With the end of the transfer window just over a week away, clubs will be scrambling for the players they believe will take them to the next level. With the best players in the world ever more scarcely available, clubs are willing to pay a larger premium to secure the services of the very best. This could lead a club to consider a world record bid for a player. While there is no stand out club to make a bid or player to be the subject of such a bid, previous transfer windows have shown that anything can happen.
Breaking the Record – Is it worth it?
Is breaking the world record transfer fee for a player a worthwhile endeavour? Here is a look at the 10 most recent transfers to break the record to see if they offered their clubs value for money.
Gareth Bale £86 million Tottenham Hotspur → Real Madrid 2013
Bale has not been at Real Madrid long enough to provide a fair analysis of whether or not he will provide value for money, but he is off to a good start. Having won the UEFA Champions League in his first season with the club is a great achievement and if he can help Madrid continue this level of success he will have been money well spent.
Cristiano Ronaldo £80 million Manchester United → Real Madrid 2009
Off the back of helping Manchester United to three straight Premier League titles and two straight UEFA Champions League finals, winning the first in 2008, Real Madrid spent £80 million on Ronaldo. He has not disappointed. Scoring 254 goals in 248 games since he arrived in Madrid, he was won a La Liga title, two Copa Del Reys and last season’s UEFA Champions League. Ronaldo has built on the performances at Manchester United and taken them to another level. The 2013 FIFA Ballon d’Or winner has repaid Madrid’s investment in him and continues to do so.
Kaka £56 million AC Milan → Real Madrid 2009
Kaka was one of the world’s best players while playing at AC Milan, helping Milan to the 2007 UEFA Champions League and becoming world player of the year. He turned down a proposed £100 million move to Manchester City in January 2009 but eventually moved to Real Madrid in summer of the same year. However it was not a successful spell at the club. Injuries and poor form limited him to 120 appearances in 4 seasons with the club and despite his 29 goals and 32 assists he was allowed to rejoin AC Milan on a free transfer in 2013
Zinedine Zidane £46.6 million Juventus → Real Madrid 2001
Having impressed for both Juventus and the French national team Zidane persuaded Madrid to make him their latest “Galactico” in 2001. He would go on to become a key player for Madrid helping them win the UEFA Champions League in his first season scoring a superb volley in the final. Zidane would remain a key player in the Madrid side up until his retirement in 2006.
Luis Figo £37 million Barcelona → Real Madrid 2000
Figo became the first Galactico in 2000 when he left bitter rivals Barcelona to join Madrid. It was not a move that was well received. Figo received abuse on his return to the Nou Camp, even having a pig’s head thrown at him. He enjoyed a successful spell at Madrid, winning two La Liga titles and the 2002 UEFA Champions League and making 237 appearances and scoring 57 goals in the process.
Hernan Crespo £35.5 million Parma → Lazio 2000
Crespo had a disappointing time at Lazio following his record move from Parma. Injuries meant Crespo only managed to appear 54 times in two seasons for the Rome based club. However, Crespo showed his class and despite the key departures of midfield duo Juan Sebastian Veron and Pavel Nedved he scored 39 times before Lazio’s financial situation meant he was sold to Inter Milan.
Christian Vieri £32 million Lazio → Inter Milan 1999
103 goals in 143 games for Inter Milan is a very good record for Vieri. However, despite his personal success the club only won a solitary Coppa Italia during his time with the club. Injuries to both players meant he did not play as often with former world record transfer holder Ronaldo as both the club and fans would have liked. Despite the lack of honours the number of goals scored means Vieri was a good investment for Inter.
Denilson £21 million Sao Paulo → Real Betis 1998
Real Betis shocked the world by paying £21 million for Brazilian star Denilson, but it was not a transfer which went well. Missing out on European football in his first season and relegated in his second, Denilson had a tough time at Betis. Despite regaining top tier status and winning the World Cup with Brazil in 2002, he was a marginal squad figure when the club gained Champions League qualification in 2005 and was sold to Bordeaux that summer.
Ronaldo £19.5 million Barcelona → Inter Milan 1997
Ronaldo was a deadly striker during his time at Inter, whenever he was on the pitch. Unfortunately injuries limited him to 68 games in 5 seasons in Milan. However he still contributed 49 goals and was part of the 1998 UEFA cup winning side. He eventually joined Real Madrid for £28 million in 2002.
Alan Shearer £15 million Blackburn Rovers → Newcastle United 1996
Following his impressive displays for Blackburn Rovers and England, Blackburn accepted £15 million bids from both Manchester United and Newcastle United. Shearer chose to join his home town club. Although he could not help the club win their first major honour since 1955, he did repay the club by scoring 206 goals in 404 appearances breaking Jackie Milburn’s club record.
Breaking the world transfer record is a risk. A team that does so knows it is getting a player of proven ability; however form and fitness can be fickle in football. A series of injuries can quite easily rob a club of a player’s services as easy as a dip in form can. The next time a club breaks the world record it will be in the region of £90 million so they will have to be very sure that this player is fit healthy and will deliver for them.
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