As the World Cup comes to an end, the transfer window is beginning to pick up heat. Teams across Europe are looking to strengthen their squads ahead of the 2026-27 season, with Champions League teams such as Manchester United, PSG, and Aston Villa all making moves today.
Johan Manzambi: Freiburg to Aston Villa (€60m)
Manzambi’s name and price took a big boost from his performance at the World Cup. With 3 goals and 2 assists in four appearances for Switzerland this summer, the breakout star of the World Cup saw a lot of interest from clubs across Europe. The expectation was that Newcastle were set to sign the 20-year-old, but Aston Villa swooped in to hijack the Geordie club’s pursuit.
Youri Tielemans: Aston Villa to Manchester United (€41m)
Manchester United’s transfer business for a midfielder took a twist this week as their agreed deal with Atalanta for Brazilian midfielder Ederson was called off. After officially confirming the signing of Andrey Santos from Chelsea today, it was expected that Manchester United would continue their pursuit of another midfielder. By signing Tielemans, United have chosen a more experienced central midfielder for their second signing of the window by activating his reasonably priced €41m release clause.
Maxime Estève: Burnley to RB Leipzig (€32m)
For a Burnley team that struggled throughout their entire campaign, Maxime Estève was a standout player for the relegated side. It was expected that due to this performance, Estève had little to no interest in playing in the second tier of English football. RB Leipzig, who have never been shy to invest in young players, have now signed the 24-year-old French center-back for a €32m fee.
Francisco Trincão: Sporting to Al Ahli ($45m + $5m add-ons)
Al Ahli were expected to invest some money into their attack following the expiration of Riyad Mahrez’s contract. Trincão, who once played for FC Barcelona, had a great campaign last season with 13 goals and 15 assists across 54 games for Sporting CP. Now, Al Ahli will be hoping that Trincão can help lead them to the top of the Saudi Pro League.
Lucas Digne: Aston Villa to PSG (€10m)
Back-to-back Champions League winners PSG have made their first move of the transfer window with the signing of French left-back Lucas Digne. The French champions officially informed Aston Villa that they will be paying the defender’s release clause, which is just under €10m. Digne has started in all three knockout games for France and played a big role in Aston Villa’s success last season. PSG, who tend to rotate a lot in their league matches, have found the perfect backup for Nuno Mendes.
Leandro Trossard: Arsenal to Besiktas (€18m + €2m add-ons)
This is definitely the most shocking move of the day. Trossard, who played a big role for Arsenal in their Premier League-winning campaign, will be making a €18m move to Turkey. Trossard was a standout player for a Belgian side that reached the quarterfinals of the World Cup, and will now be playing Europa League football with Besiktas.
