5 Transfers which changed football
Ever since time immemorial, transfers have played a crucial role in defining the success of any given team in a season. There have been many instances where a team that seemingly has all the tools to dominate the continent failed to do so. In such situations, one transfer would then prove to be catalytic, spurring on an era of success — the final piece of the jigsaw to help 'complete' a team.
In the context of the last few years, Virgil van Dijk's then world-record move to Liverpool is the ideal example of the scenario above. Even though questions were raised over the £75m paid, that too for a player with such little experience in Europe, it proved to be one of the most monumental transfers in the last decade.
Van Dijk was the catalyst that triggered an era of immeasurable success for the Reds, winning their first-ever Premier League title and their sixth UEFA Champions League with the Dutchman.
On the other hand, the then record acquisition of Cristiano Ronaldo from Manchester United fired Real Madrid to an unbelievable spell of four UCLs in a span of five years. The Portuguese icon left as the highest-ever scorer for the club, and won four Ballons d'Or during his spell in the capital.
Likewise, there have been several transfers in the past that have left a long-lasting impact, where players sparked a change of seismic proportions at their new clubs. Here, we take a look at five such transfers that changed the course of football as we know it.
#5 Neymar Jr | Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain
Neymar Jr's record-shattering transfer from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 is the latest entry onto this list. The former Blaugrana superstar forged one of the most excellent front lines in the history of the sport alongside Barcelona captain Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. Neymar played a crucial role in the Catalans' historic second treble in 2015, becoming the first club to achieve the feat twice.
The core idea of Neymar's transfer to Paris was for him to step out of his former teammate Messi's shadow and carve out his own legacy. Additionally, he would become the most expensive player in the sport as the €222m paid for him is more than double the amount paid by Manchester United for Paul Pogba, which was the previous world record.
This move has had a remarkable impact on the transfer market as we know it. Since this transfer was completed, clubs began to demand an extortionate amount of money for their star players when elite clubs came calling for them. The best way to understand this transfer's impact on the market is to look at the moves that were completed after Neymar's unveiling in Paris.
Seven of the ten most expensive players of all time were purchased in the aftermath of this historic move — two of which were conducted by Barcelona in their attempts to replace the Brazilian (Philippe Coutinho and Ousmane Dembele).
Neymar's move, to date, remains a transfer that has terraformed the market and changed the way clubs value their players.
#4 Luis Figo | Barcelona to Real Madrid
Luis Figo's transfer to Real Madrid from arch-rivals Barcelona remains one of the most controversial transfers of all time. The Portuguese was lured to the Santiago Bernabeu by Los Blancos president Florentino Perez in 2000. After winning the Ballon d'Or in the very same year, Figo's €62m transfer marked the beginning of the era of 'Los Galacticos'.
Real Madrid then went on to sign a host of the finest superstars on the planet, including the likes of Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo Nazario, David Beckham, and many others. Having spent over five years in the capital club, the Portuguese won two LaLiga titles with Real Madrid, the same number of titles he won at Barcelona, along with an elusive UCL trophy.
However, his time at Real Madrid was also ridden with controversy after crossing the divide to join them from the Blaugrana. The El Clasicos during this period were as tense as they've ever been, with the narrative being that of Barcelona's talisman moving to their rivals. In fact, one particular Clasico saw him attacked by the fans from the stands with projectiles. Speaking on this Clasico that took place in October 2001, his former teammate Michel Salgado said;
"By the second or third corner I turned to Luís Figo and said: ‘Forget it, mate. You’re on your own’. I used to offer Luís the chance to take the short corner, drawing up close to him near the touchline, but not this time. Missiles were raining down from the stands: coins, a knife, a glass whiskey bottle. Johnnie Walker, I think. Or J&B. Best to keep away. Short corners? No thanks."
The 'Judas' of Barcelona saw Real Madrid go on to establish themselves as the best club on the land, until the Blaugrana's next generation of superstars such as Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi came along.
Also read: How Manchester City could line up if they sign Lionel Messi