Late-July Transfer Roundup: Ipswich, Frankfurt Complete Signings as European Giants Continue Summer Spending

The 2026 summer transfer window is in full swing, and while Thursday's activity across Europe's top five leagues was relatively quiet, a handful of official moves were confirmed. Ipswich Town kicked off the day by announcing the permanent signing of goalkeeper Kjell Scherpen from Belgian side Royale Union Saint-Gilloise for €10 million. The 6'9″ Dutch shot-stopper put pen to paper on a four-year contract running through 2030. In Germany, Eintracht Frankfurt strengthened their backline by acquiring Brazilian centre-back Otávio from Estrela da Amadora for €4.5 million. The 23-year-old has signed a long-term deal valid until June 2031. Meanwhile, Bayer Leverkusen allowed youth product Andrea Natali to join AZ Alkmaar for €2.25 million, and Köln sent midfielder Fynn Schenten on loan to Roda JC. La Liga, Serie A and Ligue 1 did not register any completed deals on July 28. Despite today's subdued pace, the summer as a whole has seen enormous expenditure. Tottenham Hotspur have been the most aggressive spenders, backing manager Roberto De Zerbi with €267 million worth of talent. Centre-back Jan Paul van Hecke (€60m from Brighton), midfield engine Sandro Tonali (€108m from AC Milan) and playmaker Mateus Fernandes (€99m from Sporting CP) have all arrived in North London, alongside free transfers Andy Robertson, Marcos Senesi and Martin Dubravka. Chelsea have also moved decisively to support new boss Xabi Alonso. The Blues signed Morgan Rogers from Aston Villa for a staggering €138 million, added Marco Palestra from Atalanta for €57 million, and welcomed Geovany Quenda (€50m), Denner (€10m), Dastan Satpaev (€2.4m) and Emmanuel Emegha (undisclosed) on pre-arranged deals. According to sources, Chelsea are also close to finalising a €60 million agreement with Crystal Palace for France defender Maxence Lacroix. To offset spending, the club permanently sold Marc Cucurella to Real Madrid, Andrey Santos to Manchester United and Tyrique George to Everton for a combined €132.3 million, while Alejandro Garnacho joined Aston Villa on loan with a conditional obligation to buy. Manchester United, alongside securing Andrey Santos, have added Youri Tielemans (€41m from Leicester) and goalkeeper Karl Darlow (free) ahead of Michael Carrick's first full season in charge. Manchester City splashed €135 million to bring Elliot Anderson from Nottingham Forest, plus the signings of Mathys Detourbet (€25m) and Jeremy Monga (€11.7m). Arsenal signed Christos Tzolis for €40 million and goalkeeper Illan Meslier on a free transfer. Liverpool completed moves for Victor Munoz from Osasuna (€40m) and Samuel Martinez from Atletico Nacional (approx. €879,000). In La Liga, Barcelona acquired Newcastle winger Anthony Gordon for €80 million and Borussia Dortmund forward Karim Adeyemi for €22 million (potentially rising to €29m). Real Madrid, under returning manager Jose Mourinho, brought in Denzel Dumfries (€20m from Inter), Ibrahima Konate (free from Liverpool) and Bernardo Silva (free from Manchester City), alongside Marc Cucurella. insider sources's insider reports that Madrid are also expected to sign Ivory Coast winger Yan Diomande, though a fee with RB Leipzig has yet to be agreed. Bayern Munich invested €55 million each in Nathaniel Brown and Ismael Saibari after their World Cup campaigns for Germany and Morocco, respectively. AC Milan backed new manager Ruben Amorim by signing his compatriot Goncalo Ramos from Paris Saint-Germain for a club-record €70 million. With the 2026 World Cup now in the rearview media, clubs are accelerating their plans ahead of the 2026-27 season. More deals are expected in the coming days as the window heats up.