With more clubs than ever now capable of shattering transfer records, there is destined to be a spate of eye-watering deals over the next 12 months
Neymar’s €222 million (£198m/$247m) move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 has been widely regarded as the point of no return for football transfers. Since then, the fees exchanged between top European sides have risen to previously unimaginable levels, with 14 other players switching clubs for a fee over €100m since.
Will the bubble burst any time soon? It doesn’t seem likely, particularly as the Saudi Pro League has now emerged as a genuine payer in the transfer market. Even the conventional wisdoms about which positions are most expensive no longer hold true. In the past, it was strikers and occasionally playmakers who fetched the big bucks. However, three of the players who’ve broken the €100m mark in recent times (Declan Rice, Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo) are primarily deep-lying midfielders.
Will this trend continue? Or will attacking players return to their place at the top of the transfer tree? Below, GOAL predicts who’s in contention to become the next €100m+ player in 2024…
