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For some football fans, the summer is the part of the calendar that they look forward to the most – and that’s not just because it’s filled by a World Cup every four years! Rather, it’s because the end of the season means only one thing: It’s time for transfers! The 2026 window is likely to once again be bust, with some huge names set to make big-money moves before deadline day on September 1.
We know that some transfers turn out well for all parties involved, but there are plenty where at least one of the clubs, or even the player, are left wondering what might have been had they made a different decision while at the negotiating table.
GOAL is here, then, to ensure you know who did the best out of every massive deal before the players have even been officially unveiled. Throughout the summer window, we will be grading every done deal as it happens, letting you track the big winners — and losers — of transfer season.
For Liverpool: An emotional exit. Robertson easily ranks as one of the finest signings in the club’s history, a key figure in the Jurgen Klopp era acquired for just £8 million from Hull City all the way back in 2017 and, in his pomp, was arguably the best left-back in the world. There’s no denying, though, 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 have even sold Robertson during the winter window had they been able to recall Kostas Tsimikas from Roma. The problem now, though, is that Kerkez still hasn’t fully settled at Anfield, while it became painfully clear during a trying 2025-26 campaign for the Reds that Robertson’s experience, tenacity and personality are going to be sorely missed on Merseyside. Indeed, the worry among the fanbase now is that Robertson’s departure, along with that of Mohamed Salah, will only result in standards falling even further next season.
For Tottenham: Still a surprising move. Spurs obviously tried to sign Robertson in January, but it was difficult to work out why exactly. The Tottenham squad may have been lacking in 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 he could certainly help new coach Roberto De Zerbi cultivate a new culture of 100 percent commitment within the squad. The fact that he’s belatedly arriving on a free is a nice little bonus, but the feeling persists that Tottenham didn’t necessarily need Robertson.
For Robertson: A puzzling decision. One can understand why Robertson was willing to leave Liverpool in January. He’d been relegated to second-choice behind a player who wasn’t 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. Robertson ultimately started more games in the second half of the season than he probably expected, meaning he’s in decent shape as he heads off to North America, but there was never any chance of him staying at Anfield, because Liverpool didn’t offer him an extension at any point. However, he did have options other than Spurs, with Juventus among those said to have been interested in signing the Scotland skipper. It’s, thus, a little strange that he’s decided to join a club that only barely avoided relegation to the Championship on the final day of the season. However, Robertson may actually find Tottenham are a more attractive option now than they were in January, given De Zerbi is unquestionably capable of significantly improving Spurs over the summer. We’re still not convinced, though, that Robertson will actually play much more in north London than he did at Liverpool last season.
For Atalanta: Yet another demonstration of their brilliant business model. Atalanta signed Ederson from Salernitana in 2022 for roughly €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 that included a historic Europa League success. There’s no doubt that replacing the Brazilian will be difficult, but this is what Atalanta do: they unearth rough diamonds and then sell them on to the highest bidder a few seasons later. Remember, Atletico Madrid also wanted Ederson, but Atalanta stood firm on the fee and United ultimately agreed to pay what they were demanding for a player with just one year left on his contract. Just more excellent work from one of the best recruitment teams in the business.
For United: A sensible signing from a club renowned for reckless recruitment. With Casemiro having bid a fond farewell to Old Trafford, United were in need of another midfielder, so they’ve gone for a like-for-like replacement by bringing in another Brazilian ball-winner who can also play. Ederson’s stock has fallen somewhat over the course of the past year – which is why he’s not in Carlo Ancelotti’s World Cup squad and Casemiro is. However, that arguably has a lot to do with Gian Piero Gasperini leaving Atalanta last summer, as Ederson was previously considered “the lynchpin” of the terrific team that dismantled Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen in the 2024 Europa League final. Back then, Ederson was being 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 might not be as good as Casemiro was in his prime, he’s a serious upgrade on Manuel Ugarte!
For Ederson: The big move he’s long deserved. Ederson has never hidden his interest in playing in the Premier League, and now he’s going to get a chance to test himself in a championship that should suit his particular set of skills. Ederson is excellent when it comes to both reclaiming and maintaining possession, while he also poses a threat in the box. One could, of course, argue that he’d have been better of joining Diego Simeone’s Atletico, but Michael Carrick was a fine defensive midfielder in his own right and, even more importantly, appears to have restored some stability at 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 at ‘The Theatre of Dreams’, which would undoubtedly go a long, long way towards getting him back into the Brazil squad.
For Newcastle: A telling change of approach. Newcastle fought tooth and nail to hold onto Alexander Isak last summer before belatedly allowing him to join Liverpool. Sad as it may seem, it would have been far better just to give in immediately and let him leave as soon as he handed in a transfer request, as the disruption caused by the striking Swede did Eddie Howe and his players no favours at all. Newcastle have, thus, moved quickly to offload another unsettled forward – and for a fantastic fee. Gordon is a hard-working, talented and versatile attacker – but he’s never done anything for club or country to suggest that he’s worth £69m. Of course, the challenge now for Newcastle is to invest the money wisely, because they completely wasted what they got for Isak, and attracting top talent isn’t going to be any easier this summer. The Magpies can no longer offer Champions League football to potential new recruits, and their pathetic 12th-placed finish in the Premier League, coupled with Gordon’s desire to follow Isak out the door at St. James’ Park, proves 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 haven’t been in a position to spend big on players for some time now due to their well-documented issues adhering to La Liga’s strict financial regulations, so it doesn’t bode well that their first move after finally getting their house in order is to blow €80m on Gordon. The England international should certainly prove a useful addition. He can play pretty much anywhere across the front three and is a pressing machine – unlike Marcus Rashford – so it’s easy to understand why Hansi Flick gave Gordon’s arrival the green light. However, there’s simply no getting away from the fact that Barca have overpaid. Granted, Gordon could have a good World Cup, thus casting the price in a more favourable light, while it’s also been pointed out that the 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 appearances is a far better indicator of the kind of strike-rate Barca supporters should expect from their latest signing. So, while Gordon is more likely to give Flick what he wants from a winger, and he’ll be on a smaller wage than Rashford, there was better value to be found elsewhere, suggesting Barca are back to having more money than sense.
For Gordon: The stuff dreams are made of. Despite some seriously inconsistent performances in the Premier League, particularly over the past two years, Gordon has got the move to a big club that he’s been clearly eyeing for some time now. He admitted himself that he had his head turned by previous links with hometown club Liverpool, whom he also supported as a boy, while it initially looked like he was going to join Bayern Munich this summer. However, the Bavarians understandably baulked at the asking price and therein lies the big challenge now facing Gordon. The possible arrival of Julian Alvarez would take a fair bit of attention away from the 25-year-old, but he’ll still be under enormous pressure to justify his fee – because Barca haven’t paid €80m for a bit-part player. Gordon’s got to prove himself worthy of starting for a star-studded side, and that won’t be easy. Just ask Rashford, who is now looking surplus to requirements at Camp Nou despite racking up a combined 28 goals and assists in his debut season at Barca. Still, Gordon can probably hardly believe his luck. He’s going to go from playing with Anthony Elanga to lining up alongside Lamine Yamal!
