‘Congratulations on saying the biggest number!’ – Man Utd have paid well above market value for Leny Yoro: GOAL grades the biggest deals from the 2024 summer transfer window

All summer long, GOAL will be handing out grades for the biggest transfers from around the world

For some football fans, the off-season is the part of the calendar that they look forward to the most, as that can only mean one thing: It’s time for transfers! Over the next weeks and months, the biggest names will be linked with the biggest clubs, with speculation set to go into overdrive.

We all know that some transfers turn out well for all parties involved, but there are plenty where at least one of the clubs, or even the player, are left wondering what might have been had they made a different decision while at the negotiating table.

GOAL is here, then, to ensure you know who did the best out of every massive deal before the ink is even dry on the contracts. Throughout the summer window, we will be grading every done deal as it happens, letting you track the big winners – and losers – of transfer season.

Check out our latest grades below, and let us know what you think in the comments section…

July 18: Leny Yoro (Lille to Manchester United, £52m)
For Lille: An incredible fee for a teenager with just one year left on his contract. Lille’s primary concern last season was holding onto Yoro during the January transfer window so as to help sustain their bid to qualify for the Champions League. With that twin-objective realised, Yoro was always going to depart this summer – the only question was, for how much? Lille have done sensationally well, then, to convince Yoro to join United instead of Real Madrid, given the Old Trafford outfit offered significantly more money. Losing such a promising player is obviously a major setback for a club that also saw coach Paulo Fonseca leave for AC Milan during the summer, but funds will be made available to strengthen the squad ahead of the Champions League third qualifying round. Grade: A

For Manchester United: An encouraging sign. Let’s face it, most United fans have probably never seen Yoro play but it’s no surprise that his imminent arrival is being so widely celebrated, given the club’s struggles of late, coupled with Madrid’s interest in the centre-back. Yono is without a shadow of a doubt one of the most exciting young players in Europe, an 18-year-old with 60 Ligue 1 appearances under his belt that has drawn comparisons with William Saliba because of his comfort on the ball. There are legitimate concerns over the Frenchman’s physique – he’ll clearly need to bulk up to cope with the physicality of the Premier League – but Yoro’s enormous potential is beyond dispute. There’s undeniably a temptation to sarcastically congratulate United for “saying the biggest number”, given they’ve paid well above market value, but the new powerbrokers at Old Trafford do deserve credit for capturing such a coveted prospect without being able to offer Champions League football. Grade: B+

For Yoro: A little risky. Old Trafford has proven something of a career-killer in recent years. Plenty of top talents with far more experience than Yoro have been chewed up and spit out by a club in a constant state of flux. In truth, he probably would have been better off joining Madrid, whose very astute squad building contrasts starkly with United’s scattergun approach to the transfer market. His two compatriots Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga certainly don’t appear to have any regrets about joining Los Blancos at a young age. Still, United are seriously short on quality in the centre of defence, meaning Yoro should see plenty of game time at what remains one of the biggest clubs in the world. The possible arrival of Matthijs de Ligt may also prove a positive for Yoro as there would be far more pressure on the Dutchman to deliver right away than the youngster, who should hopefully be given time to find his feet in Manchester. Grade: B

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  July 18: Mason Greenwood (Manchester United to Marseille, €30m)

  For Manchester United: An end to one of the most depressing and dreadfully drawn-out sagas in the club’s history. United have handled the entire Greenwood case horribly from start to finish, having alienated and upset numerous supporters and staff members over the past two years. From a purely financial standpoint, United have done well to secure such a big fee for a player that most teams across Europe wouldn’t have even considered signing. They’ve also managed to insert a hefty sell-on clause in his Marseille contract but, to be brutally honest, it just feels distasteful that United are likely to make more money on Greenwood, who should have been got rid of the moment the Red Devils decided he was no longer fit to represent the club. Grade: F

  For Marseille: A predictably divisive deal. Even the mayor of Marseille has weighed in, arguing that buying Greenwood goes against “the values” of the city and the club. OM believe that this was a chance too good to pass up, given Greenwood is a rare talent that a team of their limited financial resources never would have normally been able to attain. The club will argue that the former England international was never found guilty of any crime and that they were well within their rights to sign a versatile striker that should add a lot to Roberto De Zerbi’s team. Marseille are also acutely aware that modern football fans are both fickle and terribly tribalistic. If Greenwood scores goals, the supporters will quickly forget the furore that surrounded his arrival and defend the deal until the death. It’s awfully sad but it’s the way of the modern game. Ethics no longer come into the equation. Grade: F

  For Greenwood: Another step back up the footballing ladder. After being cast out by United, Greenwood kick-started his career during a very successful loan spell at Getafe, for whom he contributed 14 goals in 33 appearances last season. The challenge now is for him to maintain that momentum in Marseille. It’s a chaotic environment but an enormous club, meaning Greenwood has a golden opportunity to re-establish himself as one of the best young attackers in football. Certainly, working with De Zerbi has the potential to take his game to a whole new level. The more goals he scores, and the more time passes, the more likely it is that he’ll be back playing in the Premier League in a few years’ time. Grade: B+

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  July 18: Savinho (Troyes to Manchester City, £30m)

  For Troyes: A very modern affair – and a glaring example of the perils of multi-club ownership. Savinho signed for Troyes two years ago but he never played a single game for the club. They were – and still are – a pawn in someone else’s game. Troyes will obviously receive a significant sum of money from their own owner, the City Football Group (CFG), but is that going to make the fans feel any better about the fact that they’ve suffered back-to-back relegations since Savinho became their record signing? Expect more bitterly sarcastic chants of ‘Merci, City!’ when Troyes kick off their Championnat National campaign next month. Grade: F

  For Manchester City: The perfect illustration of why the CFG stockpile talent. City signed an exciting Brazilian teenager from Atletico Mineiro via Troyes, allowed him to learn his trade at PSV, watched him grow at Girona and then finally brought him to the Etihad. Savinho is essentially proof that their system works and illustrates why other club owners are trying to copy it. In this instance, there’s no real point in analysing the fee. It’s essentially irrelevant. But, from a footballing perspective, Savinho should prove a fine addition to the City squad. He’s just 20 years of age but has already been capped seven times by Brazil – and one can understand why. He both scores and creates goals, can play on either flank and is a devastating dribbler (he completed more than anyone else in La Liga last season). Basically, Savinho and Jeremy Doku are going to be a serious problem for the Premier League next season. Grade: A

  For Savio: The obvious next step. The hope was that Savinho would prove himself good enough to make the move to Manchester and he did exactly that at Girona last term, with his nine goals and 10 assists playing a pivotal part in the Catalans qualifying for the Champions League for the first time ever by finishing third in La Liga. Of course, he won’t be one of the key players at City – at least not immediately – given the intense competition for places in Pep Guardiola’s starting line-up. But there’s a changing of the guard coming at City and Savinho should be a big part of the process. He may take a little time to get to grips with the Premier League – and Pep’s demands – but it certainly wouldn’t be a surprise to see the winger quickly become a fan favourite at the Etihad. Grade: A

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  July 17: Alvaro Morata (Atletico Madrid to AC Milan, €13.5m)

  For Atletico Madrid: An unsurprising exit. Morata may be a European Championship-winning captain coming off the most prolific campaign of his entire club career (21 goals in 48 appearances) – but it was obvious during what was a difficult second half of the season that he was losing the trust of Diego Simone, who even hauled the striker off at half-time in the Champions League semi-final loss to Borussia Dortmund. In that context, €13.5m (£11.3m/$14.7m) is not a bad fee for a 31-year-old No.9 – and that money will now go towards buying a younger and far more clinical finisher. Grade: B

  For AC Milan: A gamble worth taking. Morata is a complex character who has struggled with his mental health throughout his career but when he’s happy, he’s a formidable forward – and he should, in theory, be very happy in Milan, given his wife is Italian and he’s returning to Serie A on a high after leading Spain to victory in Germany. Indeed, there’s justifiable optimism at San Siro that Morata will have a positive impact on the dressing room, and Milan’s younger players in particular. After Olivier Giroud’s exit, the Rossoneri also wanted an experienced, hard-working forward capable of creating time and space for their talented wingers. In Morata, that’s exactly what they’ve got – and for a low price, too. Grade: B-

  For Morata: A predictable return to Italy. Morata has many fond memories of his time in Turin and could find Milan just as enjoyable. He should certainly relish playing alongside Rafael Leao and Christian Pulisic, while new coach Paulo Fonseca reportedly viewed Morata as a better fit for his style of football than Joshua Zirkzee, who ended up joining Manchester United instead. Is Morata a certain starter? It’s hard to say at this point. The word is that the Rossoneri are still said to be searching for at least one other strikers for next season, which makes sense, given it’s never been a good idea for any team to rely on Morata to score goals (he managed just one at the Euros). However, at this stage of his career, the Spain skipper would probably accept a rotational role. Furthermore, it’s clear that he was no longer comfortable in Madrid, whereas he and his family will feel right at home in Milan. Grade: A

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  July 14: Joshua Zirkzee (Bologna to Manchester United, £34m)

  For Bologna: A bitter blow but utterly unavoidable. It’s been clear for a couple of months now that Bologna had no chance of holding onto a promising player that had a €40m buy-out clause. The final fee will be ever so slightly higher, but the Rossoblu will only get half the money anyway, given the sell-on clause Bayern Munich inserted in the striker’s contract. It’s thus hard not to feel so sorry for the fans, who were buzzing after their team’s shock qualification for next season’s Champions League but have now seen their coach (Thiago Motta) and their star striker leave the Renato Dall’Ara, with Riccardo Calafiori set to follow. Grade: D

  For Man Utd: An intriguing transfer. Zirkzee is coming off the best season of his career, with his fine form earning him a late call-up to the Netherlands squad for Euro 2024, and given his Zlatan Ibrahimovic-like technique, he should prove wonderfully adept at creating space and opportunities for the likes of Alejandro Garnacho. United have also done well to beat off stiff competition for Zirkzee’s services from AC Milan, while Juventus and Arsenal were also linked with the Dutchman in recent months. It’s also a decent deal from a financial perspective: Zirkzee is a player with a high ceiling who’s arrived at Old Trafford for a low price. But whether he’s the answer to United’s goal-scoring problems remains to be seen. After all, Zirkzee scored just 12 goals in all competitions last season… Grade: B

  For Zirkzee: A surprising turn of events. The word in Italy was that Zirkzee wanted to stay in Serie A and only had eyes for AC Milan. He’s also been very vocal about his desire to play in the Champions League, so it’s interesting to see him join United, a club in a seemingly constant state of chaos that is by no means guaranteed to achieve any sort of stability next season. Indeed, one would have thought that Rasmus Hojlund’s struggles would have put Zirkzee off moving to Manchester. Still, the 23-year-old does not lack confidence and undoubtedly has the kind of skillset that could quickly endear him to the Old Trafford faithful. Grade: B+

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  July 11: Joao Palhinha (Fulham to Bayern Munich, €50m)

  For Fulham: An inevitable exit. Fulham were always going to lose one of the best defensive midfielders in the Premier League; the only surprise is that it took this long. Palhinha is obviously going to be a major miss for Marco Silva’s side, but the good thing is that the Cottagers have handled his exit as best they could. By getting Palhinha to sign a new contract last September, Fulham have managed to get a decent fee for a player about to turn 29, while also giving themselves plenty of time to prepare for his departure. Grade: B

  For Bayern: Better late than never! Who knows how last season would have turned out had Bayern not failed to get this transfer over the line on deadline day? Thomas Tuchel would certainly be forgiven for feeling a little frustrated right now! Still, this is no time for looking backwards. Bayern can only focus on the future after a traumatising and turbulent 2023-24 – and Palhinha should help them do precisely that. As the Portuguese showed at the Euros, there are few better ball-winners in the game today. He should quickly become a key player at the Allianz Arena, meaning his arrival is well worth celebrating. Bayern have finally got their man – and his arrival should soften the blow of Joshua Kimmich’s likely exit too. Grade: B+

  For Palhinha: The move he’s long desired – and deserved. Palhinha has earned the chance to play for one of Europe’s elite with his performances for Fulham and Portugal over the last couple of years. It may have taken a little longer than he would have liked, but that means he’ll savour every moment all the more. With all due respect to Fulham, he should also benefit from playing alongside far better players on a weekly basis. Grade: A

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  July 7: Michael Olise (Crystal Palace to Bayern Munich, €60m)

  For Crystal Palace: The best they could have done in the circumstances. Olise was always going to leave Palace this summer; truth be told, they’ve probably been lucky to hold onto him this long. The objective, then, was always to get good money for such an exciting talent. Palace have realised that goal – and they’ve managed to find an overseas buyer, meaning they won’t have to face Olise next season. Indeed, seeing him sign for Chelsea, who dropped out of the race late in the day, would have been tough to take for supporters! Grade: A

  For Bayern Munich: Another serious show of intent after the Joao Palhinha deal. It’s unquestionably a significant chunk of money for a 22-year-old who has yet to be capped at senior international level by France and has no experience of European football. There will also be some concern over Olise’s recent hamstring issues. However, this is a player of enormous potential, a wonderful dribbler with a keen eye for a pass. He fits perfectly with the desire to start an exciting new project in Bavaria. Several big Premier League clubs wanted Olise; Bayern have got him, making him a signing worth celebrating. Grade: B+

  For Michael Olise: The right call. Returning to Chelsea would have been a horribly risky move and while there’s intense competition for places at the Allianz Arena, it’s highly likely that at least one of Kingsley Coman, Leroy Sane and Serge Gnabry will be sold this summer. Indeed, one could argue that all three of those players are in decline (or at least stagnating) while Olise is on the rise. There’s every chance that the France Under-21 international will form a thrilling attacking partnership with Jamal Musiala that will evoke memories of Franck Ribery and Arjen Robben, while Harry Kane should benefit enormously from Olise’s creativity. Olise wanted Champions League football. He wanted the chance to prove himself at the highest level. He’ll get both at one of the biggest clubs in world football. Grade: A
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  July 2: Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall (Leicester to Chelsea, £30m)

  For Leicester: A sadly inevitable consequence of reckless spending. It’s been clear for some time that Leicester would eventually pay a price for falling foul of financial regulations, meaning the sale of an academy product for pure profit was only a matter of time, but that doesn’t make Dewsbury-Hall’s departure any easier to palate for the fans. There’s something not quite right about the fact that Leicester are back in the Premier League but they’ll arrive without a homegrown hero who played a pivotal part in their return. What’s more, he’s been sold for less than his market value. Grim. Grade: D

  For Chelsea: A decent bit of business – with the absolute emphasis on business. Is Dewsbury-Hall an upgrade on Conor Gallagher, who has been pushed ever closer to the exit door at Stamford Bridge by this deal? No, not at all. But he could prove a solid rotational player, given he’s just coming off the best season of his career under Chelsea’s new manager Enzo Maresca, and has arrived for a knockdown fee, with the Blues having taken advantage of another club’s PSR problems for once. Grade: C

  For Dewsbury-Hall: An unexpected opportunity to prove he belongs in the Premier League. Dewsbury-Hall is 26 and he’s never been capped at any age group by England, but he’s now put himself in an excellent position to show that he can be a top midfielder. Of course, the endemic chaos at Chelsea could count against him, and there are far more talented players than he in the midfield pecking order, but Dewsbury-Hall’s energy, honesty and fine left foot could end up endearing him to his new club’s notoriously fickle fans. Grade: B+

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  July 2: Archie Gray (Leeds to Tottenham, £30m)

  For Leeds: A bitter blow. As soon as Leeds lost the Championship play-off final to Southampton, it was clear that the club would have to sell one of its most valuable assets to balance the books. With Gray’s sale, Leeds have done precisely that – but it’s still a tougher transfer to take. Gray is still only 18 and, given his lineage, it feels like selling the family silver. The one positive that they’ve managed to agree a far more agreeable deal with Spurs, which includes Wales international Joe Rodon, than the package put forward by Brentford. Grade: C+

  For Tottenham: A potential bargain buy. Plenty of Premier League clubs were impressed by Gray’s performances last season, both in the Championship and the FA Cup, so this is a noteworthy deal for Spurs. Liverpool and Chelsea were among those said to be interested in signing the England Under-21 international. It’s also a very reasonable price for a player capable of playing at right-back or in midfield. Ange Postecoglou will be seriously looking forward to working with Gray, who looks ideal for his project. Grade: B+

  For Gray: A move that could work out very well indeed. Gray probably would have preferred to stay at Leeds, at least for another season, but their promotion failure made his departure a formality. He’s already shown enough in his fledgling career to suggest that he deserves to be playing regular Premier League football- which is exactly what he should get at Spurs next season. Gray could have got lost at Chelsea and would not have been guaranteed game time at Liverpool, but he should see plenty of game time in north London. Gray is definitely one to watch in 2024-25. Grade: A-

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  June 30: Douglas Luiz (Aston Villa to Juventus, €28m + Enzo Barrenechea & Samuel Iling-Junior)

  For Aston Villa: A necessary evil. Villa’s PSR problems necessitated the sale of a valuable asset and Luiz rather unfortunately fit the bill as a much-coveted midfielder with two years left on his contract who was acquired for a bargain £15m ($19m). Losing the Brazilian is nonetheless a massive blow. It has been pointed out that his form tailed off a little towards the end of last season, but he still ended up contributing nine goals and five assists to Villa’s fourth-placed finish in the Premier League. Barrenechea is obviously arriving from Juve, along with forward Iling-Junior, but there is no guarantee that the Argentine will adapt to the Premier League after an underwhelming loan spell at Frosinone last season. Indeed, it’s worth noting that the bang-average Weston McKennie was originally meant to be part of the deal! Grade: C-

  For Juventus: A timely boost. With Adrien Rabiot’s future still up in the air and no real progress being made in the pursuit of Teun Koopmeiners, Juve’s notoriously weak midfield was crying out for reinforcement. Luiz’s goal threat will be most welcome in Turin and renowned sporting director Cristiano Giuntoli, who joined from Napoli last summer, deserves credit for managing to bring in one of the club’s top targets while simultaneously offloading two reserves. Grade: B+

  For Douglas Luiz: The right move at the right time, perhaps. Luiz has been regularly linked with a move away from Villa Park and this feels like a deal that suits everyone involved, albeit for different reasons. From Luiz’s perspective, he gets to play for one of the most famous clubs in Juve – and just as they’re likely to undergo a dramatic (and long overdue) – transformation in playing style under Thiago Motta, who worked wonders at Bologna last season. Indeed, it’s quite easy to see the former Italy midfielder taking Luiz’s game to another level in Turin, making him a key component in a team that will be expected to challenge for major honours next season. This is an exciting time for the 26-year-old and his new club. Grade: B+

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  June 28: Ian Maatsen (Chelsea to Aston Villa, £37.5m)

  For Chelsea: Some of that precious pure profit! Chelsea needed to sell players before the end of June to avoid any potential punishment for breaching financial regulations and they already have a couple of international left-backs on their books, so cashing in on an academy product like Maatsen (signed from PSV as a teenager) was a no-brainer. The fact that the 22-year-old would be a better option at left-back next season than either Marc Cucurella or Ben Chilwell doesn’t even come into the equation. This is strictly business. Grade: C+

  For Aston Villa: A possible solution to their left-back problem. Maatsen’s name has obviously featured heavily in several stories on the controversial ‘swap weekend’ embraced by several Premier Leagues hoping to get around Profit and Sustainability Rules (PSR) before the end of June, but while the fee might be slightly inflated, this deal is different to others involving Villa, Chelsea, Everton and Newcastle in that it also makes sense from a sporting perspective. Maatsen was so good during his six-month loan spell at Borussia Dortmund that he even made it into UEFA’s Champions League Team of the Season before then earning a late call-up to the Netherlands squad for Euro 2024. So, with this transfer, Villa are essentially killing two birds with one stone. Grade: B

  For Maatsen: A fine alternative to Dortmund. The Dutchman probably would have been better served by continuing at BVB after making such an instant impact at Signal Iduna Park, but the Germans were understandably put off by Chelsea’s asking price. Still, a move to Villa could work out wonderfully well for Maatsen, given this is a team quite clearly going places under Unai Emery, who has done a sensational job since replacing Steven Gerrard as manager just over 18 months ago. Unlike Chelsea, Villa will be in the Champions League next season, meaning Maatsen will have another, immediate chance to shine on the club game’s grandest stage. Right now, for a player like Maatsen, Villa definitely represent a step up from Chelsea in terms of quality and stability. Grade: B+

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  June 22: Estevao Willian (Palmeiras to Chelsea, £29m)

  For Palmeiras: They’ve done it again! A year after agreeing a €60 million (£51m/$64m) deal with Real Madrid for Endrick, Palmeiras have brokered another bumper deal (which could rise to £52m/$65m) for a teenager with a massive European club – and, once again, they get to hold onto their potential superstar until he turns 18. Of course, it’s sad that such talents leave Brazil so soon, but this is the depressing nature of the transfer market today. Most clubs now rely on their academies to make ends meet. There are also no guarantees that promising players will succeed at the very highest level, so Palmeiras deserve praise for not only developing Estevao and giving him a chance to shine, but also securing such a lofty fee for one so young. Grade: A

  For Chelsea: Quite the coup. The club’s recruitment policy isn’t very sophisticated: buy as many highly-rated young players as possible in the hope that at least one of them turns out to be the next Cole Palmer. Estevao, though, looks as close as a club can possibly get to a sure thing, which is why Arsenal, Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, Barcelona and Bayern Munich were also keen on signing ‘Messinho’. Indeed, World Cup winner Branco says Estevao is the best player born in Brazil since Neymar. He won’t arrive at Stamford Bridge until next summer, but based on everything we’ve seen so far, the winger will prove well worth the wait. Grade: A

  For Estevao: An undeniable risk. As already mentioned, Estevao had his pick of Europe’s elite. In that sense, Chelsea is a strange choice. It’s a club in a constant state of chaos in which several young players – Palmer excluded – have almost inevitably failed to justify massive transfer fees. The Blues won’t be in the Champions League next season and, having once again changed manager, there’s no guarantee that they will be when Estevao arrives either. It’s no surprise, then, that the decision to move to Chelsea has bemused many Brazilians, particularly as Estevao said all along that his dream was to join Barcelona. Now, the Catalans’ cash-flow problems obviously made that impossible (for now, at least) and the word coming out of the player’s camp is that they feel he’s more likely to get game time at Stamford Bridge, as opposed to the Etihad, the Emirates, Parc des Princes or the Allianz Arena, but the fear is that Estevao will struggle to break through at Chelsea as much as his compatriot Andrey Santos, who spent all of last season out on loan. Grade: C

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  June 7: Tosin Adarabioyo (Fulham to Chelsea, free)

  For Fulham: A significant but unsurprising blow. As soon as Adarabioyo turned down an offer that would have made him one of the highest-paid players at the club, it was clear that his days at Craven Cottage were numbered. Still, seeing the centre-back leave on a free transfer – and then promptly join Chelsea – will obviously be a tough one for both the club and the fans to take. Grade: F

  For Chelsea: Not exactly a signing to set pulses racing at Stamford Bridge. Adarabioyo is hardly going to fill the colossal void left behind by Thiago Silva. On the contrary, his arrival is likely to hasten the departure of academy product Trevoh Chalobah as Chelsea look to balance the books after an unprecedented, two-year spending spree. Adarabioyo is solid, he should prove a decent squad player and, from a purely financial perspective, the Blues will feel this deal makes an awful lot of sense. Grade: C+

  For Adarabioyo: The right time to try his luck at a higher level. He’s 26 now and the word is that while Chelsea offered him a better financial package than Newcastle, the main reason he picked west London over Tyneside was the chance to play in continental competition. Adarabioyo certainly won’t go straight into the starting line-up and there’s an obvious risk that comes with joining such a chaotic club, but the familiarity with his surroundings and the lack of pressure on his shoulders should at least make it easier for him to produce his best football. Grade: B

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  June 3: Kylian Mbappe (PSG to Real Madrid, free)

  For Paris Saint-Germain: Nasser Al-Khelaifi stated several times that there was no way PSG would allow the best player in the world to leave on a free transfer. Well, it’s happened, so this cannot be portrayed as anything but a sporting and financial disaster for the French champions. Yes, PSG will save a fortune in wages. Yes, Mbappe’s behaviour had become a major problem. But losing him for nothing reflects horribly on those in power at the Parc des Princes. In a way, Mbappe may well have done PSG a favour by exposing the folly of pursuing and indulging “flash, bling-bling” superstars, and there are already signs that the club’s Qatari owners have seen the error of their ways. However, the damage already done to their brand is colossal. PSG really do risk irrelevance without their most marketable player. Mbappe, remember, was PSG’s poster boy, their homegrown hero and the “cornerstone” of their entire project; instead, he’s left it on the verge of complete collapse. Grade: F

  For Real Madrid: Pure perfection. Florentino Perez has finally got his man – and without having to pay a transfer fee. Obviously, Madrid are still handing over a king’s ransom to land Mbappe, in terms of his salary and signing on-fee, but this has worked out better than anyone connected to the club could have expected. It may have taken longer than they would have wanted, but the World Cup winner is still only 25, meaning his peak years are still ahead of him. In that sense, it feels a lot like Cristiano Ronaldo’s arrival in Madrid all the way back in 2009: an already world-class talent perfectly primed to take his game to a whole other level at the biggest club in the world. Mbappe’s arrogance is obviously off the scale and there are question marks over where exactly he will play – but who better than Carlo Ancelotti, the master of managing egos, to make it work?! Grade: A+

  For Mbappe: A dream come true. Mbappe has wanted this since he was a kid. He probably needs it at this stage of his career, too. There were those within French football who believed Mbappe was stagnating in Paris, that he really needed a new challenge away from his hometown. Now, he’s got the biggest one in football: proving his greatness at Real Madrid. Obviously anything other than Champions League glory and a first Ballon d’Or will be deemed failure, but let’s face it, if Mbappe stays fit, he’ll run riot in Spain, no matter what position he plays in. He’s just that good. Grade: A+

  Source goal.com