Ronaldo, Alisson and the top 15 transfers of the season so far

The former Monaco midfielder had no shortage of suitors over the summer when it became clear his time in the principality had come to an end. 

Atletico, however, won the race for Lemar, and he has become an invaluable part of the set-up in Madrid, his versatility seeing him feature on both flanks as well as in the middle of the pitch.

In the mid 1990s a sparkling Ajax team featuring the likes of wonderkids Edgar Davids, Patrick Kluivert and the De Boer brothers took Europe by storm, ably assisted by old heads such as Frank Rijkaard and Danny Blind. 

Ajax's 2018 edition is admittedly some way off that brilliance, but certain patterns are emerging again. And it is 28-year-old Blind who has shown the experience to help hotshots Matthijs de Ligt and Frenkie de Jong reach new heights this season. 

Ever-present in the Eredivisie and Champions League so far, Blind has made the €16 million paid out to Manchester United this summer look a very savvy investment.

Goal-shy Milan must be rueing the day they decided to ship their Portuguese striker out to Sevilla on a season-long loan, as Silva has made the very most of that opportunity after a woeful debut campaign at San Siro. 

The Portugal man is Sevilla's top scorer in La Liga with eight goals to date, a tally that has helped the Andalucians take third place above Real Madrid. 

Silva's replacement at Milan, Gonzalo Higuain, meanwhile, has managed just five so far in Serie A.

A league winner in Portugal and France and proud owner of a European Championship medal from his nation's 2016 win, Moutinho is a fierce competitor accustomed to fighting for silverware. 

He may not see too much of that in the West Midlands, but the 32-year-old midfielder is nevertheless making waves at his new club. 

Moutinho has been a rock for Wolves, helping the Premier League newcomers to the safety of mid-table in their first season back in the top flight with consistently excellent displays in the middle.

Blaugrana rejects who came good in another league, as we will see later, are a recurring theme of this current season. Everton, to their credit, can boast two. 

While Lucas Digne has been a strong performer, however, it is Gomes who has really stood out at Goodison Park. 

The Portugal international was little regarded in Catalunya, but has become a vital cog in the Toffees line-up as the Merseysiders sit comfortably in the top half of the Premier League standings.

Inevitably labelled the next Robert Lewandowski, which may be rather premature, one thing is for certain: Krzysztof Piatek was the bargain of the year in Serie A.

Genoa paid just €4 million for the young Pole's services, and he has responded with a brilliant 13 goals in 17 appearances in the Italian top flight.

The question now is how long will he stay put, with some of Europe's biggest clubs interested in a player who just six months ago was playing for mid-table Cracovia in his native country.

While the young Brazilian's talents were evident during Gremio's run to the 2017 Copa Libertadores title, Barca may have been forgiven in thinking that he would need time to adapt to the rough and tumble of La Liga after completing a summer move. 

Those anxieties, however, proved completely off the mark. Arthur settled almost instantly into his new team and drew early comparisons to the great Xavi thanks to his accomplished passing and general calm on the ball. 

The 22-year-old has suffered a slight dip in recent weeks, but clearly has what it takes to run the Catalans' midfield for years to come.

Amongst his other achievements even at this early stage of his Liverpool, Shaqiri will go down in Kop folklore as the man who finally toppled Mourinho. 

The Switzerland international's double off the bench to vanquish Mourinho's Manchester United proved a turning point for the table-toppers, who have been in imperious form since that all-important grudge match.

In total he has racked up six goals and three assists, a brilliant return for a man often used as a late impact substitute.

A failed academy prospect as a teenager at Atletico, Rodrigo came back to Madrid with plenty to prove this summer. 

So far, and even taking into account that first snub, the initial  €20 million spent by Diego Simeone's club look like a snip. The 22-year-old has waltzed straight into the Atleti first team and stayed there as they successfully maintained a dual Liga-Champions League race in the first half of the season.

Almost a figure of fun at Camp Nou due to his inability to hit the net on a regular basis, few were surprised to see Paco leave over the summer. 

Since arriving in Germany, however, the striker has joyfully proved his doubters wrong, scoring 12 goals in as many Bundesliga appearances to send Dortmund hurtling to the top of the table. 

That number, incidentally, has already outstripped his Liga tally for Barca accrued over three seasons.

Ronaldo's exceptional abilities were hardly a surprise, but even so Juventus must be delighted with the return they have so far received on the €100 million splashed out to snatch him from Real Madrid. 

While the Portugal captain's scoring rates are yet to hit the heights of his Merengue peak, especially in the Champions League, a return of 12 Serie A goals in 18 games is more than respectable in this early adaptation period - and Juve fans have already taken the star to their hearts.

Arsenal's 22-year-old Uruguay international was something of an unknown quantity prior to the World Cup, although his talents had been evident to the Sampdoria faithful for years. 

A stellar World Cup, however, convinced Arsenal to move in and snap the midfielder up, and he has repaid that faith by establishing himself at the heart of the Gunners engine room. 

In total Torreira has made 13 Premier League starts and seen action in all of the team's league games to date, also chipping in with two goals and two assists as they chase a return to Champions League football next season.

While Ronaldo's arrival in Turin captured the limelight, the forward is far from being the only Portuguese to make a splash. 

Cancelo has been nothing short of a revelation since moving from Valencia, bringing back memories of the great Dani Alves with his consistently brilliant performances down the right flank.

Having suffered with second-rate goalkeepers in the past, Liverpool seem to have hit the jackpot this time round. 

Alisson joined the Reds from Roma in a then-record £65million (€73m/$85m) deal over the summer, and immediately endeared himself to the Anfield faithful. 

Under his watch Jurgen Klopp's men have conceded a miserly seven Premier League goals, making them by some distance England's meanest defensive unit.