The break for the main European leagues for international week gives me the chance to examine the last transfer window, now closed on the 31st August...
The real protagonists - in England and across all of Europe - from my point of view, are Manchester United. The team guided by Jose Mourinho have really enforced their squad and their truly greatest purchase, more than the world record Paul Pogba, has been Zlatan Ibrahimovic. And on the pitch he is already showing this.
Chelsea are starting to find a new identity with Antonio Conte on the bench. Michy Batshuayi is, in the Italian coach's mind, the potential leader of the attack: but the real hit of this window could become the complete recovery of Diego Costa, who could be finally convinced of becoming a real star with the Blues without continuing to hope of returning to Atletico Madrid.
N'Golo Kanté is the midfielder who can give order to the squad and Marcos Alonso could be the revelation on the left.
Arsenal had been the real flop of the transfer window until the last two days, when they sealed two very good deals: Shkodran Mustafi for the centre-back role and Lucas Perez as a striker. These were the positions where they needed to have more quality and they filled the gaps. At least numerically.
If the Gunners can finally compete for the title it is too early to say, but Arsene Wenger seems to have the intention to fight for the top positions, to win a Premier League crown which they've lacked for too many years - and to convince the supporters.
DEALS STILL PENDING
There are some transfers that have not reached a happy ending - and I'm here to explain why.
Fabinho was very close to joining Manchester United, but the qualification of Monaco for the Champions League group stage, after the preliminary round, has convinced him to sign a new contract and remain there. But Manchester United are ready to make another important attempt for him in January or June.
Antoine Griezmann has been contacted, as I revealed first and have written many times, by Wenger to join Arsenal. And he would like to play for the Gunners, but those at the top of Arsenal decided not to spend so much money on only one player.
In the first days of the window I have tweeted that Mourinho would have done everything to have the French player at his United: in the next summer window he will try again to convince him. It could be likely, because Griezmann has declared that he will leave Atletico Madrid when Diego Simeone does the same thing.
And so for now, let's enjoy the national teams before we all return to our beloved domestic leagues.