Nine New Transfers We're Excited About

In this strangest of years, the global transfer market has looked a little different. Windows have been open at different times and clubs are keener than ever to find value. As always, we kept our eye on the comings and goings across the footballing world and here are nine transfers we’re excited about.

Jude Bellingham to Borussia Dortmund

It’s always Borussia Dortmund, isn’t it? They absolutely love bringing in a Wonderkid and added to their collection with the precociously talented Jude Bellingham. The 17-year-old midfielder became a regular for Birmingham City after scoring on his Sky Bet Championship debut last season, showing real mental fortitude as he took to the professional game like a duck to water, scoring four goals in 41 league appearances. 

Dynamic, quick off the mark and capable of real flair, he is in safe hands. He’s already broken the record as Dortmund’s youngest-ever goalscorer and has just been rewarded with his first senior England cap too - the future looks very bright indeed…

Victor Osimhen to Napoli

Nigerian striker Victor Osimhen, one of FM20’s most popular signings, has earned a club-record move to Napoli after just one season in France, where he scored 18 times.

The Italian giants have had some of the world’s most deadly strikers on their books over the years, so expectations on the 21-year-old will be high from the off. Strong and quick, Osimhen is an aggressive, physical striker who is also developing as an aerial threat. We can’t wait to see him terrorising defences in a new country, dovetailing with the likes of Dries Mertens and Hirving Lozano. 

Jonathan David to LOSC Lille

Lille have been one of the best sides to watch in Ligue 1 Uber Eats over the last couple of seasons and they’ve had a pretty great window – snapping up Mexican midfield prodigy Eugenio Pizzuto, highly-rated Dutch defender Sven Botman, experienced Turkish striker Burak Yilmaz and much-touted winger Isaac Lihadji.

They might have lost Osimhen, but by signing Jonathan David they look to have brought in the next Canadian talent to break through in a way. Equally comfortable as a winger or striker, David already has 11 goals in just 12 appearances for his country. He’s still in the development phase of his career but he’s exciting to watch, he possesses scintillating pace and a great football brain, and has all the tools to be a major star over the next decade. 

Arjen Robben to FC Groningen

Who doesn’t love a homecoming hero? Almost a year after the mercurial Dutchman announced his retirement from football following a trophy-laden career, he’s back and he’s rejoined the club where he made his professional debut back in December 2000. Now 36, he’s said that he returned to help the club overcome some of the setbacks they’ve faced because of the pandemic. Even if he isn’t playing every week, or his return only lasts a season, we love this story and we’re sure lots of you do too.

Patrik Schick to Bayer 04 Leverkusen

Bundesliga clubs were relatively conservative with their recruitment this transfer window. Union Berlin were the most active, adding Max Kruse, Niko Giesselmann and Robin Knoche among others to the squad that finished 11th last season, while TSG Hoffenheim and Eintracht Frankfurt swapped midfield talents in Stephen Zuber and Mijat Gacinovic. 

Schick’s switch to Bayer 04 stands out to us as one of the league’s biggest and best deals. The Czech international took to the Bundesliga with aplomb last season, scoring 10 times on loan for RB Leipzig and demonstrating the sort of selflessness, delicate first touch and natural finishing instincts that make him an asset to any side. Very comfortable with the ball at his feet, Schick also has presence in the air and he complements an already exciting Bayer 04 frontline.

Adil Aouchiche to Saint Etienne

There’s been quite a lot of prodigious young talent on the move in France in the last few months – hotshot striker Amine Gouiri went from Olympique Lyonnais to OGC Nice and bagged a brace on debut, while the aforementioned Lihadji made the switch from Olympique de Marseille to Lille. However, Aouchiche might be the most gifted of the lot. 

His stunning feats for France in international youth competitions last year made people sit up and take notice. Now at a club renowned for their youth development, it’ll be very exciting indeed to see how this 18-year-old starlet, a phenomenal dribbler with great vision and creativity, progresses in this season and beyond. 

Leroy Sané to FC Bayern München

How do you improve the squad when you’ve won it all? From years of playing FM, you’ll all know that the best way to build on success of that kind is incremental gains, signing a couple of players for the future and bringing in that one talent who’ll make the first team even stronger. That’s exactly what Bayern have done this transfer window and we love it. 

The signings of Alexander Nubel and highly-rated defender Tanguy Nianzou are impressive, but our pick of the bunch is their capture of Leroy Sané. The exciting winger missed out on this move and the entirety of the last season after a bad leg injury but now he’s settled in Munich with a point to prove. 

The former Schalke 04 youth product is rapid and looks set to form a dazzlingly quick partnership down the left with rampaging full-back Alphonso Davies. Sane loves to cut inside before firing off shots of his own or putting his excellent crossing abilities to good use to pick out a teammate. If you’re not managing Bayern, his arrival may enable you to snap up one of the club’s younger stars on loan in your first season.

Blaise Matuidi to Inter Miami CF

Understandably, Inter Miami CF had big ambitions when they joined MLS but being the new kids on the block isn’t always easy. To ease their transition, they’ve bolstered an already exciting squad with French international Blaise Matuidi. 

Tough in the tackle and capable of covering every blade of grass, Matuidi is still arguably at the peak of his power. We think he’s likely to settle into Inter Miami’s engine room in style and develop an exciting partnership with attacking midfielder Rodolfo Pizarro.   

When you add in the Floridians’ signing of prolific Argentine striker Gonzalo Higuain, there’s more than enough cause to revisit the guide to MLS we put together earlier in the year ahead of a new save…

Ross McCormack to Aldershot Town

A proper FM free agent signing if we’ve ever seen one. 34-year-old striker Ross McCormack has scored goals wherever he’s been in his career, whether that’s in England, Scotland, or even Australia. 

Although maybe not as quick as in years gone by, McCormack is a good finisher and he’s very strong in dead ball situations, boasting impressive attributes for Corners, Free Kick Taking and Penalty Taking. New club Aldershot Town will be hoping that the Scot’s set-piece acumen, experience and goalscoring ability will fire them up the Vanarama National League table this season. We can’t wait to see how he gets on.

We couldn’t include every transfer we liked here, but this list includes some of our favourites. Anything particularly stand out to you or are you considering starting a save with one of these teams because of one of the signings mentioned here? Let us know on social media.