So Mo Salah becomes the 20th most expensive player signed by a PL club. But how have/did the 19 more costly players fare?
(prices as per Transfermarkt.com)
1 - Paul Pogba - Manchester United - £89.25m
Jury very much still out on this one. Pogba has only been back one season, and has time on his side. However, last seasons performance didn't justify the fee.
2 - Angel di Maria - Manchester United - £63.75m
Left one season later, and although some of the fee was clawed back, di Maria proved to be an expensive flop.
3 - Kevin de Bruyne - Manchester City - £62.9m
With only a League Cup to show from his 2 seasons at City, his signing hasn't brought with it the success desired. However, from an individual performance, he has done more than most to justify his price tag.
4 - Raheem Sterling - Manchester City - £53.13
The most expensive English player, there are still a lot of doubts about Sterling. Like KdB, would have probably expected more trophies. His position continues to be under doubt in the City line-up. Very questionable if he was worth anywhere near the price City paid Liverpool.
5 - Anthony Martial - Manchester United - £51m
Not set the PL alight at all, despite a decent first season. Change of manager seems to have made this transfer an expensive mistake, although Martial has youth on his side.
6 - Fernando Torres - Chelsea - £49.73m
I think Liverpool pulled a fast one here. Torres went to Chelsea injured and never recovered. Expensive flop - although he helped them to CL and Europa glory.
7 - John Stones - Manchester City - £47.26m
Has a lot of work to do to prove he is worth anywhere near that. Buying English is expensive but the quality is inferior.
8 - Bernando Silva - Manchester City - £42.5m
Wait and see
9 - Leroy Sane - Manchester City - £42.5m
A decent start, signs that this long term investment could pay off.
10 - Mesut Ozil - Arsenal - £39.95
After a decade trophy drought, Mesut has brought us 3 FA Cups in 4 years. Cheap at twice the price.
11 - Christian Benteke - Liverpool - £39.53
Massive flop dumped on Crystal Palace after one season
12 - Rio Ferdinand - Manchester United - £39.1m
One player on this list whose career undoubtably justified his price tag.
13 - Granit Xhaka - Arsenal - £38.25
Big fee not justified yet, with discipline issues and inability to adapt to the pace of the league. End of season hinted he may step up.
14 - Juan Mata - Manchester United - £38.02m
Little doubt over his quality, but has hardly established himself as a key United player.
15 - Nicolas Otemendi - Manchester City - £37.91m
Nah.
16 - Andriy Shevchenko - Chelsea - £36.81m
Chelsea only have 2 of the top 20 but both were top rated strikers. Like Torres, Sheva never found top form at Chelsea and proved to be a flop.
17 - Robinho - Manchester City - £36.55m
Citys first muscle flex, and it proved to be a massive flop. Move on a year and a half after signing. But it did show the City intent.
18 - Juan Sebastien Veron - Manchester United - £36.21m
Became the most expensive PL signing in 2001, and disappointed United and PL fans worldwide.
19 - Alexis Sanchez - Arsenal - £36.13m
Not a lot to say - a bargain.
So will Salah join the majority on this list and fail to live up to his fee?
Most probably.
Top 20 PL Transfer fees - VFM?
posted on 23/6/17
Basically transfermarkt take the cost at the time in Euros and have converted them using todays rates to pounds - which is why some of the values in pounds are more in line with what people know the transfer fee in pounds to be.
Not saying it is the best list to use, but it isn't "incorrect" as such and is valid.
The more accepted £ values don't actually change the list much (Carroll for Benteke is a rare example) tbf.
posted on 23/6/17
Thats a ridiculous way of working it out. The price paid is at the conversion rate at the time. Just because conversion rates change doesnt mean the seller can come in and ask for a bit more money.
It is incorrect to do that and is not valid.
If you went on holiday and the exchange rate changed would you hand back some of your holiday money. Of course not, the transaction is made at the rates at the time.
And as an example of how wrong these prices are, do a google search of "Xhaka transfer fee" and the first page has prices of £24.1m to £30m, none has anything near the £38.25m shown here. It was an undisclosed fee , but the price shown is over half more than the lower estimate over a quarter more than the highest.
posted on 23/6/17
I thought Martial was quoted as a £56m signing when he first signed yet most of the links I have read are saying £36m which at the time was approx €50m.
I think these news sights make the fees up as they go along.
posted on 23/6/17
Thats a ridiculous way of working it out. The price paid is at the conversion rate at the time. Just because conversion rates change doesnt mean the seller can come in and ask for a bit more money.
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Ask for more money? Not how it works at all.
Transfer fees are paid in Euros.
The value of the pound fluctuates - thus a transfer value in pounds fluctuates. It stays the same in Euros.
Most transfer fees are undisclosed and have add-ons. Martial being part of a United side that won the Europa, FA Cup and EFL Cup most likely meant Monaco getting payments
posted on 23/6/17
Martial's add-ons were reported to be in 3 stages.
Score 25 or more first team goals in PL
Make 25 appearances for French national team
Get nominated for Balon d'or.
posted on 23/6/17
comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 43 minutes ago
Basically transfermarkt take the cost at the time in Euros and have converted them using todays rates to pounds - which is why some of the values in pounds are more in line with what people know the transfer fee in pounds to be.
Not saying it is the best list to use, but it isn't "incorrect" as such and is valid.
The more accepted £ values don't actually change the list much (Carroll for Benteke is a rare example) tbf.
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It wouldn't have Rio or Veron in there either.
Both cost less than Berbatov, Bailly and Lindelof I believe.
posted on 23/6/17
comment by D'Jeezus Mackaroni (U1137)
posted 33 minutes ago
Thats a ridiculous way of working it out. The price paid is at the conversion rate at the time. Just because conversion rates change doesnt mean the seller can come in and ask for a bit more money.
========
Ask for more money? Not how it works at all.
Transfer fees are paid in Euros.
The value of the pound fluctuates - thus a transfer value in pounds fluctuates. It stays the same in Euros.
Most transfer fees are undisclosed and have add-ons. Martial being part of a United side that won the Europa, FA Cup and EFL Cup most likely meant Monaco getting payments
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That was aimed at them rather than you. But the fact remains that is incorrect as a way to do it. The clubs paid nowhere near those amounts for some players and they are misleading. I gave an example of Xhaka and if you look at Ozil, most say he was £42.5m and not the £39.95m here and Sanchez was estimated £35m so not too far off their figure.
posted on 23/6/17
It should be on the exchange rate at the time rather than whatever it equates to now.
posted on 24/6/17
No Salad is awful. Definitely not something which scares me, but a complete waste of money.
posted on 24/6/17
Yes salad is mostly awful, especially if it contains cucumber. Some salads are nice though.