The Portuguese side know how to do business…
It’s been just over 10 year since Porto upset all the odds by winning the Champions League. The majority of that team became household names around Europe and a lot of them also made a truck-load of money for the Primeira Liga side.
That 2004 side included Deco, Ricardo Carvalho, Benni McCarthy, Maniche, Paolo Ferreira, Costinha and Jose Bosingwa who all earned big money moves, mostly to Chelsea, away from the club.
A lot of people thought that the break-up of that side would be the end for Porto but they’ve done something incredible. They have consistently produced and nurtured talented players which has seen them dominate the domestic league over the last 10 years.
That along with their prudent transfer policy and their tough negotiating skills has seen them make a whopping €776 million in transfer fees.
Here’s a quick look at some of the players who have passed through the Estádio do Dragão since the days of Jose Mourinho and the transfer fees they’ve received.
Paulo Ferreira to Chelsea – €21.9m
Deco to Barcelona – €23m
Ricardo Carvalho to Chelsea – €33m
Lisandro Lopez to Lyon – €26.3m
Anderson to Manchester United – €34m
Jose Bosingwa to Chelsea – €22.5m
Pepe to Real Madrid – €33m
Ricardo Quaresma to Inter Milan – €27.1m
Lucho Gonzalez to Marseille – €21m
Lisandro Lopez to Lyon – €26.3m
Bruno Alves to Zenit – €24.2m
Radamel Falcao to Atletico Madrid – €51.3m
Hulk to Zenit St Petersburg – €60.4m
Raul Meireles to Liverpool – €14.2m
Joao Moutinho to Monaco – €27.5m
James Rodriguez to Monaco – €50m
Eliaquim Mangala to Manchester City – €40m
We are wondering what goes on in a negotiation meeting between Porto and other clubs but there seems to be only one winner every time. The figures are incredible and the current squad contains the likes of Jackson Martinez, Bruno Martins Indi, Cristian Tello and Juan Quintero so expect there’s plenty more money on the way.
Hat-tip to Daily Mail.
