For some football fans, the summer is the part of the calendar that they look forward to the most – and that’s not just because it’s filled by a World Cup every four years! Rather, it’s because the end of the season means only one thing: It’s time for transfers! The 2026 window is likely to once again be bust, with some huge names set to make big-money moves before deadline day on September 1.
We know that some transfers turn out well for all parties involved, but there are plenty where at least one of the clubs, or even the player, are left wondering what might have been had they made a different decision while at the negotiating table.
GOAL is here, then, to ensure you know who did the best out of every massive deal before the players have even been officially unveiled. Throughout the summer window, we will be grading every done deal as it happens, letting you track the big winners â and losers â of transfer season.
For Liverpool: An emotional exit. Robertson easily ranks as one of the finest signings in the club’s history, a key figure in the Jurgen Klopp era acquired for just £8 million from Hull City all the way back in 2017 and, in his pomp, was arguably the best left-back in the world. There’s no denying, though, that age had begun to catch up with the 32-year-old – which is why Liverpool moved early to replace him by bringing in Milos Kerkez last summer, and would have even sold Robertson during the winter window had they been able to recall Kostas Tsimikas from Roma. The problem now, though, is that Kerkez still hasn’t fully settled at Anfield, while it became painfully clear during a trying 2025-26 campaign for the Reds that Robertson’s experience, tenacity and personality are going to be sorely missed on Merseyside. Indeed, the worry among the fanbase now is that Robertson’s departure, along with that of Mohamed Salah, will only result in standards falling even further next season.
For Tottenham: Still a surprising move. Spurs obviously tried to sign Robertson in January, but it was difficult to work out why exactly. The Tottenham squad may have been lacking in quality and depth in several areas of the pitch, but left-back wasn’t really one of them. Ben Davies had just broken his ankle, of course, but Spurs still had Destiny Udogie and the versatile Djed Spence to choose from, while Brazilian teenager Souza had just arrived from Santos. The argument was that Robertson would have been an important addition to a dressing room in disarray – and he could certainly help new coach Roberto De Zerbi cultivate a new culture of 100 percent commitment within the squad. The fact that he’s belatedly arriving on a free is a nice little bonus, but the feeling persists that Tottenham didn’t necessarily need Robertson.
For Robertson: A puzzling decision. One can understand why Robertson was willing to leave Liverpool in January. He’d been relegated to second-choice behind a player who wasn’t performing particularly well and wanted regular Premier League football in the run-up to the World Cup – something Spurs were apparently willing to
