Real Madrid are the only one of Europe’s superpowers that didn’t spend a single euro in the transfer market this year.
The club, instead, prioritized player sales, looking to strengthen their financial future during the coronavirus pandemic.
Departures of players like Achraf Hakimi, Oscar Rodriguez, Sergio Reguilon and James Rodriguez have brought in over 100 million euros, while Gareth Bale‘s wages were freed up after his loan move to Tottenham.
Real Madrid have taken other factors into consideration when planning their transfer activity, such as the cost of the redevelopment of the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu and the possibility of a second pay cut for their players.
On top of that, they’ll wait to see what happens with Kylian Mbappe next summer, when his contract at Paris Saint-Germain goes into its final year.
Returning loan players Martin Odegaard, Alvaro Odriozola and Andriy Lunin have acted as new signings for Zinedine Zidane.
Chelsea have been Europe’s biggest spenders this summer, bringing in 247 million euros worth of players, including Kai Havertz, Timo Werner, Ben Chilwell and Hakim Ziyech.