro Martella (from Pescara), Fabian Pavone (from Pescara), Mattia Sprocati (from Lazio), Kastriot Dermaku (from Cosenza), Vincent Laurini (from Fiorentina), Luigi Sepe (from Napoli), Alberto Grassi (from Napoli), Simone Colombi (from Carpi), Hernani (from Zenit – loan).
Parma finished 14th in Serie A last season, just three points above the relegation zone. However, as is always the case with Italy’s favourite hipster club, they’re having to be quite creative with their budget this summer as they seek to strengthen.
The loan signing of Hernani from Zenit Saint Petersburg is a smart piece of business, while most of their other activity has involved swap deals and free transfers.
6. Hellas Verona
Number of incomings: 10
Players signed: Samuel di Carmine (from Perugia), Pawel Dawidowicz (from Benfica), Davide Faraoni (from Crotone), Antonio Di Guadio (from Parma), Antonio Ragusa (from Sassuolo), Luca Marrone (from Juventus), Amir Rrahmani (from Dinamo Zagreb), Emmanuel Badu (from Udinese), Miguel Veloso (from Genoa), Koray Gunter (from Genoa).
Hellas Verona are back in Serie A having won last season’s Serie B playoffs. However, just like Parma, they’re working on a budget.
Miguel Veloso and Luca Marrone will add plenty of style and substance to their midfield for just £1m combined, while defender Pawel Dawidowicz’s £2.7m arrival from Benfica is their biggest disclosed fee paid so far.
5. Eibar
Number of incomings: 10
Players signed: Pedro Bigas (from Las Palmas), Marc Cucurella (from Barcelona), Jorge Yriarte (from Deportivo Lara), Alvaro Tejero (from Real Madrid), Esteban Burgos (from Alcoron), Asier Benito (from Athletic Bilbao), Roberto Correa (from Cadiz), Roberto Olabe (from Atletico Madrid), Edu Exposito (from Deportivo), Quique Gonzalez (from Deportivo).
Despite their comfortable 12th-placed La Liga finish last season, Eibar have had to see key players Joan Jordan and Ruben Pena leave this summer. The likes of Pedro Bigas, Quique Gonzalez and Roberto Olabe have come in to replace them, at a budget. Still, it could be a tough 2019/20.
4. SPAL
Number of incomings: 10
Players signed: Igor Julio (from RB Salzburg), Gabriele Moncini (from Cittadella), Mohamed Fares (from Verona), Andrea Petagna (from Atalanta), Mattia Valoti (from Verona), Lorenzo Dickmann (from Novara), Etrit Berisha (from Atalanta), Marco D’Alessandro (from Atalanta), Alessandro Murgia (from Lazio), Davide Mazzocco (from Padova)
SPAL’s rise in recent years has caught everyone off guard and last season, they finished in an impressive 13th in Serie A.
After scoring 16 league goals during 2018/19, Andrea Petagna has made his loan from Atalanta permanent for £10.8m, while the likes of Alessandro Murgia (£6.3m) and Igor Julio (£2.7m) have followed to strengthen a side which notched 42 points last term.
3. Paderborn
Number of incomings: 10
Players signed: Luca Kilian (from Borussia Dortmund), Streli Mamba (from Cottbus), Jannik Huth (from Mainz), Marcel Hilssner (from Hansa Rostock), Johannes Dorfler (from Uerdingen), Rifet Kapic (from Grasshoppers), Cauly (from Duisburg), Gerrit Holtmann (from Mainz – loan), Jan-Luca Rumpf (from Sportfreunde Siegen), Laurent Jans (from FC Metz).
How to prepare for Bundesliga life on a budget, by Paderborn.
After finishing second in the German second tier last season, Paderborn have signed no fewer than six players on free transfers, while goalkeeper Jannik Huth and midfielder Rifet Kapic arrive for undisclosed fees alongside two loan moves.
Whether or not this will be enough to keep them in the Bundesliga remains to be seen but their task will be much harder after the sale of midfielder Philipp Klement – who scored 16 goals last season – to Stuttgart.
2. Genoa
Number of incomings: 12
Players signed: Stefano Sturaro (from Juventus), Lukas Lerager (from Bordeaux), Luca Mazzitelli (from Sassuolo), Andrea Favilli (from Juventus), Pawel Jaroszynski (from Chievo), Andrea Pinamonti (from Inter – loan), Cristian Zapata (from AC Milan), Sinan Gumus (from Galatasaray), Ionut Radu (from Inter), Nicholas Rizzo (from Inter), Antonio Barreca (from Monaco – loan), Cristian Romero (from Juventus – loan),
Genoa have been mightily busy this summer, bringing in 12 players so far, including AC Milan veteran defender Cristian Zapata and Galatasaray forward Sinan Gumus.
The pick of the bunch, though, is Italy international midfielder Stefano Sturaro, with Genoa completing their £14.8m obligation to buy after having the 26-year-old on loan for the second half of last season.
1. Union Berlin
Number of incomings: 14
Players signed: Manuel Schmiedebach (from Hannover), Florian Flecker (from TSV Hartberg), Julius Kade (from Hertha Berlin), Moritz Nicolas (from Borussia Monchengladbach – loan), Suleiman Abdullahi (from Braunschweig), Marcus Ingvartsen (from Genk), Robert Andrich (from Heidenheim), Anthony Ujah (from Mainz), Sheraldo Becker (from ADO Den Haag), Kevin Schlotterbeck (from Freiburg – loan), Neven Subotic (from Saint-Etienne), Christian Genter (from Stuttgart), Marvin Friedrich (from Augsburg), Marius Bulter (from FC Magdeburg).
Union Berlin, one of the most loved clubs among hipsters, have been busier than any other team among Europe’s top five leagues in the transfer market so far.
Experienced 30-year-old defender Neven Subotic should add strength and stability at the back for the Bundesliga newcomers, while Nigerian forward Anthony Ujah scored four goals in just five starts for Mainz last season. His £1.8m fee is their highest disclosed so far. Marvin Friedrich has also made his loan from Augsburg permanent.
