Expensive 11: Assessing Europe's costliest transfers this summer

The transfer window hasn't been open a month, and still, some of Europe's biggest clubs have made some opulent additions to fill holes in otherwise stellar squads.

It's likely that a slew of blockbuster deals await, with Benjamin Mendy slated to set a world-record fee for a defender and Andrea Belotti's name bandied about in potential summer switches. Millions of euros will change hands before the window slams shut the last week of August.

With that in mind, here's a glance at the 11 most expensive transfers that have gone down to date, and a brief assessment of what each player will bring to their new squad:

Ederson (Manchester City - €40M)

Imagine luring Claudio Bravo to the Etihad for €18 million, handing the Chilean the first-choice gloves while passing Joe Hart a conditional pink slip, and 11 months later, doing it all over again.

That's exactly what Pep Guardiola has done, and now Bravo will play understudy to Ederson, whose move from Benfica garnered the second-highest fee ever paid for a netminder. In Ederson, 23, City is solving its immediate needs and presumably sorting its 'keeper issue for the next decade with an emerging talent who's equal parts shot-stopper and slick passer.

Victor Lindelof (Manchester United - €35M)

Lindelof, whom Manchester United scooped from Benfica as part of the Primeira Liga champ's summer sale, addresses an immediate need for the Champions League returnee.

Apologies to Chris Smalling, Phil Jones, and Daley Blind, but having Lindelof pair as a first-choice tandem with Eric Bailly is a necessary upgrade for a side that harbours realistic title ambitions. A slick-passing central defender who at 23 years old figures to be a Red Devils cornerstone for years to come, Lindelof may prove to be one of the best pick-ups of a busy summer shopping spree.

Leonardo Bonucci (AC Milan - €40M)

In what amounts to this window's most shocking transfer yet, Leonardo Bonucci swapped six-time defending Scudetto champ Juventus for AC Milan.

Among Milan's 10 new faces, Bonucci represents the biggest get, instantly gifting Vincenzo Montella's squad the legitimacy and poise of a player who has won 13 trophies in Italy and appeared in a pair of Champions League finals. Set to slot in alongside fellow summer switcher Mateo Musacchio or Alessio Romagnoli, Bonucci's €40-million fee is paltry compared to what he could have garnered had he made a reported move to Chelsea.

Kyle Walker (Manchester City - €57M)

Facing the prospects of starting Fernandinho and an empty packet of Jaffa Cakes in the two full-back spots for its Premier League opener Aug. 12 against Brighton, City has jumped head-first into the transfer reservoir strapped with cash.

Walker, 27, arrives at the Etihad from Tottenham for a whopping €57 million that narrowly edges new Citizen mate John Stones for the second-highest fee paid for a defender, and with Mendy and Real Madrid's Danilo set to arrive in Lancashire for a reported total of €80 million, Pep Guardiola is set to splash nearly €200 million in two summers on defenders. Ostentatious fees notwithstanding, Walker is a massive upgrade on an out-of-position Fernandinho.

Tiemoue Bakayoko (Chelsea - €45M)

On the heels of a breakthrough campaign with Ligue 1 winner Monaco, Bakayoko moves to England's league champ, and will immediately assume Nemanja Matic's spot alongside N'Golo Kante.

For Chelsea, Bakayoko, 22, represents a younger, more attacking version of Matic, who is comfortable with the ball at his feet in a box-to-box role that should complement Kante's stay-at-home ball-stopping ethos. The robust French international also serves as a future mainstay of a starting XI that last season had an average age of 27.5 years old, good enough for a mid-table finish in the league's seniority standings.

Corentin Tolisso (Bayern Munich - €41.5M)

Bavarian behemoth Bayern Munich has cornered the market on shock signings, and after surprising the football world with last summer's Renato Sanches swoop, the Bundesliga winner has done it again, securing Corentin Tolisso on a five-year deal.

Content to play either in a deep central role or as an attacking midfielder, Tolisso will partially fill the void left by Xabi Alonso's retirement, adding a player to Carlo Ancelotti's fold who can match current Bayern standout Thiago as the club's most adaptable charge.

Bernardo Silva (Manchester City - €50M)

If Walker's addition was one of necessity, Bernardo Silva's signing from Monaco was one of luxury, and, unlike many of the names on this list who will urgently command a spot in the starting XI, the Portugal international will get a chance to gradually acclimate to Premier League life.

A slick dribbler who is as creative as he is unpredictable in possession, Silva, 22, is most comfortable on the right-wing but can play several other positions in the midfield, meaning he should blend seamlessly with a star-studded attack highlighted by the likes of Aguero, Sterling, De Bruyne, Sane, Jesus, and namesake David Silva.

Mohamed Salah (Liverpool - €42M)

If there's an attacking force whose skill set caters to Jurgen Klopp's Gegenpressing demands, it's Egypt international Mohamed Salah.

And if there's a side in England's top six desperate for depth, it was Liverpool, and the Merseysiders addressed that with a €42-million move for Roma's tireless worker. Arguably Serie A's best winger since he made a permanent switch from Chelsea in 2015, Salah's signing instantly makes Liverpool a better side for two reasons: 1) Salah is very talented, 2) the move allows Philippe Coutinho to play in a central playmaking role.

Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal - €53M)

Thierry Henry. Nicolas Anelka. Olivier Giroud. Yaya Sanogo. Add Lacazette's name to the list of French strikers to play under Arsene Wenger, and while Sanago's name has been inserted for comedic effect, the other three have enjoyed success at Arsenal.

The Gunners faithful will hope that the former Lyon man can replicate the exploits of his predecessors, and after a stunning campaign with Les Gones, there's no reason to think he can't. His 28 goals were second-best to Edinson Cavani in France's top flight, but, perhaps more importantly, the 26-year-old emerged as a complete player in terms of passing and link-up play that should cater well to Wenger's 3-4-2-1 set-up.

Alvaro Morata (Chelsea - €60M)

Premier League top-six sides have been engaged in an arms race through the transfer window's opening month, and Chelsea followed suit by replacing an impetuous Diego Costa with Alvaro Morata.

Familiar with Blues boss Antonio Conte from their time together at Juventus, Morata arrives at Stamford Bridge a threat on the counter attack who should thrive with Eden Hazard in support. The 24-year-old becomes the 12th-costliest transfer of all time and a club-record buy for the Premier League holder, but, more importantly, the 20-time capped Spain international hands Chelsea's chances of a third title in four attempts a massive boost.

Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United - €85M)

Manchester United needed a robust focal point up top in light of Zlatan Ibrahimovic's long-term knee injury and uncertain contract status, and the Red Devils got exactly that in Lukaku.

A lightning rod for derision - with critics saying his first touch is too heavy for United - Lukaku has done everything asked of him with the Toffees, becoming the club's all-time leading scorer (68) in the Premier League era. Lukaku, 24, is also just the fourth Premier League player (and first foreign-born) to bag 80 tallies before his 24th birthday, joining Michael Owen, Robbie Fowler, and Wayne Rooney, who swaps spots with the Belgian international. Forget the opulent fee. United needed a marquee striker, and it got one.

(Photos courtesy: Action Images)