The Athletic poll
In a survey by “The Athletic“20 player agents took stock of the 2023 transfer summer and provided insights into the industry and their work. According to the portal, the consultants surveyed were all involved in some of the largest deals in the window that closed on September 1st, but remained anonymous as part of the survey. Votes included the best and worst deal as well as the most surprising transfer.
Most expensive squads in the world: These teams received the highest transfer fees
BVB | Squad value: €467 million | Transfer fees paid: €310 million
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Value creation: +157 million € | As of September 11, 2023
AS Monaco | Squad value: €332 million | Transfer fees paid: €325 million
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Value added: +€7 million
FC Barcelona | Squad value: €814 million | Transfer fees paid: €327 million
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Value added: +€487 million
RB Leipzig | Squad value: €403 million | Transfer fees paid: €336 million
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Value added: +€67 million
Atlético Madrid | Squad value: €442 million | Transfer fees paid: €361 million
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Value added: +€81 million
Al Hilal | Squad value: €259 million | Transfer fees paid: €372 million
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Value added: -€113 million
SSC Napoli | Squad value: €578 million | Transfer fees paid: €373 million
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Value added: +€205 million
Aston Villa | Squad value: €598 million | Transfer fees paid: €418 million
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Value added: +€180 million
Juventus Turin | Squad value: €433 million | Transfer fees paid: €429 million
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Value creation: +4 million €
FC Bayern | Squad value: €897 million | Transfer fees paid: €430 million
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Value added: +€467 million
West Ham | Squad value: €443 million | Transfer fees paid: €457 million
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Value added: -14 million €
Newcastle United | Squad value: €598 million | Transfer fees paid: €566 million
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Value added: +€32 million
Real Madrid | Squad value: €991 million | Transfer fees paid: €573 million
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Value added: +€418 million
Tottenham | Squad value: €689 million | Transfer fees paid: €656 million
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Value added: +€33 million
Liverpool | Squad value: €827 million | Transfer fees paid: €664 million
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Value added: +€164 million
Arsenal | Squad value: €1.09 billion | Transfer fees paid: €685 million
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Value added: +€406 million
PSG | Squad value: €1.08 billion | Transfer fees paid: €943 million
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Value added: +€140 million
Man City | Squad value: €1.18 billion | Transfer fees paid: €992 million
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Value added: +€190 million
Man United | Squad value: €882 million | Transfer fees paid: €1 billion
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Value added: -€118 million
Chelsea | Squad value: €926 million | Transfer fees paid: €1.01 billion
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Value added: -€86 million
In the best deal category, a clear majority of votes fell on the transfer of James Maddison from Leicester City to Tottenham Hotspur. According to reports, the “Spurs” paid 46.3 million euros for the attacking midfielder, who signed a contract until 2028 and was among the top five most expensive Tottenham signings.
The right-footer, who moved from Norwich City to Leicester for 25 million euros five years ago, was directly involved in 96 goals in 203 games for the “Foxes”. Last season there were ten goals and nine assists in 32 appearances – with four goals in four league games to date, Maddison has made a successful start to White Hart Lane.
“At this level before the season started I thought it was the best deal pound for pound. If you look at some of the transfers for players (…), look at Cole Palmer for example. “I know Chelsea are buying potential, but the guy has played about 15 league games and they paid more for him than Tottenham did for Maddison,” an agent is quoted as saying.
The second most votes went to the most expensive Premier League transfer of the summer (for an overview) with a transfer fee of 116.6 million euros, Declan Rice, who moved from West Ham to Arsenal in London. “If Arsenal win the league, it will be money well spent,” an advisor is quoted as saying. Another attested: “He is exactly what Arsenal are missing, the key component to win anything meaningful. The price is too high, but he is the player they need.” The third most votes went to the 100 million transfer from Harry Kane to FC Bayern and the move from Jude Bellingham from BVB to Real Madrid.
Kane, Dembélé & Co.: All transfers over 100 million transfers chronologically
Gareth Bale | Tottenham -> Real Madrid | Transfer fee: €101 million
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Transfer in summer 2013
Paul Pogba | Juventus -> Man United | Transfer fee: €105 million
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Transfer in summer 2016
Neymar | FC Barcelona -> PSG | Transfer fee: €222 million
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Transfer in summer 2017
Ousmane Dembélé | BVB -> FC Barcelona | Transfer fee: €135 million
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Transfer in summer 2017
Philippe Coutinho | Liverpool -> FC Barcelona | Transfer fee: €135 million
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Transfer in winter 2018
Kylian Mbappe | AS Monaco -> PSG | Transfer fee: €180 million
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Loan in the summer of 2017, permanent transfer in the summer of 2018. The transfer fee increased from €145 million to €180 million with the contract extension at PSG.
Cristiano Ronaldo | Real Madrid -> Juventus | Transfer fee: €117 million
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Transfer in summer 2018
Eden Hazard | Chelsea -> Real Madrid | Transfer fee: €115 million
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Transfer in summer 2019
Antoine Griezmann | Atlético -> FC Barcelona | Transfer fee: €120 million
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Transfer in summer 2019
João Felix | Benfica -> Atlético | Transfer fee: €127.2 million
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Transfer in summer 2019
Jack Grealish | Aston Villa -> Man City | Transfer fee: €117.5 million
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Transfer in summer 2021
Romelu Lukaku | Inter -> Chelsea | Transfer fee: €113 million
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Transfer in summer 2021
Enzo Fernandez | Benfica -> Chelsea | Transfer fee: €121 million
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Transfer in winter 2023
Jew Bellingham | BVB -> Real Madrid | Transfer fee: €103 million
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Transfer in summer 2023
The transfer fee can increase by a further 30.9 million euros through bonuses
Declan Rice | West Ham -> Arsenal | Transfer fee: €116.6 million
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Transfer in summer 2023
The transfer fee can increase to 122 million euros through bonuses
Harry Kane | Tottenham -> FC Bayern | Transfer fee: €100 million
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Transfer in summer 2023
The transfer fee can increase to 120 million euros through bonuses
Worst deal of the summer? Consultants choose Havertz transfer to Arsenal
With a view to the worst deal of the summer, the majority of the consultants interviewed by “The Athletic” voted for the German international Kai Havertz, who had switched sides from Chelsea to the “Gunners” for a basic fee of 75 million euros in London. The 24-year-old remained pale in the first four games of the season.
“Havertz… I don’t understand. I never understood it. I don’t think he was needed,” said one agent, adding: “If you watch now you see a lack of quality and confidence. He may be able to prove me wrong over the course of the season, but for that amount of money – a terrible deal.”
Another consultant quoted the German England expert Raphael Honigstein in the course of the survey with regard to the ex-Leverkusen player: “Raphael recently called Havertz a ‘foreign body’, as they say in Germany – an alien who was lost on the wrong planet. Moises Caicedo, who moved from Brighton to Chelsea for 116 million euros, received the second most votes. In the eyes of the agents interviewed, the Blues did well to let Havertz go, but then paid far too much money for the Colombian.
In the category of the most surprising deal, the majority of consultants voted for youngster Cole Palmer, for whom Chelsea spent 47 million euros and transferred it to his training club Manchester City.
“Explain this transfer to me. Chelsea didn’t need him. And he was on the right track, he did incredibly well at City. (…) This makes no sense for Chelsea. It doesn’t make sense for City to believe in him – but that could be the reason. Equally important: what did it do for the boy? He’s had a really difficult journey at Man City, (…) and I would understand if he left to make plays, be a superstar and be the first name on the team sheet. But now, in a different jersey, he has the same problem,” said one of the agents interviewed. Palmer has not played more than ten minutes in the current Premier League season so far.
Biggest plus between transfers and squad value: Bayer & Bayern in the top 10
Union Berlin | Difference between transfer fee and squad value: €147 million
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Transfer fee paid: €46 million | Squad value 193
Athletic Bilbao | Difference between transfer and squad value: €156 million
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Transfer fee paid: €46 million | Squad value 203
BVB | Difference between transfer and squad value: €157 million
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Transfer fees paid: €310 million | Squad value: €467 million
AS Roma | Difference between transfer and squad value: €159 million
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Transfer fees paid: €223 million | Squad value: €382 million
Liverpool | Difference between transfer and squad value: €164 million
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Transfer fees paid: €664 million | Squad value: €827 million
Galatasaray | Difference between transfer and squad value: €174 million
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Transfer fees paid: €71 million | Squad value: €245 million
Aston Villa | Difference between transfer and squad value: €180 million
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Transfer fees paid: €418 million | Squad value: €598 million
Benfica | Difference between transfer and squad value: €181 million
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Transfer fees paid: €164 million | Squad value: €345 million
Brentford | Difference between transfer and squad value: €183 million
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Transfer fees paid: €182 million | Squad value: €365 million
Brighton | Difference between transfer and squad value: €183 million
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Transfer fees paid: €193 million | Squad value: €376 million
Lazio | Difference between transfer and squad value: €186 million
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Transfer fees paid: €99 million | Squad value: €285 million
Man City | Difference between transfer fee and squad value: €190 million
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Transfer fees paid: €992 million | Squad value: €1.18 billion
SSC Napoli | Difference between transfer and squad value: €205 million
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Transfer fees paid: €373 million | Squad value: €578 million
Bayer 04 | Difference between transfer and squad value: €214 million
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Transfer fees paid: €232 million | Squad value: €446 million
AC Milan | Difference between transfer and squad value: €224 million
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Transfer fees paid: €305 million | Squad value: €529 million
Inter | Difference between transfer and squad value: €301 million
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Transfer fees paid: €223 million | Squad value: €523 million
Real Sociedad | Difference between transfer and squad value: €307 million
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Transfer fees paid: €91 million | Squad value: €398 million
Arsenal | Difference between transfer and squad value: €406 million
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Transfer fees paid: €685 million | Squad value: €1.09 billion
Real Madrid | Difference between transfer and squad value: €418 million
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Transfer fees paid: €573 million | Squad value: €991 million
FC Bayern | Difference between transfer and squad value: €467 million
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Transfer fees paid: €430 million | Squad value: €897 million
FC Barcelona | Difference between transfer and squad value: €487 million
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Transfer fees paid: €327 million | Squad value: €814 million
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