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The 2026 World Cup had barely closed with Spain's triumph when European football plunged straight into its transfer season. While the first weeks of the summer market had unfolded in the shadow of the North American tournament, the end of the competition now unleashes energy and checkbooks. The first month has already produced several record moves, and everything suggests August will be even more turbulent.
The Premier League, a record machine
A record for a British player, comfortably crossing the symbolic £100 million mark.
Unsurprisingly, it was in England that the biggest sums circulated. Manchester City, preparing for the post-Guardiola era under Thomas Tuchel, struck the hardest: the transfer of Elliot Anderson, a 23-year-old international midfielder from Nottingham Forest, was concluded for €135 million. A record for a British player, comfortably crossing the symbolic £100 million mark.
Tottenham were not to be outdone. The Spurs first snatched Sandro Tonali from Newcastle for €108 million, a sum that shatters their previous record. The London club then doubled down with Mateus Fernandes, secured from West Ham for €98 million. Two signings that completely reshape their midfield and send a clear signal to the league's heavyweights.
Behind this leading trio, FC Barcelona secured Anthony Gordon for €80 million. The English winger, who passed through Everton and then Newcastle, joins Catalonia on a five-season contract. His mission: to bolster an attacking unit left orphaned by Pole Robert Lewandowski, who departed this summer. AC Milan complete this top 5 with the arrival of Gonçalo Ramos, transferred from PSG for €74 million. A record check for the Rossoneri, who are banking on the 25-year-old Portuguese to embody their project under Ruben Amorim.
A Ligue 1 in the era of measured bets
The French championship, long constrained by economic realities more modest than the Premier League's, has shown encouraging signs of activity. Rennes spent €22 million to attract Eliezer Mayenda, a young striker from Sunderland. Paris FC, an ambitious Ligue 1 promotion, invested €16 million in Pablo Pagis, last season's revelation at Lorient.
Monaco pulled off a nice coup by securing Ansu Fati for €11 million. At 23, the former La Masia prodigy hopes to revive a career too long hampered by injuries. The Principality club also secured Sadibou Sané, Metz's central defender, for €10 million. Lille strengthened with Basar Önal, a Turkish winger from Nijmegen, recruited for €12 million. Lyon attracted Mads Bidstrup, a Danish midfielder from RB Salzburg, for €10.5 million, while Lens snatched Michael Skoras from Gent for €6 million. Sums far from English heights, but revealing a Ligue 1 in transition: rather than suffering the exodus of its talents, the championship now manages to attract them, betting on young profiles with high resale potential.
And now, the rest promises to be explosive
The 2026 market is only just beginning. Chelsea are set to finalize Morgan Rogers for £117 million, around €136 million, a deal already agreed with Aston Villa and confirmed by the BBC. The 23-year-old English midfielder would become the most expensive player in the London club's history, surpassing the record set by Enzo Fernandez in 2023. This transfer, the fourth to cross the €100 million mark this summer, confirms the galloping inflation of the English attacking midfielder market.
PSG, deprived of Gonçalo Ramos, are actively seeking to reshape their attack around Kylian Mbappé. Real Madrid, Manchester United, and Bayern Munich have yet to play their heaviest cards. The market for goalkeepers, full-backs, and top strikers remains wide open, and several internationals who emerged strengthened from the American World Cup could see their stock rise in the coming days. With the World Cup behind them, sporting directors can now accelerate. The summer break promises some sleepless nights in club offices.