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For some football fans, summer is the part of the calendar they look forward to most – and not just because it is filled with a World Cup every four years! Rather it’s because the end of the season only means one thing: it’s time to make transfers! The 2026 window is likely to fail again, with some big names set to make big money moves before the September 1 deadline.
We know that some transfers go well for all parties involved, but there are many where at least one of the clubs, or even the player, wonders what would have happened if they had made a different decision while at the negotiating table.
GOAL is here, then, to ensure you know who did best in each major deal before the players have been officially introduced. During the summer window, we’ll be rating each done deal as it happens, allowing you to keep track of the big winners (and losers) of the transfer season.
For Liverpool: An emotional outlet. Robertson easily ranks as one of the best signings in the club’s history, a key figure in the Jurgen Klopp era acquired for just £8m from Hull City in 2017 and, in his pomp, was arguably the best left-back in the world. There is no denying, however, that age had begun to catch up with the 32-year-old, which is why Liverpool moved early to replace him by bringing in Milos Kerkez last summer, and would even have sold Robertson during the winter window if they had been able to recall Kostas Tsimikas from Roma. The problem now, however, is that Kerkez is yet to fully settle at Anfield, while it became painfully clear during a difficult 2025-26 campaign for the Reds that Robertson’s experience, tenacity and personality will be sorely missed on Merseyside. Indeed, the concern among fans now is that Robertson’s departure, along with that of Mohamed Salah, will only result in standards dropping further next season.
For Tottenham: It’s still a surprising move. Spurs obviously tried to sign Robertson in January, but it was difficult to understand why exactly. The Tottenham team may have lacked quality and depth in several areas of the pitch, but left back wasn’t really one of them. Ben Davies had just broken his ankle, of course, but Spurs still had Destiny Udogie and the versatile Djed Spence to choose from, while Brazilian teenager Souza had just arrived from Santos. The argument was that Robertson would have been an important addition to a dressing room in disarray and could certainly help new coach Roberto De Zerbi cultivate a new culture of 100 per cent commitment within the team. The fact he is arriving late and for free is a small bonus, but the feeling remains that Tottenham didn’t necessarily need Robertson.
For Robertson: A puzzling decision. You can understand why Robertson was willing to leave Liverpool in January. He had been relegated to second choice behind a player who was not performing particularly well and wanted regular Premier League football in the run-up to the World Cup, something Spurs were apparently willing to offer him. In the end, Robertson started more games than he probably expected in the second half of the season, meaning he is in good form as he heads to North America, but there was never any chance of him staying at Anfield as Liverpool never offered him an extension. However, he had other options other than Spurs, with Juventus said to be interested in signing the Scottish captain. Therefore, it is a bit strange that he decided to join a club that barely avoided relegation to the Championship on the final day of the season. However, Robertson may find Tottenham a more attractive option now than in January, given that De Zerbi is undoubtedly capable of significantly improving Spurs over the summer. However, we are still not convinced that Robertson will play much more in north London than he did in Liverpool last season.
By Atalanta: Another demonstration of their brilliant business model. Atalanta signed Ederson from Salernitana in 2022 for around €23m and could now almost double that fee if all add-ons are met by selling him to United after four years of fantastic service which included historic Europa League success. There is no doubt that replacing the Brazilian will be difficult, but that is what Atalanta does: they dig up diamonds in the rough and sell them to the highest bidder a few seasons later. Remember, Atlético Madrid also wanted Ederson, but Atalanta stood firm on the fee and United finally agreed to pay what they demanded for a player who only had one year left on his contract. Just more great work from one of the best recruiting teams in the business.
For United: A sensible signing from a club known for its reckless signings. After Casemiro bid a fond farewell to Old Trafford, United needed another midfielder so opted for a like-for-like replacement by bringing in another Brazilian who can also play. Ederson’s stock has fallen a bit over the past year, which is why he is not in Carlo Ancelotti’s World Cup team and Casemiro is. However, that arguably has a lot to do with Gian Piero Gasperini’s departure from Atalanta last summer, as Ederson was previously considered “the lynchpin” of the fantastic team that dismantled Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen in the 2024 Europa League final. Back then, Ederson was linked with the likes of Liverpool and Manchester City, and if he can rediscover that form, he could form a formidable midfield partnership with Kobbie Mainoo, because while Ederson may not be as good as Casemiro was in his prime, he is a major improvement over Manuel Ugarte!
For Ederson: The big move he deserved for a long time. Ederson has never hidden his interest in playing in the Premier League and will now have the opportunity to test himself in a championship that should suit his particular abilities. Ederson is excellent when it comes to winning back and maintaining possession, while also posing a threat in the box. Of course, one could argue that he would have been better off joining Diego Simeone’s Atlético, but Michael Carrick was an excellent defensive midfielder in his own right and, even more importantly, he appears to have restored some stability to Old Trafford, which was previously considered a very dangerous destination for talented footballers hoping to take their game to the next level. As far as we’re concerned, Ederson has everything to make a big impact in ‘The Theater of Dreams’, which would undoubtedly contribute a lot to his return to the Brazil national team.
For Newcastle: A revealing change of focus. Newcastle fought tooth and nail to retain Alexander Isak last summer before belatedly allowing him to join Liverpool. As sad as it may seem, it would have been much better to concede immediately and let him leave as soon as he submitted a transfer request, as the disruption caused by the Swedish attacker did Eddie Howe and his players no favours. Newcastle have therefore moved quickly to offload another unstable striker – and for a fantastic fee. Gordon is a hard-working, talented and versatile attacker, but he has never done anything for club or country to suggest he is worth £69m. Of course, the challenge now for Newcastle is to invest the money wisely, because they completely blew what they got for Isak, and attracting top talent won’t be any easier this summer. The Magpies can no longer offer Champions League football to potential new recruits, and their pathetic 12th place finish in the Premier League, coupled with Gordon’s desire to follow Isak to St. James’ Park, demonstrates that Newcastle are no longer a serious threat to England’s elite under increasingly disinterested Saudi Arabian owners.
For Barcelona: A really worrying sign. Barcelona have not been in a position to spend much on players for some time now due to their well-documented problems with compliance with La Liga’s strict financial regulations, so it does not bode well that their first move after finally getting their house in order is to spend €80 million on Gordon. The England international should certainly prove a useful addition. He can play virtually anywhere in the top three and is a pressing machine, unlike Marcus Rashford, so it’s easy to understand why Hansi Flick gave the green light for Gordon’s arrival. However, the fact that Barça has overpaid cannot be ignored. Of course, Gordon could have a good World Cup, thus casting the price in a more favorable light, while it has also been noted that Scouser scored 10 times in this season’s Champions League, but six of those goals came against Qarabag and Union Saint-Gilloise, and half from the penalty spot. Twelve goals in his last 60 Premier League games is a much better indicator of the kind of goal rate Barça fans should expect from their latest signing. So while Gordon is more likely to give Flick what he wants in a winger, and will receive a lower wage than Rashford, better value can be found elsewhere, suggesting Barca are back to more money than sense.
For Gordon: What dreams are made of. Despite some seriously inconsistent performances in the Premier League, particularly in the last two years, Gordon has moved to a big club he has clearly had his eye on for some time. By his own admission his head was spinning over his previous links to his hometown club Liverpool, which he also supported as a child, when it initially looked like he was set to join Bayern Munich this summer. However, the Bavarians understandably balked at the asking price and therein lies the big challenge Gordon now faces. The possible arrival of Julián Álvarez would take a lot of attention away from the 25-year-old, but he will still be under enormous pressure to justify his fee, because Barça have not paid €80 million for a secondary player. Gordon has to prove he’s worthy of being a starter on a star-studded team, and that won’t be easy. Just ask Rashford, who now appears surplus to requirements at the Camp Nou despite racking up a combined 28 goals and assists in his debut season at Barca. Still, Gordon probably can barely believe his luck. He will go from playing with Anthony Elanga to lining up alongside Lamine Yamal!
