LaLiga 26/27 transfer window under scrutiny: Mourinho's galactic revolution, Barcelona's Rodri heist of the century and the summer of returns

Alright lads, the transfer window's shut in the top flight too, and we've got to say it: it's been the wildest summer in LaLiga in a decade. A Madrid in full reconstruction mode with Mourinho calling the shots, a Barça that lost its soap opera but won the jackpot, an Atlético that pulled off their best signing without signing anyone… and a wave of homecomings that melted all our hearts. Let's go club by club with the big stuff.

👑 Real Madrid: Mou's galactic revolution

After two blank seasons, Florentino won the elections and flipped the switch to classic mode: revolution. The first signing was the dugout — José Mourinho, who I already told you how much he's making in his second white spell — and then came the Portuguese lad's shopping list: Marc Cucurella for €55 million (fresh off sewing that second World Cup star on), Bernardo Silva to run the midfield, Konaté for free (the summer's quiet robbery), Dumfries for 20 and young guns Carlos Espí and Sergio Martínez. But the big cheque went to Yan Diomande: €125 million, the most expensive signing in Real Madrid's HISTORY — ahead of Bellingham and Hazard — signed through 2033. The Ivorian arrives with a whole country's weight on his shoulders… and Mou as his shield, which is what they're paying him for.

🔵🔴 Barça: lost Julián, won Rodri (and that's history)

The summer's soap opera was Julián Álvarez: Barça wanted him by land, sea and air after losing Lewandowski and Ferran Torres (yep, the MetLife hero left with his star on — eternal legend status), and Atlético kept saying NO. The plan B? Not bad for a plan B: Rodri, for €76.5 million (60 + 16.5), in what's already THE move of the summer — because the Manchester lad turned down Real Madrid to sign with Flick. The world's best midfielder and World Cup Ballon d'Or winner choosing the Camp Nou in Florentino's face: you can't buy that with 125 million. They finished with Anthony Gordon (70+10), Adeyemi and, on deadline day, Gabriel Jesús up front. Hansi had warned: "we'll see something till the last day". And we did.

🔴⚪ Atlético: the art of winning the market by keeping hold

Atlético's best signing was Julián Álvarez staying put. From there, a beautifully-crafted window: Kang-in Lee for €40 million, who unveiled himself at the Metropolitano with a goal against Málaga and already has the fans eating out of his hand — crisp striking, vertical play and personality, everything the Cholo demands —, Grimaldo for over 20, the anchor Hjulmand, Cuti Romero for the trenches… and on the last day, Jonathan David loaned in from Juventus to complete the front line. Squad goals.

💚 The summer of returns

Because if there's one thing this window had, it was soul. Dani Ceballos came back to Betis as a free agent after nine years away, and with him came Fran García under Pellegrini's orders. Sergio Canales returned to LaLiga to play for Racing Santander — the club of his heart, back in the top flight — and in A Coruña they basically fired up a time machine: Aubameyang and Adama Traoré in white and blue, in a project so video-game-like that I gave it its own piece — and they rounded it off on deadline day snatching Casadó on loan from Barça and Giménez from Atleti, just like that. Even Segunda had its legendary return with Morata. A summer of heartfelt moves, homecomings and the good kind of nostalgia. Let's get football started, that's what matters. PUXA. 🔴⚪