The 12 weirdest transfers you probably missed during the World Cup

It was practically impossible to keep track of every completed transfer during the 39-day World Cup, so we've come to the rescue with some updates you might've missed over the past five weeks.

From Elliot Anderson's £116 million move from Nottingham Forest to Manchester City, to Tottenham's triple swoop for Sandro Tonali, Jan Paul van Hecke and Mateus Fernandes, some deals have dominated headlines.

Some other moves that have attracted considerable attention of late include Anthony Gordon to Barcelona, Andrey Santos to Manchester United, and Marc Cucurella's move to Real Madrid in a deal worth £47.5 million.

Others, meanwhile, have gone under the radar. Take former Arsenal striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, for example, who recently joined La Liga new boys Deportivo La Coruna from Marseille for around €1.5million (£1.27m).

The 37-year-old enjoyed a great campaign for the Ligue 1 side last season, recording 14 goals and 10 assists in all competitions.

So, which other players have swapped clubs without many of us realising?

Harry Winks to Cagliari

Earlier this month, former England international Harry Winks left recently-relegated Leicester City to join Italian outfit Cagliari on a two-year deal.

It will be a return to Serie A for the 30-year-old midfielder, who spent the 2022-23 season on loan at Sampdoria.

Stefan de Vrij to Panathinaikos

After eight successful years with Inter Milan, where he made over 200 appearances, Dutch defender Stefan de Vrij has signed for Greek side Panathinaikos on a free transfer.

The 34-year-old had been strongly linked with a move to Benfica but at the start of July, it was confirmed that he has penned a one-year deal with the Athens-based side.

Regan Heskey to FC Koln

Regan Heskey, the son of former Liverpool striker Emile Heskey, has signed for Bundesliga side FC Koln from Manchester City in a deal worth up to £8million.

The highly-rated 18-year-old spent 11 years at City after joining at the age of nine. Last season, he notched 13 goals and 16 assists in 41 games for the club's youth team.

Ander Herrera to Real Zaragoza

In one of the more wholesome moves of the summer, former Manchester United midfielder Ander Herrera has signed for boyhood club Real Zaragoza, despite their relegation to Spain's third tier.

The 36-year-old's return is an "unequivocal sign of belonging and represents the return of a Zaragoza native at a crucial moment for the club's future", the club announced last week.

Kelechi Iheanacho to Bursaspor

Despite Celtic's double-winning season, Kelechi Iheanacho turned down a new contract with the Scottish side this summer to join Turkish second-tier side Bursaspor.

"My agent and I did absolutely everything within our power to make a return to Glasgow happen," said Iheanacho. "I'm truly gutted I won't be able to continue at the club at this stage of my career. However, I know our paths will cross again in the future."

Jack Butland to Hull City

Earlier this month, newly-promoted Hull City announced the signing of Jack Butland from Rangers for an undisclosed fee.

The 33-year-old goalkeeper, who has Birmingham, Stoke, Crystal Palace and Manchester United on his CV, has penned a two-year deal with the Premier League new boys. He is their first summer signing.

Sebastian Haller to Sanfrecce Hiroshima

After leaving Dutch side FC Utrecht, former Borussia Dortmund and Ajax striker Sebastian Haller has completed a surprise move to Japanese side Sanfrecce Hiroshima on an initial one-year contract.

Upon signing for the club, the 32-year-old said: "I can't wait to get to know the city of Hiroshima, the club, my teammates and the fans, and to begin this new adventure with my family. I will always be humble and respectful, and I will do my best to help the club achieve its goals."

Marco Palestra to Chelsea

As is often the case, Chelsea have been in the summer window, yet a deal to sign Italian defender Marco Palestra from Atalanta for £43million has been overlooked by some.

The 21-year-old, who was named Serie A's defender of the year following an impressive 2025/26 campaign on loan at Cagliari, looked set to join childhood club Inter Milan but Chelsea moved at the last minute.

Pascal Struijk to Brighton

Following the sale of Jan Paul van Hecke to Tottenham, Brighton moved quickly to sign 26-year-old defender Pascal Struijk from Leeds United for around £20 million.

Struijk, who made 196 appearances during an eight-year spell at Leeds, has penned a five-year contract with the Seagulls.

Ronaldinho to Ravenna

In one of the more surprising transfers of the last decade, former Barcelona and AC Milan forward Ronaldinho has come out of retirement to sign for Italian Serie C side Ravenna.

The 46-year-old, who was involved in the World Cup final's half-time ceremony, joins the third-division club as both a player and shareholder.

Jesse Derry to Sporting

Derry, who made his Chelsea debut against Hull City in February, will spend the 2026-27 season on loan at Portuguese giants Sporting CP.

Upon his arrival, the 19-year-old winger said: "When I think of Sporting CP, I think of players who wow the fans and young players. Coming here was a very easy decision. It means everything to be here."