The COVID-19 pandemic had a massive impact in all areas of life, and the club football world was no exception. Between spring of 2020 to the start of this season, stadiums were empty and revenues were significantly down across the football landscape.
The 2020 transfer market was relatively subdued, and there were big question marks heading into the 2021 window. Would spending rebound? Which teams, if any, would flex their financial muscle? Who would emerge as the biggest winners of the 2021 summer transfer window?
In the end, a few teams were able to take advantage of the precarious financial situations of debt-laden teams like Barcelona, Inter and Juventus to shock the football world, acquiring players who might in other years have been untouchable.
When the dust has settled, it’s clear that several traditional powerhouses have taken a step back, while others have thrust themselves into contention for the best teams in club football. Football fans and sports bettors will be able to enjoy this upcoming season with sites like sportskokladenje24.com, as three teams in particular have dominated the 2021 summer window.
Paris Saint-Germain
PSG failed to win Ligue 1 last season, and despite a semifinal run in the Champions League, you might say there was room for improvement heading into this summer.
So they added versatile fullback Achraf Hakimi, veteran multiple Champions League winning centerback Sergio Ramos, rugged box-to-box midfielder Georginio Wijnaldum, goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma coming off a player of the tournament performance in the Euros, and top leftback prospect Nuno Mendes. Oh yeah, and some guy named Lionel Messi.
Simply adding Messi by himself would qualify as an earthshaking transfer window. But to add that much quality all over the pitch to a team already filled with superstars like Neymar and Kylian Mbappe – PSG look absolutely terrifying.
And the best part is that they managed to bring in Ramos, Wijnaldum, Donnarumma and Messi in on free transfers, meaning they didn’t need to break the bank on transfer fees. (Now, the wage bill might be another story!)
Manchester United
It would already be a momentous window seeing one of the two greatest superstars of this generation switch teams. But during this summer, we saw not only Messi but also Cristiano Ronaldo take his talents to a new club. In this case, a return of the prodigal son, as Ronaldo comes home to Manchester United, where he first announced himself on the world stage more than a decade ago.
Manchester United didn’t only add Ronaldo – They also managed to bring uber-talented young winger Jadon Sancho back to England, along with former Real Madrid stalwart centerback Raphael Varane. All in all, United managed to make clear upgrades at three positions on an already talented roster.
Prior to this transfer window, the perception was that United were clearly behind city rivals Manchester City, and arguably chasing Chelsea and Liverpool as well. But after bringing in one of the greatest players ever to play, not to mention a couple of other high quality pieces, Man United appear ready to regain their place as one of Europe’s elite teams.
Chelsea
Chelsea didn’t add nearly as many players as PSG, nor were they able to bring in a name as big as Messi or Ronaldo. But what they did do is make a massive upgrade in the one area in which they were weak, potentially putting the finishing touches on a complete team.
When Thomas Tuchel came to Chelsea last mid-season, he quickly transformed the squad into the stingiest defensive side in Europe. Scoring on Chelsea has become nearly impossible, and they rode that defensive solidity all the way to a well-deserved Champions League victory.
But last season’s Chelsea still had a significant problem – A lack of killer instinct in the final third. New signing Timo Werner had a season-long nightmare in front of goal, while secondary options like Tammy Abraham and Olivier Giroud weren’t quite up to snuff for a team looking to be regarded as among the best in the world.
Few strikers could instantly give Chelsea that kind of boost. Robert Lewandowski, Erling Haaland, Harry Kane, Romelu Lukaku. The problem is that players like these just don’t tend to become available.
But Chelsea were able to pry Lukaku free from Inter this summer after a protracted negotiation. Now, Tuchel’s squad lacks nothing, from top to bottom. Which Lukaku’s lethal finishing (not to mention his tenacious hold-up play), Chelsea have no real weaknesses. And for a team that already hoisted Europe’s biggest club trophy, that’s a frightening prospect.