All summer long, GOAL will be handing out grades for the biggest transfers from around the world…
For some football fans, the summer 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 window proved to be one of the busiest in recent times, with some huge names making 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 has been here throughout the summer to ensure you know who did the best out of every massive deal as we graded each done deal as it happened, letting you track the big winners – and losers – of transfer season.
Check out all of our grades below, and let us know what you think in the comments section…
Getty/GOALSeptember 1: Gigi Donnarumma (Paris Saint-Germain to Manchester City, £30m)
For PSG: A massive call by Luis Enrique. The PSG coach has taken full responsibility for the decision to get rid of the goalkeeper who played such an integral role in last season's Champions League triumph and he freely admits Donnarumma is one of the best shot-stoppers in the world. However, Luis Enrique has never been convinced by the Italian's ability on the ball, which is why he says he needed "a different type of goalkeeper". Hence, the summer move for Lucas Chevalier, who is much more comfortable with the ball at his feet. From a financial perspective, PSG have done well here, as they've banked decent money for a player with less than a year left on his contract, but Luis Enrique really needs Chevalier to succeed at Parc des Princes to avoid looking foolish for ditching Donnarumma in such unceremonious circumstances. Grade: B-
For City: A puzzling move by Pep Guardiola. Ederson exhibited some signs of decline last season, so his move to Turkey isn't all that surprising. However, City had already replaced the Brazilian with James Trafford, who was key to Burnley securing promotion to the Premier League. It's now clear, though, that Trafford will be back warming the bench at the Etihad due to the arrival of Donnarumma, who isn't an especially good sweeper-keeper at all. So, does his arrival signal a change in Guardiola's tactics? Are City going to start knocking it long a lot more this season? Donnarumma is an outstanding goalkeeper; he'll definitely keep out shots that Ederson would have let in – and maybe that's all that Guardiola cares about now. We could be about to see a more pragmatic Pep than ever before. As it stands, though, it's really strange that a coach that sent Joe Hart packing almost a decade ago for not being good enough with his feet has just signed a No.1 exiled by PSG for precisely the same reason. Grade: C+
For Donnarumma: An interesting challenge. Donnarumma was left with no option but to find a new club after being mercilessly frozen out of the first-team picture at Parc des Princes by Luis Enrique, and was rightly upset by the way in which he was treated by the club. He deserved better, but the manner of his departure will doubtless provide him with plenty of fuel to prove PSG wrong. Indeed, if he were to slot seamlessly into a Guardiola side, it would be incredibly embarrassing for Luis Enrique. Of course, for all of the reasons listed above, that won't be easy, because it's worth remembering that Donnarumma was still making costly mistakes at PSG during the first half of last season. He only really came good during the Champions League knockout stage and the general lack of interest in his services (which had a lot to do with his salary demands) meant that there was a very real risk of him ending up at Galatasaray, which would have felt like such a waste. Moving to Manchester City rather than Manchester United also gives Donnarumma a greater chance of succeeding in the Premier League – but everything really will hinge on him getting to grips with Guardiola's footballing philosophy, which, as Trafford has already discovered to his cost, can lead to embarrassing gaffes. Grade: B
AdvertisementGetty ImagesSeptember 1: Senne Lammens (Royal Antwerp to Manchester United, £18.5m)
For Antwerp: A lucrative success story. Antwerp picked Lammens up on a free transfer in 2023 after the youngster had failed to make the grade at Club Brugge, primarily due to the enduring excellence of Simon Mignolet, and although he initially struggled for game time at the Bosuilstadion, he featured regularly under Mark van Bommel before becoming Jonas De Roeck's first-choice goalkeeper. New coach Stef Wils was just as impressed with Lammens' ability, but Antwerp were never going to turn down what is good money for a relatively inexperienced 23-year-old plying his trade in the Belgian Pro League. Grade: B+
For United: Hopefully the answer to their goalkeeping problem. For a long time this summer, the presumption was that United would sign Emiliano Martinez, the World Cup winner who was very clear about his desire to leave Aston Villa. However, United have instead decided to go in a very different direction by bringing in a young, up-and-coming shot-stopper who has been compared favourably with Thibaut Courtois. The big question now, though, is whether Ruben Amorim will throw Lammens straight into his starting line-up after the international break, given Altay Bayindir and Andre Onana haven't proven themselves remotely reliable in recent weeks (and months!). Grade: B
For Lammens: A daunting but exciting challenge. Lammens is still learning his trade having only made just over 50 appearances at senior level, but he's undoubtedly a shot-stopper of real world-class potential. Lammens earned a fully deserved call-up to the Belgium squad due to his fantastic performances for Antwerp last season, while he also ended up making more league saves than any other goalkeeper across Europe's top 10 leagues. There is, of course, a concern over how he will cope with the pressure that comes with representing United as even more highly-rated youngsters than Lammens have been traumatised by the toxic atmosphere at Old Trafford in recent years. Whatever happens, though, this is the kind of opportunity that Lammens probably dreamed of as a child. The No.1 jersey really is there for the taking and Lammens appears to have the combination of physicality and footwork that Amorim wants in a goalkeeper. Grade: A
Getty/GOALSeptember 1: Nicolas Jackson (Chelsea to Bayern Munich, loan)
For Chelsea: A remarkable turn of events. Chelsea were all set to accept Bayern's offer of a loan deal with an option to buy. However, the Blues looked to pull the plug on the transfer after Liam Delap picked up an injury in Saturday's win over Fulham. Neither Jackson nor Bayern were willing to give up, though, and their collective desperation played perfectly into Chelsea's hands. Admittedly, the final fee depends on certain targets being met, but no matter what happens between now and next summer, Chelsea are set to make a big profit on a £32m signing that Enzo Maresca had lost all faith in due to Jackson's profligacy and propensity for picking up stupid yellow and red cards. Grade: B+
For Bayern: A disturbingly desperate move. Taking Jackson on loan would have been one thing; accepting an obligation to buy him is quite another. Jackson is erratic, in every sense. There is arguably a good striker in there somewhere and it's not as if Bayern have an abundance of viable alternatives up front to Harry Kane. The Bavarians let Thomas Muller go during the summer and failed to wrap up a deal for Nick Woltemade before Newcastle signed the Stuttgart centre-forward in double-quick time. Consequently, they were left with no real option but to take a punt on someone – but this is a wild bet. Granted, Jackson managed to hit double figures in each of his two seasons in the Premier League and he might well prove a decent understudy for Kane, but Bayern have undoubtedly taken a huge risk by committing so much money to signing such an inconsistent and volatile centre-forward. Grade: C-
For Jackson: A better move than he could have expected. Jackson's limitations were brutally exposed last season, with the Senegal international guilty of a number of shocking misses that often visibly upset team-mate Cole Palmer. Despite his struggles, though, Jackson has been picked up by one of the biggest clubs in European football and he’ll no doubt believe himself capable of eventually becoming Bayern’s first-choice No.9. Certainly, Kane can't go on forever and Jackson, who is eight years younger than the England captain, should find playing for Bayern in the Bundesliga a lot easier than leading the line for Chelsea in the Premier League. Grade: B+
Getty ImagesSeptember 1: Yoane Wissa (Brentford to Newcastle, £55m)
For Brentford: Amazing money but terrible timing. As recently as Saturday, Brentford boss Keith Andrews reiterated his belief that Wissa would still be a Brentford player after the close of the transfer window – but the Bees have long been fighting a losing battle. As soon as Wissa threw his toys out of the pram, it was clear that he'd eventually get his way. Unfortunately, Brentford had to wait until deadline day to get the fee they wanted out of Newcastle – but it really is a sensational sum for an attacker who turns 29 on Wednesday. The flip side, of course, is that unless they can convince Borussia Dortmund to sell Max Beier, they're not going to have sufficient time to bring in a worthy replacement and that would be a major issue for Andrews, who has lost two of his first three Premier League games in charge. Grade: B
For Newcastle: Pure relief. Having been rejected by a plethora of potential summer signings, Newcastle have finally landed one of their top targets. The only issue is that they've been absolutely taken to the cleaners by Brentford. However, Newcastle weren't really in a position to haggle and their Premier League rivals knew that they were both desperate and flush with cash after selling Alexander Isak to Liverpool. The Magpies were in dire need of a quality replacement for Callum Wilson and Wissa unquestionably fits the bill. He's Premier League-proven, having hit double figures in each of his past two Premier League seasons and, perhaps more importantly than anything else, he has the requisite set of skills to play in the same attack as Nick Woltemade. Grade: B
For Wissa: The public plea worked! Although there has been a lot of talk about the way in which Isak forced his way out of Newcastle this summer, Wissa secured a switch to Tyneside in just as undignified a manner. Just like Isak, the DR Congo forward spoke about broken promises, while he also argued that Brentford were demanding an unreasonable amount of money for his services, and he probably has a point in that regard – but it was all very messy. Still, Wissa will feel that the end justified the means. With the last big move of his career, he's finally going to get a chance to play Champions League football – and that's all that matters to him now. Grade: A-
