Transfer madness: Nine summer deals where clubs massively overpaid

Transfer madness: The eight most overpriced deals this summer Make us your Google favourite Transfer spending has hit new heights this summer. With a record four deals already conducted over the magical €100 million mark, clubs are splashing out huge fees more than ever before. The purchasing power of the Premier League, in particular, has been awesome. But players who have moved for €100m or more have historically had a habit of flopping. Spending big is no substitute for spending wisely. So who are the players who have been most dramatically overpaid for so far this summer? sources has taken a close look. Using our unique Estimated Transfer Value (ETV), which is based on thousands of past historical transfers as well as hundreds of in-game data points, we have compared this summer’s biggest moves to the real-life deals that have taken place to calculate which clubs have most dramatically overspent on individual players. The deals at the top end of the market were particularly expensive, with nine players bought for at least €40m more than their ETVs. Here’s the rundown, with the players becoming increasingly overpriced. 9. Goncalo Ramos: PSG to AC Milan Transfer fee: €74m ETV: €31.8m Overspend: €42.2m PSG have done well to turn a profit on Portugal international striker Ramos, given they spent €65m on him three years ago only for him never to hold down a place in Luis Enrique’s first team. There is, however, some logic behind Milan’s thinking here. Ramos’ ETV is low due to a lack of game time, but when he has played, he has scored goals. In Ligue 1 for PSG, he scored 0.64 per 90 minutes – roughly two goals in every three full games. This may well prove a smarter deal than our numbers might suggest. 8. Savio: Man City to Tottenham Transfer fee: €87.7m ETV: €44.9m Overspend: €42.8m This is the first and certainly not the last time that both Manchester City and Tottenham appear on this list, with Savinho, or Savio as he is now known, one of the most controversial deals of the summer. Signed from City Football Group club Troyes in 2024 for €25m, Enzo Maresca's side have made a profit of more than €60m on the Brazil midfielder - despite the fact he only scored two Premier League goals in two seasons. He has had a peak ETV of €74.8m in the past and does have immense potential, so there may be method in Spurs' apparent madness , but this is, nevertheless, a deal that has been struck under a cloud of suspicion. 7. Marco Palestra: Atalanta to Chelsea Transfer fee: €57m ETV: €12.4m Overspend: €44.6m Palestra is the player who has by far the smallest ETV on this list, with Chelsea splashing out nearly five times his estimated value to bring him to Stamford Bridge. The Blues have a history of getting these deals wrong, but they will hope Xabi Alonso can beat the market. However, the price they have paid to sign a player who essentially only has one year of Serie A football behind him is sizeable. 6. Sandro Tonali: Newcastle to Tottenham Transfer fee: €108m ETV: €59.9m Overspend: €49.1m Coming off a poor season, Newcastle offloaded Tonali to Tottenham in a deal worth a club-record €108m for the London side. Fuelled by desperation to strengthen their team after a relegation battle last term, and the ambition of manager Roberto De Zerbi to get them competing for Europe again, Spurs are spending big this summer. They need Tonali to return to his best to come close to justifying this fee. 5. Ayyoub Bouaddi: Lille to Manchester City Transfer fee: €95m ETV: €43.5m Overspend: €51.5m Bouaddi leaves Lille as Ligue 1’s biggest export and also the most expensive 18-year-old in history, with Manchester City betting that he will fulfil his undoubted potential and become one of the best midfielders in the world. The Etihad side have paid a big price for the 18-year-old, though. His ETV sits at €43.5m, with the Premier League giants coaxed into signing him for more than twice that fee. Bouaddi looked the part at the World Cup, where he starred for Morocco, while he also excelled for Lille on the big stage in Europe, suggesting he has the mentality to succeed in England. He says he is moving for ‘the future’, but at his price point, he will be expected to deliver immediately. 4. Morgan Rogers: Aston Villa to Chelsea Transfer fee: €137.3m ETV: €73.4m Overspend: €63.9m Rogers’ rise over the past 18 months has been spectacular and has culminated in a record transfer to Chelsea He is coming