8 players who fetched the biggest transfer profit for their clubs
In this age of inflation, high-profile transfers have caused club profit-loss statements to swing to absolute extremities. Teams can pocket massive amounts of cash while selling their star players but are compelled to splash an equivalent fee in search of their replacements. Barcelona's transfer record post-Neymar perfectly highlights the risks involved in such transactions.
Transfers of academy prospects that earned their parent clubs a massive profit
However, teams that act as feeders to clubs with a much bigger stature usually prove to be exceptions to this cycle. Joao Felix rose through the ranks at Benfica, putting in some scintillating performances. This caught the eye of Atletico Madrid, who forked out a massive €126m to buy the youngster as a replacement for the outgoing Antoine Griezmann.
The most expensive teenager of all time, Kylian Mbappe is second only to current teammate Neymar on the all-time transfer record list. Having scouted him for free, Monaco turned a €145m profit on the Frenchman after selling him to close rivals PSG. Most recently, Jack Grealish's €117.5m switch to Manchester City severed a 20-year connection between him and Aston Villa.
On that note, let's take a look at 8 transfers that yielded the biggest profits on their club's initial investments:
Disclaimer: None of the academy graduates who fetched exorbitant profits like Mbappe, Felix and Grealish are included on the list.
#8 Zinedine Zidane - Profit of €74m to Juventus
The fact that Zinedine Zidane's transfer statistics are still relevant speaks volumes of the Frenchman's impact on modern-day football. Having dazzled audiences for five seasons at Juventus, Zidane earned a €77.5m switch to Real Madrid in 2001, making him the world's most expensive player then.
His legacy at the Bernabeu is spread across numerous memorable performances. Perhaps the French international's sublime volley against Leverkusen to win the 2002 Champions League for the men in white stands out from the rest. Zidane went on to spend five successful seasons with Real Madrid, retiring as a club legend in 2006.
#7 Cristiano Ronaldo - Profit of €75m to Manchester United
Smashing his predecessor's record to pieces, Cristiano Ronaldo's €94m transfer to Los Blancos sent shock waves across the world. By 2009, the Portuguese superstar had already established himself as one of the best players in the world. When Real Madrid came calling, Ronaldo didn't hesitate one bit to side with the Spanish giants.
Following a €19m move to Manchester United in 2003, Ronaldo spent no time climbing up the ladder of excellence. The 36-year-old veteran took his game to a completely different level in Spain. He departed Madrid as the club's all-time top scorer in 2018. Even at the ripe old age of 33, Ronaldo commanded a fee in excess of €100m from Juventus, providing his former employees a sizeable profit on his way out.
#6 Jadon Sancho - Profit of €77.17m to Borussia Dortmund
The most recent transfer on the list, Borussia Dortmund pocketed a sweet profit of €77.17m from Jadon Sancho's €85m sale to Manchester United. A highly-rated wunderkind during his initial days at Manchester City's academy, Sancho left the Etihad Stadium in 2017, in search of greater first-team opportunities.
After four brilliant seasons with BVB, the 21-year-old playmaker secured a big-money move back to England, this time to the red half of Manchester. This transfer could fix the problematic right-wing position for United, fully furnishing Ole Gunnar Solskjær's squad.
Also read: 5 players with the highest combined transfer fee