Florian Wirtz is a potential Ballon d'Or winner of the future - but Liverpool are still overpaying for the German superstar: GOAL grades the biggest deals of the 2025 summer transfer window

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! The 2025 summer window is set to be one of the busiest in recent times, with some huge names already being linked with big-money moves.

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 players have even been officially unveiled. 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.

June 20: Florian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool, £116m)

For Leverkusen: The best possible outcome in the circumstances. In an ideal world, they would have held onto Wirtz for at least another season, but it quickly became clear as the summer transfer window approached that he was ready to move on. Once that happened, Leverkusen's objective became keeping him out of the clutches of Bayern Munich, who thought they were going to get the most talented young player in Germany for around €100m - particularly after Manchester City baulked at the asking price. However, then Liverpool entered the race, and so desperate were the Reds to sign Wirtz, that Leverkusen were able to secure a record fee for a Bundesliga player. The money raised will go a long way towards Bayer rebuilding their team after not only the loss of Wirtz but also Jeremie Frimpong and Jonathan Tah. Grade: A+

For Liverpool: A stunning statement of intent. Liverpool fans have long accused Fenway Sports Group (FSG) of failing to spend enough money on players, but the American owners have just blown both Bayern and City out of the water to land Wirtz. It says a lot of things, obviously. Firstly, they have no intention of resting on their laurels after winning last season's Premier League. Secondly, they have the utmost faith in Arne Slot. And, thirdly, they believe beyond a shadow of a doubt that Wirtz is worth the British-record fee. In truth, no player is really worth such a colossal sum of money, but there is no denying that he is a potential game-changer for a team that was lacking a more creative and productive No.10 than Dominik Szoboszlai. So, have Liverpool overpaid for Wirtz (particularly when one considers what Rayan Cherki has just gone for)? Yes. But have they also just signed a potential Ballon d'Or winner? Absolutely. Grade: B+

For Wirtz: The step up in class he was always going to make. There was never any doubt that Wirtz would leave Leverkusen - and sooner rather than later. The only uncertainty lay over where he would end up. It's hard not to feel he's chosen very, very wisely. Wirtz would no doubt have been brilliant at Bayern, but his particular set of skills are definitely more needed at Liverpool, while playing in the Premier League should bring the absolute best out of a player that has a frankly scary amount of potential. It's certainly not hard to imagine him forming a terrific understanding with Mohamed Salah, while he should absolutely adore playing at Anfield in front of fans that are already giddy with excitement at seeing him in the club's famous all-red strip for the first time. Wirtz is undoubtedly good enough to have excelled at the Etihad, the Allianz Arena or even the Bernabeu, but it sounds as if he had his heart set on becoming a Kop icon - and there's no reason why he can't realise that dream. Grade: A

June 13: Franco Mastantuono (River Plate to Real Madrid, €40m)

For River Plate: A crushing reminder of their place in the pecking order of world football. River may still be one of the most famous clubs in the game but, just like everyone else in South America, the Argentinians are no longer in a position to compete with the financial might of Europe's top clubs, meaning their most exciting academy products are leaving earlier than ever before. Mastantuono only became River's youngest-ever goal-scorer last February; now, he's on his way to Spain after fewer than 50 Primera Division appearances. Of course, this is good money for an unproven 17-year-old, but that's scant consolation to fans that would have loved to have seen Mastantuono stay at least a few more seasons at the Monumental to give them a better shot at winning a first Copa Libertadores since 2018. Grade: D+

For Real Madrid: Further evidence of their determination to hoover up as much teenage talent from South America as possible. It's a recruitment policy that's paid off for Madrid in recent years, with Vinicius Jr and Rodrygo both becoming big stars at Santiago Bernabeu, and Florentino Perez will feel as if he's got one over on Paris Saint-Germain, who were leading the race for Mastantuono until Madrid entered the running. Of course, whether Los Blancos really need Mastantuono right now is open to debate, but if they hadn't made their move this summer, he clearly would have ended up alongside PSG's plethora of exciting young attackers at Parc des Princes. Madrid will, thus, believe that they had no option but to sign Mastantuono while they still could - especially as his value is only going to increase after breaking into the Argentina senior side. Grade: B+

For Mastantuono: The proverbial dream come true. Indeed, if nothing else, this move proves that Madrid remain the dream move for South American starlets, with the latest reports claiming that Mastantuono always had his heart set on joining the 15-time champions of Europe. It's obviously an incredibly exciting switch for the teenager, but it's not without its potential perils. Vinicius and Rodrygo both took a while to become regulars at Madrid, while Endrick has struggled for game time since joining from Palmeiras last summer. However, the mere fact that Xabi Alonso has apparently already spoken to Mastantuono suggests that he will have a significant role to play in the coach's plan to revamp Real this season. Grade: B+

June 12: Kevin De Bruyne (Manchester City to Napoli, free)

For Manchester City: A sad end for arguably the best player ever to represent the club. De Bruyne clearly wanted to stay for at least another season, but the powers that be at the Etihad felt that it wouldn't have been financially prudent to extend the contract of an attacking midfielder who turns 34 next month. In fairness, one can definitely understand the thinking. De Bruyne may have been involved in 14 goals during the 2024-25 campaign, but that's actually a pretty low number by his incredibly high standards and there’s no denying that the injury-prone Belgian is not the formidable force he once was. The likes of Micah Richards have argued that De Bruyne still had plenty to offer City, but Pep Guardiola has admitted himself that he erred badly by sticking with the old guard last summer when he should have been reinvigorating the squad, and clearly the Catalan doesn't want to make the same mistake again. As a result, a true Premier League icon has been sent packing. So, while it may seem harsh, it's probably the correct call. Grade: B

For Napoli: An exciting signing for a set of supporters still celebrating a surprise Scudetto success. De Bruyne is definitely in decline and there are doubts over his fitness, but we're still talking about one of the finest playmakers of his generation and Napoli have got him on a free, which is pretty much the key point here. Italian football should also suit his particular set of skills, as Serie A is less frenetic than the Premier League. It's more about intelligence than intensity and De Bruyne remains one of the smartest players in the game, an attacking midfielder capable of picking out passes that others can't even see. Antonio Conte will doubtless be happy to be able to call upon the best passer the Premier League has ever seen to break down Serie A's notoriously well-drilled defences. Grade: B+

For De Bruyne: A wonderful move. At De Bruyne's age, most living legends decide to move into a lucrative retirement home in Riyadh or Miami. De Bruyne, though, insisted all along that he could still cut it at the very highest level of the game and now he intends to prove it in Naples, one of the most passionate and pressurised environments in world football. Having spent the last decade playing at the soulless Etihad Stadium, he should love it, as he'll get to experience what it feels like to perform in front of a truly raucous crowd at the Diego Armando Maradona every second week - while at the same time living in one of the most beautiful and chaotic cities on the planet. If De Bruyne can stay fit (and it is a big 'if'), he should have an absolute blast at Napoli. After all, the fans already deified Scott McTominay. Just think at what De Bruyne could achieve in Naples! Grade: A+

June 11: Tijjani Reijnders (AC Milan to Manchester City, £46m)

For Milan: Another sad sign of the decline of a once great footballing institution. The seven-time champions of Europe have become a selling club over the past few years. Indeed, Milan were only able to buy Reijnders from AZ Alkmaar in the summer of 2023 after allowing Sandro Tonali to join Newcastle. Now, they're going to be on the look-out for another bargain buy capable of replacing the Netherlands international - and that will not be easy at all. Reijnders was one of the few shining lights in a depressingly dark season at San Siro, somehow managing to win Serie A's Best Midfielder award in a terrible team that finished eighth in the table. So, while Milan have made decent money on Reijnders, who was acquired for just €20m (£17m/$23m), the 26-year-old is going to be sorely missed. Grade: B

For City: A very shrewd signing. We're obviously not talking about an insignificant sum of money here - but it's pittance for City's Abu Dhabi-based paymasters, and Reijnders' arrival undeniably has the potential to reinvigorate a midfield that looked a little lifeless last season. The Dutchman can both score and create goals (he netted 15 times in total last season), while his work-rate and passing are both top drawer. City have essentially signed a new Ilkay Gundogan. Grade: A

For Reijnders: A timely and exciting step up in class. Reijnders deserves to be playing for an elite European team rather than a mediocre Milan side, so it's no surprise to see him jump at the chance to move to the Etihad as he approaches what should be his peak years. Obviously, he'll face more competition for a starting spot at City and Pep Guardiola is one of the most demanding coaches in the history of the game. However, the feeling has long been that Reijnders has it in him to become one of the best No.8s in world football - and he has every chance of realising that potential with the help of the Catalan coach. Grade: A+

June 10: Rayan Cherki (Lyon to Manchester City, £34m)

For Lyon: An exit as inevitable as it was essential. Lyon's financial problems are well-documented at this stage, so there was absolutely no chance of them rejecting anything resembling a reasonable offer for a player who had just a year left on his contract with the French club. Indeed, Lyon did well just to get Cherki to sign a one-year extension last September to remove the risk of them losing the attacker for nothing this summer. The only issue now: how to replace such a wonderfully creative player who provided 20 assists last season?! Grade: B-

For Man City: A calculated risk. Cherki has been considered a potential superstar since he was 16, but it's taken five years for one of Europe's elite to snap him up - and he's only just been capped by France for the first time. Why? Because of major concerns over both his attitude and his consistency. However, Cherki has been sensational for Lyon since being welcomed back into the squad after the resolution of his contractual situation. Only two players across Europe's 'Big Five' leagues, Bruno Fernandes and Raphinha, created more chances in all competitions this season than Cherki - and the 21-year-old played 13 games fewer than the pair. City's top target to fill the void left by Kevin De Bruyne was undoubtedly Florian Wirtz but, in Cherki, they've managed to sign a player arguably just as talented - and for roughly a third of the price. Grade: A

For Cherki: The perfect place to realise his full potential. Obviously, there will be intense competition for places at the Etihad (even after the departure of De Bruyne), but this feels like to be the perfect time to be joining City, with Pep Guardiola intent on rejuvenating his team. Cherki's still only young, of course, he still has much to learn, but the instant impact he made after coming off the bench for France in last week's Nations League clash with Spain only reinforced the impression that this is a player determined to make it for lost time. Cherki won't walk into Guardiola's starting line-up, but the likes of Phil Foden should be very, very worried about their starting spots. City have just signed a player of rare talent with the ball at his feet who seems to have really got his head together over the past year. Expect him to become a big hit with the Etihad faithful. Grade: A

June 10: Jobe Bellingham (Sunderland to Borussia Dortmund, €32m)

For Sunderland: Not what they would have wanted just a few weeks after winning the Championship play-off final. Sunderland owner Kyril Louis Dreyfus was determined to hold onto one of the key factors in their promotion to the Premier League. Unfortunately, the lure of following in his brother Jude's footsteps proved too difficult for Bellingham to resist. Sunderland, though, can console themselves with the fact that they'll end up securing a club-record fee for the 19-year-old if he meets certain, achievable targets at Signal Iduna Park. It's also worth noting that Sunderland will be entitled to a 15 percent cut of his next transfer fee, which could be quite lucrative if Bellingham proves even half as successful as his brother in Dortmund. Grade: B

For Dortmund: An expensive experiment to see if lightning really does strike twice. Dortmund's decision to make Jude the most expensive 17-year-old in history paid off spectacularly, with the England international eventually moving on to Real Madrid in 2023 for a base fee of €103m (£87m/$117m). They're now clearly hoping Jobe will prove just as sound an investment, and there are some grounds for optimism. Jobe doesn't look like a pre-ordained superstar like his older brother, but his potential is obvious. It wasn't just Dortmund who were courting him; Eintracht Frankfurt and RB Leipzig were interested in the box-to-box midfielder too, and as a result, Dortmund were willing to commit to a deal that could end up making Bellingham the costliest signing in the club's history. Grade: B-

For Bellingham: A bold move. Bellingham clearly wants to establish himself as a top player in his own right, but comparisons with his brother are even more inevitable now that he's joining Dortmund after being named the best young player in the Championship. Of course, the flip side is that we're talking about a club that not only treated his brother very well but is also renowned for honing young talent. Jude isn't even the only Englishman to become a star at Signal Iduna Park; there was also Jadon Sancho before that, while Jamie Gittens is presently poised to return to England with Chelsea after making a name for himself at Dortmund. Jobe is clearly confident of doing likewise in the coming years. Grade: B+

June 9: Rayan Ait-Nouri (Wolves to Manchester City, £31m)

For Wolves: A second significant departure in as many weeks. After losing star forward Matheus Cunha to Manchester United, Wolves are now selling their first-choice left-back to Manchester City. Of course, neither exit is particularly surprising. Both men were always going to jump at the chance to join a bigger club, particularly in the case of Ait-Nouri, who looks a very good fit for City. The Algeria international has also served Wolves well since joining on a permanent transfer from Angers in 2021 for just £9.8m. So, while this definitely feels like a good deal for City, Wolves have still made a healthy profit on a player that had just one year left on his contract, with a potential £5m in add-ons still to come. Grade: B

For Man City: A solution to their left-back problem. Josko Gvardiol's versatility was obviously one of the main reasons why City were willing to pay so much money to sign the former RB Leipzig defender in 2023 but, at the end of the day, his best position is centre-back and Ait-Nouri's arrival means that's where the Croatian will now get to play on a permanent basis. Indeed, the 24-year-old Ait-Nouri looks made for Man City, as he's excellent in possession (no defender was directly involved in more Premier League goals last season) and also highly adept at winning the ball back high up the field. The fee is hardly exorbitant either, making this look like a fine bit of business by City. Grade: A

For Ait-Nouri: An incredible opportunity. It's rare that a new signing goes straight into Pep Guardiola's starting line-up, as the Catalan is notoriously demanding, meaning a period of adaptation is usually required. Ait-Nouri, though, is the kind of multi-talented full-back City have been crying out for since Joao Cancelo fell out of favour at the Etihad. Obviously, he'll be under more pressure to perform than ever before, and his defensive work will come under intense scrutiny, as he is somewhat prone to little lapses in concentration. But, at the same time, Ait-Nouri should benefit enormously from not only playing under Guardiola, but playing alongside a gifted group of players. For the player, this just looks like the right move, at the right time. Grade: A+

June 4: Liam Delap (Ipswich Town to Chelsea, £30m)

For Ipswich: An inevitable consequence of their relegation from the Premier League. Truth be told, though, Ipswich probably would have lost Delap this summer even if they'd stayed up, given the way in which he caught the eye in a struggling side, as well as his desperately low buy-out clause. The Tractor Boys have obviously made a tidy profit on last summer's £20m ($27m) signing from Manchester City, but there will be some understandable frustration that the asking price was set so low for such a valuable player. Grade: C

For Chelsea: A perfect illustration of their recruitment strategy. Delap is young, talented and has a very high ceiling. The fact that he was available for a knockdown fee made him an incredibly attractive option for a team crying out for an upgrade on Nicolas Jackson, who scored just 10 goals last season. Delap, who hit 12 for a relegated team, is a better finisher than the Senegalese striker and also a much greater threat in the air. The 22-year-old should really enjoy playing with Cole Palmer - and vice versa. Delap is the kind of aggressive, physical and effective forward Chelsea have been lacking. Grade: B+

For Delap: Definitely a far better choice than joining Manchester United! Delap was unsurprisingly courted by several clubs and, at one point, appeared to be edging towards moving to Old Trafford. However, Chelsea could offer him several things that United could not, chief among them, Champions League football. Striker is also the one area where the Blues are not well-stocked with attractive options (for now, at least!). Delap clearly believes he can take Jackson's spot in attack - and rightly so. Granted, he'll be under a lot more pressure to score goals at Stamford Bridge than he was at Portman Road, but Delap, who proved a real nuisance for some of the Premier League's best defenders, undoubtedly has the ability to thrive at a higher level. The one minor concern is his disciplinary record (he picked up 12 yellow cards last season) but that can be partially attributed to the frustration that comes up ploughing a lone furrow up front for a poor side. Fair to say, he should feel far more at ease at Chelsea. Grade: A

June 1: Matheus Cunha (Wolves to Manchester United, £62.5m)

For Wolves: Undoubtedly a disappointing departure. Cunha has been the key element in Wolves' attack since arriving at Molineux in December 2022 with 33 goals in 92 games across all competitions. However, given the quality of his performances, he was always likely to leave at some point and, thanks to the pretty hefty buy-out clause, a tidy profit has been made on a player acquired for £35m ($47m). It should also be noted that Wolves stood their ground when it came to the structure of the payments. Replacing Cunha is obviously going to be a tough task, but Wolves coped well without him during last season's four-game suspension and there might even be a little relief at board level that they've managed to find someone willing to pay such a significant sum of money for such a combustible character. Grade: B+

For United: A risk - but one that simply had to be taken. Let's face it, Old Trafford is no longer the most attractive destination for top players. The ground is crumbling, the owners are odious, the fans are revolting and the team is terrible, which culminated in an embarrassing defeat to serial losers Tottenham that means United don't even have European football to look forward to next season. In that context, they've done well to sign one of the most exciting attackers in the Premier League. So, while there are undeniably concerns over Cunha's short fuse, and the fact that he flopped at Atletico Madrid before moving to Wolves, he'll be welcomed with open arms at Old Trafford - not least because his skillset appears to be well-suited to the left-sided No.10 role within Ruben Amorim's 3-4-2-1 formation. One worry, though, would be the fact that few players spend more time walking through Premier League games than Cunha! Grade: B

For Cunha: A strange decision on the face of it. Cunha said he wanted to leave Wolves to win titles and has previously been linked with far stronger sides than United, including Arsenal and Liverpool. However, the word is that a lot of top teams went cool on Cunha because of his hot head, which makes sense given he was banned for six games in total last season. Consequently, it's been reported that Cunha was effectively left with a simple choice: Manchester or Saudi Arabia? If that was really the case, he should be commended for taking the tougher but potentially more rewarding option (at least from a sporting perspective!). United, for all of their problems, remain a massive club, and if the Brazilian can replicate his Wolves form at Old Trafford, he'll become a firm favourite with long-suffering supporters crying out for a new idol. On the flip side, players more talented than Cunha have drowned in the cesspit that 'The Theatre of Dreams' has become over the past decade... Grade: B-

May 30: Jeremie Frimpong (Bayer Leverkusen to Liverpool, £30m)

For Bayer Leverkusen: Another sad sign that this is the end of a short but successful era. Xabi Alonso has headed for the Bernabeu, where he has replaced Carlo Ancelotti as Real Madrid coach, while now one of the key components in the Spaniard's undefeated double-winning team is on his way to Anfield. Such departures were always inevitable, of course; Leverkusen's historic exploits were never going to go unnoticed by Europe's elite. The one frustrating aspect of the Frimpong exit is that his buy-out clause was so low - particularly as Celtic are entitled to a £5m ($6.7m) cut of the fee. Frimpong has served Leverkusen well, but the club could have easily got double the money for such a talented 24-year-old on the open market. Grade: D

For Liverpool: The perfect tonic for losing Trent Alexander-Arnold to Real Madrid. Indeed, it's actually hard to think of a more exciting replacement. Frimpong doesn't have the same passing range as Alexander-Arnold, but he's a better dribbler and carries a far greater attacking threat. Not only has he racked up more assists than the Englishman over the past two years, Frimpong has been involved in more goals (38) in all competitions than any other right-back in Europe's 'Big Five' leagues during the same period. In that context, the fee has to be considered an absolute steal and evokes memories of the rapid move made to meet Alexis Mac Allister's buy-out clause at Brighton a couple of years ago. The one concern lies over the fact that Frimpong is very clearly better suited to playing as a wing-back than a full-back (he often looks like a winger!), which makes one wonder if Arne Slot is considering a change of formation, while some have suggested that he could even end up succeeding Mohamed Salah on the right-hand side of the attack. However he's deployed, though, Frimpong has the skills required to become an instant fan favourite at Anfield. Grade: A

For Frimpong: A long-awaited move to Liverpool. Frimpong revealed earlier this season that he came close to joining the Reds as a teenager, only to instead sign for Manchester City. He never made an appearance for the senior side at the Etihad, but he is now perfectly placed to belatedly become a Premier League star with Liverpool. Frimpong will face stiff competition for the right-back berth from Conor Bradley, but the main thing is that he's unlikely to have any issues settling into his new surroundings, given he'll have a Dutch coach and three Netherlands team-mates for company on Merseyside. Oh, and he already does a pretty impressive Liverpool accent! Grade: A

May 30: Trent Alexander-Arnold (Liverpool to Real Madrid, €10m)

For Liverpool: A devastating departure - as underlined by the acrimonious atmosphere at Anfield in Alexander-Arnold's first appearance in front of the Kop after his imminent exit had been finally confirmed. The right-back's decision has provoked a wide range of reactions, but one thing everyone could agree on is that Liverpool potentially losing arguably their most valuable asset to one of their great European rivals for free would have been a disaster from both an economic and sporting perspective. The owners and board directors should, then, take their fair shame of the blame for allowing this to happen, even if they did manage to recoup €10 million (£8.4m/$11.3m) so that he could join up with Madrid before the Club World Cup. After all, it's not as if Alexander-Arnold was the only star player on an expiring contract this season! Grade: D

For Real Madrid: Madrid have become masters of convincing world-class players to run down their contracts so that they can avoid paying hefty fees in order to sign them. David Alaba, Antonio Rudiger and Kylian Mbappe have all arrived at Santiago Bernabeu for nothing in recent seasons, and Alexander-Arnold, then, is just the latest top talent to have had his head turned by an approach from the kings of European football - as well as the chance to play alongside his good friend Jude Bellingham. Alexander-Arnold is obviously a very different kind of right-back to Dani Carvajal and there are ongoing concerns over his defensive work, but the Englishman should excel as a wing-back in the 3-4-2-1 formation favoured by new coach Xabi Alonso. Furthermore, with his incredible range of passing, Alexander-Arnold could also move infield during games to serve as the kind of deep-lying playmaker Madrid have been missing since Toni Kroos' retirement last summer. Basically, there are no real downsides to this deal for Los Blancos - even if paying €3m-per-game to have him play in the Club World Cup group stages is crazy! However, it also illustrates just how desperate Madrid are to have him. Grade: A

For Alexander-Arnold: A bold move. Alexander-Arnold looked destined to become Liverpool's next captain. Instead, he's tarnished his legacy by leaving the club on a free transfer - and to join Madrid, a club that have heaped an awful lot of misery on the Reds over the last few years. Consequently, a local lad who wanted to go down as a Liverpool legend like Steven Gerrard is more likely to be viewed with the same disdain by the fans as Michael Owen. Alexander-Arnold knew all of this course. He was acutely aware of how the manner of his exit would be perceived - and he went ahead with it anyway, which means he was probably braced for the bitter boos and scathing criticism he's received. The lure of Madrid was too strong for him, not least because he believes that they can help him realise his dream of winning the Ballon d'Or. He's no chance of doing so, of course, but the mere fact that it's his primary objective now tells you everything you need to know about Alexander-Arnold's new mindset. He wants to push himself to new heights and he is in no doubt that playing in the most high-pressure environment in world football will help him do that. Grade: B