Deadline Day…

This summer transfer window has been nuts. Simply ridiculous at times, with several major sides smashing their transfer records, a £100million signing and the two greatest ever players making shocking moves. It’s possibly the most exciting window and has thrown all expectation out of the window, as many predicted another Covid-influenced small budget signing window, however that certainly was not the case.

In this post, I have picked out 7 of my most interesting and intriguing signings that got over the line in the last 24 hours of the window and made official. Some of these are huge signings and come with big expectations, while others are huge coups for the buying clubs.

If we have missed your sides’ top deadline day signing off our list, head over to Twitter (@NextGoalWinBlog) and let us know.

Cristiano Ronaldo: Juventus –> Manchester United Anything Messi can do, well so can Cristiano Ronaldo, as the Portuguese attacker made a shocking move in the final few days of the window to return back to Old Trafford. The final 48 hours of the window were wild for Ronaldo rumour and story, with a proposed move to rivals Manchester City almost starting a riot, only for United fans to turn anger to cheers with the return of their hero. What he will bring to United’s side is obvious, and his style of play will gel a lot of the attacking pieces together with young wide players and creative midfielders now having a target man to finish their work. It’s unlikely he will be as electric as the young man who left in 2009, however his influence will be equally as important.

Saul Niguez: Atletico Madrid –> Chelsea It was a move that simply didn’t seem like it was going to happen, with the discussion being that Saul was to stay at around 2pm on deadline day, however Atletico made the decision to let their midfielder go in the closing moments of the window. It’s an exciting signing for the Blues who appear to be really acquiring the final missing pieces of their side under Tuchel. Although only a loan move at the moment, it’s highly likely that this will be made permanent if all goes according to plan for everyone involved.

Odsonne Edouard: Celtic –> Crystal Palace Edouard is a player that I have rated highly for a few years now (admittedly after signing him on Football Manager), and Viera has made a real coup to bring him to Selhurst Park. With some already impressive attacking players in Zaha and Eke, having an actual striker has been a sticking point for Palace, however this move may just get them past that hurdle and if he can bag 15+ goals this season, not only will Palace be safe, but Viera may be given a good run at the job.

Emerson Royal: Barcelona –> Tottenham Hotspur The mistreatment of Emerson by Barcelona is quite well documented, however for Tottenham it’s an impressive signing to pull off. Admittedly I don’t know too much about the Brazilian, however at just 22 he has some obvious talent and potential which Nuno will hope to bring into his side.

Daniel James: Manchester United –> Leeds United Dan James needed this move in reverse really. Transfers between Manchester United and Leeds are pretty rare, however it’s the perfect move for a player like Dan James. When the move from Swansea to Leeds fell through, Manchester United swooped in. However, it may have been a case of the big move happening a bit too soon, as there were obvious weaknesses in the final third in his game. Now getting the move to Leeds, he will be coached by arguably the top actual coach in the league for getting the best of players. If he improves his finishing and creativity in the box, James will easily become one of the top attacking players in the league. Additionally, he will become a cult hero at Elland Road which gives anyone a huge boost in confidence and bravery which will bring even more from the attacker.

Antoine Griezmann: Barcelona –> Atletico Madrid If you want to know what’s wrong with Barcelona, just look at Griezmann. It’s an absolute shambles of a transfer setup they have, and Atletico Madrid probably cannot believe their luck. In exchange for the £100+million they received for Griezmann a few years back, Madrid have used that money for Joao Felix, Suarez… and now Antoine Griezmann with change to spare. If the Atletico faithful will forgive the attacker for the manner which he left, they have recovered one of the top strikers and now biggest names in La Liga. It might just be the reason they can retain the La Liga title, while for Barcelona, things are about to get even worse.

Eduardo Camavinga: Rennes –> Real Madrid At just 18 years of age, Camavinga has all of Europe’s biggest clubs as potential suitors, however it’s the reputation and history of Real Madrid that convinced him to get his signature on deadline day. He is one of, if not the most exciting midfield talents in football, and he may be the starting piece of the recovery phase for Real Madrid, particularly with the aging talents of Modric and Kroos.