Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri and Juan Mata are of course part of this chart. Note that all transfer fees figures are as seen on Futebolbusiness.com.
1) Sergio Aguero—from Atletico Madrid to Manchester City
Kun Aguero cost Manchester City €45M. After several weeks of work behind the scenes, Atletico Madrid and the Sky Blues finally reached an agreement for the star striker who wanted his future sorted as quickly as possible. Sergio Aguero, whose Copa America goals failed to inspire Argentina to glory in July, ended his 5-year spell in the Spanish capital this summer.
At Atletico Madrid, Sergio Aguero made 234 appearances. He scored 102 goals and produced 37 assists. His transfer to Manchester City has proven to be a good one thus far. Sergio Aguero made an instant impact by scoring a formidable brace on his debut as a Sky Blue.
2) Javier Pastore—from Palermo to Paris Saint-Germain
Javier Pastore had long been the prey of several top clubs in Europe. At some point, he was reportedly close to signing for Italian giants AS Roma according to speculations from the media. Meanwhile, Palermo chiefs kept on insisting that Javier Pastore wasn’t for sale.
Finally, the Argentine attacker left the club to join French side Paris Saint-Germain for €43M. Considering the linking of other star names such as Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri with rich clubs Barca and Man City, who would have attributed the second spot in this top 10 list to Javier Pastore?
3) Radamel Falcao—from FC Porto to Atletico Madrid
There’s nothing Radamel Falcao didn’t win at FC Porto last season. Only a few players can boast of having won the treble and the Colombian is part of them. After achieving domestic and European success, Falcao decided it was time to move onto a new challenge.
Chelsea seemed to be favorites to sign the striker, especially due to the Villas-Boas factor. However, there was no reunion for Falcao and the Blues’ current boss. Atletico Madrid splashed €40M on the table for FC Porto and the Dragons considered the deal was good to go through.
Without Diego Forlan and Sergio Aguero, Falcao’s place in Atletico’s roster is more than guaranteed. The 2010/11 UEFA Europa League top goal scorer netted what turned out to be his last FC Porto strike against Sporting Braga in the final of the tournament.
4) Fabio Coentrao—from Benfica to Real Madrid
Oddly, Fabio Coentrao is the only Real Madrid player to be part of the 10 most expensive summer signings in 2011. Los Blancos are regular big money spenders, but having already acquired a host of superstars during the past couple of years, Jose Mourinho and the board didn’t feel the urge to break the bank.
Eventually, €30M signing Fabio Coentrao has become Real Madrid’s most expensive signing this summer. Will the Portuguese defender, who ranks 4th on the overall list, prove why he cost that much throughout the season? From a Real Madrid point of view, was Fabio Coentrao a fabulous buy?
5) Cesc Fabregas—from Arsenal to Barcelona
Well, if you say “fabulous” you might be thinking about Fabregas. At last, the Spanish midfielder completed his dream switch to Catalonia—the place where he first grew up.
Interestingly, he didn’t cost Barcelona as much money as Arsenal were initially demanding. €29M is a lot, but considering Cesc Fabregas value to Barca, it could come as a “cheap” deal.
6) Samir Nasri—from Arsenal to Manchester City
Nasri comes just behind ex-Arsenal pal Cesc Fabregas as one of world football’s most expensive signings in summer 2011. The French international left the Emirates Stadium for €27.5M to land at Eastlands.
At some point during the transfer window, Samir Nasri was balanced between reports of a transfer to Manchester United and a stay at Arsenal. But Roberto Mancini finally succeeded in completing Samir Nasri’s deal in time.
7) Juan Manuel Mata—from Valencia to Chelsea
The Spaniard could contest as the English Premier League’s best summer signing. The reality, though, is that he is only the 7th most expensive buy. The former Real Madrid B player kicked off his professional career at Valencia where he spent 4 good years.
Juan Mata grew as one of Los Che’s key players alongside ex-team mate and current Barcelona striker David Villa. With 174 appearances, 46 goals and 45 assists under his belt at Valencia, it may be hard to wonder why Andre Villas-Boas got interested in him. Juan Mata scored on his debut as a substitute in Chelsea’s 3-1 victory over Norwich City.
8 and 9) Samuel Eto’o—from Internazionale to Anzhi Makhachkala / Alexis Sanchez—from Udinese to Barcelona
It’s easy to single out Samuel Eto’o’s move to Anzhi Makhachkala as the most stunning deal that happened this summer. The Cameroonian icon has been at Real Madrid, Real Mallorca, Leganes, Barcelona and recently Internazionale. In fact, Anzhi’s name appears to be very odd on the list of Eto’o’s professional career clubs.
Like Alexis Sanchez, Samuel Eto’o was worth €26M on the transfer market. Talking about Alexis Sanchez, the Chilean was at the centre of a transfer saga as his national team was aiming to focus on their 2011 Copa America campaign. Coincidentally, Sanchez now wears the number 9 jersey which Samuel Eto’o used to carry during his time at the Camp Nou.
10) Zlatan Ibrahimovic—from Barcelona to AC Milan
Finally, Zlatan Ibrahimovic completes this 10-man chart. The Swedish striker was expected to transform his loan move into a permanent one at the San Siro. There were indeed no surprises as Barcelona and AC Milan concluded on an agreement on June 18.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic cost the Rossoneri €24M, making him the only Italian Serie A player to be part of the most expensive signings in summer 2011.
The top 10 expensive summer signings - Your views:
Which players on the list will turn out to be flops? Which signing do you consider to be the best? Are these 10 players overrated? On the contrary, do they carry "cheap" price tags? Share your opinion on these transfers by commenting below.
