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Following Neymar’s €222 million world-record move to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017, the world of football transfers took a quick turn towards bizarre as the transfer market became inflated like never before. Suddenly, clubs were prepared to splurge millions on players, not thinking twice about the impact it would have on their finances.
Neymar’s previous club, Barcelona, became a victim of this transfer market frenzy. They went after some interesting prospects without batting an eye and eventually failed to register their most successful player in history, Lionel Messi.
With astronomical transfers taking place more often than not these days, we could not help but wonder how valuable some football legends would be in today’s market conditions. So today, we will dabble in hypotheticals and take a look at
5 legends who would cost an arm and a leg in today’s market
#5 Lev Yashin
Football has seen some stunning goalkeepers over the years. Many have mesmerized us with stunning saves, composure during set pieces, and command inside the box. However, when it boils down to picking the outright best keeper in history — Lev Yashin often proves to be the unanimous choice.
Dubbed as “Black Panther,” Soviet Union goalkeeper Lev Yashin was known for his inhuman reflexes, intimidating presence, and unmatched positioning under the bar. He single-handedly changed how goalkeepers impacted the game by becoming a vocal leader of the entire back-line, shouting instructions from his position.
Yashin, who spent his 20-year career at Dynamo Moscow, saved around 150 penalties and kept 270 clean sheets. For his exploits, he was awarded the Ballon d’Or in 1963, becoming the first and only goalkeeper in history to win the prestigious individual accolade. In today’s market, the goalkeeper would have easily scored triple-digits in transfer fees and no one would have had any qualms about it.
#4 Paolo Maldini
AC Milan centre-back Paolo Maldini is widely revered as the best defender the game has ever seen. He was an excellent reader of the game, could take the ball off any attacker in the world, and was an exemplary leader on the pitch.
The Italy international was also the definition of loyalty in football, spending his entire 25-year career at AC Milan. During his quarter-of-a-century spell, he won seven Serie A titles and five UEFA Champions League trophies amongst other honors.
In today’s market, however, it probably would have been a little tougher for him to stay put, as many clubs would have tried their best to lure the legend away. He would have easily cost upwards of €100 million; and the buying club would have still been more than lucky to call upon his services.
#3 Zinedine Zidane
An exceptional player, an exemplary leader, and a record-breaking manager — Zinedine Zidane is one of the most famous sporting personalities the world has ever seen. During his playing days, he lined up in an attacking midfield position, making life miserable for opposition defenders.
Despite being a tall and well-built figure, Zidane floated over the pitch with unmatched finesse. His buttery-smooth touches, unimaginable vision, and technique left opponents in awe, giving him time to make a telling impact. Thanks to his exploits for his clubs — mainly Juventus and Real Madrid — and the France national team, he was dubbed the FIFA Player of the year in 1998, 2000, and 2003; and even won the Ballon d’Or in 1998.
His move from Juventus to Real Madrid, in 2001, was reported to be around €77.5 million — fixed exchange rate — which is quite an amount even by today’s standards. However, in today’s market, the 1998 FIFA World Cup winner and 2001-02 UEFA Champions League winner would have surely fetched over €150 million, and maybe a lot more, even excluding bonuses.
#2 Diego Maradona
Argentina captain and Paris Saint-Germain player Lionel Messi has been hailed as one of the best players in history, winning pretty much every single trophy in club football. Unfortunately, he is yet to emerge as the definitive best for Argentina — thanks to the great Diego Maradona.
Maradona, who made his professional debut 10 days shy of turning 16 for Argentinos Junior, did not stand on ceremony to make an impact. His career started with a famous nutmeg between Juan Domingo Cabrera’s legs and took him to great heights with Napoli and the Argentina national team.
The number 10 of Argentina was known for his dribbling, which was on full display at the 1986 FIFA World Cup, where he led his country to victory. He also is the holder of the FIFA “Goal of the Century,” which saw him complete a 60 yard dribble past five English defenders in the 1986 FIFA World Cup quarterfinal. Maradona was also a force to be reckoned with for Napoli, helping the team to two Serie A titles and one Italian Cup.
Maradona was the first player to break the world transfer record twice — once when he moved to Barcelona for £5 million in 1982, and then when he joined Napoli for £6.9 million in 1984. In today’s market, Maradona would have broken the record a few more times over and would have potentially given Neymar’s transfer record a run for its money.
#1 Pele
Brazil has produced some truly wonderful players over the years. Very few have been and will ever be as instrumental as Pele.
Dubbed as the “greatest” forward by FIFA, Pele made his Santos debut at 15 and was called up to the national team a year later. His explosive pace, clever movement, and knack for the spectacular made him an unstoppable force, both for club and country.
He spent 18 years at Santos, becoming their record goalscorer with 643 goals and helping them to two Copa Libertadores. Brazil, too, benefitted from his eye for goal, especially in the World Cup. Thanks to Pele’s exploits, Brazil won three FIFA World Cups — 1958, 1962, and 1970 — making Pele the only player to be crowned world champion of football for a record three times.
With a resume of such magnitude and a four-digit goal tally — 1279 goals in 1363 games — Pele would not have lacked suitors in the transfer market. And with any luck, he would have easily been the most expensive transfer in the history of the sport.
