5 monetary milestones in football transfer history
Player transfers are one of the most interesting concepts of modern day club football. The media, fans and the clubs are all on their toes as soon as the transfer window is near, with rumours, talks and discussions filling the air. Unlike the olden days when a deal exceeding 20 million pounds was termed ‘expensive’, the advent of large chunks of Arabian and Russian money to the shores of Europe’s elite leagues has changed the scenario and now, transfer records are being set and shattered every passing year.From the first ever professional transfer, which was Scottish striker Willie Groves’ 100 £ move from West Bromwich Albion to Aston Villa way back in 1893, to Gareth Bale’s €100 million from Tottenham Hotspurs to Real Madrid, the world of football has witnessed several milestones in transfer fees. We take a look at some of the record-breakers who set those milestones for the stars of the future.
#1 1 Million Pounds: Giuseppe Savoldi
The late Italian striker Savoldi became the world’s first millionaire footballer when he moved from Bologna to Napoli in 1975 for a fee of 2 billion Liras which was then equivalent to 1.2 million pounds. Savoldi started his career at Atlanta before moving to Bologna.
Having amassed 85 goals in 201 appearances for Bologna, Savoldi then broke Johan Cruyff’s 0.9 million pound transfer record as he moved to Napoli in 1975, and stayed there for 4 years scoring 55 goals from 118 appearances.