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11 transfers from the summer of 2022 you might have missed

The 2022 summer transfer window has been an extremely busy one, with clubs from the Premier League, Serie A, Ligue 1, La Liga and the Bundesliga all desperately trying to compete for the next big thing.

Of course, transfers aren’t just about the big teams. Clubs at every level, from the lower leagues to Champions League contenders, are working hard to get the deals they need finished up before the new season starts.

From unearthing the latest wonderkid sensation to signing soon-to-be cult heroes, bringing in a new player in the summer can make or break a team’s season before it even kicks off.

So, whilst all the headlines are obsessing with the big moves, here are 11 transfers that might have gone under your radar.

Luis Suarez

One of the world’s best strikers during the 2010s has returned to his roots this summer as Suarez swapped Atletico Madrid for Nacional in his native Uruguay.

The 35-year-old has won an outstanding 18 trophies while showing goalscoring prowess with Ajax, Liverpool, Barcelona and the Uruguay national team.

And Suarez will be hoping to prove his fitness and form before November’s World Cup finals – with the backing of Nacional’s fanatic supporters.

Cesc Fabregas

London, Barcelona, Monaco… Fabregas is clearly somebody who enjoys living in luxurious cities and will spend the 2022-23 season in Italy with Como.

The Serie B side have signed Fabregas on a free transfer following the expiry of his Monaco contract and, on his days off, will surely be exploring Lake Como and the nearby Alps.

Aaron Ramsey

While Ramsey remains an important member of the Wales side, his fortunes at club level have been flatlining for some time.

His time at Juventus was an injury-hit failure, while his temporary spell with Rangers last season was defined by his shoot-out miss in their Europa League final defeat to Eintracht Frankfurt.

It was no surprise that the midfielder had his Juve contract terminated but nobody expected Ramsey to pitch up at Nice.

The Ligue 1 side, who have also signed Leicester goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel will allow the 31-year-old to finetune his match fitness before Wales’ first World Cup finals since 1958.

Wales midfielder Aaron Ramsey with the captain's armband against Belgium in the Nations League, Cardiff, Cardiff City Stadium, 11 June 2022.

READ: Ramsey’s outrageous spin-assist was peak Wales – watch out Qatar 2022

Nicolas Tagliafico

Linked with every upper-mid-table Premier League side over the past few years, Tagliafico decided to swap Ajax for Lyon during the summer window.

The Argentina international made 169 appearances for the Eredivisie side since joining the club in 2018, scoring 15 goals, and was part of their fairytale run to the 2019 Champions League semi-finals.

And the 29-year-old will be joining a Lyon squad desperate to atone for a disappointing 2021-22 campaign.

Takefusa Kubo

Kubo arrived at Real Madrid billed as the ‘Next Big Thing’ but failed to break into the Madrid first-team on a regular basis.

He’s now been sold to La Liga rivals Real Sociedad for a €6.5 million fee, with Madrid retaining some of the Japan international’s playing rights.

Arturo Vidal

Another decorated South American returning to his home continent, Vidal has signed for Flamengo on a deal that will run until December 2023.

The Chile international, who spent last season with Inter Milan, enjoyed a fantastic career in Europe and has spoken of his desire to win the Copa Libertadores with his new club.

Gedson Fernandes

Remember him, Spurs fans? Well, you probably wish you didn’t. Accidentally becoming the symbolic face of the Jose Mourinho Spurs era, the Portuguese midfielder spent 18 lacklustre months on loan in north London and pretty much did nothing.

He returned to parent club Benfica with his Premier League hopes quashed, and since then he’s been on loan at two different Turkish clubs, including Galatasaray.

But it’s a third Turkish club, Besiktas, where Fernandes will ply his trade next season. At just 23 years old he’s got the majority of his career ahead of him, and every chance of recapturing some of his potential.

Andre-Franck Anguissa

When Fulham were relegated to the Championship at the end of the 2018-19 season, Anguissa was loaned to Villarreal in an effort to get his wages off of the west London club’s books and ensure Anguissa didn’t become frustrated at having to play in the second tier.

That proved a masterstroke, as the Cameroonian returned to Craven Cottage for the Premier League campaign to help the West London club stay up… is what we wish we could say. Instead, of course, they suffered another relegation.

Anguissa was again loaned away for the following Championship season, to Napoli. But this time he won’t be returning for a third Premier League season in five years; Napoli liked him so much they opted to sign him permanently for over £13million.

Samuele Ricci

Beyond having a name thoroughly fitting of an Italian starlet, Ricci is also one of Italy’s most exciting prospects.

He has just signed from Empoli for Juventus’ rivals Torino, initially on loan but with an obligation to buy as is seemingly the way with almost all domestic transfers in Italy.

That fee will be around the £7.5million mark, an absolute steal for the talented all-rounder who plays in midfield. At just 20, he is already a senior Italian international having played under Mancini for the Azzurri.

READ: An XI of the best wonderkids on FM2022: Vlahovic, Meslier, Tonali…

Hector Herrera

The most random transfer on this list, but who doesn’t love a good old weird MLS deal?

This year Herrera is one of the first to hop over to the other side of the Atlantic, signing for Houston Dynamo upon the expiry of his contract with Atletico. In doing so he has become their ‘Designated Player’, which in short means he gets to be paid more than everybody else. What a burden to take on.

But it’s certainly some deal for the club when you think about it; MLS has got more competitive in recent years, and signing the 32-year-old captain of the Mexican national team, who has played more Champions League games in history than any of his fellow countrymen, should set Houston up well for the 2022 season.

Jayden Braaf

Borussia Dortmund have picked up another exciting youngster from Manchester City, so Manchester United had better start saving up for a £100million purchase in a few years’ time.

Braaf is one of Dortmund’s latest talents, brought in to join their ongoing cycle of wonderkid to big-money-sale. Along with Karim Adeyemi and the talent already at the club, the tricky winger will be expected to help fill the void Erling Haaland’s departure will undoubtedly leave.

Man City never gave him a chance in the first team in the end, with negotiations over a contract renewal broke down over reported concern about his attitude and behaviour. That would be surprising, considering his surname name directly translated from Dutch means “well behaved”.


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