Every year, clubs face the task of improving their team.
Be it the elite sides looking to take themselves to the next level or teams trying to bolster their existing options to be more competitive, the transfer business in football is a never-ending search for that oft-elusive upgrade.
Some clubs did, however, manage to secure a massive improvement in the transfer market and, in some cases, the new arrival proved crucial in the chase for silverware. An upgrade, of course, doesn’t have to be a like-for-like replacement nor does it have to be a big-money megastar. As will become evident as we go through this list, sometimes the impact of a player can be quite an unexpected thing.
So, here are the five biggest transfer upgrades of the 2023/24 season…
Kai Havertz to Cole Palmer (Chelsea)
Kai Havertz once arrived at Stamford Bridge as one of European football’s biggest stars. Chelsea had shelled out a whopping €80 million, but other than scoring a Champions League-winning goal (quite the feat, to be fair), the German’s time in west London was not a fruitful one.
Havertz left Chelsea in the summer as a major flop and was replaced with Man City youngster Cole Palmer, arriving for €47m. The 22-year-old has been an absolute revelation and almost a one-man show at Chelsea, even battling Erling Haaland for the Premier League Golden Boot. Palmer is already the player – and much more – that Blues fans thought they would have in Havertz
Gabriel Jesus to Kai Havertz (Arsenal)
What’s this? Havertz again? Yes, the German’s departure from Stamford Bridge appears to have been a win-win scenario for everyone involved. After a slow start, the versatile attacker has become a stunning success at Arsenal.
Capable of playing in midfield and at centre-forward, Havertz has been an upgrade on Gabriel Jesus even though the Brazilian is still a brilliant player for Mikel Arteta and company. However, his frequent injury issues have meant that Havertz is simply a much more reliable option for the Gunners.
Andre Onana to Yann Sommer (Inter)
Inter were laughing all the way to the bank when they managed to flip free-transfer signing Andre Onana to Man Utd for €50m. The hit-and-miss goalkeeper was replaced with Bayern’s Yann Sommer, who arrived for just €6.8m.
The Swiss number one has been nothing short of sensational in Milan and often proved a real difference-maker as Simone Inzaghi’s men romped to their 20th Scudetto. Despite his advanced age of 35 and his relative lack of height for a goalkeeper, Sommer has been an absolutely brilliant acquisition.
Marco Asensio to Jude Bellingham (Real Madrid)
Few people would have anticipated Jude Bellingham evolving into one of Europe’s deadliest attackers upon arriving at Real Madrid for €103m. Often a deep-lying midfielder at Borussia Dortmund, the English wonderkid was expected to be used in Los Blancos’ engine room.
However, Carlo Ancelotti had other ideas and has given Bellingham the freedom to be a roaming attacking midfielder, often playing as more of a striker, and this means that he has been a quite sensational upgrade on Marco Asensio, who departed for PSG on a free transfer and hasn’t fared particularly well in Paris.
Sadio Mane to Harry Kane (Bayern Munich)
Bayern Munich broke the bank to replace Sadio Mane with Tottenham great Harry Kane and the England international has done exactly what he was signed for: score goals. Kane has been on an absolute tear in the Bundesliga and the Champions League and the €100m it took to sign him look like money well spent.
Liverpool legend Mane had arrived with sizeable expectations in 2022 but failed to live up to the hype and, after punching teammate Leroy Sane in a dressing room bust-up, was offloaded to Saudi Arabia after just one season. The veteran winger has not been missed in Munich.
