The 2024 January transfer window was the quietest in recent memory as purse strings were tightened due to concerns over potential breaches of Financial Fair Play and Profit and Sustainability Rules. Unprecedented new spending records had been posted in the previous three transfer windows, with the Premier League (and more specifically, Chelsea) responsible for most of the eye-watering deals, but it wasn't sustainable.
This summer there has been more of a balance. Money has been splashed across Europe again, but clubs are no longer paying over the odds for their priority targets, and there has been more focus on younger talent instead of established names.
The Premier League has pulled off a few exciting deals, with Manchester United and Arsenal snapping up Joshua Zirkzee and Riccardo Calafiori from Bologna, respectively, but the other top four leagues on the continent have generally been more proactive on the recruitment front.
Below, GOAL has ranked the 15 best-value transfers from outside England of the summer so far, from a United States star embarking on a new career chapter to a World Cup winner who has reportedly taken a considerable pay cut to fulfil another lifelong dream...