Summer to Forget
The transfer window closed on Monday night for most major leagues, following a chaotic deadline day. Clubs collectively spent a record €767 million on this deadline day alone, surpassing the previous record of €518 million set during the 2023/24 season. The standout deal was Alexander Isak’s long-awaited transfer to Liverpool for a remarkable English record fee of €145 million.
This summer’s transfer window was marked by intense activity, with clubs breaking the record for overall spending. A staggering total of over €10 billion was allocated to new signings, reaching €10.32 billion, exceeding the previous record of €8.86 billion from the 2023/24 season. While the top five leagues have closed their windows, some countries, including Turkey and Saudi Arabia, still have open transfer periods. Established in 2004, Transfermarkt’s renowned market values provide insight into player worth in a free market. Using these figures, we examined which clubs experienced the most significant losses in market value throughout the summer transfer window.
Clubs with the Biggest Market Value Losses This Summer
Bayer Leverkusen’s summer can only be described as tumultuous, as they lost many of their key players and their manager. Xabi Alonso moved to Real Madrid, and former Manchester United coach Erik ten Hag was dismissed after just two Bundesliga matches amid off-field controversies. Leverkusen saw their squad valuation plummet by €254 million, the largest drop of any club, due to the departures of key players such as Florian Wirtz, Jeremie Frimpong, Jonathan Tah, and Granit Xhaka.
As illustrated in the graphic above, RB Leipzig faced the second-largest decline, with their market value decreasing by €170 million. This drop was primarily due to high-profile departures including Benjamin Sesko to Manchester United and Xavi Simons to Tottenham. Bundesliga clubs have successfully secured substantial fees from Premier League teams this summer. Notably, Serie A is the only top five league absent from the top ten, with Juventus experiencing the largest market value loss among Italian clubs at €41 million, ranking 13th overall.
