Florian Wirtz, Ballon d’Or Hopeful: Why Liverpool Record Fee Still Smacks of an Overpay

Grades the Biggest Deals of the 2025 Summer Transfer Window

The summer transfer window is football’s most intoxicating soap opera, a heady mix of hope, hype and hard cash. And if the early weeks of 2025 are any indication, we’re in for one of the most frenetic windows in recent memory. From Merseyside splurges to Madrid’s latest South‑American swoop, blockbuster moves are landing thick and fast. has already slapped its grades on the most eye‑catching transfers, but numbers alone can’t tell the whole story. To get a clearer picture of who’s winning and who’s wobbling, let’s dig a little deeper into the headline deals—starting, inevitably, with the new British‑record buy.

Liverpool break the bank for Florian Wirtz… and the calculator starts smoking

Liverpool break the bank for Florian Wirtz… and the calculator starts smoking

Nobody disputes Florian Wirtz’s talent. The 22‑year‑old German is a walking highlight reel: ghosting between the lines, caressing passes mere mortals can’t see, and finishing with the poise of a veteran striker. He is, quite genuinely, a potential Ballon d’Or winner—perhaps the brightest Bundesliga export since Kai Havertz. Still, Liverpool handing over £116 million feels eyebrow‑scorchingly steep in a market where Manchester City managed to nab Rayan Cherki, a player of comparable creative upside, for roughly a third of that sum.

The upside for Liverpool is plain: Arne Slot inherits a readymade No. 10 who can supply—and feed off—Mohamed Salah. Wirtz’s productivity last season (31  contributions) dwarfed anything the Reds mustered from deep midfield. The worry? Price tags create pressure. Plenty of gifted schemers have wilted under Anfield’s lights; just ask Philippe Coutinho or Naby Keïta. Liverpool’s B+ grade from looks fair: a statement of intent, certainly, but also a move that leaves no margin for error.

Bayer Leverkusen cash in—and Bayern watch from the sidelines

Franco Mastantuono Real Madrid GFX

Bayer’s fans would have loved to keep Wirtz for another campaign, but a record windfall softens the blow, especially as they brace themselves for life without Jeremie Frimpong and Jonathan Tah. For an outfit still operating outside Germany’s financial elite, selling at peak value makes sense. Leverkusen’s A+ grade reflects exactly that: they’ve milked every last euro from a player they were never realistically going to keep beyond 2025.

Bayern Munich, meanwhile, are left counting the cost of hesitation. Their admirers thought €100 million might do the trick; instead, Liverpool’s aggression forced them to blink. The Bavarians have pivoted, picking up Tah on a free—a savvy move, but hardly the marquee coup fans expected.

Real Madrid double down on South‑American gold

Kevin De Bruyne Napoli 2025

River Plate’s Franco Mastantuono turns 18 later this year. By then, he’ll be in Madrid, rubbing shoulders with Vinícius Júnior and Rodrygo. Los Blancos’ €40 million outlay for fewer than 50 senior appearances may sound risky, but Florentino Pérez’s track record in this space is formidable. It’s a B+ gamble likes, and so do the Bernabéu faithful; the conveyor belt of Brazilian and Argentinian wonderkids shows no sign of slowing.

For River, though, the deal stings. Another home‑grown prodigy departs before he’s had time to leave a genuine mark. It’s the cost of doing business in modern football, but a D+ still feels harsh on a club powerless against European wealth.

Manchester City’s midfield makeover: Reijnders & Cherki arrive, De Bruyne departs

Tijjani Reijnders Manchester City 2025

Pep Guardiola rarely stands still after a barren campaign. With Kevin De Bruyne gone to Napoli (on a free, no less), City needed fresh legs and fresh ideas. Enter Tijjani Reijnders for £46 million: Serie A’s reigning Midfielder of the Year and a natural heir to Ilkay Gündogan. A grade looks about right—versatile, athletic and entering his prime.

Cherki is the more dazzling punt. Personality quirks and patchy form scared off bigger spenders, but City snagged him for a mere £34 million. The Frenchman ranked only behind Bruno Fernandes and Raphinha for chances created across Europe last term—despite playing 13 fewer games. For that price, it’s a high‑ceiling acquisition that could look like grand larceny in 18 months’ time.

And De Bruyne? Sentimentalists lament the exit of a Premier League icon, yet Guardiola knows sentiment wins nothing. Napoli scoop up a cerebral maestro perfectly suited to Serie A’s slower tempo; City trim an ageing wage. B+ for the Italian champions underlines the upside.

Trent Alexander‑Arnold swaps Anfield for the Bernabéu—on the cheap

Rayan Cherki Manchester City 2025-26

€10 million for a generational right‑back? No wonder Liverpool fans were incandescent. Alexander‑Arnold running down his deal and forcing a cut‑price escape might go down as the Reds’ costliest misstep since letting Emre Can walk in 2018. Real Madrid, by contrast, score an A for daylight robbery. The Englishman’s defensive frailties remain, but in Xabi Alonso’s 3‑4‑2‑1 he’ll be unleashed as a roaming playmaker. The prospect of Trent feeding Jude Bellingham is pure footballing catnip.

Klopp’s heirarchy enters full‑send mode: Frimpong fills the void

Losing Trent hurts, yet Liverpool moved quickly, triggering Jeremie Frimpong’s £30 million release clause. The Dutchman doesn’t possess Alexander‑Arnold’s howitzer passing range, but he dribbles like a winger and outscores most. Slot might need a tweak—Frimpong suits wing‑back roles more than flat back‑fours—but at that price A grade is almost conservative.

The Premier League old guard recycle talent—Delap, Ait‑Nouri & Cunha on the move

Jobe Bellingham Borussia Dortmund 2025-26

Chelsea’s £30 million punt on Liam Delap screams recruitment‑department comfort food: young, English, and brimming with upside. He netted 12 for a relegated Ipswich, dominates aerial duels and—crucially—arrives on Champions League wages, not superstar money. A B+ grade hints at bargain potential if he can outmuscle Nicolas Jackson for minutes.

City, meanwhile, patched their left‑back void by plucking Rayan Ait‑Nouri from Wolves. A £31 million fee for a 24‑year‑old press‑resistant dribbler? says A and so do the data models. Wolves pocket a tidy profit on a player nearing the end of his deal; City fix a lopsided back line.

As for Manchester United, they’ve bet £62.5 million that Matheus Cunha’s mercurial magic will outweigh his fiery temper. On paper, the Brazilian fits Ruben Amorim’s 3‑4‑2‑1 like a glove; in practice, his penchant for walking and occasional suspensions make this a nervy B. With Old Trafford in flux, Cunha represents both a risk and a rare spark of audacity.

Dortmund roll the dice on yet another Bellingham

Jobe Bellingham’s €32 million switch from Sunderland to Borussia Dortmund is the ultimate brother‑act sequel. Lightning might not strike twice, but BVB’s knack for nurturing English teenagers suggests a decent shot. B+ feels reasonable: expensive for a Championship graduate, but the upside is obvious—and Sunderland’s 15 percent sell‑on clause could balloon.

Arsenal snap up Zubimendi, Bayern bag Tah—smart shopping at both ends

Rayan Ait-Nouri Man City 2025

Mikel Arteta’s £51 million move for Martín Zubimendi went under the radar amid headline‑grabbing fees elsewhere, yet it could be one of the most consequential signings of the summer. With Thomas Partey ageing and injury‑prone, Zubimendi’s metronomic passing and positional nous offer long‑term stability.  A‑ nod reflects precisely that.

Bayern’s snagging of Jonathan Tah on a free is similarly shrewd. Vincent Kompany inherits an experienced, ball‑playing centre‑back with Bundesliga pedigree and Champions League ambition. It’s hard to quibble with an A grade for a move that upgrades the defence without denting the budget.

Final bell: winners, losers and the fine print

Early doors, the transfer‑window ledger tilts in favour of Liverpool and Manchester City: both clubs have addressed glaring needs while flexing financial muscle. Real Madrid, as ever, lurk ominously—adding Alexander‑Arnold and Mastantuono to an already frightening stockpile of talent.

Leverkusen, Lyon and Wolves can at least console themselves with swollen bank accounts, but they’ll need every scouting ounce to replace the quality lost. For now, though, the markets are open, the rumours loud, and the chequebooks twitching. Strap in: the off‑season circus has only just begun—and, as always, fortunes can change with one flick of an agent’s pen.