With the professional football transfer window closing recently, we have seen some of the most ridiculous figures paid to sign players.
While I do love football and I believe that sports can bring the world together and promote manners that can make this world a better place, I definitely don’t understand the gazillion Euro price tag around players’ ankles.
Do they know how many kids can be provided with a proper education with this money? Do they know how many villages can have access to clean water? What has made the football industry so expensive and why are the clubs and players going with it?
Here is a list of the most expensive players signed in 2014:
1. Luis Suarez (Attacker)
Hands down, the most expensive player of the year. Signed by Barcelona for 95 million Euro, the Uruguay National Team and former Liverpool player is still most famous for his World Cup bite.
I could buy an island and declare full autonomy and kick-start an economic system for this money. I’d literally become queen for 95 million Euro!
2. James Rodriguez (Mid-fielder)
Colombian National Team player and former Monaco player James Rodriguez was signed this year by Real Madrid for 80 million Euro – approximately the same amount of money the U.S. cut from UNESCO for recognizing Palestine as a country.
3. Angel Di Maria (Mid-fielder)
Di Maria was quite underrated in the last World Cup given that the spotlight always goes to Messi, but Louis Van Gaal of Manchester United realized that he had to sign the former Real Madrid player for 75 million Euro.
The Water Wells for Africa project raises approximately 5,500 Euro to dig up a well for a village. Meaning that a combined 14,000 villages could be provided with clean water for this money.
4. Eliaquim Mangala (Defender)
The French National Team player was signed by Manchester City for 54 million Euro, ending his career with Porto.
For 54 million Euro you can provide 1.7 million kids in India with quality education for one year. And who knows, one of them could have found the cure for cancer!
5. David Luiz (Defender)
Brazilian Star and former Chelsea player David Luiz signed with PSG for 49 million Euro this year.
You can do a lot with 49 million Euro. You can become Oprah Winfrey for a day, you can close down fur farms and you can shut down a lot of unethical slaughter houses. That is a lot of money for an ankle.
6. Alexis Sanchez (Attacker)
This Chilean sweetheart who was definitely everybody’s favourite in the last World Cup ended his career with Barcelona and signed with Arsenal for 44 million Euro.
That is enough money to build 300 well-stocked libraries for underprivileged children all over the world.
7. Diego Costa (Attacker)
The Spanish Player left Atletico Madrid for Chelsea this year, signing a contract worth 40 million Euro.
In 1891, building Stanford University cost 30 million Euro. So you can use the extra 10 million Euro to build yourself a time machine, go back over a century and build yourself a Stanford. I’d personally build a King Mario School of Art.
8. Cesc Fabregas (Mid-fielder)
This Spanish Midfielder and former Barcelona player signed with Chelsea for 36 million Euro this summer making it to the bottom of the highest-paid footballer list.
With 36 million Euro, you can install 188,000 solar panels in small villages in Africa, benefiting 60-360 people per solar panel.
There was a total of 1 billion Euro spent during the transfer window and a total of 250 players transferred. 1 billion Euro invested in a total of 250 people!
And if that speaks to anything, it clearly states that the trafficking of money around the world sees no priorities.
What has made players so expensive and why has the game become so capitalistic?
WE SAID THIS: Salary caps would definitely help…
