6 footballers who were signed to sell jerseys

History has seen major clubs across Europe sign players to make a difference on the pitch for them. Some players however, were signed at different times in the past with a clear focus on increasing the visibility of the club, and to try and use the popularity of the player to drive jersey sales.Be it a global super-power like Real Madrid, or an up-and-coming club like Manchester City who wanted to establish their clout, here are 6 footballers who had/ have had a greater impact off-the field (so far) with these clubs, rather than on the pitch. 

#1 David Beckham, Real Madrid

David Beckham was signed by Real Madrid from Manchester United in 2003 in a deal worth 35 million Euros, as part of their policy of signing Galacticos. The England captain was definitely a huge name, both on and off the field, as the Spanish giants looked to capitalise on his popularity to increase their following across the world.

Though he didn’t take any time to adjust to life in Spain, his success at the club can be measured accurately by taking a look at the silverware he won with them. In four years at Real Madrid, the SuperCopa de Espana in 2003 and the La Liga title in 2007 (the title win came at the fag end of his career with Real) were the only trophies he could win.

Clearly, his impact for Los Blancos was much less than what was anticipated, and most of what he could do to help the club came off the field.