On the other side of the El Clásico, Real Madrid have signed 23-year-old Colombian player James Rodríguez from Monaco. The World Cup golden boot winner joins after an incredible showing at the 2014 Fifa World Cup in Brazil where he helped Colombia reach the quarter-finals and also walked away with the goal of the tournament award.
Toni Kroos has also joined Real Madrid from Bayern Munich. The German has signed a six-year deal for an undisclosed fee.
Arsenal, who splurged last season on Mesut Özil, have now bought Chilean attacker Alexis Sánchez from Barcelona. The signing has also made Sánchez the club’s second most expensive signing in history.
Chelsea have also made a few purchases, the most notable being that of Cesc Fàbregas (moving from Barcelona), Diego Costa and Filipe Luís (both moving from Atlético Madrid). Chelsea’s prodigal son Didier Drogba has returned to Stamford Bridge. Following stints at Shanghai Shenhua and Galatasaray, Drogba has come back to his old number 11 as Oscar now wears Frank Lampard’s number eight.
After a shock opening day loss to Swansea, Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal refused to comment on the number of players he might need to sign. “I don’t discuss that with you. That would make the wrong theme of this press conference. You [the press] will now make it a relationship with this match. It is not like that,” Van Gaal said.
With a few days left in the transfer window, more twists and turns are set to shock us before the window closes.
