Summer transfer window 2021 best deals as Messi and Ronaldo make stunning moves

High profile free transfers and players returning to former clubs a common theme of the summer

1) Jack Grealish: Aston Villa to Manchester City (transfer fee - €117.5m / market value - €65.00m) Getty Images

2) Romelu Lukaku: Inter Milan to Chelsea (transfer fee - €115m / market value - €100m) Reuters

3) Jadon Sancho: Borussia Dortmund to Manchester United (transfer fee - €85m / market value - €100m) Getty Images

Soccer Football - Ligue 1 - Stade de Reims v Paris St Germain - Stade Auguste-Delaune, Reims, France - August 29, 2021 Paris St Germain's Lionel Messi REUTERS / Benoit Tessier

5) Raphael Varane: Real Madrid to Manchester United (transfer fee - €40m / market value - €70m) Getty Images

6) Achraf Hakimi: Inter Milan to Paris Saint Germain (transfer fee - €60m / market value - €60m) Getty Images

7) Dayot Upamecano: RB Leipzig to Bayern Munich (transfer fee - €42.5m / market value - €60m) Getty Images

8) Gianluigi Donnarumma: AC Milan to Paris Saint-Germain (transfer fee - free / market value - €60m) EPA

9) Antoine Griezmann: Barcelona to Atletico Madrid (transfer fee - loan / market value - €60m) AFP

10) Ben White: Brighton to Arsenal (transfer fee - €58.5m / market value - €28m) Getty Images

11) Eduardo Camavinga: Rennes to Real Madrid (transfer fee - €31m / market value - €55m) AFP

12) David Alaba: Bayern Munich to Real Madrid (transfer fee - free / market value - €55m) Getty Images

13) Andre Silva : Eintracht Frankfurt to RB Leipzig (transfer fee - €23m / market value - €45m) AFP

14) Cristiano Ronaldo: Juventus to Manchester United (transfer fee - €15m / market value - €45m) AP

15) Memphis Depay: Lyon to Barcelona (transfer fee - free / market value - €45m) Getty Images

16) Marcel Sabitzer: RB Leipzig to Bayern Munich (transfer fee - €15m / market value - €42m) AFP

17) Ibrahima Konate: RB Leipzig to Liverpool (transfer fee - €40m / market value - €35m) Getty Images

18) Tammy Abraham: Chelsea to Roma (transfer fee - €40m / market value - €38m) AFP

19) Martin Odegaard: Real Madrid to Arsenal (transfer fee - €35m / market value - €40m) Getty Images

20) Nuno Mendes: Sportling Lisbon to Paris Saint-Germain (transfer fee - loan / market value - €40m) AFP

21) Saul Niguez: Atletico Madrid to Chelsea (transfer fee - loan / market value - €40m) Reuters

22) Emiliano Buendia: Norwich City to Aston Villa (transfer fee - €38.4m / market value - €35m) Getty Images

23) Rodrigo De Paul: Udinese to Atletico Madrid (transfer fee - €35m / market value - €38m) Getty Images

24) Danny Ings: Southampton to Aston Villa (transfer fee - €35.2m / market value - €22m) Getty Images

25) Kurt Zouma: Chelsea to West Ham (transfer fee - €35m / market value - €32m) Getty Images

26) Leon Bailey: Bayer Leverkusen to Aston Villa (transfer fee - €32m / market value - €35m) AFP

27) Angelino: Manchester City to RB Leipzig (transfer fee - €18m / market value - €35m) Getty Images

28) Cristian Romero: Atalanta to Tottenham Hotspur (transfer fee - loan / market value - €35m) Getty Images

29) Moise Kean: Everton to Juventus (transfer fee - loan / market value - €35m) Getty Images

30) Hakan Calhanoglu: AC Milan to Inter Milan (transfer fee - free / market value - €35m) Reuters

31) Manuel Locatelli: Sassuolo to Juventus (transfer fee - loan / market value - €35m) Getty Images

32) Matheus Cunha: Hertha Berlin to Atletico Madrid (transfer fee - €30m / market value - €30m) EPA

33) Donyell Malen: PSV Eindhoven to Borussia Dortmund (transfer fee - €30m / market value - €30m) Getty Images

34) Nikola Vlasic: CSKA Moscow to West Ham (transfer fee - €30m / market value - €30m) AFP

35) Patson Daka: Red Bull Salzburg to Leicester City (transfer fee - €30m / market value - €22m) Getty Images

36) Bryan Gil: Sevilla to Tottenham (transfer fee - €25m / market value - €30m) Reuters

37) Matteo Politano: Inter Milan to Napoli (transfer fee - €19m / market value - €30m) Getty Images

38) Joaquin Correa: Lazio to Inter Milan (transfer fee - loan / market value - €30m) Getty Images

39) Georginio Wijnaldum: Liverpool to Paris Saint-Germain (transfer fee - free / market value - €30m) AFP

40) Joe Willock: Arsenal to Newcastle (transfer fee - €29.4m / market value - €16m) Getty

41) Fikayo Tomori: Chelsea to AC Milan (transfer fee - €29.2m / market value - €28m) Getty Images

42) Daniel James: Manchester United to Leeds (transfer fee - €29.1m / market value - €18m) Reuters

43) Aaron Ramsdale: Sheffield United to Arsenal (transfer fee - €28m / market value - €12m) Getty Images

44) Boubakary Soumare: Lille to Leicester City (transfer fee - €20m / market value - €28m) AFP

45) Merih Demiral: Juventus to Atalanta (transfer fee - loan / market value - €28m) Getty Images

46) Sandro Tonali: Brescia to AC Milan (transfer fee - €6.9m / market value - €27m) AP Photo

47) Emerson Royal: Barcelona to Tottenham (transfer fee - €25m / market value - €25m) Getty Images

48) Gerson: Flamengo to Marseille (transfer fee - €25m / market value - €20m) AFP

49) Weston McKennie: Schalke to Juventus (transfer fee - €20.5m / market value - €25m) AFP

50) Ilaix Moriba: Barcelona to RB Leipzig (transfer fee - €16m / market value - €25m) Reuters

Tuesday's deadline day marked the end of a truly remarkable summer transfer window, which saw the two greatest players of their generation make sensational moves and a number of expensive deals take place.

Lionel Messi did the seemingly unimaginable by leaving Barcelona after 17 years having failed to agree a new contract amid the club's crippling financial problems. The Argentine soon pitched up at Paris Saint-Germain, amid much fanfare, where he signed a two-year contract with the option of a third.

Messi's great rival Cristiano Ronaldo later followed suit by sealing a stunning move of his own as the Portuguese superstar returned to Manchester United 12 years after leaving the Premier League club.

Aside from those two spectacular deals, plenty of money was exchanged between clubs this summer. Jack Grealish's British record move from Aston Villa to Manchester City represented the biggest deal of the window, closely followed by Romelu Lukaku's return to Chelsea from Inter Milan.

In addition to Ronaldo, Manchester United were responsible for two of the top five biggest transfers of the window, with Jadon Sancho arriving from Borussia Dortmund and Raphael Varane making the move from Real Madrid.

With the summer transfer window now closed, the photo gallery above details the 50 biggest deals of the off-season. All figures are sourced from transfermarkt.com and the rankings are based on transfer fee or the player's market value, whichever is greater.

To move on to the next photo, click on the arrows or if using a mobile device, simply swipe.

Top 10 deals of the 2021/22 summer transfer window

1. Jack Grealish - Aston Villa to Manchester City (transfer fee - €117.5m / market value - €65.00m)

2. Romelu Lukaku - Inter Milan to Chelsea (transfer fee - €115m / market value - €100m)

3. Jadon Sancho - Borussia Dortmund to Manchester United (transfer fee - €85m / market value - €100m)

4. Lionel Messi - Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain (transfer fee - free / market value - €80m)

5. Raphael Varane - Real Madrid to Manchester United (transfer fee - €40m / market value - €70m)

6. Achraf Hakimi - Inter Milan to Paris Saint-Germain (transfer fee - €60m / market value - €60m)

7. Dayot Upamecano - RB Leipzig to Bayern Munich (transfer fee - €42.5m / market value - €60m)

8. Gianluigi Donnarumma - AC Milan to Paris Saint-Germain (transfer fee - free / market value - €60m)

9. Antoine Griezmann - Barcelona to Atletico Madrid (transfer fee - loan / market value - €60m)

10. Ben White - Brighton to Arsenal (transfer fee - €58.5m / market value - €28m)