The 10 best signings of the summer transfer window

TOPSHOT - Brazilian superstar Neymar poses with a ball during his official presentation at the Parc des Princes stadium on August 4, 2017 in Paris after agreeing a five-year contract following his world record 222 million euro ($260 million) transfer from Barcelona to Paris Saint Germain's (PSG).Paris Saint-Germain have signed Brazilian forward Neymar from Barcelona for a world-record transfer fee of 222 million euros (around $264 million), more than doubling the previous record. Neymar said he came to Paris Saint-Germain for a 'bigger challenge' in his first public comments since arriving in the French capital. / AFP PHOTO / PHILIPPE LOPEZ (Photo credit should read PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP/Getty Images) /

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TOPSHOT – Brazilian superstar Neymar poses with a ball during his official presentation at the Parc des Princes stadium on August 4, 2017 in Paris after agreeing a five-year contract following his world record 222 million euro ($260 million) transfer from Barcelona to Paris Saint Germain’s (PSG).Paris Saint-Germain have signed Brazilian forward Neymar from Barcelona for a world-record transfer fee of 222 million euros (around $264 million). This more than doubles the previous record. Neymar said he came to Paris Saint-Germain for a ‘bigger challenge’ in his first public comments since arriving in the French capital. / AFP PHOTO / PHILIPPE LOPEZ (Photo credit should read PHILIPPE LOPEZ/AFP/Getty Images) /

1. Neymar, PSG

£199.8 million from Barcelona

It wouldn’t be right to talk about the transfer window in the summer of 2017 and not mention Neymar. Perhaps £200 million transfers will be the norm in a few years. But when the transfer record was previously less than half of that, the deal to take Neymar from Spain to France is a truly stunning piece of business.

This article is headlined the ‘best’ signings of the summer, and there’s every chance that in real terms this won’t be one. PSG usually stroll to the Ligue 1 title regardless, though admittedly Monaco put their nose out of joint there in 2016-17.

Their main aim with this signing will be to improve in the Champions League. PSG last made it to the semifinal in 1995. Since they were taken over by Oryx Qatar Sports Investments in 2011, they’ve made it to the quarterfinals four times, but not further.

Can Neymar push them onto the next level in Europe? A record of 21 goals and 20 assists in 40 Champions League appearances to date certainly suggests that he might.

Next: 15 best bargain buys in the summer transfer window

There’s only so much one player can add though, however good he might be. Without a regular high standard test in his domestic league, we may have to wait a while to see how much Neymar will add in Europe.

If nothing else, his transfer was remarkable for shaking up the hierarchy in European soccer. Relatively big clubs are used to losing their top players to Barcelona. Yet this summer it was they who lost a key player in his prime. PSG aren’t a bigger club than Barcelona, just richer. In this era, that counts for a hell of a lot.

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