Overall, Chelsea absolutely dominated this summer's transfer window.
On one hand, they strengthened exactly where they wanted, massively boosting their squad.
On the other, they finally moved past their old habit of getting fleeced and overpaying for every signing. Their status as a true powerhouse was beginning to show—they were now genuinely attractive to top-tier players.
Of course, Chelsea's appeal also came from their sky-high salaries.
New signings Shevchenko and Ballack, along with the already-established Lampard, all jumped straight to football's maximum salary tier: €7.6 million.
Higher than Su Hang.
It was very obviously a deliberate move to overshadow him.
Rumor had it that Ballack's signing bonus alone hit €10 million—twice Su Hang's.
It's hard to say whether Abramovich was deliberately burning cash just to make a point.
Meanwhile, stars like Chelsea's Terry, Arsenal's Henry, and Liverpool's Gerrard all earned salaries on par with Su Hang.
All of them belonged to football's absolute elite.
Still, none of them made more than Su Hang.
In fact… even combined, they might not match his income.
That's where Real Madrid stands apart.
It's also why having a fully built-out commercial team matters so much at this stage.
...
From there, transfer news exploded everywhere.
"'The Spanish Figo' Joaquín transfers from Real Betis to Valencia for €25 million, becoming the most expensive signing in Valencia's history!"
This marked a major leap forward for Joaquín.
If he kept shining on a stage as big as Valencia's, superstardom was next.
It also highlighted how important a player's starting club really is.
Players like Joaquín, Torres, and Villa were typical examples.
They either rose through the lower leagues or broke out at small clubs.
Even after gaining fame—no matter how strong they were—they weren't regarded as superstars. At best, rising stars.
Their next step was usually a strong, competitive club.
Only by shining there would they be seen as solid star players. But without joining a true giant, they still couldn't reach the elite tier.
It's only after joining a powerhouse—and excelling there—that a player becomes a superstar.
On the flip side, players who start at clubs like Real Madrid, Manchester United, Barcelona, Arsenal, Liverpool, the Italian Big Three, Bayern Munich, etc., become star players the moment they shine.
Sustain that for a couple of seasons, or explode for just one, and they become superstars.
Su Hang is the exception to that rule—
Non-standard because his stats, achievements, and performances were simply absurd.
And even without mentioning Su Hang, players like Ronaldo, Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi, and Neymar all fit this pattern.
So yes, the starting point matters. Young players trying to force their way into top clubs have real advantages. They're not being foolish.
Starting at a small club is better for players with a clear plan.
But if you have no plan and end up stuck at a small club for decades with no titles, you may as well have joined a giant from the start.
If you want to become a star, the small-club route works.
If you want to chase historical greatness, you need the big-club route—otherwise there simply isn't enough time.
Of course, there's an emerging third path: building your own club into a powerhouse.
The future Mbappe Director would eventually be forced onto that road.
After being suppressed by Real Madrid for two straight seasons, Barcelona doubled down on spending again this year.
They raided Juventus for €14 million to sign the versatile full-back/Wide Midfielder Zambrotta.
They scooped up Chelsea's cast-off "first Icelandic Sniper" Gudjohnsen for €12 million.
Stat-wise, the Icelander wasn't far off from The Drog and performed well, but he simply wasn't the type of striker Mourinho wanted.
With Su Hang or Shevchenko joining, letting him go made sense.
For just €5 million, Barcelona also grabbed former world-class defender Lilian Thuram from Juventus' bargain bin.
He'd made headlines in the World Cup final by flying into Su Hang and getting sent off—showing plenty of decisiveness.
Additionally, former Barcelona record signing Javier Saviola returned after his loan at Sevilla ended.
He had won the UEFA Cup with Sevilla last season and earned a spot on Argentina's World Cup squad that summer.
That convinced Barcelona to give him another chance.
But by then, a starting role in Barcelona's attack was already out of reach.
For both club and country, the undisputed Right Winger was the brilliant and in-form Messi.
The Catalans firmly believed Messi was on the verge of exploding—just like Su Hang had in the previous two seasons.
Barcelona then released players like Van Bommel and Larsson.
The squad didn't change much on paper, but its overall strength was now comparable to the peak of the Ronaldinho-led Dream Team II era.
As for Van Bommel, Barcelona valued him at €12 million.
But he was already 30, and Bayern Munich were notorious hagglers—so the deal was finalized at €6 million.
They cut the price in half.
Classic Bayern behavior—like a group of expert bargain hunters.
Bayern also spent just €10 million to take Bundesliga Rookie of the Year and World Cup standout Forward Lukas Podolski from Cologne.
In La Liga, Serie A, or Ligue 1, he would've gone for at least €20 million.
In the Premier League? €30 million.
But in the Bundesliga, €10 million was enough.
Finally, Manchester United.
Tactically, after years of growing pains, United had finally transitioned to a more continental style.
In terms of squad construction, they had brought in young powerhouses Vidic and Evra in the previous winter window.
This summer, they spent €25 million to sign Defensive Midfielder Michael Carrick from Tottenham Hotspur.
Apart from Ballack, Ferguson regarded him as the best fit for United, and fans hailed him as "Roy Keane's successor."
Meanwhile, the long transfer saga between United and Real Madrid came to an end when Ruud van Nistelrooy joined Real Madrid for €15 million.
United had failed to sign Real's Su Hang—and lost their own six-yard-box king in the process.
Real Madrid then went on a rampage in the transfer market.
First, they secured young Defensive Midfielder Mohamed Diarra from Lyon for €27 million, strengthening their weakest position.
Note: This Diarra is not the same player as Alou Diarra, who came off the bench for France in the World Cup final.
They play in the same league, same position, have the same name, birth year, and even birthplace (Mali)… but they're not the same person.
In fact, after selling Mohamed Diarra, Lyon immediately purchased Alou Diarra from Lens as a straight replacement.
Many casual fans even thought Mohamed had never left.
But the real blockbuster was in Turin.
Real Madrid took advantage of Juventus' crisis and grabbed Fabio Cannavaro for just €7 million—a price that was practically robbery.