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The 10 Most Underrated Transfer Moves From Around Europe So Far This Summer

Mikey Traynor
By Mikey Traynor
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The transfer window has been open, officially, for two weeks and we have already seen a crazy amount of activity.

We knew this summer was going to be a big one, not only with the insane Premier League money drawing top talent to England, but with that cash going to other clubs in Europe who then needed to fill the space vacated by their stats.

Plus the fact that Man United, Man City, Chelsea, and (sort of, it's his first summer window) Liverpool are all in rebuilding mode, the deals and rumours have been coming thick and fast which makes it difficult to keep track of what has been happening all over Europe.

That's where we come in. Having had a look at the confirmed (and only the confirmed) deals made in Europe's biggest leagues, here are the deals we feel have slipped through the cracks in the wake of the Zlatan/Mkhitaryan to United, Gundogan to City, Xhaka to Arsenal, type deals that have dominated the headlines.

Not all of them are household names, yet, but clubs that can't afford to splash the cash on stars need to find alternative ways of remaining competitive and a number of clubs featured here have carved out a remarkable ability to do just that.

Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg - Bayern Munich > Southampton

A head-turning signing from Southampton as they have secured a gifted footballer who simply couldn't force his way into the heavily congested Bayern midfield.

Hojbjerg was someone who Pep Guardiola fast-track to the first team shortly after taking over at Bayern as someone who he believed could be moulded into a fantastic midfielder, but now he will test himself in England after spending last season on loan at Schalke.

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Diogo Jota - Paços de Ferreira > Atletico Madrid

Tipped to be the next big thing out of Portugal (well, after Renato Sanches), Diogo Jota's move to Atletico Madrid looks very much the type of signing that will be praised in a few years time as a masterstroke.

Atletico's scouting system is the envy of Europe right now as they have managed to sell off their best players time and time again and replace them with players that grow into stars who are in turn sold on. The system works, and Diogo Jota could be the next shining example.

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Raphael Guerreiro - FC Lorient > Borussia Dortmund

One of the stars of Portugal's unlikely Euro 2016 win was a left back who showed all of Europe just how crisp his left peg is when he delivered a sensational ball right onto the head of Cristiano Ronaldo against Wales.

Dortmund are another club who have an incredible eye for talent, and this summer they have set about bringing in the best young players they can find to compensate being raided by Europe's top clubs. While Ousmane Dembele is undoubtedly a more exciting signing, Guerreiro could go straight into the team and strengthen the left-back position that has been questionable for some time at Dortmund.

Steve Mandanda - Marseille > Crystal Palace

Palace have turned heads by signing a Frenchman yet again.

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Nobody thought Yoann Cabaye would swap PSG for Selhurst Park, but he did, and now his compatriot and fellow Euro 2016 squad member Steve Mandanda has decided to follow him.

Mandanda is a big, assuring influence in goal and has all the experience to take Wayne Hennessy's number one spot. Oh, and it's a free transfer as well. An excellent bit of business.

Ever Banega - Sevilla > Inter Milan

Another free transfer here and further evidence that Inter Milan have greatly improved their transfer policy in recent years. The former Sevilla midfielder is an important part of the Argentina national side for some time, and had a number of clubs looking to sign him up once it became clear he fancied a move.

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Serie A should suit his game, and he likely take over the set-pieces, so expect to see Banega go straight into the Inter midfield.

Julian Baumgartlinger - FSV Mainz > Bayer Leverkusen

A fantastic signing for Leverkusen and the lead example of the most promising players in the Bundesliga joining other Bundesliga clubs.

Baumgartlinger made the team of the season in Germany last year and will walk into Leverkusen's side to add some much-needed dynamism.

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Sofiane Feghouli - Valencia > West Ham

After seeing the roaring success of Dimitri Payet last season, West Ham were always going to look for a similar signing to boost them closer to where they want to be, and Feghouli has all the makings of another cracking signing.

The fact that it was a free transfer is something we will likely hear from Danny Murphy on MOTD every week as the Algerian is a gifted winger with an eye for goal who will be a very tempting fantasy football option if he is reasonbly priced.

Viktor Fischer - Ajax > Middlesbrough

Middlesbrough are out to make a splash this summer, but while Alvaro Negredo and Neven Subotic are getting the fans worked into a frenzy, they have already completed a very impressive signing in Danish attacking midfielder Viktor Fischer.

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A product of the Ajax youth academy, Fischer will be familiar to anyone who has played Football Manager in the last two seasons as he has been a dominant wonderkid, but in real life a bad injury had hampered his development, which is why, without trying to sound too harsh on his new club, he has ended up at Boro.

Emre Mor - FC Nordsjælland > Borussia Dortmund

We got a glimpse at Euro 2016 of why Emre Mor is has been dubbed the Turkish Messi by the national team's fans.

The winger is very much still a kid, but already has shown truly remarkable dribbling ability and creativity, and having broken into the Turkey squad for Euro 2016 is seems inevitable that Dortmund will have to sell Mor on to Bayern for €50 in a couple of years.

Kamil Glik - Torino > AS Monaco

After a standout Euro 2016, Glik swapped Serie A for Ligue 1 to provide defensive stability to a Monaco defence that has been shambolic in recent times.

When you think of Polish players moving to France this summer, you'd immediately think of Grzegorz Krychowiak joining PSG, and for that reason Glik to Monaco has been underrated. It's a fantastic signing for a club who have a whole host of attacking talent with nothing to help at the back.

 

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