SouthernWorldwide.com – For many football enthusiasts, the summer season is eagerly anticipated, and it’s not solely due to the quadrennial World Cup. The conclusion of the football season heralds the opening of the transfer window, a period brimming with excitement and speculation.
The 2026 transfer window is poised to be a busy one, with numerous high-profile players expected to make significant moves before the September 1 deadline. While some transfers prove beneficial for all parties involved, many result in clubs or players regretting their decisions made during negotiations.
GOAL aims to provide a clear assessment of every major deal as it unfolds. Throughout the summer, we will be evaluating each completed transfer, allowing fans to track the ultimate winners and losers of the transfer season.
For Liverpool: This marks an emotional departure. Andrew Robertson is undeniably one of Liverpool’s greatest signings. He was a pivotal player during the Jurgen Klopp era, acquired for a mere £8 million from Hull City in 2017. At his peak, he was arguably the world’s best left-back.
However, age has begun to take its toll on the 32-year-old. This prompted Liverpool to secure Milos Kerkez last summer as his replacement. They even considered recalling Kostas Tsimikas from Roma during the winter window if circumstances allowed.
The current concern is that Kerkez has not yet fully integrated into the squad at Anfield. Furthermore, Liverpool’s challenging 2025-26 campaign highlighted the significant void left by Robertson’s experience, tenacity, and leadership on Merseyside.
The fanbase now worries that Robertson’s exit, coupled with Mohamed Salah’s departure, will lead to a further decline in standards next season.
For Tottenham: This remains a surprising acquisition. Tottenham had previously attempted to sign Robertson in January, but the rationale behind the move was unclear. While the squad had deficiencies in quality and depth, left-back was not a primary area of concern.
Ben Davies had suffered an ankle injury, but Spurs still had Destiny Udogie and the versatile Djed Spence available. Additionally, Brazilian teenager Souza had recently joined from Santos. The argument for signing Robertson was his potential to bolster a struggling dressing room and assist new coach Roberto De Zerbi in fostering a culture of unwavering commitment.
The fact that he arrives on a free transfer is a welcome bonus. However, the lingering sentiment is that Tottenham did not necessarily need Robertson.
For Robertson: A perplexing decision. It is understandable that Robertson sought to leave Liverpool in January. He had become a second-choice player behind an underperforming teammate and desired regular Premier League football in the lead-up to the World Cup, a prospect Spurs appeared willing to offer.
Robertson ultimately played more games in the latter half of the season than anticipated, putting him in decent form for the upcoming tournament. However, his departure from Anfield was inevitable, as Liverpool never offered him a contract extension.
He did have other options besides Spurs, with Juventus reportedly showing interest in the Scotland captain. It is somewhat unusual, therefore, that he has chosen to join a club that narrowly avoided relegation to the Championship on the final day of the season.
Nonetheless, Tottenham might now present a more appealing prospect than they did in January, given De Zerbi’s proven ability to significantly improve teams. However, it remains uncertain whether Robertson will feature more prominently in North London than he did at Liverpool last season.
For Atalanta: This exemplifies their exceptional business model once again. Atalanta signed Ederson from Salernitana in 2022 for approximately €23 million and could potentially double that fee by selling him to Manchester United, following four years of outstanding service that included a historic Europa League triumph.
Replacing the Brazilian will undoubtedly be challenging. However, this is Atalanta’s specialty: identifying promising talents and subsequently selling them to the highest bidder a few seasons later. Atletico Madrid also pursued Ederson, but Atalanta held firm on their valuation, and United ultimately agreed to their terms for a player with only one year remaining on his contract.
This is another testament to the outstanding work of one of the best recruitment departments in the industry.
For United: A prudent acquisition from a club often associated with impulsive spending. With Casemiro having departed Old Trafford, United required another midfielder. They have opted for a direct replacement, signing another Brazilian ball-winner who can also contribute in other areas.
Ederson’s stock has slightly declined over the past year, which explains his absence from Carlo Ancelotti’s World Cup squad and Casemiro’s inclusion. This decline may be largely attributed to Gian Piero Gasperini’s departure from Atalanta last summer. Ederson was previously considered the linchpin of the remarkable team that defeated Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen in the 2024 Europa League final.
At that time, Ederson was linked with clubs like Liverpool and Manchester City. If he can recapture that form, he could form a formidable midfield partnership with Kobbie Mainoo. While Ederson may not match Casemiro’s prime, he represents a significant upgrade on Manuel Ugarte.
For Ederson: The significant move he has long deserved. Ederson has consistently expressed his desire to play in the Premier League, and he will now have the opportunity to test his abilities in a league that should suit his skill set.
Ederson excels at both winning and retaining possession and also poses a threat in the attacking third. One could argue that joining Diego Simeone’s Atletico might have been a better option. However, Michael Carrick was a capable defensive midfielder in his own right and appears to have restored stability at Old Trafford, a club previously considered a risky destination for talented players seeking to elevate their careers.
In our view, Ederson possesses all the attributes to make a substantial impact at ‘The Theatre of Dreams,’ which would undoubtedly contribute significantly to his return to the Brazil squad.
For Newcastle: A notable shift in strategy. Newcastle fiercely resisted offers for Alexander Isak last summer before eventually sanctioning his move to Liverpool. While disappointing, it would have been more beneficial to have agreed to his departure immediately after he submitted a transfer request, as the disruption caused by the Swedish striker negatively impacted Eddie Howe and his players.
Newcastle has now acted swiftly to offload another unsettled forward, securing a substantial fee. Gordon is a hardworking, talented, and versatile attacker, but his contributions for club or country have not justified a £69 million price tag.
The challenge for Newcastle now is to invest this money wisely, as they squandered the funds received for Isak. Attracting top talent will be even more difficult this summer, as the Magpies can no longer offer Champions League football to potential recruits. Their disappointing 12th-place finish in the Premier League, coupled with Gordon’s desire to follow Isak out of St. James’ Park, indicates that Newcastle is no longer a major contender among England’s elite under the increasingly disengaged Saudi Arabian ownership.
For Barcelona: A truly concerning development. Barcelona has been unable to spend significantly on players for some time due to well-documented struggles with La Liga’s stringent financial regulations. Therefore, it is not a positive sign that their first move after finally addressing their financial situation is to spend €80 million on Gordon.
The England international should undoubtedly be a valuable addition. He can play across the front three and is an effective presser, unlike Marcus Rashford. It is easy to understand why Hansi Flick approved Gordon’s transfer.
However, the fact remains that Barcelona has overpaid. Admittedly, Gordon could have a strong World Cup, which might put the price in a more favorable light. It has also been noted that he scored 10 goals in this season’s Champions League. However, six of those goals came against Qarabag and Union Saint-Gilloise, with half being penalties.
Twelve goals in his last 60 Premier League appearances is a more accurate indicator of the strike rate Barcelona supporters should expect from their new signing. While Gordon is more likely to provide Flick with what he desires from a winger and will earn a lower wage than Rashford, better value could have been found elsewhere, suggesting Barcelona may be reverting to having more money than sense.
For Gordon: This is the stuff dreams are made of. Despite some highly inconsistent performances in the Premier League, particularly over the last two years, Gordon has secured the move to a major club he has clearly been seeking. He himself admitted that his head was turned by previous links to his hometown club, Liverpool, whom he supported as a child. It initially seemed he would join Bayern Munich this summer.
However, the German club understandably balked at the asking price, and therein lies the significant challenge facing Gordon. The potential arrival of Julian Alvarez would divert some attention from the 25-year-old, but he will still be under immense pressure to justify his fee, as Barcelona has not paid €80 million for a fringe player.
Gordon must prove himself worthy of starting for a star-studded team, which will not be easy. Just ask Marcus Rashford, who is now considered surplus to requirements at Camp Nou despite contributing a combined 28 goals and assists in his debut season at Barcelona. Nevertheless, Gordon can likely scarcely believe his luck. He is moving from playing with Anthony Elanga to lining up alongside Lamine Yamal!
