BERLIN (AFP) - The five biggest transfers in Germany during the summer transfer window, which closed on Monday night, Sept 1, 2014:
Robert Lewandowski - Borussia Dortmund to Bayern Munich; free transfer
It was announced back in January that Polish striker Lewandowski would be moving to Bayern in the summer on a five-year deal under freedom of contract.
The 26-year-old followed the path trodden last summer by Mario Goetze in joinng Bayern from their biggest rivals. Lewandowski scored 74 Bundesliga goals in four years with Dortmund and was the division's leading scorer last season with 20.
He is therefore expected to be an improvement on Mario Mandzukic, sold to Atletico Madrid, and he got his first goal for his new club in Saturday's 1-1 draw away to Schalke.
Ciro Immobile - Torino (Italy) to Borussia Dortmund; 19.4 million euros (S$31.8 million)
To replace Lewandowski, Dortmund splashed the cash to recruit Colombia striker Adrian Ramos from Hertha Berlin but the more intriguing deal was that which saw 24-year-old Italy striker Immobile, the leading scorer in Serie A last season for Torino with 22 goals, arrive in the Ruhr.
Immobile, previously with Juventus and Genoa, signed a five-year contract with Dortmund. He featured in two of Italy's games at the World Cup but was largely ineffectual.
Josip Drmic - Nuremberg to Bayer Leverkusen; undisclosed fee
Leverkusen moved to strengthen their front line with the signing of highly promising 22-year-old Swiss international striker Drmic. Formerly of FC Zurich, Drmic sprang to prominence with 17 goals in a Nuremberg side that were relegated last season.
He put pen to paper on a four-year deal before featuring in all of Switzerland's games as they reached the last 16 at the World Cup.
Mehdi Benatia - Roma to Bayern Munich; 30 million euros (S$49.2 million)
Moroccan international defender Benatia, 27, signed on a five-year deal from Serie A side Roma to help Bayern plug the gap left by the loss of Javi Martinez to a serious knee injury.
Benatia was born in France but only played in the lower leagues there before making a name for himself in Italy with Udinese. He then joined Roma last year and helped the capital club finish second to qualify for the Champions League.
Xabi Alonso - Real Madrid to Bayern Munich; 10 million euros (S$16.4 million)
Alonso, 32, joined Bayern from European champions Real Madrid last week in what he described as "the most complicated" decision of his career.
A member of the Spanish side that won the World Cup in 2010 and the European Championships in 2008 and 2012, Alonso had joined Real from Liverpool in 2009.
He announced his retirement from international football last Wednesday, one of many Spanish stars to stand down after the country's World Cup debacle. The recent purchase of German midfielder Toni Kroos had also complicated his future with Real, and so he eventually agreed to move in the opposite direction.
Alonso now teams up with Pep Guardiola and the burgeoning Spanish contingent at the Allianz Arena. He made his debut in Saturday's 1-1 draw at Schalke.
