Soccer's summer transfer window: Which deals will be the most impactful?

Soccer's summer transfer window is officially closed. After months of calls, negotiations and panicked deal-making, teams around the world have solidified their lineups for the coming season.

Thousands of deals were signed over the summer transfer window, but some are bound to be more impactful than others. Here are four of the summer's most effective, season-defining deals from around the globe.

Son Heung-min, Tottenham Hotspur (ENG) to LAFC (USA)

Major League Soccer is known for many things, but a thoughtful, world-class transfer policy isn't exactly one of them. Enter LAFC. The Western Conference club flipped the script and earned global recognition for its well-timed and well-structured move to bring Korean superstar Son Heung-min to MLS.

For LAFC, the deal makes perfect sense: Son is universally beloved, endlessly marketable and still just 33 years old. But the real kicker that makes this transfer special is just how well it was received on both sides of the table. Son gave 10 years of his career to Tottenham Hotspur and became a legend there, but both he and the club recognized that it was time for a change. His classy, timely, well-priced exit made his departure feel welcome rather than cruel. LAFC is unquestionably better off with Son, and Tottenham is unquestionably better off without him.

Jack Grealish, Manchester City (ENG) to Everton (ENG)

Grealish, one of the most creative attackers of his Premier League generation, traded jazz-like improvisation for robotic perfection when he joined Manchester City in 2021. His time with the Citizens was undeniably successful, but fitting himself within coach Pep Guardiola's strict parameters meant losing the imagination that once made him great.

No more. At Everton, Grealish is a man reborn. Coach David Moyes has encouraged him to go back to his tricky, inventive roots, and the result is box-office entertainment. Without Grealish, Everton looked like a relegation candidate; with him, it looks capable of going toe-to-toe with most of the Premier League.