Barcelona and Real Madrid turned heads during the summer transfer window, and not always for the right reasons.
The two biggest clubs in Spain had quiet summers compared to the giants of the Premier League. Barcelona only signed three new players before the transfer window shut while Real Madrid locked down four.
The bitter rivals also bid farewell to important players without signing replacements. Instead, they kicked off their 2025–26 campaigns relying on internal solutions to compensate for the massive departures.
As the world waits for the first El Clásico of the season, let’s take a look at whether Barcelona or Real Madrid came out on top in the battle of the summer transfer window.
Barcelona’s Summer Transfer Window
Major Signings
Amid more financial woes and registration difficulties, Barcelona only signed three players before the transfer window shut. Joan García, Marcus Rashford and Roony Bardghji all made the move to Catalonia to join the defending Spanish champions.
García is not only Barcelona’s best signing but also one of the best La Liga transfers of the summer. The 24-year-old was a top keeper in Spain last season, taking center stage week in and week out at Espanyol. It took no time at all for the Spaniard to show his quality for the Catalans; in fact, he almost single-handedly saved Barcelona from suffering a shocking defeat to Rayo Vallecano.
Rashford, though, has not found his footing as quickly. The England international was brought in to give Barcelona added depth on the left wing after they failed to acquire Nico Williams and Luis Díaz. Yet in three appearances so far, the 27-year-old has failed to live up to the skill of the attackers surrounding him.
Meanwhile, 19-year-old Bardghji has yet to have an opportunity to make his Barcelona debut after the club took until Deadline Day to register the former Copenhagen standout. The future is bright for the Swede, though, who will serve as Lamine Yamal’s backup.
Major Outgoings
Iñigo Martínez’s exit was a massive blow to Barcelona. The defender shined in the Catalans’ treble-winning campaign, making 46 appearances across all competitions.
Any time Flick’s squad needed a game-saving challenge or a leader inside their own half, it was Martínez that answered the call. Even with an unproven teenager alongside him in Pau Cubarsí, the veteran stepped up on the biggest of stages for Barcelona, becoming an unsung hero on a team full of superstar forwards.
In the wake of Martínez’s surprising departure for Al Nassr, Barcelona conceded two goals to newly promoted side Levante and another in their poor 1–1 draw to Rayo Vallecano. Without the ability to sign a replacement, the club is now left without a natural, left-footed center back.
Barcelona also said goodbye to 19-year-old Héctor Fort and Clément Lenglet, losing even more defensive depth.
Real Madrid’s Summer Window
Major Signings
Real Madrid welcomed four new faces to the Spanish capital this summer. After conceding 83 goals across all competitions last season, Los Blancos signed three defensive reinforcements in Dean Huijsen, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Álvaro Carreras.
The new additions all instantly became starters under Alonso, helping Real Madrid start their 2025–26 campaign off with two clean sheets in their first three matches. In fact, the La Liga runners-up only conceded one goal in their first 270 minutes played this season.
Huijsen is a smart, reliable center back that is superb with the ball at his feet while Carreras brings creativity and flare to Real Madrid’s left flank. Alexander-Arnold is taking a bit more time to adjust to his new squad, but he has already shown flashes of brilliance at both ends of the pitch.
Real Madrid also signed Franco Mastantuono from River Plate as their only attacking reinforcement this summer. The 18-year-old has started two of the club’s three La Liga matches so far, showing his raw skill when called upon. Yet unlike Los Blancos’ three new defenders, the Argentine still has a lot to improve on before he can call himself a permanent starter at the biggest club in the world.
Major Outgoings
Luka Modrić bid farewell to the Spanish capital after 13 years following the FIFA Club World Cup. The Croatian is widely considered the best midfielder in club history, as well as one of the best players to ever don a white shirt.
The Ballon d’Or winner would have stayed at Real Madrid for one more season, but the club did not offer him a contract extension. Instead, it opted to make room for stars of the future, like Mastantuono.
Modrić’s departure left a massive hole in Los Blancos’ midfield, one Alonso is relying on Arda Güler to fill. It is a lot of pressure to put on a 20-year-old, especially when he is following in the footsteps of the winningest player in Real Madrid history. Not to mention that Güler is not a natural central midfielder.
Still, the Spanish giants were confident enough to move forward without Modrić, as well as Lucas Vázquez, who joined Bayer Leverkusen as a free agent.
Barcelona vs. Real Madrid: Which Club Won the Summer Transfer Window?
After suffering four defeats to Barcelona last season, Real Madrid finally bested their bitter rivals. Los Blancos undoubtedly won the summer transfer window from nearly all angles.
The 15-time Champions League winners completely rebuilt their depleted backline with both proven and emerging talent. The glaring weaknesses Real Madrid had last season are already gone, even with Alexander-Arnold still yet to reach his peak performance.
Plus, Alonso got to keep his most important players while Barcelona lost the backbone of their defense. The Catalans also only signed one new starter in García, while Rashford and Bardghji will only serve substitute roles.
Real Madrid outperformed Barcelona both on paper and in practice. There is a drastic difference in the way Alonso’s new-look squad plays compared to last season, whereas Flick’s men have struggled early in their title defense. Beyond the heroics of their new keeper, the Catalans have gotten nearly nothing from their other two signings.
The season is long, though, and it remains to be seen how large an impact the summer transfer window will have in the fight for the Spanish crown.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Barcelona vs. Real Madrid: Which Club Won the Summer Transfer Window?.
