Manchester City‘s dominance of English and European football has heralded a shift in the transfer policy of their major rivals. After watching Pep Guardiola’s team build their treble success on the foundation of a formidable midfield, everybody else is now trying to sign midfielders.
In the Premier League, seven of the 10 biggest transfers so far this summer have involved midfielders. It will be eight once Arsenal break the £100 million barrier for the first time by completing their move for West Ham captain Declan Rice in the coming days.
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Liverpool have signed two by recruiting Brighton & Hove Albion‘s Alexis Mac Allister and RB Leipzig‘s Hungary international Dominik Szoboszlai, while Manchester United have added Chelsea‘s Mason Mount to their squad. Tottenham Hotspur have completed a deal for Leicester City’s James Maddison and Newcastle United have started to prepare for their first UEFA Champions League campaign in 20 years by completing a club-record £55m move for AC Milan playmaker Sandro Tonali.
It’s not just the Premier League where clubs are prioritising such specific recruitment. The biggest transfer anywhere this summer so far has been Real Madrid‘s £88m move for Borussia Dortmund‘s Jude Bellingham — a deal that could eventually be worth £114m with add-ons — which points to the Spanish club’s determination to dethrone City as European champions.
