João Palhinha, Serhou Guirassy, Aleix García and the best Bundesliga transfer XI so far
Bayern Munich have made three big signings, Bayer Leverkusen are strengthening their invincible team, Borussia Dortmund are rebuilding and bright young stars have been on the move. bundesliga.com looks at 11 of the most exciting Bundesliga transfers so far this summer...
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Grabara will have the challenge of replacing the long-serving Koen Casteels at Wolfsburg this season, having joined from Copenhagen.
The goalkeeper joins the Wolves after an impressive season in Denmark, including a clean sheet away to Bayern in the UEFA Champions League. Having spent five years in Liverpool’s youth teams between 2016 and 2021, which included a loan spell at Huddersfield Town under former Mainz boss Jan Siewert, the Poland international eventually joined Copenhagen where he went on to make 126 appearances. At 25, Grabara has plenty of goalkeeping years ahead of him, and the Wolfsburg fans will be hoping they’re spent at the Volkswagen-Arena.
Following Mats Hummels' departure at the end of the 2023/24 campaign, Dortmund needed to fill the void. Step forward Anton, who joins from last season's Bundesliga runners-up VfB Stuttgart.
The 27-year-old was Die Schwaben's captain and missed just one league match throughout their impressive season just past. Only champions Leverkusen conceded fewer than Stuttgart's 39 goals, and Anton led by example, providing much-needed experience for the club's younger players. His club performances also earned him two substitute appearances for Germany at UEFA Euro 2024. Should he strike up a strong understanding with Nico Schlotterbeck at the Signal Iduna Park, we could see that duo line up for both club and country in the years to come.
Watch: Borussia Dortmund unveil Waldemar Anton
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Leverkusen have made French U19 centre-back Belocian one of the first new additions to their title-winning squad. The youngster joins from Stade Rennes, where he made 32 league appearances last season with a further six appearances coming in the UEFA Europa League.
The talented defender has also represented his country in multiple age groups, from U17 all the way up to the U21s, lifting the U17 European Championship in 2022. Fellow Bundesliga stars Mathys Tel of Bayern and El Chadaille Bitshiabu of RB Leipzig were also part of that team, and Belocian will surely be looking forward to competing against his compatriots next season as Xabi Alonso's men aim to defend their title.
Bayern's first acquisition after being dethroned was Japan international Ito from Bundesliga rivals Stuttgart. After an impressive three seasons at the MHPArena, including last term's thrilling climb into the Champions League places, the Munich club decided the 25-year-old was just what they needed after a trophy-less campaign.
Since joining Stuttgart in the summer of 2021 from Júbilo Iwata, Ito has made 85 Bundesliga appearances and forged a reputation as one of the most reliable centre-backs in the league with his impressive tackling and composure on the ball. The left-footer's adaptability is another one of his strengths, as he can also play at full-back. With only eight yellow cards in his Bundesliga career so far, Ito has displayed an outstanding ability to read the game which Bayern fans will surely see plenty of in the near future.
Watch: The best of Hiroki Ito in the Bundesliga!
Having spent time in the academies of teams such as Arsenal, Chelsea and Manchester City, Olise first made a name for himself in the English Championship with Reading, where he made his debut as a 17-year-old. His outstanding performances soon saw him join Crystal Palace in the Premier League in 2021, where he went on to make 82 league appearances, scoring 14 goals and recording 25 assists.
Olise’s touch, composure and direct dribbling made him a target for numerous clubs across Europe, and made him one of the standout performers at the Paris Olympics - earning a silver medal - so Bayern will be delighted that he’ll be playing his football at the Allianz Arena next season as the Bavarians look to regain the Bundesliga title.
After a historic season in Spain with Girona, who qualified for the Champions League for the first time in their history, García has decided to join a fellow history-making Spaniard in Xabi Alonso, his new coach for the upcoming season at Leverkusen.
Having risen through the ranks at Villarreal, García joined Premier League giants Manchester City at the age of just 18, where he would go on to make nine appearances for the Premier League side before leaving for Romania and Dinamo Bucharest. After returning to his native Spain with Eibar, García then joined Girona where he would play a pivotal part in his side achieving an incredible third-placed finish in the 2023/24 season, ahead of the likes of Atlético Madrid.
Naturally, García’s impressive performances attracted plenty of interest, including that of another former midfield maestro in Alonso, as well as Leverkusen sporting director Simon Rolfes, who said: "Aleix has leadership qualities that will be very valuable to us in the coming years."
The Portuguese midfield enforcer joins Vincent Kompany's side having impressed at youth club Sporting Lisbon and in the last two years at Fulham.
Palhinha’s ability to break up play with his tackling and intelligent interceptions made him a top target for Bayern, and they’ll be relieved to finally have their man, who will bring plenty of steel to their midfield. The Portugal international has plenty experience with winning trophies too, having lifted two League Cups, a Super Cup and a league title with Sporting, as well as another League Cup with Braga.
He's now desperate to get going at Bayern, telling the club's website: “This is one of the happiest days of my life. I'm now playing for one of the top clubs in Europe. It's a dream come true for me, and I'm very proud of that. I'm looking forward to the atmosphere and the fans at the Allianz Arena. I want to enjoy success with FC Bayern and win titles - I'll give it my all.”
Experienced midfielder Groß joins Dortmund after seven years in the Premier League with Brighton, where he gained a reputation as a reilable, versatile and highly intelligent player. The 33-year-old Groß was also part of Germany's Euro 2024 squad, where he played 45 minutes in the opening day win against Scotland.
Groß is a boyhood Dortmund fan, making his return to German football all the more special. Upon his arrival, Groß told the official club website: "My birthday present was always a football and the new BVB jersey".
Having come up through Hoffenheim's academy, Groß went on to make five Bundesliga appearances for the club before leaving for Karlsruhe. The midfield metronome then went on to make a further 65 Bundesliga appearances for Ingolstadt, with the last of those coming against Schalke in 2017. After making a name for himself in the English top flight, Groß now returns to the Bundesliga as a seasoned pro ready to lead the Dortmund midfield into the 2024-25 season.
Leipzig didn't hang about after letting Euro 2024 star man Dani Olmo return to boyhood club Barcelona. Nusa has been brought in from Brugge as the latest rough diamond set to be given a lick of Red Bull polish, much like Christopher Nkunku and new teammates Loïs Openda and Benjamin Šeško before him.
The 19-year-old is already a full Norway international, whilst his electric performances in the inverted left-wing role have drawn comparisons with established world stars such as Neymar and Martin Ødegaard.
"Antonio fits perfectly with RB Leipzig's DNA," explained Marcel Schäfer, Leipzig's sport managing director. "He's young, has potential for development, is very ambitious and willing to learn.
"He's also already played around 100 professional matches and has left his mark on both Brugge and the Norway national team. This makes him one of the best players of his generation in Europe, without a doubt."
Watch: Antonio Nusa joins RB Leipzig
Maximilian Beier is Dortmund's latest summer signing, as Nuri Sahin continues to shape his squad ahead of his first season as Dortmund manager.
The exciting 21-year-old Beier joins Dortmund after an impressive 2023-24 season with Hoffenheim, where he scored 16 goals and provided three assists in 33 Bundesliga games as they reached the Europa Conference League. His goalscoring form saw him rewarded with his first cap for Germany against Ukraine in March earlier this year, before going on to make his second appearance for the national team against Switzerland in this summer's European championship.
Sporting director Sebastian Kehl is delighted with the signing, telling the official club website: "Maxi was our absolute dream player after the departure of Niclas Füllkrug. Despite his young age, he is already very composed on the pitch and impresses with his speed, his willingness to run and his goal threat. He can also be used in various positions and in different systems".
Watch: The best of Maximilian Beier
Only Harry Kane scored more goals across Europe’s top five leagues last season than Guirassy, who struck his 28 in as many Bundesliga outings in a superb campaign for Stuttgart that saw them finish second. It was therefore no surprise that the Guinea international attracted interest from some big clubs, but he’s opted for the UEFA Champions League runners-up. “When Borussia Dortmund enquire, that’s special. Every kid around the world interested in football knows this club, the black and yellow shirts, the Yellow Wall,” Guirassy said after signing his four-year contract.
It's a big boost for BVB as they look to improve on last year’s fifth-place finish. “Our aim is to show top performances in the Bundesliga, DFB Cup, Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup, and to achieve our ambitious goals. We need first-class options in all positions for that,” stated Kehl. With confirmation that the France-born 28-year-old does not need surgery on an injury discovered during his medical, Dortmund will hope to have their new striker fit and firing from the start of the season.
Watch: All 28 Guirassy goals in 2023/24
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