10 most expensive players aged 30 plus

#6 Jeremy Mathieu - £15.8m, Valencia to Barcelona, 2014

FC Barcelona v Real Madrid CF - La Liga — Jeremy Mathieu was frozen out by Barcelona last season after a diabolical showing

French defender Mathieu was an odd signing for Barcelona from the off given he was already 30 at the time of his move from Valencia in 2014, and of course, you’d have thought Barca could go out and sign practically any player they wished – so paying almost £16m for a 30-year old with just four international caps to his name was never really going to be popular with the fans.

Although Mathieu played plenty of games for Barcelona during his run there and won La Liga with them in 2014/15 and 2015/16, it was always clear he wasn’t quite up to scratch when compared to some of his more illustrious teammates and after a diabolical performance against Juventus in the Champions League quarter-finals, he was substituted at half-time and didn’t appear since.

This summer saw him move to Portugal with Sporting Lisbon and unsurprisingly, they didn’t have to pay anywhere near the fee that Barcelona did for the Frenchman. As a matter of fact they didn’t pay a penny – they picked Mathieu up on a free transfer after he was allowed to leave the Nou Camp as a free agent after the 2016/17 season ended.

About the author

Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.

Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.

Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.

His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.

Outside of work, Scott likes to go to the gym, walk his dog, and travel.

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Edited by Amit Mishra