The document analyzes the market for the most expensive football transfers between 2000-2007. It finds that over €5 billion was spent on 278 transfers over €10 million each. English and Spanish leagues dominated transfers in 2007, representing 42.6% and 35% of spending respectively. There was no significant difference found between prices paid for star players versus promising international players. Strikers transferred at a younger average age and with fewer national team appearances than other positions.

1. The Market for the best or most expensive football players (2000-2007) Ángel Barajas ( [email_address] ) Ignacio Urrutia ( [email_address] ) Carlos F-Jardón ( [email_address] ) This paper has been funded by CSBM of IESE “ Challenges facing Football in the 21st Century” 15th – 17th May 2008, University of Bern, Switzerland.

5. Most expensive transfers 2000/2007 25,9 Average Age 517,2 Total Investment Milan 26 Midfield International 2.001 42 Rui Costa Manchester Utd. 22 Midfield Star 2.001 42,6 Verón Real Madrid 26 Striker Star 2.002 45 Ronaldo Manchester Utd. 24 Defender International 2.002 46 Ferdinand Lazio 27 Midfield International 2.001 48 Mendieta Chelsea 30 Striker Star 2.006 51 Shevchenko Juventus 23 Goalkeeper International 2.001 54,1 Buffon Lazio 25 Striker International 2.000 55 Crespo Real Madrid 27 Midfield Star 2.000 60 Figo Real Madrid 29 Midfield Star 2.001 73,5 Zidane Buyer club Age Role Status Year Price Ranking

6. Most expensive transfers 2007 23,5 Average age 283,8 Total Investment Barcelona 30 Striker Star 24 Thierry Henry Tottenham 23 Striker International 24,8 Darren Bent Manchester Utd. 26 Midfield International 25 Hargreaves Bayern Munich 24 Midfield International 25 Franck Ribery Manchester Utd. 20 Midfield International 25,5 Nani Real Madrid 23 Midfield International 27 Wesley Sneijder Real Madrid 24 Defender Promising player 30 Pepe Manchester Utd. 19 Striker International 31,5 Anderson Liverpool 23 Striker International 35 Fernando Torres Real Madrid 23 Midfield International 36 Robben Buyer club Age Role Status Price Player

7. Transfers of goalkeepers 00/07 13,00 13,00 1,00 18 - 22 30,03 90,10 3,00 23 - 25 11,00 22,00 2,00 26 - 29 17,65 35,30 2,00 Over 29 Ages 19,94 139,60 7,00 International 10,50 10,50 1,00 Promising player Status 18,76 150,10 8,00 Goalkeeper Average Investment Investment No. Transfers Position

8. Transfers of defenders 00/07 14,82 192,70 13,00 18 - 22 15,90 317,90 20,00 23 – 25 16,31 424,00 26,00 26 – 29 13,25 26,50 2,00 Over 29 Ages 30,00 30,00 1,00 Star 15,47 788,80 51,00 International 15,76 141,80 9,00 Promising player Status 15,56 961,10 61,00 Defender Average Investment Investment No. Transfers Position

9. Transfers of Midfields 00/07 18,26 347,00 19,00 18 – 22 18,89 661,20 35,00 23 – 25 22,23 844,80 38,00 26 – 29 15,76 78,80 5,00 Over 29 Ages 44,72 223,60 5,00 Star 18,95 1.572,70 83,00 International 15,06 135,50 9,00 Promising player Status 19,73 1.913,80 97,00 Midfield Average Investment Investment No. Transfers Position

10. Transfers of Strikers 00/07 17,78 515,75 29,00 18 – 22 18,74 693,25 37,00 23 – 25 18,32 714,65 39,00 26 – 29 22,31 156,20 7,00 Over 29 Ages 28,76 258,80 9,00 Star 18,32 1556,95 85,00 International 14,67 264,10 18,00 Promising player Status 18,57 2079,85 112,00 Strikers Average Investment Investment No. Transfers Position

11. Maximum Price per season 35,00 51,00 25,00 37,00 35,00 45,00 35,90 55,00 Striker 36,00 27,00 38,00 26,00 32,30 22,10 73,50 60,00 Midfield 30,00 16,00 27,00 30,00 18,00 46,00 36,50 20,00 Defender 13,50 0,00 0,00 13,00 22,50 0,00 54,10 11,50 Goalkeeper 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 Max. Price

12. Price average per season 17,25 16,93 16,68 20,04 18,82 20,47 18,50 20,50 Striker 16,83 17,33 17,29 16,29 20,89 16,07 26,62 22,46 Midfield 13,53 12,43 15,50 15,92 13,38 25,20 17,79 15,63 Defender 13,50 0,00 0,00 13,00 22,50 0,00 29,80 11,00 Goalkeeper 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 Price average

13. Increase of value (2007) 17,0 21,0 4,00 Chelsea Lyon Florent Malouda 17,3 17,3 0,00 Liverpool Ajax Babel 18,0 21,0 3,00 Atlético de Madrid Villarreal Forlán 18,0 36,0 18,00 Real Madrid Chelsea Robben 20,0 20,0 0,00 Milan Internacional Pato 20,3 24,8 4,50 Tottenham Charlton Athletic Darren Bent 25,0 25,0 0,00 Bayern Munich Marsella Franck Ribery 25,0 25,0 0,00 Manchester Utd. Bayern Munich Owen Hargreaves 25,5 25,5 0,00 Manchester Utd. Sporting Nani 26,5 31,5 5,00 Manchester Utd. FC Porto Anderson 27,0 27,0 0,00 Real Madrid Ajax Wesley Sneijder 28,0 30,0 2,00 Real Madrid FC Porto Pepe 35,0 35,0 0,00 Liverpool Atlético de Madrid Fernando Torres Increase of value Selling Price Purchasing Price Buyer Club Seller Club Player

14. Decrease of value (2007) -23,0 12,0 35,00 Atlético de Madrid Arsenal Reyes -12,0 10,0 22,00 Middlesbrough Real Madrid Woodgate -3,0 15,0 18,00 Inter de Milan Roma Chivu -3,0 10,0 13,00 Juventus Deportivo Jorge Andrade -2,0 12,0 14,00 Real Zaragoza Shakhtar Matuzalem -0,6 10,4 11,00 West Ham Utd. Newcastle Utd. Scott Parker Decrease of Value Selling Price Purchasing Price Buyer Club Seller Club Player

15. Increase of value (2007) 13,80 137,80 10 Promising player 10,50 442,30 43 International 7,90 7,90 1 Star Average Increase of Value (€ Mill.) Total Increase of Value (€ Mill.) N. players Status

16. Increase of value (2007) 12,44 261,20 21 Striker 10,79 205,05 19 Midfield 8,32 108,20 13 Defender 13,50 13,50 1 Goalkeeper Average Increase of Value (€ Mill.) Total Increase of Value (€ Mill.) N. players Position

17. Transfers by Nationality (00/07) 278 62 29 27 30 22 21 46 41 Total … … 3 1 - - 1 - - 1 - Uruguay 3 1 - - - 2 - - - Rumania 3 - - - 1 1 - - 1 Cameroon 3 - 1 1 1 - - - - Bulgaria 3 2 1 - - - - - - Germany 4 2 2 - - - - - - Nigeria 4 - 1 - - 1 1 - 1 Ireland 5 3 1 - 1 - - - - Ivory Coast 5 - 1 - 2 - - 1 1 Check Republic 7 2 - 1 - - - 2 2 Serbia 18 4 3 - 2 2 - 4 3 Netherlands 20 5 - 2 4 2 2 2 3 Portugal 22 3 2 4 1 1 2 5 4 Spain 23 4 2 1 2 2 3 2 7 Argentina 24 3 2 2 2 - 6 9 - Italia 30 10 3 3 3 3 1 4 3 Brazil 31 6 2 1 5 2 1 8 6 France 32 6 2 6 3 4 2 4 5 England Total 2007 2006 2005 2004 2003 2002 2001 2000 Country