The 2017 summer transfer market for English football officially opened on July 1, despite having previously had a few major signings such as Ederson, Bernardo Silva ( Man City), Victor Lindelof (Man United), Mohamed Salah (Liverpool).
However, which transfer window is the most valuable this summer in England remains a mystery. Let's look back at the most expensive deals in the Premier League in the summers of 2012 to 2016:
2012: Eden Hazard
The midfielder officially moved to Chelsea on 1 July 2012 with a transfer fee of £32 million. Eden Hazard's destination became a hot topic of controversy that summer. Man United was once considered the Belgian's destination, but in reality it did not happen.
Man United then changed to Robin van Persie. Five days before the start of the new season, they had bought the striker from Arsenal for £24 million. Van Persie immediately brought success to Man United while Hazard also had promising performances for Chelsea.
After 5 years, Hazard is in a solid position at Chelsea, although not every season has been a success. He won the Premier League in 2014-2015 and 2016 2017 with the Blues.
2013: Mesut Ozil
Arsenal spent £42.5m to sign Mesut Ozil from Real Madrid on 2 September 2013. Spending such a large amount of money is still considered the most daring act in the transfer market by coach Arsene Wenger. Ozil is still the most expensive player in Arsenal's history.
In the 2013-14 season, his first season in England, Ozil lost form and fitness in February and March. That shows that the German midfielder is not ready to meet the harsh physical requirements of the Premier League.
However, Ozil now has 42 assists in the Premier League after 4 years. His contract with Arsenal only has 1 year left and it is still uncertain whether he will sign a new contract or not.
2014: Angel Di Maria
On August 26, 2014, Man United officially acquired Di Maria from Real Madrid for £59.7 million. However, the Argentine midfielder is considered one of the most disappointing signings in the history of the "Red Devils". He struggled to adapt to life in England and the football environment here.
In fact, Di Maria has had good performances in the first weeks at Man United. However, he soon fell out with coach Louis van Gaal's complex philosophy. In the summer of 2015, Man United suffered a £15 million loss when selling Di Maria to PSG.
2015: Kevin De Bruyne
Man City spent £57 million to bring De Bruyne from Wolfsburg to the Etihad team. In the 2015-16 season, a knee injury forced him out of action for three months. Therefore, he could not fully develop his abilities.
Having worked with Pep Guardiola in 2016-17, De Bruyne has yet to have a stable performance. Injuries have remained a problem for him this season despite being a top top playmaker in the Premier League.
2016: Paul Pogba
The deal for Paul Pogba to move from Juventus to Man United has become the most expensive transfer in the history of world football with a value of 89.3 million pounds. Pogba has officially returned to his former club after a long period of speculation.
Coach Mourinho has used Pogba in many different positions in the 2016-2017 season. However, this is a season in which the French midfielder leaves many doubts about his ability to shine in big matches. A 2-0 win over Chelsea in the Premier League return and a joint win over Ajax Amsterdam in the Europa League final were the matches Pogba truly shined in.
