10 Absolute Bargains of 2018 Summer Transfer Window

In the craziness of transfer windows involving the transfer fees more than the GDP of a number of third world countries, which clubs were smart enough to get a quality player for an absolute bargain?

The transfer market has gone wild ever since PSG decided to pay Neymar’s release clause. After that transfer, the €100m barrier has been shattered again and again. Even the record for the most expensive goalkeeper, which was held by Gigi Buffon for 17 years, was broken twice in the last two months. And by the looks of it, Real Madrid will have to splash out nothing less than €250m for Cristiano Ronaldo’s replacement.
But in this same transfer market, there are a few clubs who have managed to sign some quality players at a price, which is nothing less than an absolute steal. Let us take a look at 10 such bargain transfers in 2018 summer transfer window:

10. Aleksandr Golovin (Monaco, €30m):

The hero of Russia’s World Cup campaign, Golovin moved to AS Monaco after spending four years in the senior side of CSKA Moscow. Although the French club did not reveal his transfer fee, it is expected to be around €30m, which is a nothing price for the 22-year old in the current transfer market.
Golovin scored a goal from the free kick against Saudi Arabia in the World Cup opener and assisted two more in the tournament as became the household name for football fans. But the midfielder has been running the show in Russia for quite some time now. Last season at CSKA Moscow, Golovin scored 5 goals and assisted 4 as his club finished 2nd in the league. The youngster loves to play in the attacking mid with his dribbling skills and ability to create opportunities for strikers.
And the Russian will continue to grow under Monaco manager, Leonardo Jardim, who is famous for bringing the best out of his youngsters. And there is a good chance that Golovin might move to a bigger European club after 2-3 seasons with his market value €60-70m by that time.

9. Daniel Wass (Valencia, €6m):

Not the most famous name in Europe, but those who follow La Liga must have heard of him. During his time at Celta Vigo, he must have troubled your favorite team with his runs on the wing.
The 29-year old Danish international is one of the most versatile players in La Liga as he can play as a wing back and wide midfielder on either side of the field. And last season at Celta, he scored 4 goals and assisted nine. And how much did Valencia pay for him after that? Just €6m!
Wass is almost always precise with his crosses from the wings and even his long-range passes. And the midfielder can also take his shots from quite some distance. The Dane started his career at Valencia by assisting Rodrigo for the equalizer against Atletico Madrid in the season opener.
So, despite being 29-year old, €6m is a real bargain price for a player who is likely to contribute in 10+ goals this season as well.

8. Rui Patricio (Wolves, Free):

In their first season back in the Premier League, Wolverhampton needed a quality goalkeeper to have any chance of surviving the top tier. And they could not have thought of a better option than a 73-time capped Portugal goalkeeper, Euro 2016 winner, Rui Patricio. And they got him for FREE!
The Portuguese spent his entire career at Sporting CP before an unfortunate incident involving violence from supporters at the club forced him to request the transfer. And Wolves had even submitted a €18m bid for the goalkeeper before his contract was terminated and the English club got their man without spending a penny.
And Wolves could not have been happier about the situation. Patricio has played in the Champions League, World Cup and every big tournament there is to be played. His experience will be crucial for the newly promoted club. Patricio has already helped his club in the Premier League as Wolves earned a draw against Manchester City.

7. Gelson Martins (Atletico Madrid, Free):

Another Sporting CP player who had his contract terminated following the violent incident in the Portuguese club’s training center. But at the age of 23 and with his market value between €35-40m, losing Gelson Martins for free must have hurt Sporting CP much more than losing Patricio.
Martins scored 8 goals and assisted 8 more in the Primeira Liga last season and there would have been a bidding war in the transfer market for the Portuguese if it wasn’t for Atletico snapping him for free. Martins was also included in the Europa League Team of the Season 2017-18, where he was an integral part of Sporting’s journey to quarter-finals, only to be beaten by his new club, Atletico Madrid.
The 23-year old winger is known for his dribbling and passing in the box as it was evident last season. And with Atletico Madrid’s quality strikers and support from Thomas Lemar on the other wing, Martins can form a deadly partnership at the Spanish capital.

6. Lucas Torreira (Arsenal, €30m):

A solid defensive midfielder who hardly puts a foot wrong on the field, Lucas Torreira was signed by Arsenal for €30m. And with the Uruguayan still just 22, his transfer fee is a bargain, given how crucial he could be for Arsenal’s chances to finish in top four this season. With Xhaka struggling in the first three games, Torreira’s appearances off the bench have proven his calibre.
The Uruguayan earned a name for himself during his time at Sampdoria in the defensive midfield role. Torreira’s ball interception in the middle of the field, passing, tackling and overall contribution is exactly what the Gunners need with the concerns about their back four.
The 22-year old keeps also his composure like an ice cube while playing the ball out of danger. In his three substitute appearances, Torreira has maintained the passing accuracy of 93%. During his time in Italy, he has also scored a few goals at crucial moments, with his ability to hit the back of the net from a long range.

5. Max Meyer (Crystal Palace, Free):

22-year old players are generally busy making name for themselves while fighting for game time. But not Max Meyer. The German spent six seasons for Schalke’s senior team, where he bagged 192 appearances for them – an astonishing number for any 22-year old.
With the kind of experience he has, the midfielder would have been a quality addition to any squad. But Crystal Palace managed to pounce on his issues with the German club and signed him for free – Or simply stole him!
Although he is yet to start a game for Palace, trust Meyer to grab his chances and pull the strings in the midfield. The German’s passing is simply too good and with a little more composure during the attack, he can become a vital cog in Roy Hodgson’s squad.

4. Justin Kluivert (Roma, €17.25m):

When you are a son of legendary Patrick Kluivert all the eyes will be on you. But the 19-year old Justin has impressed everyone with his game as he is set out to make a name for himself, instead of just being called as Patrick Kluivert’s son.
The Dutch international attracted interests from Manchester United and Barcelona, a club he wishes to play for in the future. But he was mature enough to take a right step at this stage of his career. Result? Roma got one hell of a deal for a player who scored 10 goals and bagged 5 assists for Ajax last season.
The winger dazzled with his pace and dribbling on the left wing during his time in the Netherlands. And is set to continue that in Italy. Justin also showed his decision making and passing ability as he assisted Eden Dzeko to score a winner in Roma’s season opener.
The boy who dreams of playing for Barcelona one day is a bargain for €17.25m and Roma will make sure they ask for a sizable transfer fee from the Catalans if the opportunity comes up in a few seasons.

3. Thibaut Courtois (Real Madrid, €35m):

While the world is busy paying €65m for Alisson and €80m for Kepa, the winner of Golden Glove in Russia must be sold for a higher transfer fee, right? Well, not exactly. Chelsea was forced into selling the Belgian shot-stopper for just €35m, which is simply unfair to the Blues.
Real Madrid signed Courtois for a price which is at least €30m less than his current market value. And despite the fight for No. 1 spot with Keylor Navas, given the Belgian’s abilities, it is just a matter of weeks before he makes that spot his own. With age on his side, Courtois has solved Madrid’s transfer issues for years to come.
Courtois’s height gives him the advantage to stretch much more than others and add his reflexes and calm composure to it and you have one of the best goalkeepers in the world. He might not be the sweeper-keeper like most of the goalkeepers in the modern day football but Courtois rarely makes a mistake with his passing and while coming off the line.

2. Cristiano Ronaldo (Juventus, €112m):

I’m not a Ronaldo fanboy to simply force his name into every list. But I can prove how a 33-year old is a bargain at €112m. Just hear me out.
For starters, that man has come to Juventus after scoring 44 goals last season, including 15 in the Champions League, won the Champions League for the 5^th time in his career and also scored four goals in the World Cup, including a hat-trick against Spain. (Was that too heavy for the starters?)
Ronaldo is at Juventus to win the Champions League and we all know that. And we also know what he has done in the Champions League in the last few years. He might have slowed down for a 38-game league, but when it comes to the European competition there is no one better than him. So what is wrong with Juventus breaking the bank for him if they want to win the Champions League after failing twice? Do you want me to write down the exact amount PSG has spent so far in search of the European glory?
But that’s just on the field. And it’s great. But modern day football is a business and you have to excel at that too if you want to survive in this hurricane. And Juventus have precisely done that.
Juve’s market value before Ronaldo’s transfer was €665m which went up to €1.035b in less than two months after the Portuguese arrived in Turin. Ronaldo has some 100m plus fans on Instagram alone while Juventus have 15m followers on Insta. (It was 11m before Ronaldo’s arrival) Ronaldo has brought his army with him to Italy. And it is only going to make Italian football better.
Since his arrival, Ronaldo is selling a jersey every 6 minutes. Every six minutes!! Juve’s official website has listed their authentic home jersey for €129.95 and Ronaldo has been in Italy for more than a month now. You do the math!
The transfer fee for Ronaldo is a very small figure if you consider how much the striker has helped Juventus and Italian football to grow in just one month. And we are just getting started.

1. Leon Goretzka (Bayern Munich, Free):

When Bayern and Barcelona both want a certain player – The transfer war is in the stores. And that is exactly what should have happened in Goretzka’s case. But instead, the German decided not to renew his contract with Schalke and signed a pre-contract agreement with Bayern Munich. And the Bavarians bagged one of the most exciting prospects of German football for FREE!
Goretzka, as he himself said is a tradition No. 8 midfielder who occupies the role in the central midfield and when he comes out to attack, he doesn’t go back empty-handed. And he proved it in his first start for Bayern with a goal and an assist.
The 23-year old likes to control the midfield with his passing and is also strong in the defense. In his last season with Schalke Goretkza averaged 1.6 interception and 1.2 clearances per game. And stats don’t lie.  With his contribution in both the halves, Bayern has got a brilliant midfielder for free. Someone should seriously report that as a crime!