The 2022-2023 season begins this weekend for several major European championships: the Premier League, the Bundesliga and Ligue 1. As every summer, transfers have been numerous between the main clubs.
While the summer transfer window will still last for a month, France 24 offers you an overview of the most significant signatures.
Robert Lewandowski: the Polish superstar leaves Germany
Polish Robert Lewandowski during training with FC Barcelona in Miami, July 19, 2022. © USA TODAY Sports - Sam Navarro
After several weeks of arm wrestling between superstar Robert Lewandowski and the management of Bayern Munich, the German champion club finally agreed to sell him in July to FC Barcelona for some 45 million euros, together with approximately 5 million euros bonus.
The 33-year-old Polish international left the Bundesliga after eight years in Bavaria, where he won a Champions League (2020), eight German championships and a Club World Cup (2020) and has twice named Fifa Player of the Year (2020 and 2021).
With the Bavarian club, he scored 344 goals and signed 72 assists in 374 matches.
Raphinha: the Brazilian international fulfills a childhood dream
Brazilian Raphinha during his presentation to FC Barcelona on July 15, 2022. © Reuters - Albert Gea
While heavily in debt, FC Barcelona was particularly active during the transfer window.
The Catalan club have also signed the Brazilian Raphinha for an estimated transfer fee of 60 million euros.
The 25-year-old right winger was still under contract until June 2024 with English club Leeds, which he joined for 18 million euros in 2020 from Rennes.
"It's a huge honor to be here," he said when announcing his transfer.
"I'm fulfilling a childhood dream (...). Many of my idols have passed through here and marked the history of the club. If I can do half of what they have done, that will already be a lot."
Jules Koundé: a new Frenchman at Barça
French defender Jules Koundé poses during his presentation to Barça on August 1, 2022. © AFP - Pau Barrena
Barça has also offered the services of French defender Jules Koundé.
According to the Spanish press, Barça paid 50 million euros, with 10 million euros in bonuses, to recruit the 23-year-old player who seemed close to joining Chelsea.
Jules Koundé joined Sevilla in 2019 from Bordeaux.
With the Andalusian club, he won the Europa League in the 2019-2020 season.
He has 11 selections with the Blues, with whom he won the League of Nations.
He became the 26th Frenchman at Barça, since René Fenouillères (1902-1903) and after Antoine Griezmann, the 25th.
Aurélien Tchouaméni: the tricolor international joins the White House
Frenchman Aurélien Tchouaméni during a Real Madrid friendly match in San Francisco on July 26, 2022. © Getty Images via AFP - Thearon W. Henderson
Real Madrid and AS Monaco formalized in June the official departure of Aurélien Tchouaméni from the Monegasque club to join "los Blancos", crowned European champions.
Arrived in Monaco from Bordeaux in January 2020 for a transfer of 20 million euros, Tchouaméni leaves the club of the Principality against, according to various sources very close to the file, 80 million euros, to which are added 20 million euros in the form of various bonuses.
Designated best hope of the League in 2020-21, Tchouaméni also aroused the interest of Liverpool and PSG.
If the midfielder has chosen Madrid, it is because he feels ready and strong enough to satisfy his deep ambitions: to become a starter with a very big player in Europe to also be in Blue, in order to aim for the biggest trophies.
Darwin Nunez: the new star of Liverpol
Uruguayan Darwin Nunez celebrates a goal in a Liverpool shirt in the Community Shield final against Manchester City on July 30, 2022. © Action Images via Reuters - Andrew Boyers
Liverpool have broken their record for the biggest transfer to lure Uruguayan Darwin Nunez for 85 million pounds (100 million euros).
The 23-year-old striker landed in Lisbon in the summer of 2020 from UD Almeria (2nd Spanish div.) with the label of the most expensive rookie in Benfica history (24 million euros ).
After a mixed first year, he exploded this season by standing out in particular against Liverpool in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, despite the elimination of Lisbon (3-1, 3-3).
Quick, physical and fearsome in front of goal, he should bring an additional threat to opponents but also provide new options for Liverpool with his ability to play in a two center forward scheme.
Erling Haaland: from the Bundesliga to the Premier League
Norwegian Erling Haaland in his new Manchester City colors during the Community Shield final on July 30, 2022. © Action Images via Reuters - Andrew Boyers
The Norwegian phenomenon Erling Haaland has been recruited by Manchester City to be decisive in these cutthroat Champions League matches, where coach Pep Guardiola has not triumphed since 2011. On paper, the Norwegian's arrival is an undeniable reinforcement , which will perhaps make this season's City the best of seven years under the Catalan coach.
In 88 appearances for Dortmund's yellow and black jersey, Haaland has scored 85 goals so far in all competitions.
A Ballon d'Or stat.
He is not only a fabulous goalscorer, but also a leader, a gang leader, capable of rallying and remotivating his teammates, through his warrior body language and his harangues on the pitch.
Sadio Mané: a royal transfer to Bayern Munich
Senegalese Sadio Mané celebrates one of his goals with Bayern Munich on July 30, 2022, against Leipzig.
© Reuters - Matthias Rietschel
The arrival of Sadio Mané at Bayern Munich, made official in June, is the most spectacular blow in the history of the "Rekordmeister", who has rarely offered players of this standing.
The Senegalese, candidate for the Ballon d'Or, indeed arrives in Bavaria at the height of his glory, in a club usually accustomed to attracting promising players to then raise them to star status, like Robert Lewandowski who has just left for FC Barcelona.
At 30, Mané will have cost the Germans an estimated amount of around 40 million euros, for a contract that runs until 2025. In his 55 appearances in the Champions League, he scored 24 goals, accompanied by 8 assists decisive.
Before joining England, Mané had made a name for himself at RB Salzburg (63 matches/31 goals), where he learned German.
But it was at Liverpool that he achieved his world star status and became a legend to the thousands of Reds supporters.
Matthijs De Ligt: to strengthen Bayern's defense
Dutchman Matthijs De Ligt during a friendly match between Bayern Munich and DC United on July 20, 2022, in Washington.
© Getty Images via AFP - Tim Nwachukwu
The most expensive player recruited in the summer of 2022 for the Bundesliga (67 million euros according to German media), Dutch defender Matthijs De Ligt arrived from Juventus Turin, where he did not necessarily meet all expectations. when he came in the summer of 2019, after having exploded at Ajax Amsterdam.
In 117 appearances with the Old Lady for eight goals in all competitions, he won a Serie A, a National Cup and the Italian Super Cup.
Semi-finalist of the 2018/19 Champions League, De Ligt moved to Bayern Munich where defensive concerns cost dearly in C1, with an elimination in the quarter-finals against the Spaniards of Villarreal.
Paul Pogba: a return to Italy and an injury
Frenchman Paul Pogba in a friendly match against Chivas on July 22, 2022, in Las Vegas.
© Getty Images via AFP - Ethan Miller
After six complicated years at Manchester United, Paul Pogba returns to Juventus Turin where he will remain until 2026. In Italy, the daily La Gazzetta dello Sport mentioned a salary of 8 million euros per season, plus 2 million bonus euros.
But barely returned to Juve after a last season in England partly spent in the infirmary, the 2018 world champion is again at a standstill.
Hit in the right knee, he will be sidelined for five weeks but will not undergo an operation.
If it does not call into question his participation in the World Cup for the moment, this injury nevertheless remains a serious blow for Pogba, who has returned to revive himself in a club where he had his best years between 2012 and 2016 (four league titles). 'Italy).
It confirms a dark year 2022 for the midfielder of the Blues, whose last season had already ended early at the end of April due to a calf injury.
Paulo Dybala: a new start at AS Roma to revive
Argentinian striker Paulo Dybala during a trip from AS Roma to Jerusalem, July 22, 2022. © AFP - Ahmad Gharabli
Argentinian striker Paulo Dybala, left free by Juventus Turin, has chosen to join AS Roma where he will try to relaunch a career a little less sparkling for two years.
According to La Gazzetta dello Sport, the striker is expected to earn around 6 million euros a year in the Italian capital.
Failing to play in the Champions League, in which he played the final in 2017 with Juve (4-1 defeat against Real Madrid), Dybala will have to settle for the less prestigious Europa League in Rome.
But the 28-year-old Argentinian needs above all to find sensations to hope to return to the selection for the World Cup-2022 at the end of the year (November 21-December 18) in Qatar, after having missed the Copa América won by the Argentina in 2021 due to poor form.
Nordi Mukiele: Blues goal with PSG
Frenchman Nordi Mukiele in the colors of PSG during the Champions Trophy, July 31, 2022, in Tel Aviv.
© AFP - Jack Guez
PSG and RB Leipzig have reached an agreement for the transfer of French international defender Nordi Mukiele to Paris for five years, until 2027. The amount of the transfer has not been communicated, but several specialized press titles mention compensation from 10 to 15 million euros for Mukiele, capable of playing as an axial, lateral or right piston defender.
The arrival of the defender, trained at Paris FC then passed through Laval and Montpellier before joining Leipzig in 2018, will allow PSG to have an additional solution to the piston position on the right side alongside Moroccan Achraf Hakimi.
This transfer will also offer Mukiele, author of remarkable performances in the Bundesliga (Germany vice-champion in 2021) and in the European Cups (semi-finals of the Champions League in 2020 and the Europa League in 2022), a good exposure just before the World Cup in Qatar for a possible selection with the France team, he who currently only has one selection with the Blues.
Vitinha: a promising recruitment for PSG
Portuguese defender Vitinha (right) during the Champions Trophy on July 31, 2022, in Tel Aviv.
© Reuters - Ronen Zvulun
At 22, the promising midfielder Vitinha signed up for five seasons at PSG from FC Porto, where his technical qualities and vision of the game opened the doors to the Portuguese selection (three selections).
The amount of the transfer, not disclosed by PSG, is estimated by the specialized press at 40 million euros.
Trained at FC Porto and also on loan from Wolverhampton during the 2020-2021 season, Vitinha has four national titles with Porto (two championships and two cups).
He also won the Youth League in 2019, the equivalent of the Champions League among young people, and reached the Euro Espoirs final in 2021 with the Portuguese Under-21s.
With AFP
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