AS Monaco and the Deadline Day Chaos

They may hail from a microstate, but AS Monaco have emerged as a major player on the European football scene over the past few decades. Founded in 1924, Monaco first enjoyed domestic success in the early '60s before returning to the fore two decades later and eventually culminating in a trip to the UEFA Champions League Final in 2004. Seven years later, Monaco were relegated to Ligue 2, ending a 34-year spell in France's top-flight.

Monaco, however, would land on their feet after being purchased by Russian oligarch Dmitry Rybolovlev, giving them the financial support to achieve promotion in 2013 and sign world-renowned stars like Radamel Falcao and James Rodríguez. Monaco would reach the zenith in 2017 after claiming their eighth Ligue 1 title (first in 17 years) and putting an end to Paris Saint-Germain's dominance, and they have since emerged as one of the top teams in the top division and a regular participant in UEFA competitions.

Above all, Monaco have developed a reputation for selling their best talents for mammoth profits, earning acclaim from the likes of Thomas Hitzlsperger. In 2015, they sold various prospects like Anthony Martial and Layvin Kurzawa for a total of €175.4 million, and after they won the title, they banked nearly €600 million across the next two seasons thanks to lucrative sales including Kylian Mbappé and Bernardo Silva. The principality side have made at least €100 million in transfer revenue in three of the last five seasons, with the €50m sale of Maghnes Akliouche to Paris Saint-Germain being their marquee sale this summer.

It has been a busy summer for Monaco, who have appointed their third permanent head coach (Filipe Luís) in less than a year, and who have also sold Aladji Bamba to Newcastle and Kassoum Ouattara to Beşiktaş. They also dispatched defenders Caio Henrique and Thilo Kehrer to Ajax and loaned out Lucas Michal, Radoslaw Majecki and Yann Lienard, in addition to shedding Paul Pogba and Krépin Diatta from their wage bill. Furthermore, they've also replenished their backline with the signings of Sadibou Sané and Nazinho.