Ranking the 20 best signings of the summer transfer window
Business has closed across Europe's top five leagues, and the vast majority of managers in those divisions will claim it has been a success for their respective club.
But who is telling the truth?
Here, theScore runs down the 20 best transfers during the summer window.
Honorable mentions: Bernard (Shakhtar Donetsk to Everton, free), William Carvalho (Sporting CP to Real Betis, €20 million), Quincy Promes (Spartak Moscow to Sevilla, €20 million), Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid to Juventus, €100 million)
20. Ante Rebic
Fiorentina to Eintracht Frankfurt for €2 million
A protagonist of Croatia's finish as runners-up at the World Cup was the subject of an under-the-radar shift from Fiorentina to Eintracht Frankfurt for merely €2 million before the tournament commenced. It was superb business. In fact, Rebic was drawing interest from Manchester United over a transfer worth at least €50 million after the Russian showpiece, according to Bild reports relayed by Ronan Murphy of Goal. His physicality is a nuisance for defenders and he can unleash a rocket shot from a range of positions in attack.
19. Jonathan Bamba
Saint-Etienne to Lille on free transfer
The permanent summer departures of Eder to Lokomotiv Moscow and Naim Sliti to Dijon - accumulating just under €2.5 million for Lille - were spectacularly answered with the steal of 22-year-old Bamba. The former Saint-Etienne man is a versatile operator in attack and should add to his growing legion of admirers in Christophe Galtier's youthful throng with his slick passing and class finishing. He's inspired Les Dogues to seven points in their opening three Ligue 1 matches this season, scoring three goals in the process.
18. Aleksandr Golovin
CSKA Moscow to AS Monaco for €25 million
There are few people who predicted Russia to progress any further than the group stage at the World Cup, but Stanislav Cherchesov worked wonders to engineer a last-eight finish. Golovin was arguably his best piece of weaponry. Amid reported interest from Chelsea, the midfielder - who scored once and assisted twice at the summer tournament - plumped for Monaco in the hopes that he'll get regular starts for Leonardo Jardim's outfit. He's certainly a considerable upgrade on Stevan Jovetic.
17. Max Meyer
FC Schalke to Crystal Palace on free transfer
Meyer left Schalke under a dark cloud after he spoke disparagingly about the stewardship of sporting director Christian Heidel, but by then he had reinvented himself as a regista under manager Domenico Tedesco. It was a position that masked his low top speed and brought his technical attributes and ball retention to the fore. The main concern, however, will be how important those characteristics are when Crystal Palace's main game plan is to impatiently thump the ball ahead of Wilfried Zaha and Andros Townsend. If Meyer, once widely tipped to headline Germany's emerging generation, is to deliver on his promise, the time is now.
16. Giovani Lo Celso
Paris Saint-Germain to Real Betis on season-long loan with option to buy
An 11th-hour swoop for Lo Celso was greeted with noises of appreciation from those who have had the privilege of watching him for Rosario Central or Paris Saint-Germain. He's a technically gifted midfielder and should perfectly complement William Carvalho in the center of Quique Setien's much-improved squad. He did show promise as a No. 6 under Unai Emery last season - the manager must have considered reuniting with him at Arsenal following his appointment in north London - but that does come at a risk of his attacking qualities being nullified by stronger opposition. With Carvalho, Sergio Canales, and Takashi Inui also brought aboard, this may be an exciting era for Real Betis.
15. Sime Vrsaljko
Atletico Madrid to Internazionale for season-long loan worth €6.5 million with €17.5-million option to buy
Vrsaljko played a key part in Croatia's run to the World Cup final in Russia, with a particularly impressive performance coming when he constantly exposed Ashley Young's old legs in the semi-final with England. The right-back teams up with compatriots Ivan Perisic and Marcelo Brozovic at Inter and will bring defensive discipline, buccaneering runs, and beautiful crosses to an area where the Nerazzurri were looking quite thin.
14. Pablo Maffeo
Manchester City to VfB Stuttgart for €9 million
Maffeo snubbed interest from England and Spain after Pep Guardiola recommended a shift to the Bundesliga for the right-back. Although there is likely small print indicating a buyback clause or sell-on fees for Manchester City in the paperwork, €9 million looks a snip for Stuttgart. Last season's loan to Girona was a source of puzzlement for some City fans when Danilo suffered some so-so performances soon after his move from Real Madrid, and confusion reigned when Maffeo famously had Lionel Messi in his back pocket during one La Liga outing.
13. Thomas Lemar
AS Monaco to Atletico Madrid for €70 million
Maybe Atletico Madrid aren't so frugal. Diego Simeone boasts the fourth-most expensive player of the summer after the capture of Lemar, but the Argentine tactician can legitimately claim a bargain given that the winger's value was considerably more when Arsenal, Liverpool, and Tottenham Hotspur were apparently chasing his signature over the previous two transfer windows. The defense-first collective now has an incredible outlet on the counter-attack with Lemar, adding to pace elsewhere from Antoine Griezmann and fellow newcomer Gelson Martins.
12. Goncalo Guedes
Paris Saint-Germain to Valencia for €40 million
Paris Saint-Germain gave up on Guedes far too soon. The Portuguese's agility is a joy to behold and was on view during his loan spell with Valencia last season. Les Parisiens did turn a €10-million profit on Guedes, but quite how they've deemed him unfit for their starting XI with just eight league outings under his belt is unknown. With Kevin Gameiro also signed up this summer, the 21-year-old has a capable frontman to aim for and therefore has every chance of outdoing his tally of nine assists during the 2017-18 La Liga campaign.
11. Justin Kluivert
Ajax to Roma for €17.25 million
The lasting members of Ajax's side that reached the 2016-17 Europa League final should be Davinson Sanchez, Matthijs de Ligt, and Kluivert, the latter of whom was an unused substitute in the 2-0 defeat to Manchester United. Often having a famed footballing father - Justin's old man, Patrick, shone for Barcelona and the Netherlands - proves a heavy burden, but the 19-year-old is incredibly campaigning to be the best from three generations of talent from the Kluivert family. His dribbling and awareness could light up Serie A this season.
10. Arturo Vidal
Bayern Munich to Barcelona for €35 million
Powerful running and aggression aren't the usual standout attributes of a Barcelona midfielder, but Ernesto Valverde hasn't been scared of making tweaks to the Camp Nou model. He is, after all, the man who signed Paulinho. Patience will have to be exercised with Vidal - there have been recent issues with his knee - but his presence and winning mentality alone will rid the dressing room of any complacency, and his on-pitch qualities can add a whole new dimension to the Barcelona XI.
9. Fabinho
AS Monaco to Liverpool for €45 million
The scant sightings of Fabinho are a mystery over the opening weeks of the English season. The 24-year-old Brazilian is yet to appear in a professional match for Liverpool - just once being named in the matchday squad as an unused substitute against West Ham United - despite many touting him as the death knell to captain Jordan Henderson's stranglehold on the deep midfield position. It may take time for him to establish himself in the lineup - James Milner and Georginio Wijnaldum have started the campaign well with Naby Keita in the middle - but expect him to become an integral part of Jurgen Klopp's clan for years to come. He can handily fill in at right-back as well.
8. Rui Patricio
Sporting CP to Wolverhampton Wanderers on free transfer
John Ruddy regained a reputation as a top second-tier goalkeeper last season but wasn't granted a crack at being first-choice for Wolves in the Premier League. You can't blame them. Patricio was one of a handful of players able to untie themselves from their Sporting CP contracts after masked fans attacked them in May, and his agent, Jorge Mendes, was quick to encourage the Portuguese shot-stopper to opt for a move to the Black Country. He displayed his unrelenting elasticity with a phenomenal save to deny Manchester City's Raheem Sterling last weekend.
7. Mattia Caldara
Juventus to AC Milan for €35 million
Leonardo Bonucci out, Caldara in. What Caldara lacks in pace and physicality, he makes up for in his composure and timing. In true Italian tradition, he is excellent at making interceptions at the back, but he won't snobbily shirk out of a tackle either. Although he wasn't really given the opportunity to make the grade at Juventus after joining last summer, he was a bright spot on loan at Atalanta over the previous term. Milan are almost set for the next ten years when Caldara, Alessio Romagnoli, Andrea Conti, and Ricardo Rodriguez are all available for selection in defense.
6. Leon Goretzka
FC Schalke to Bayern Munich on free transfer
Schalke fans were furious once again when another talented player walked away from Gelsenkirchen for nothing. Add Goretzka to a stacked list also featuring Joel Matip, Sead Kolasinac, and Palace new boy Meyer. Bayern Munich have recruited a player who is adept in both withdrawn or advanced central midfield positions, but it's perhaps the latter where his wonderful passing is at its most potent. He has also been used wide on the right by Germany manager Joachim Low, but the exit of Vidal indicates Goretzka will be predominantly used through the middle by Niko Kovac.
5. Jorginho
Napoli to Chelsea for €57 million
If Maurizio Sarri is given time as Chelsea manager - and this is Roman Abramovich's Chelsea we're talking about - Jorginho will be the nucleus of his lineup. He doesn't offer the same relentless harrying of N'Golo Kante, but he more than compensates for that in his vertical play from the base of midfield. He is insistent on moving the ball upfield through his dribbling and zippy passes, and his sublime positional awareness will see him nip in with more interceptions than any of Kante's colleagues brought to the middle of the park in 2017-18.
4. Rodri
Villarreal to Atletico Madrid for potential €25 million
Rodri returns to where he played as a schoolboy, and is being dubbed as the heir to Gabi's holding midfield mantle. Simeone may have taken note of the 22-year-old's talents last March when he helped limit Griezmann and spread the ball around with aplomb as Villarreal saw off Atletico Madrid with a 2-1 win. Despite having just 63 La Liga appearances to his name prior to his switch back to the capital, he looks set for plenty of first-team action for the freshened-up Colchoneros.
3. Benjamin Henrichs
Bayer Leverkusen to AS Monaco for €20 million
Monaco's late-window purchase of Henrichs was a masterstroke, and a way of further alleviating fans' disgruntlement after another host of stars were sold off during the summer. His versatility could serve as a solution to Fabinho's departure. He's a natural in Fabinho's old role at right-back where Djibril Sidibe's defensive vulnerabilities are regularly exposed, he can push higher up that flank, and there's no reason why he can't eventually feature regularly in central midfield with his technical and tactical gifts. Like many who have passed through the Stade Louis II under Jardim, he's blessed with bags of pace.
2. Naby Keita
RB Leipzig to Liverpool for €60 million
Good things come to those who wait. Liverpool wrapped up a deal for Keita last summer, and RB Leipzig held firm when the Merseysiders apparently tried to rush his arrival with financial incentives in January. Now he's at Anfield and has shown what a snug fit he is in Klopp's schematic. He's a bundle of energy, equally comfortable in carrying the ball and harassing opponents, and an indiscipline that saw him charged with seven yellows and two reds in the 2017-18 Bundesliga term is yet to be resurrected.
1. Jean Michael Seri
Nice to Fulham for £25 million
In the summer of 2017, Xavi dubbed Seri a perfect signing for Barcelona. One year later, he is plying his trade at Fulham. That's not to say the main beneficiary in this deal is the club; Seri can mail passes to quality options higher up the park in Tom Cairney, Andre Schurrle, Ryan Sessegnon, and Aleksandar Mitrovic, and significantly boost his value on a stage with much greater exposure than Ligue 1. Seri may be worth at least double his £25-million fee just 12 months down the line.
(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)