James, Tolisso, Brooks and the Bundesliga Summer Transfer XI
The summer transfer window slammed shut on 31 August, but the Bundesliga clubs went about their planning for the season with typical German efficiency and brought in most new signings early.
bundesliga.com has put on its Carlo Ancelotti coaching cap and put together the summer’s top transfer XI...
GOALKEEPER
Ron-Robert Zieler (Leicester City to VfB Stuttgart)
If you're returning to the Bundesliga dogfight after a one-year absence, then who better to shore up your last line of defence than a FIFA World Cup-winning goalkeeper? That was clearly the thinking at Stuttgart as they brought in Ron-Robert Zieler from former English Prmier League champions Leicester City in July. The 28-year-old was Number 2 to the immovable Manuel Neuer in Brazil in 2014, but boasts a huge amount of Bundesliga experience, having played every single game for Hannover for five seasons running between 2011 and 2016. Die Schwaben were relegated in 2015/16 with by far the worst defence in the league (75 goals conceded), so the arrival of a safe pair of hands is just what the doctor ordered - a clean sheet on Matchday 2 against Mainz was an excellent start.
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RIGHT-BACK
Carlos Salcedo (Chivas Guadalajara to Eintracht Frankfurt, loan)
This summer's Mexican transfer merry-go-round has seen Chicharito return to the Premier League and highly-rated defender Salcedo join his international teammate Marco Fabian at Eintracht Frankfurt. A centre-back by trade, the 23-year-old can also slot in at right-back and has been turning heads in Europe since joining Fiorentina on loan at the start of last season. Athletic and aggressive, Salcedo should help to plug the gap left by the Real Madrid-owned Jesus Vallejo, as the Eagles look to find their wings after falling from third to 11th in the second half of last season.
CENTRE-BACK
Niklas Süle (Hoffenheim to Bayern Munich)
Considering Bayern Munich ended the 2016/17 season with the best defence (22 goals conceded), and already boast the World Cup-winning central defensive partnership of Mats Hummels and Jerome Boateng, it was going to take a special player to boost their formidable backline. Step forward Herr Süle. The 21-year-old man mountain (6ft 4in; 15.2 stone) enjoyed a standout season with Hoffenheim last term, and recently starred for Germany in their Confederations Cup triumph. Strong in the tackle and comfortable in possession, Süle underlined the comparisons with Bayern and Germany great Franz Beckenbauer by scoring on his Bundesliga debut for the champions on Matchday 1.
Watch: Check out Süle's goal in Bayern's 3-1 win against Leverkusen on opening night
CENTRE-BACK
John Anthony Brooks (Hertha Berlin to Wolfsburg)
Forget the Berlin Wall – USA international John Anthony Brooks is now the Wall of Wolfsburg, having traded his hometown for Lower Saxony on deal running until 2022. The Wolves came dangerously close to relegation last season – surviving a playoff against neighbours Eintracht Braunschweig – and are clearly determined to avoid any similar scares in 2017/18. They conceded 18 more goals than they scored last term, but Brooks, who has netted six times in 90 Bundesliga appearances, should be able to help out at both ends of the pitch once he returns from injury.
Watch: bundesliga.com talked to Brooks about his US-German roots in Berlin last season
LEFT-BACK
Bastian Oczipka (Eintracht Frankfurt to Schalke)
How do you replace a man like Sead Kolasinac? That was the question the Schalke board were asking themselves in June, when the Bundesliga left-back of the season completed his move to Arsenal. The answer they came up with was Bastian Oczipka, who had just enjoyed arguably his best campaign to date with Frankfurt. Having notched up four assists, 11 clean sheets and a goal for good measure, the 28-year-old looks ready to step things up a notch after five seasons with the Eagles. Tactically versatile and physically imposing, two games in and Oczipka already looks an ideal fit for the Royal Blues.
CENTRAL MIDFIELDER
Corentin Tolisso (Lyon to Bayern Munich)
Talented French players have had a habit of heading outre-Rhin – or across the Rhine – in recent years, and the Bundesliga is now home to some of Les Bleus' brightest prospects. Corentin Tolisso became the latest man to make the switch this summer, following in the footsteps of compatriots Franck Ribery, Kingsley Coman and Ousmane Dembele. Capable of playing in on the edge of either box, Tolisso has a keen eye for goal (as demonstrated on Matchday 1 against Bayer Leverkusen) and has been tipped as the natural successor to the now-retired Xabi Alonso. Versatile and still young (he turns 23 in August), the former Lyon man looks set to add some genuine star quality to Bayern's midfield in the coming years.
Watch: Corentin Tolisso reflects on his Bundesliga debut against Leverkusen
CENTRAL MIDFIELDER
Mahmoud Dahoud (Borussia Mönchengladbach to Borussia Dortmund)
Fresh from winning the UEFA European U-21 Championship with Germany, Mahmoud Dahoud is gearing up for his next big challenge at club level, having swapped Borussia Mönchengladbach for Borussia Dortmund in July. Blessed with remarkable vision, energy and anticipation, the 21-year-old Syrian-born midfielder should fit in perfectly at BVB, where prodigious youngsters are always given an opportunity to shine. Renowned for his pinpoint long passes, Dahoud should add another dimension to Dortmund's star-studded midfield, marrying his all-action style to the more creative output of Christian Pulisic, Dembele and Marco Reus.
FORWARD
Jean-Kevin Augustin (Paris Saint-Germain to RB Leipzig)
Augustin arrived in Germany from boyhood club Paris Saint-Germain hoping to live up to his reputation as one of the hottest prospects in French football. The 20-year-old lit up the UEFA European U-19 Championship in Germany last summer, topping the scoring charts with six goals as Les Bleuets secured the title. That sparked hopes that the promising young forward would emerge as a bona-fide star – much like France teammate Kylian Mbappe at Monaco – but he was limited to just 13 games at PSG last term. Determined to prove his worth, Augustin has joined the highly-ambitious RB Leipzig, where his pace, power and creativity have already made him a welcome addition to Ralph Hasenhüttl's already formidable youthful arsenal - two assists on his home debut represented the perfect start to life in the Bundesliga.
Watch: Augustin inspired Leipzig to a 4-1 win against Freiburg on Matchday 2!
ATTACKING MIDFIELDER
James Rodriguez (Real Madrid to Bayern Munich, loan)
The most high-profile transfer of the summer so far, James Rodriguez has true world-class pedigree, as any casual observer of the FIFA 2014 World Cup will tell you. Apart from scoring a phenomenal strike for Colombia against Uruguay – which later earned him the FIFA Puskas Award – James picked up the tournament's Golden Boot and earned himself a move to Real Madrid, where he went on to win La Liga and two UEFA Champions League titles. The Colombia captain joins up with former coach Ancelotti in Bavaria, where his sensational creative play and killer eye for goal are sure to make him one of the players to watch in 2017/2018.
WINGER
Vincenzo Grifo (Freiburg to Borussia Mönchengladbach)
Given that their squad already contains Thorgan Hazard, Ibrahima Traore, Patrick Herrmann, Jonas Hofmann, Fabian Johnson, Lars Stindl and Raffael, you could be forgiven for thinking Gladbach had no need to add to their embarrassment of riches in the final third. Yet the arrival of dead-ball specialist Vincenzo Grifo could well prove a masterstroke, as the Foals look to improve on a disappointing ninth place last season. A set-piece supremo who notched up six goals and eight assists for Freiburg in 2016/17 joining a Gladbach side who haven't scored a direct free-kick since 2015? It looks like a match made in heaven.
FORWARD
Serge Gnabry (Bayern Munich to Hoffenheim, loan)
Having joined Bayern from Werder Bremen at the start of the summer, Serge Gnabry was soon packing his bags again, as the record champions agreed to loan him out to Hoffenheim for the 2017/18 season. Instead of gathering dust on the Bayern bench, the European U-21 champion will have the opportunity to build on his excellent season with The Green-Whites (a direct hand in a goal every 97 minutes) as he looks to help Hoffenheim fight on several fronts, including the UEFA Europa League. The highly-talented forward is sure to have refined his game even further by the time he returns to the Allianz Arena next summer.
Watch: Serge Gnabry's top 5 Bundesliga goals