#Pogback – Paul Labile Pogba’s homecoming saw Manchester United break the transfer record for the costliest footballer ever transferred with the move costing them in the region of €105m. However, what that move has also done is, it has triggered a compelling argument – would Pogba would have cost The Red Devils the same amount of money had he been from a lesser known country say Togo or Morocco or any other country which is not a footballing superpower
While many of you can say that this is a hypothetical argument and Pogba would have cost the same irrespective of his nationality given the enormous talent that the Frenchman possesses, let’s just delve into this a little deeper and actually look at the transfers of footballers from lesser known countries who have commanded/ or can command a huge transfer fees.
And no, Cristiano Ronaldo fans, Portugal is not a small country and hence we cannot include his name. :P
Here we take a look at 5 footballers from lesser known countries, who have or can command astronomical transfer fees:
Honorable mentions:
Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang – Gabon
Last year’s Bundesliga player of the year has been the subject of only one major transfer so far in his career, his reported £11 million transfer from Saint-Etienne to Borussia Dortmund in the summer of 2013. Now, while the transfer fee of the Gabonese isn’t exactly astronomical, why he makes it to our list is based on a potential move to one of the relatively bigger clubs (no offence to Borussia Dortmund) before the end of this transfer window or any subsequent ones.
Aubameyang’s move to Signal Iduna Park was a game-changer for him and the 27-year-old has not looked back since. His numbers do the talking for him, with the Gabonese having managed to score 39 and 25 goals in the last two seasons. Aubameyang has been linked with a big-money move to Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City throughout the window and if the transfer figure that has been doing the rounds (read upwards of £50 million) is anything to go by, he will certainly rank much higher in this list, if and when he signs for another club.
Zlatan Ibrahimovic – Sweden
The Swedish hitman announced his transfer to Manchester United in a style only he could pull off. The 34-year-old has had a stellar career having won league titles in four different continents and with a quest for the fifth currently underway.
Ibrahimovic has commanded some hefty transfer fees during his numerous moves, but his move to Camp Nou from Inter Milan was the biggest of them all costing the Blaugrana in excess of €60 million, which included his transfer fee of €46 million, Samuel Eto’o’s transfer valuation of around €20 million and the loan move of Alexander Hleb – with the duo jumping ships from Barcelona to San Siro.
The 34-year-old is currently at Manchester United for what is deemed as his swansong and it will be interesting to note in what fashion will Ibrahimovic end his top-flight career.
#5 Emmanuel Adebayor – Togo (Arsenal to Manchester City – €29 million)
The former Arsenal striker has had an incredible fall from grace ever since his loan spell at Real Madrid bombed. However, before going to Madrid on a season-long loan he was the subject of a £25 million transfer from Arsenal to Manchester City. The oil-rich Etihad outfit didn’t just splash the money on the forward but big things were expected from the Togo international considering his near prolific record for the Gunners.
In the 2007-08 season, Adebayor racked up 30 goals in 48 appearances for Arsene Wenger’s side and was linked with a huge money move (reported to be in the region of circa £30 million) to Barcelona and AC Milan. However, the striker put pen to paper on a long-term contract with the Emirates outfit. Despite not replicating similar form the following season, he still scored 16 goals in 37 appearances in what was an injury-marred campaign.
In the summer of 2009, Adebayor finally moved to the Citizens and despite making a goal-scoring debut never managed to cement his footing at the Etihad Stadium. Adebayor managed to score only 19 goals in 45 appearances for Manchester City over the course of two seasons before he was loaned to Real Madrid and eventually Tottenham Hotspur – for whom he signed permanently in the summer of 2012.
Since then, the Togo international has had a brief stint with Crystal Palace earlier this year and is now a free agent, hoping to secure a move to some club who can afford him.
#4 Pavel Nedved – Czech Republic (Lazio to Juventus – €41 million)
Pavel Nedved needs no introduction and is easily the most talented footballer from the Czech Republic to ever grace the footballing world. The midfielder makes it to our list courtesy of his €41 million transfer from Lazio to Juventus in 2001, where he replaced Zinedine Zidane - who had just completed a world record move to Real Madrid for €75 million.
Nedved had already won the Scudetto, the Coppa Italia, the Supercoppa Italiana, the UEFA Cup Winners’ Cup and the UEFA Super Cup before his move to the Old Lady and to be honest, it is hard for anyone to replicate or better title-winning credentials like him. However, the Czech international went on to win 4 Scudettos with Juventus – 2 of which were rescinded due to the Calciopoli scandal which resulted in the Bianconeri being relegated to Serie B.
Furia Ceca (Czech Fury), as he was fondly called by the Italian fans, went on to lift two Supercoppa Italiana and also finished as the runners-up in the UEFA Champions League in 2002-03 when his side lost to AC Milan in the final with Nedved missing the game due to suspension.
Nedved called it quits at the end of the 2008-09 season, bringing the curtains on a stellar career that spanned close to two decades.
#3 Andriy Shevchenko (AC Milan to Chelsea – €43.875)
The Ukranian international had already won it all before he completed his €43.875 million from AC Milan to Chelsea in the summer of 2006 – a year later after reports had suggested that Russian oligarch and Chelsea’s owner Roman Abramovich had offered Milan €75.2 million and Hernan Crespo for the services of the striker.
Boasting of 173 goals from 296 appearances for the San Siro outfit and having won the Serie A, UEFA Champions League and the UEFA Super Cup prior to his big money move to the English Premier League outfit, huge things were expected from the Ukranian. However, his stint at Stamford Bridge was nothing short of a glorious failure as he managed to score only 22 goals in 76 appearances for the Blues before being loaned out to the Rossoneri.
He returned to Stamford Bridge to make one more appearances for the club before being sold to his boyhood club Dynamo Kyiv in the summer of 2009.
#2 Colombia (James Rodriguez, Radamel Falcao and Jackson Martinez)
The reason why this slide is not dedicated to one single player and is instead dedicated to a whole country is because of the golden generation of Colombia, which has seen many supremely talented footballers grace us in the past decade – with James Rodriguez, Radamel Falcao and Jackson Martinez particularly impressing as is reflected in the huge transfer fees that the trio have accumulated during the course of their respective careers.
James Rodriguez
At only 25 years of age, Rodriguez has already been the subject of two astronomical transfers and if reports are anything to go by he is on course for a third before the end of this transfer window.
The Colombian was signed for €45 million by AS Monaco from Porto, during the little resurgence of the Stade Louis II outfit under Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev, which also saw the arrival of his countryman Falcao among other famous footballers.
In the aftermath of a stellar World Cup 2014, where he was crowned the Golden Boot winner despite his team getting knocked out in the quarter-finals, Rodriguez transferred from Monaco to Santiago Bernabeu for a fee reported to be in the region of €80 million. The Colombian has not looked back since and had established himself as a regular starter for Real Madrid before the arrival of Zinedine Zidane at the helm of things.
Rodriguez has had to share game-time with Spanish international Isco and it is reported that the Colombian is looking for a move away from Madrid.
Radamel Falcao
Before the incredible fall from grace of Falcao, he was, without a doubt, one of the most feared and revered strikers in the world of football. Falcao’s reputation preceded him and it was not for nothing as the Colombian hitman had notched up 72 goals in 87 appearances for Porto which led to Atletico Madrid splashing out a club record €40 million for his services.
Falcao didn’t disappoint and racked up an incredible 70 goals in 91 appearances for Los Rojiblancos and this tempted Monaco to shell out €60 million for his services. However, it has all gone downhill for the Colombian following his move to the Stade Louis II outfit, especially after he tore his ACL which saw him miss out on the 2014 World Cup.
Falcao has lost a yard of pace, which helped him gain the upper hand over defenders when he used to sit on the shoulder of the last defender looking to make runs and score incredible goals, and that has reflected in his dismal returns during his stints with English Premier League sides Manchester United and Chelsea. Even Monaco are looking to get rid of the Colombian especially due to the astronomical wages that he commands.
Jackson Martinez
Jackson Martinez was a relatively unknown name in the world of football before his move to Porto in 2012. However, after impressing during his three-year spell at the Portuguese outfit, the Colombian has been the subject of two big-money moves over the course of the last 14 months.
First, it was Atletico Madrid, shelling out €35 million for the services of the 29-year-old in June last year. However, after a dismal stint which saw him find the back of the net only thrice in 22 appearances, Martinez was shipped to the fast-emerging Chinese Super League. Guangzhou Evergrande shelled out a then Asian record fee of €42 million for the Colombian. However, the 29-year-old is yet to hit the form he is capable of and has only scored 3 goals in 13 appearances for the Chinese outfit.
#1 Gareth Bale – Wales (Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid – €100 million)
We started the article with Paul Pogba and it is only fitting we end it with the man whose transfer record was broken by the Frenchman. Yes, it is none other than Gareth Bale himself.
While many may argue that Wales are a country rich in footballing heritage, while the argument may look like it is true, but it is, in fact, false as is reflected by their participation in the Euro 2016 – which was the first ever European Championship appearances. The fact that Ryan Giggs – the Manchester United legend – never played in a major tournament is also a testament to this very fact.
Gareth Bale’s deadline day move from Tottenham Hotspur to Real Madrid for €100 million was until very recently the most expensive transfer in the history of world football. And out of all the players on our list, he also remains the most decorated one, especially in terms of continental success.
Bale has notched up 60 goals in 124 appearances for the Santiago Bernabeu outfit and while those numbers pale in comparison to a Cristiano Ronaldo or a Lionel Messi, the Welshman has been instrumental in helping Real Madrid win La Decima and La Undecima – an unprecedented success in Europe. However, in the same time Los Blancos have also failed to lift any La Liga titles, but with time on his side, it is quite possible that Bale will win his first league title in the near future.
