Splashing the cash

It is “football heaven” for those who enjoy transfer market activity and speculation more than the actual matches as both Real Madrid and FC Barcelona are on a summer spree. The “will he or won't he?” saga continues surrounding Vinícius Júnior's future; however, the Bernabéu bosses have been busy with six signings.

Over at the Camp Nou, they swooped very early to invest €70m in England star Anthony Gordon - and they have followed this up with a couple of significant signings. The biggest recruit for Real Madrid was obviously José Mourinho. New direction was needed after two seasons without success; the returning hero has been backed financially. First to arrive was Marc Cucurella on the eve of the World Cup tournament; it ensured the club had one player in the Spain squad, but it was far more than a virtue signing. He is now World Cup winner as well as a European champion - and I rate him as the best left back in the world.

Alongside him, he will have Ibrahima Konaté who is another example of Real Madrid playing the free transfer market. They'll be hoping he regains his form after a shaky final season at Liverpool. Another thrifty signing is Denzel Dumfries for €20m; although he missed much of Inter Milan's title-winning season, he will give Trent Alexander-Arnold serious competition for the right-back role.

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Bernardo Silva is another clever signing. Regarded as a veteran after nine years at Manchester City, he only turns 32 this week. He brings maturity and leadership to a changing room that became fractious towards the end of last season. This week, Yan Diomande is completing his €140m move from RB Leipzig. This hefty fee is out of character for Real Madrid, but places a lot of faith in a teenage sensation.

Completing the incomings is promising striker Carlos Espi, 21, from Levante for €25m. He burst onto the scene with 13 goals in his debut season and will provide an alternative when Kylian Mbappé needs a rest.

Barcelona's biggest investment was Newcastle's Gordon. It came as a surprise to many who anticipated that Marcus Rashford's loan may have led to a permanent move. His stats were impressive; 14 goals and 11 assists. Barça will have weighed up paying a hefty transfer fee and the full wages for a 28-year-old compared to Gordon who is three years younger and appears to require less maintenance. The fact that the deal was concluded in May - and he was already learning Spanish - may suggest negotiations were done months ago.

The other two new faces are younger and have less expectation. Karim Adeyami is well known to manager Hansi Flick who gave him his Germany debut as a teenager. He didn't make the World Cup squad and hasn't quite fulfilled his potential, but looks a smart signing for €29m as a backup for the regular strikers.

The other signing is typical of FC Barcelona. Jesse Bisiwu is only 18 and has bags of promise. He's effectively signing up for the “University of Football” and follows the path of players like Pedri and Ronald Araújo who joined as teenagers. There is no pressure on the Belgian youth international who has made his name at Club Brugge.

Barca still need a replacement for Robert Lewandowski, Rodri is heavily linked to both Real Madrid and Barcelona and Viní Júnior could be the most significant of deals when he chooses the Spanish capital over England's.

Hold those back pages!