We’ve worked out the transfer market algorithm- X = 2 x (Y+10). Let’s show you using Swansea’s valuation of Gylfi Sigurdsson.
X is the transfer fee selling clubs are looking to get. All you have to do is take a player’s real value(Y), which in Sigurdsson’s case is £10million, add £10mil, and then times it by two.
It’s a simple algorithm but one that has already tricked Everton into spending £30m on Michael Keane, and Man United into spending £75m on Romelu Lukaku.
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Ahh, inflation is a cruel mistress.
To prove it we’ve put together a team of Serie A legends Everton would have been able to sign in a better time with plenty of change to spare from £40m.
We advise you to play the Gazette Football Italia intro while reading.
(All transfer fees courtesy of transfermarkt)
Goalkeeper
Gianluigi Buffon cost Juventus more than £40m when he signed from Parma, meaning we’ve got to settle for Francesco Toldo.
While Toldo played the role of backup dancer to Buffon at international level, his £23m move from Fiorentina to Inter makes him more expensive than David De Gea, although not quite as expensive as Jordan Pickford.
One Champions League trophy, five league titles, five Coppa Italias and the 2000 Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year are nothing to be sniffed at.
Defenders
You only need a back three when your defenders are Lilian Thuram, Alessandro Nesta and Jaap Stam.
Thuram moved from Parma to Juventus for £35m, while Nesta moved from Lazio to Milan for 26m, where he linked up with Stam.
Stam’s £22m from United was one of Sir Alex Ferguson’s biggest regrets as a manager, which tells you all you need to know about his quality.
Still, he’s no Michael Keane, is he?
Midfielders
When Zinedine Zidane left Juventus there was only one man they wanted to replace him. Thirty-five million pounds later Pavel Nedved was no longer a Lazio player.
On the other flank jack-of-all-trades, master of plenty, Clarence Seedorf lines up, having cost Inter just £21m.
In the middle there’s a chalk and cheese pairing of Juan Sebastian Veron, whose languid talents cost Lazio £25m, and eternal winner Patrick Vieira, who cost Juventus £17m.
How would you fit Sigurdsson in that midfield?
Strikers
Ronaldo cost Inter just £24m when he left Barcelona in 1997. For that same price nowadays you could buy Lukaku’s right foot and maybe, at a stretch, his left hand.
Gabriel Batistuta was slightly pricier- costing Roma £38m- which would get you Lukaku’s lower half.
Completing the team is Filippo Inzaghi who, when not offside, was usually found wheeling away celebrating a scruffy goal for Milan, who spent £31m on his services.
But hey, now you’d be struggling to sign Salomon Rondon for that price.