Transfer market: Dates, issues, players... Six questions before the opening of the summer market

Let's go. The summer transfer window, one of the most anticipated periods in planet football, one of the busiest, sometimes one of the most frustrating but nevertheless, overall, one of the most exciting, has begun. And it is France which has the honor of opening the ball this Saturday, June 10, 2023. The Netherlands and England will enter the scene shortly after, respectively two and four days later. The other major European football countries - Germany, Italy, Spain, Portugal - will join them on July 1.

On the Old Continent, the transfer market will close between August 31 (Netherlands and Italy) and September 1, 2023 (France, England, Germany, Spain). Only small exception: Portugal will make the fun last until September 22nd.

Summer transfer window dates for major European leagues (according to Transfermarkt data):

France: June 10-September 1

Netherlands: June 12-August 31

England: June 14-September 1

Germany: July 1-September 1

Italy: July 1-August 31

Spain: July 1-September 1

Portugal: July 1-September 22

The stakes of this summer transfer window are enormous. Several big European teams will have to renew their workforce in the coming weeks to be competitive again or to become so again. After a disastrous season, Chelsea should be particularly active in the coming weeks, both in terms of arrivals and departures; the same, to a lesser extent, for Liverpool. Their English counterpart, Newcastle United, with its significant financial resources, should be enterprising in order to confirm its good exercise. In Spain, the two ogres that are FC Barcelona and Real Madrid - especially with the departure of Karim Benzema with regard to the latter - should certainly strengthen in order to return to the front of the European scene.

Across the Rhine, FC Bayern Munich, after its disappointing second half of the season, could also invest massively this summer - particularly in the offensive sector -, especially since several players (such as Benjamin Pavard) could leave the Bavaria. In Italy, Juventus Turin will be eagerly awaited during this transfer market; the Old Lady has, indeed, a great need to transform her workforce to regain her rank. Finally, in France, Paris SG - which has already concluded the arrivals of Milan Skriniar, Marco Asensio and Manuel Ugarte - should, once again, invest massively in the hope (as every year) of being able to raise the Champions League at the end of the season. In Ligue 1, Olympique de Marseille and Olympique Lyonnais should also be (very) active.

Many players are expected to blow up this summer transfer window. First of all, we have certain elements free of any contract, like Ilkay Gündogan (32 years old), who is courted by FC Barcelona, ​​and Marcus Thuram (35 years old), who would (strongly) interest Paris SG. Others, at the end of their cycle in their current club, are announced starters. This is the case of West Ham central midfielder Declan Rice (24) - who could join Arsenal -, Manchester City attacking midfielder Bernardo Silva (28), Paris SG attacking midfielder Neymar (31 years old) or even Tottenham center forward Harry Kane (29 years old) who would be one of the tracks considered by Real Madrid to replace Karim Benzema.

Finally, a few players who come out of a remarkable 2022-2023 financial year could be transferred for crazy sums. We think in particular of the French Manu Koné (Borussia Mönchengladbach, 22), excellent in the Bundesliga for two years, and Randal Kolo Muani (Eintracht Frankfurt, 24), who has had Europe at his feet for several months. But also, and above all, to Victor Osimhen (24) who could leave SCC Naples after the Scudetto; the Nigerian would be in the small papers of many big clubs of the Old Continent. In France, midfielders Khephren Thuram (OGC Nice, 22) and Mattéo Guendouzi (Olympique de Marseille, 24) as well as center-forward Loïs Openda (RC Lens, 23) should certainly make the object of important offers.

Players at the end of the contract, and therefore free to engage with the formation of their choice, are not lacking (still) this summer. And among them, there are several big names in football. Some are likely to return to their current club; this is the case, in particular, for the Madrilenians Luka Modric (37 years old) and Toni Kroos (33 years old) and for the Mancunian David de Gea (32 years old). Others are in the process of signing up with a new team, such as Marco Asensio (27), announced for Paris SG, and N'Golo Kanté (32) who should join Saudi Arabia; Milan Skriniar (28), for his part, would have agreed with the club from the French capital last winter. Finally, some are still in the unknown: the Turinese Angel Di Maria (35 years old) and Adrien Rabiot (28 years old), the very courted Ilkay Gündogan (32 years old) or Marcus Thuram (25 years old), who would be in the small papers of Paris SG.

SEE ALSO - The best of Angel Di Maria with Juventus Turin

Among the five most expensive transfers in history, there are three French. In the summer of 2019, FC Barcelona did not hesitate to drop 120 million euros to secure the services of Antoine Griezmann (32 years old). The same year, the Colchoneros had made the bet to buy João Félix (23) from Benfica Lisbon for 127 million euros. In August 2017, the Blaugrana invested 135 million euros to recruit Ousmane Dembélé (26) from Borussia Dortmund. During the same summer, Paris SG had put their hands in their pockets - to say the least - by attracting both Monegasque Kylian Mbappé (24) for 180 million euros (officially loaned with option to buy, the operation was taken into account during the following financial year) and the Barcelonan Neymar Jr (31 years old) for 222 million euros.

Last summer, no transaction exceeded €100 million, as was the case in previous seasons. However, several transfers were particularly high. After a title-rich stint with Real Madrid, Casemiro (31) joined Manchester United for 70.65 million euros. Aurélien Tchouaméni (23), he went from AS Monaco to the White House for 80 million euros. It is for the same sum that Darwin Nuñez (23) joined Liverpool FC from Benfica Lisbon. The operation of Wesley Fofana (22 years old) - transferred from Leicester City to Chelsea - was a bit more important since it amounted to 80.4 million euros. The most expensive transfer is to the credit of the Red Devils who offered Antony (23 years old) by paying 95 M € to Ajax Amsterdam.