Football transfers are one of the key factors that contribute to a successful game.
This is especially true for top championships such as the English Premier League.
The services of good transfer agents are always in demand and well paid. Their properly constructed work depends not only on the competent spending of budget funds at the transfer stage but also on the overall success of the club. We are talking about both the successful game and the replenishment of the team's budget.
In this article, we will talk about what the term "successful transfer" means in modern understanding. You will also learn about the most successful transfers made by EPL clubs over the last few decades.
What is a football transfer?
Let's start with a general definition. A football transfer is a transaction of buying/selling/renting a player.
A contract is signed with him in which the terms, salary, bonuses, and other conditions are stipulated.
However, the value of the deal itself is not affected by the player. It is negotiated by clubs through transfer agents. In this case, the cost often does not correspond to the real price if the football club simply does not need the services of the player.
Sometimes, the transfer is an exchange of players with or without additional payment. These and other nuances are discussed in the process of negotiations and, as a rule, are not made public.
In the top leagues, transfer transactions are carried out according to the established regulations:
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Transfers of players from one club to another are only possible during a certain period (transfer windows).
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The information about the completed transactions (not about the nuances stipulated in the contracts) is passed on to the league management.
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A transfer made after the transfer window is considered invalid (fines, disqualification).
We would like to add to the last point that exceptions are possible. Special cases are necessarily discussed with the management of the national football league.
What is a successful football transfer?
What is the work of a football transfer agent? His activity can be compared to playing casino online.
First of all, you need experience, without which success is only a lucky bet.
For example, beginners who sit down to play roulette most often immediately bet on numbers where the odds are 1 in 37 or on sectors with a small number of numbers. An experienced player will bet on the odds of 1 in 2 or 1 in 3, realizing that here, the probability of success is much higher.
If he decides to take a risk immediately, he will analyze all previous outcomes and apply some strategies.
The work of a transfer agent looks approximately the same. Before deciding to buy or rent a player, the manager does a huge amount of work that is invisible to others. He attends and/or watches matches involving the applicant and studies his biography, football history, current marital status, hobbies, and even medical records.
The agent also makes sure to evaluate budgetary possibilities, which is usually done by experienced casino players. And this not only applies to paying for the deal, but also to further expenses that may need to be incurred on the newcomer.
TOP 3 most successful EPL transfers
In the final part, we will give examples of transfers in the English Premier League, which are recognized as the most successful in recent decades. Such a study was conducted by experts from the popular ESPN channel. Its results perfectly demonstrate that far from always the basis of success is not always the amount invested in the player. A more important role is played by the properly done work of transfer agents.
1. Thierry Henry (1999, Juventus - Arsenal, 15.5 million)
Henri had been a fan of the London club since 1991. Despite the doubts of experts about the feasibility of the transfer, Arsenal coach Wenger was convinced that the transfer was worth the money spent. During the first weeks, the coach's decision was massively criticized. In eight full matches, the striker failed to score a single goal. However, by the end of the season, the situation had completely changed. Henri scored a total of 26 goals, and Arsenal finished second in the EPL and reached the UEFA Cup final.
2. Frank Lampard (2002, West Ham - Chelsea, 14.4 million).
Most experts considered Lampard's move to Chelsea to be a mistake of the coaching staff. Indeed, for two seasons, Frank looked very weak and actually did not benefit the team. However, in the 2004/05 season, he became the top scorer among midfielders in the Premier League with 13 goals. At the end of 2005, he set a record for consecutive games played for one club and became one of Chelsea's leaders. In the 2006/2007 season, he played 62 games for the London club and became the English journalists' footballer of the year.
3. Patrick Vieira (1996, Milan - Arsenal, 4.8 million)
The promising young Senegalese was spotted by the London club's agents when, at the age of 19, he was 'successfully' sitting on the bench at Milan. He was bought out for a paltry sum before he made any progress. The investment turned out to be fully justified. Already in 2002, instead of scandalous, unsportsmanlike antics (spitting in the face of an opponent, a fight with a policeman), Vieira proved that he was really a talented footballer. He becomes captain and holds this position until his departure from the club.
The transfer fees recognized as the most successful are far below the cost of transfers for Drogba (34.7m), Hazard (31.5m), Rooney (33.3m), and many other stars. This proves once again that a good transfer agent is one of the key keys to success in modern football.
