A big week for nostalgia in the latest pre-season jousting. There was the sight of Gianluigi Buffon saving three Inter Milan penalties in the jersey of Juventus, the club he left barely a year ago.
There was Diego Costa scoring four times against Real Madrid in New Jersey, and picking up a red card: vintage Costa, much more like the untameable warrior the club came to love when he spearheaded Atletico Madrid’s Spanish title triumph of 2014 than the irregular Costa of most his third spell at the club over the last 18 months.
This weekend, look forward to a roll-back-the-years reappearance of Mats Hummels in a bright yellow jersey, as the accomplished centre-back, 30, lines up for his old club, Borussia Dortmund. He will be going up against his other old club, Bayern Munich, in the German Super Cup, the curtain-raiser to the Bundesliga, a league where to-and-froing between the two heavyweight contenders is becoming a summer staple.
Hummels’s move from Bayern to Dortmund, for a fee that could rise to €38 million (Dh155.3m), is the latest in a pattern. Not long ago, Bayern’s financial might was being used systematically to stymie Dortmund and to arrest a momentum that had seen the Ruhr club beat the Bavarians to successive league titles, in 2011 and 2012.
First, Bayern whisked Mario Gotze away, signing their rival’s brightest young prospect amid great rancour. Then, Robert Lewadowski joined Bayern from Dortmund. Hummels, who had actually started his career as a junior at Bayern, made the same journey south in 2016. They each won every league they contested with Bayern.
But now, more traffic flows in the opposite direction. Gotze rejoined Dortmund three summers ago, after an inconsistent stint with Bayern. He came through some initial antagonism from Dortmund supporters, and will now be reunited with Hummels, his fellow World Cup winner.
What Hummels appreciates is that Dortmund, with its fervent home support, is an institution where loyalty is a double-edged sword. Certainly, to leave the Westfalen for a rival bent on directly weakening its main challenger in its transfer strategy is to make many local enemies.
But Dortmund is also a club that players choose to come back to, because it feels so like a true home: Shinji Kagawa left for Manchester United and returned two years later; Nuri Sahin came back after unfulfilling voyages to Real Madrid and Liverpool. Hummels is drawn by the same magnet to a place with a real, visceral sense of its unique identity.
Atletico Madrid has that character. Hence footballers like Fernando Torres, Filipe Luis and former captain Gabi willingly return for second spells there, stimulated by the upward momentum and valued for their understanding of the club by head coach, Diego Simeone, himself a former Atletico player.
Diego Costa came back after three years at Chelsea and, after injury setbacks last season, his colleagues detect his special cocktail of aggression, industry and skill is back to its most potent.
“Diego Costa could turn out looking like our best ‘new’ signing,” said midfielder Saul Niguez after Costa led the extraordinary 7-3 win over Real Madrid on Friday – this in a summer when new signings worth €250m have joined Atletico.
Juventus also like to boast of their own special DNA. Buffon came to represent it as much as any player in the years between 2001 and 2018, when, aged 40, he left for a late-career adventure with another elite club, signing for Paris Saint-Germain.
The goalkeeper was largely second choice there. Buffon will also be deputy, behind Wojciech Szczesny, at the start of Juve’s defence of their Serie A title. But at least at Juve he will feel he belongs.
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The best summer transfers
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Alex Iwobi was one of the late movers on transfer deadline day in the Premier League as he joined Everton from Arsenal. EPA -
Romelu Lukaku has completed his move from Manchester United to Inter Milan, signing a five-year contract with the Italian club. AP Photo -
Harry Maguire - Manchester United paid a record £80 million for a defender when they signed him from Leicester City on Monday. EPA -
Ryan Sessegnon has joined Tottenham from Fulham on a five-year deal. EPA -
Kieran Tierney has joined Arsenal from Scottish champions Celtic. Press Association -
Arsenal have broken their transfer record to sign Nicolas Pepe for £72 million (Dh320.1m) from Lille. AP Photo -
Moise Kean - Juventus striker is set for a move to the Premier League with Everton for a reported £30 million. Getty Images -
Patrick Cutrone - AC Milan striker has joined Premier League side Wolves for a fee of around £16 million. Getty Images -
Idrissa Gueye - Senegalese midfielder left Everton to join French champions Paris Saint-Germain for a fee in the region of €32 million. EPA -
Nicolas Pepe - Ivorian forward is set to complete a move to Arsenal from Lille for a club record €80 million. AFP -
Mats Hummels - German World Cup winner rejoined Bourissa Dortmund for ₤33 million after three years at Bayern Munich. AFP -
Harvey Elliott - the England youth international is the youngest debutant in Premier League history after playing for Fulham against Wolves in May at the age of 16 years and 30 days. Signed for Liverpool for an undisclosed fee. Reuters -
Thomas Vermaelen - Belgian defender joined the growing band of ex-Barcelona players to sign for J-League club Vissel Kobe. AFP -
William Saliba - French defender, 18, has joined Arsenal from Saint Etienne for £27 million. He will spend the 2019/20 season back on loan at the French club. AFP -
Filipe Luis - left-back ended a nine-year stay at Atletico Madrid across two spells when he signed for Brazlian club Flamengo. EPA -
Daniele De Rossi - Roma midfielder declined the offer to retire a one-club man by joining Argentine giants Boca Juniors as a free agent. AFP -
Joao Felix - after a breakout season at Benfica, the Portuguese striker, 19, joined Atletico Madrid for a club record €120m. AFP -
Merih Demiral - Turkish defender, right, joined Juventus from Serie A side Sassuolo for €18 million. AFP -
Ravel Morrison - troubled former England Uner 21 international joined the promoted Sheffield United on a free transfer from Swedish club Ostersund. AFP -
Joelinton - Brazilian became Steve Bruce's first signing as Newcastle manager, joining from German club Hoffenhem for £40 million. Reuters -
Vincent Janssen - Dutch striker ended a miserable three year spell at Tottenham Hotspur by signing for Mexico's Monterrey for £6.3 million. AFP -
Marcos Llorente - Spanish midfielder moved across town to join Atletico Madrid from rivals Real for a fee of €30 million. EPA -
Nabil Fekir - France international joined Spanish club Real Betis for £17.7 million from Lyon. AFP -
Trezeguet - seen here to Mohamed Salah's right, will join his fellow Egyptian in the Premier League after moving to Aston Villa from Turkish side Kasimpasa for a reported £8.75 million. EPA -
Felipe Almeida - Brazilian centre-back, 30, has considerable shoes to fill replacing Atletico Madrid legend Diego Godin at Atletico Madrid. EPA -
Antoine Griezmann - French forward angered Atletico Madrid by, they claim, agreeing a move to Barcelona in March while also allowing his buyout clause to reduce in value. AFP -
Eden Hazard - Became Real Madrid's record transfer after moving from Chelsea for £130 million. USA Today -
Hiroki Abe - Japanese forward, 20, transferred from Kashima Antlers to Barcelona for reported fee of €2 million. EPA -
Aaron Wan-Bissaka - England Under 21 defender joined Manchester United from Crystal Palace for a fee that could rise to £50 million. AP Photo -
Takefusa Kubo - midfielder, 18, dubbed the "Japanese Messi", joined Real Madrid Castilla in June on a five-year deal. AFP -
Rodri - Spanish midfielder became Manchester City's record signing after joining from Atletico Madrid for £63 million. AFP -
Matthijs De Ligt - widely regarded as one of the best young defenders in world football. Juventus saw off stiff competition for the 19-year-old Netherlands international's signature, securing him from Ajax for £67.5million. AFP -
Fabian Delph - England midfielder, left, joined Premier League rivals Everton for an initial £8.5 million. Reuters -
Ayoze Perez - Spanish forward left Newcastle United to join fellow Premier League club Leicester City for £30 million. Reuters -
Jack Clarke - winger signed for Tottenham Hotspur for £8.5 million but was immediately loaned back to Leeds United. PA -
Youri Tielemans - after a hugely successful loan spell for the second half of the 2018/19 campaign, the Belgium midfielder, 22, made the move from Monaco permanent this summer, with the Foxes shelling out a reported £40 million. Reuters -
Andre Gomes - Portuguese switched permanently to Everton for the 2019/20 season after the Toffees paid Barcelona £22 million for the midfielder. EPA -
Frenkie de Jong - the Dutch playmaker signed a pre-contract agreement in January to move to Barcelona for €75 million on July 1. AFP -
Gianluigi Buffon - Italian goalkeeper rejoined Juventus, the club where he had previously spent 17 years, on a free transfer at the age of 41 having spent one season at Paris Saint-Germain. AFP -
Aaron Ramsey - joined Italian champions Juventus on a free transfer after 10 years at Arsenal. AFP -
Tanguy Ndombele - Tottenham broke their transfer record to sign the French midfielder, 22, from Lyon for £63 million. EPA -
Kieran Trippier - England right-back was part of the Tottenham team that reached the 2019 Champions League final. Joined Atletico Madrid for £20 million. AFP -
Rodrygo - Brazilian winger has likened himself to Ronaldo and Robinho. Joined Real Madrid for £40m from Santos after two clubs agreed he would stay with the Brazilian club for an extra season. USA Today -
Daniel James - Welsh winger, 21, became Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first signing at Manchester United since being appointed full-time manager. Scored six goals in 39 appearances for Swansea City in 2018/19. PA -
Eder Militao - Brazil defender was part of the influx of new Real Madrid signings this summer, joining from Porto for £45 million. AFP -
Luka Jovic - Serbian striker was one of the most prolific marksmen in Europe in 2018/19, banging in 27 goals in 48 appearances in all competitions. Moved to the Bernabeu from Eintracht Frankfurt for fee in the region of €60 million. AFP -
Ander Herrera - Spanish midfielder joined French champions Paris Saint-Germain on a free transfer after contract with Manchester United expired. AFP -
Adrien Rabiot - another high-profile free recruit. French midfielder, 24, fell out with former club Paris Saint-Germain. AFP -
Joao Cancelo has made the move to Manchester City from Juventus, with Danilo going the other way. EPA -
David Luiz has left Chelsea for Arsenal in a £8m deal. EPA -
Ismaila Sarr has left Rennes for Watford. Reuters
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Other senior Juve men have found it hard to depart and stay away. Last summer, defender Leonardo Bonucci returned to Juventus, where he had spent seven glittering seasons, after only one year at AC Milan. Bonucci was welcomed back for his leadership, among other qualities. Likewise Buffon, who, even without the first-team gloves, is invited to re-establish his authority as dressing-room general.
The Hummels sequel at Dortmund gives him similar responsibilities. “He is a leader and that’s the type we need,” said the experienced Dortmund midfielder Axel Witsel, part of a generally young team who lost the leadership of the title race in the gripping tail-end of last season, as Bayern’s more mature unit overtook them.
By then, the German champions were already planning a summer rejuvenation. Hummels's departure from Bayern coincides with the arrival of two 23-year-old defenders, Lucas Hernandez and Benjamin Pavard.
It is a younger Bayern who take on a worldlier Dortmund on Saturday and, if this season is to resemble the last, all the way through a neck-and-neck duel for the title over the next nine months.
