Football is a wealthy sport, and in recent years, transfer fees and players’ wages have spiralled. Although Lionel Messi and Ronaldo are often cited as the two best players in the world, it’s actually Neymar who is the most expensive, costing PSG €222 million when they bought him from Barcelona in 2017.
The recent state of the global economy has paused the rising costs temporarily, and many clubs are having to balance their books. Barcelona, for example, are struggling to keep within the wages cap and have been forced to let good quality players leave the club for free. But not all players are expensive; some clubs have managed to sign outstanding talent at just a snip.
This aspect of the sport has always been essential in setting the stage for season coming up and in some cases, the future intentions of the club.
Both football pundits and fans alike value this information and there is even the opportunity to wager on where players will eventually end up via most licensed and trusted online sportsbetting services. Even the new betting site launched by PartyCasino, covers all these types of markets, in addition to providing the latest news, action and results.
So in light of this, here’s a look at some of the best bargains in football history.
John Stones – £3 million
Anyone who has been watching England’s performance in the 2020 Euros this summer won’t fail to have noticed John Stones. He has been one of the most influential players on the pitch, and he’s still only 26 years old.
He now plays for Manchester City, joining them in 2016 for £47.5 million, but he wasn’t always such an expensive player. Stones originally played for Barnsley before Everton spotted his talent. They signed him for just £3 million in 2013, making an enormous profit when they sold him just three years later.
Christian Eriksen – £11 million
Danish international Christian Eriksen arrived at White Hart Lane from Ajax in 2013, bought with a fraction of the proceeds from the sale of Gareth Bale. In the seven years he was at the club, he played 226 games and scored 51 goals, breaking several records and winning accolades such as Spurs Player of the Year and being named in the Premier League’s Team of the Year.
Eriksen was arguably the most creative midfielder at the club in the seven years he was there, helping to guide them to a Champions League Final. With just six months left on his contract, he finally left the club in January 2020, moving to Inter Milan. Even though Italian outfit could have signed Eriksen for free in the summer, they were so desperate to secure his services that they paid Spurs £17 million to do the transfer in January.
N’golo Kante – £5.6 million
No one could have predicted Leicester’s meteoric rise to clinch the Premier League title in 2016, but signings like Kante played a huge part. Signed to play for the Foxes by the Tinkerman, Claudio Rainieri, Leicester paid just £5.6 million to Caen for the man who’s often described as one of the nicest footballers you’ll ever meet.
The midfielder’s performances were so eye-catching, it wasn’t long before bigger clubs were trying to lure him away. Leicester were unable to turn down a £32 million bid from Chelsea, but after his departure, there was a marked drop in the club’s performance on the pitch.
Don’t Miss a Thing
With less than a week before the Euros finish, all eyes will be turning to the transfers, with clubs vying to get the best players before the new season starts. Plus, if you enjoy betting on football, keeping up with all the transfer news is essential. It only takes one player to make or break a team, and a key move could influence your prediction.
