Any more to add?
The transfer window is about to shut this evening and I’m sure that some managers will be feeling the pressure to finalise any potential deals before the deadline hits. The last-minute rush might mean that a few clubs end up paying over the odds and panicking- maybe that’s what happened with these awful January signings – but this has got us thinking about those transfer fees that made football fans stop in amazement.
While proven talents like Zidane, Neymar, Ronaldo, Suarez, Di Maria, Torres (he was great once) have all justifiably commanded huge fees, there are certain transfers where football fans instantly know that one of the clubs are being mugged off.
FYI, big fees for the likes of Martial, De Bruyne, Lukaku, Sterling and Ferdinand are exempt from this list because the huge outlay on them is as much an indication about their massive potential as it is their current ability.
Here’s what we think…
Ramires – Chelsea to Jiangsu Suning
Fee: £20 million – potentially rising to £25m.
Logic: He’s still only 28, has plenty of experience and he might be a ‘marque’ name that helps to grow the appeal of football in China.
Huh?: Apart from the occasional screamer, the only thing we’ll remember him for at Chelsea was the fact that he’s very fit. £25m really isn’t what it used to be.
David Luiz – Chelsea to P.S.G
Fee: £50 million.
Logic: Brazilian international, strong passer, scores more goals than most midfielders, he’s versatile and in his prime.
Huh?: We all saw the Germany 7-1 Brazil match, right? Luiz’ style in a nutshell.
Andy Carroll – Newcastle to Liverpool
Fee: £35m.
Logic: He scored 11 goals for Newcastle at the start of the 2010/11 season, Torres had just left for Chelsea and the English striker was young.
Huh: Even back then, the most die hard Liverpool fans must have been hoping that the club called off this move. Football was swiftly putting a greater emphasis on possession, technique and movement – Carroll looked like a throwback to a lumbering No 9.
Still though, at least the ‘Pool signed this guy at the same time.
Denilson – Sao Paolo to Real Betis
Fee: £21.5m.
Logic: He played in every game for Brazil during World Cup ’98 and was massively in demand from Europe’s elite clubs. Who wouldn’t want him?
Huh?: Barcelona and Real Madrid can splash the cash and break world records but Real Betis? Really?!?! They must have robbed a bank or something. He didn’t exactly deliver value for money but there were a few fleeting moments.
Clip via – tonny
Kevin Davies – Southampton to Blackburn
Fee: £7.5m.
Logic: Of his nine goals at Southampton, three of them came against Man Utd, Liverpool and Chelsea. This screamer vs Everton made everyone take notice also. Hype around an English player never leads to football ‘experts’ reacting rationally.
Huh?: Just like John Hartson moving from West Ham to Wimbledon for the same fee, he was an ok striker but that fee? Blackburn were relegated that season.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Inter Milan to Barcelona
Fee: €46m plus Samuel Eto’o (valued at €20m)
Logic: I’m expecting angry replies on this one but hear me out. Yes, Zlatan was already a proven world class talent and Guardiola needed a new attacking option to counteract teams that liked to defend deep against his side, but let’s not forget that Samuel Eto’o was arguably the best finisher in Europe at the time also.
Huh?: It was obvious that Inter were going to be the real winners from this deal, Eto’o proved to be instrumental in Mourinho’s treble winning season while ‘The Special One’ used the money from the sale of Ibrahimovic to rebuild his squad. As for Zlatan at Barca? Well, we all know what happened. Dmytro Chygrynskiy joining for €25m from Shakhtar didn’t work out so well either for Pep also.
Danny – Dynamo Moscow to Zenit
Fee: €30m.
Logic: The influx of rich oligarchs has changed the landscape of Russian and Ukranian football – Zenit, CSKA, Shakhtar and Dynamo Kiev have all had relatively recent success in the Europa/Champions League – and these clubs have been happy to splash the cash on keeping that revolving door of talent coming into their clubs.
Huh?: Unlike Hulk, Axel Witsel or Douglas Costa though – Danny was something of an unknown quantity because he arrived from Zenit’s domestic rivals Dynamo Moscow but the size of his fee definitely grabbed attention around Europe.
An indication of the financial muscle that was about to be flexed.
Marouane Fellaini – Everton to Man Utd
Fee: £27.5m
Logic: The Belgian was one of Moyes’ best signings at Everton as his versatility and robust style made him a favorite at Goodison Park.
No offence intended but Manchester United – at the time – were far too good a club for Fellaini. People will say that he was what United required, a strong presence in the side that had the potential to screen the back-four, but he should never be playing at Old Trafford. What made the fee worse is the fact that United could have signed him for much cheaper but they let an escape clause in his contract expire.
Huh?: Sadly for Man Utd fans, Fellaini now fits in with the philosophy at Old Trafford despite the fact that he needs five touches to do what other midfielders can do in two.
Joleon Lescott – Everton to Man City
Fee: £22m.
Logic: A consistent Premier League defender that was already an England international. Anyway, when did financial logic exist with Man City after their takeover? They can spend whatever they want.
Huh?: England tax, eh?
Gianluigi Buffon – Parma to Juventus
Fee: £32.6 million
Logic: He was the most talented goalkeeper of his generation and this fee has since proved to be an absolute bargain.
Huh?: At the time, the fee was colossal and football fans must have been amazed to see those type of numbers associated with a goalkeeper, especially one so young. In hindsight, an absolute bargain but still an eye opener.
Gareth Bale – Spurs to Real Madrid
Fee: £85.3m
Logic: He was the hottest property in world football having single-handedly carried Spurs during the entirety of the 2012/13 season – the Welshman scored 26 goals in 44 games – as every big club in the world wanted him. That demolition job he did on Maicon in the Champions League saw his star rise around the world. A phenomenal talent that will only improve.
Huh?: The fee. I know that Daniel Levy can strike a hard bargain but do you think Bale’s worth it?
All this without mentioning the likes of James Chester, Steve Marlet, Chris Samba, Bebe, Rolando Bianchi, Ross McCormack, Massimo Maccarone etc. Let us know if you’ve got any more candidates.
