The European transfer window slammed shut late Friday with plenty of last-minute deals done.
Arguably the best deals were concluded well ahead of Friday's deadline, though. We take a look at the best moves of the 2024/25 summer transfer window.
1). Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid - free transfer)
The world's second most costliest player made his dream move to Real Madrid after winding down his contract at Paris Saint-Germain.
Admittedly it was the worst-kept secret in football, with Mbappe openly stating his desire for a move. Madrid, too, were prepared to bide their time after seeing their approach for the French striker rebuffed by PSG's owners last summer. But it still represents the finest business of this transfer window.
Mbappe won domestic honours galore at PSG, but their failure to deliver Champions League success ultimately prompted the decision to swap Parc des Princes for the Bernabeu.
Mbappe's huge signing on fee, reportedly worth €150 million over the duration of his five-year contract and his €15m-a-year wages, is a considerable outlay, but one Madrid were prepared to make to secure arguably football's biggest superstar.
The 2018 World Cup winner has already won his first trophy in Madrid colours, scoring in the Uefa Super Cup final win over Atalanta, though he has yet to register a goal in La Liga.
2). Endrick (Palmeiras to Real Madrid – €47.5m)
Real Madrid cannot be accused of resting on their laurels. After winning La Liga and the Champions League last season, the Spanish giants bolstered their attacking ranks with not only Mbappe but Brazilian wunderkind Endrick.
The teenager took no time announcing his arrival, scoring in Madrid's 3-0 win over Valladolid to become the youngest foreign player to score for Madrid in the Spanish league at 18 years, 35 days.
Endrick had replaced Mbappe in that game. It represented another blank for the Frenchman in the league, but few doubt he will come good on that front.
With 10 caps for Brazil already, Endrick has long been touted as the next Selecao superstar.
3). Julian Alvarez (Manchester City to Atletico Madrid – €75m)
Some players go a career without winning half the trophies Alvarez has collected at the tender age of 24.
Already the striker has gold medals for winning the Argentina Primera, Copa Libertadores, Copa Argentina, Supercopa Argentina, Trofeo de Campeones, Recopa Sudamericana, Premier League, FA Cup, Champions League, Uefa Super Cup, Club World Cup as well as the World Cup, Copa America and Finalissima with Argentina.
Despite that trophy haul, Alvarez is not yet a household name, though one highly valued by teammates. His intelligence around the penalty area and accuracy in front of goal made him one of this summer's hottest properties.
Atletico Madrid swooped first, leaving the likes of Tottenham Hotspur cursing that they didn't move sooner to secure one of the most underrated players in world football.
4). Joao Palhinha (Fulham to Bayern Munich – €51m)
The Portuguese Man O'War is one of Europe's most destructive midfielders.
Palhinha, 28, almost joined Bayern Munich last summer, though Fulham held firm then. Bayern suffered as a consequence, surrendering their Bundesliga title, finishing third, 18 points behind champions Bayer Leverkusen.
Under new manager Vincent Kompany, Bayern have added much-needed steel to a talented squad including the tough-tackling Eric Dier, but Palhinha is the undisputed enforcer.
5). Joao Cancelo (Manchester City to Al Hilal – $28m)
Cancelo burnt his bridges at Manchester City after an argument with manager Pep Guardiola, and it remained to be seen where he would play his club football this term after spending the 2023/24 campaign on loan at Barcelona.
Financial restrictions prevented the Catalans from making the move permanent, paving the way for Saudi champions Al Hilal to swoop for the right-footed full-back who can operate on both flanks.
Regardless of which team he's in, Cancelo is often one of the best passers of the ball, an attribute viewed highly by Hilal's management as they look to cement their place as the most dominant team in Saudi Araba and Asia.
The Portugal international will be glad of a place to call home for the next three years.
BEACH SOCCER WORLD CUP
Group A
Paraguay
Japan
Switzerland
USA
Group B
Uruguay
Mexico
Italy
Tahiti
Group C
Belarus
UAE
Senegal
Russia
Group D
Brazil
Oman
Portugal
Nigeria
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
- Priority access to new homes from participating developers
- Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
- Flexible payment plans from developers
- Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
- DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Living in...
This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.
Where to buy art books in the UAE
There are a number of speciality art bookshops in the UAE.
In Dubai, The Lighthouse at Dubai Design District has a wonderfully curated selection of art and design books. Alserkal Avenue runs a pop-up shop at their A4 space, and host the art-book fair Fully Booked during Art Week in March. The Third Line, also in Alserkal Avenue, has a strong book-publishing arm and sells copies at its gallery. Kinokuniya, at Dubai Mall, has some good offerings within its broad selection, and you never know what you will find at the House of Prose in Jumeirah. Finally, all of Gulf Photo Plus’s photo books are available for sale at their show.
In Abu Dhabi, Louvre Abu Dhabi has a beautiful selection of catalogues and art books, and Magrudy’s – across the Emirates, but particularly at their NYU Abu Dhabi site – has a great selection in art, fiction and cultural theory.
In Sharjah, the Sharjah Art Museum sells catalogues and art books at its museum shop, and the Sharjah Art Foundation has a bookshop that offers reads on art, theory and cultural history.
EGYPT SQUAD
Goalkeepers: Ahmed El Shennawy, Mohamed El Shennawy, Mohamed Abou-Gabal, Mahmoud Abdel Rehem "Genesh"
Defenders: Ahmed Elmohamady, Ahmed Hegazi, Omar Gaber, Ali Gazal, Ayman Ahsraf, Mahmoud Hamdy, Baher Elmohamady, Ahmed Ayman Mansour, Mahmoud Alaa, Ahmed Abou-Elfotouh
Midfielders: Walid Soliman, Abdallah El Said, Mohamed Elneny, Tarek Hamed, Mahmoud “Trezeguet” Hassan, Amr Warda, Nabil Emad
Forwards: Ahmed Ali, Mohamed Salah, Marwan Mohsen, Ahmed "Kouka" Hassan.
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
Profile
Company: Justmop.com
Date started: December 2015
Founders: Kerem Kuyucu and Cagatay Ozcan
Sector: Technology and home services
Based: Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai
Size: 55 employees and 100,000 cleaning requests a month
Funding: The company’s investors include Collective Spark, Faith Capital Holding, Oak Capital, VentureFriends, and 500 Startups.
The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
