Sports Then and Now

Over the decades, clubs have reached deep into their pockets to ensure that they have the world’s best players on their team. Some of these soccer stars have flourished under the pressure of their transfer fee while others have been crushed with the burden of expectations placed on them.

To keep things on a positive note, we’d like to bring 6 key transfers in the history of world football to your attention, that had a tremendous impact on the players career, the fate of a team or even of leagues. With plenty of offers for betting free on who goes where in todays transfer markets,  here we found our picks in no particular order for the best transfer:

1. David Beckham to the L.A. Galaxy

The year: 2007

The transfer fee: $30 Million

The impact: While this move didn’t brand Beckham as the next Pelé like L.A. Galaxy hoped it would, it did bring in a fortune for Galaxy in terms of advertising deals and brought international attention to the MLS. It also sparked the arrival of more international additions. So, while David Beckham didn’t perform as well on the field as fans had hoped, he did make a significant change to the team in other ways.

2. Samuel Eto’o to Anzhi Makhachkala

The year: 2011

The transfer fee: $38.9 million

The impact: The biggest highlight with this transfer is that it made Eto’o the highest-salaried athlete in the world. On top of the transfer fee, he also averaged $29 million per season. By signing on Eto’o, Anzhi managed to raise itself exponentially from the bottom of the Russian Premier League.

3. Wayne Rooney to Manchester United

The year: 2004

The transfer fee: £25.6 million

The impact: After catching the eye of Sir Alex Ferguson, Man U’s star striker made his transfer from Everton when he was a mere 18 years old. Scoring more than 200 goals with the club and being the teams top scorer of all time, Rooney has continued to live up to his reputation of being a “wunderkid”, becoming one of Man U’s many legends and England’s all time top scorer in international games.

4. Diego Maradona to Napoli

The year: 1994

The transfer fee: £6.9 million

The impact: This powerful striker has had a massive impact on this Italian team. Maradona’s arrival at Napoli took him from an average player to a legend. He managed to get a Coppa Italia and a UEFA Cup title under his belt and became a fan favourite in Naples.

5. Dixie Dean to Everton

The year: 1925

The transfer fee: £3000

The impact: Holding Premiership records to date (including the most goals in a single season) Dixie Dean is probably the greatest player to ever wear the Everton blue. He made such an impact that you’ll find a statue in honour of his legacy at Goodison Park.

6. Gianluigi Buffon to Juventus

The year: 2001

The transfer fee: £32.6 million

The impact: Making history as the most expensive goalkeeper of all time, Gianluigi Buffon, aka “Gigi”, holds the most records for Serie A goalkeeper – making Juventus more than proud. He is also regarded as one of the most successful goalies and boasts not one but two Italian Supercoppas along with one Serie B title.