If you’ve seen the film Moneyball, or read the book, you’ll be aware that the key tenet to Billy Beane’s strategy at the Oakland A's was to find value for money in the MLB marketplace as he’s operating on a shoestring budget. That strategy realises itself in many guises. Broadly, it’s about using data to uncover players who are undervalued for various different reasons.
These days, the football transfer market throws up sums of money that are mind-boggling as much for their amount as for their regularity. It’s becoming normal to see clubs signing relatively unproven players for tens of millions of Euro. This summer we’ve seen Nottingham Forest sign Morgan Gibbs-White (22) for (at least) €29.5million (more than double his predicted MV of €11million) and Chelsea sign Carney Chukwuemeka (18) for a reported €18million (triple his MV of €6million).
These seem like staggering fees for young players with relatively little exposure to top-flight football. Are they worth those sums? I don't know. What I do know, though, is that there are still plenty of high-quality players moving between clubs for much less than their market value or, even, for nothing at all.
Here, in no particular order, are 10 transfers from this summer’s window that represent savvy business; instances where clubs have found value for money in a bloated and, quite frankly, bonkers marketplace.
Riqui Puig (23)
Barcelona to LA Galaxy for FREE (MV: €7million)
Not so long ago Riqui Puig was the latest hot talent to come off the La Masia production line and break into the Barcelona first team. To be regarded as the next bright thing in Barcelona is no mean feat. After struggling to hold down a regular place in the first team, however, he was told at the end of the last season that his time at Camp Nou was coming to an end. At only 23, picking up Puig on a free transfer would represent pretty good business for almost anyone but for LA Galaxy to coax him over the Atlantic to the MLS is a genuine coup. MLS is very quickly shaking the shackles of its retirement-home-for-fading-stars tag and is now managing to recruit players from Europe in their prime. Puig joins Bale, Bernadeschi and Insigne in the league this season. They are all head-turning moves but Puig’s is perhaps the most so.
Burak Yilmaz (37)
Lille to Fortuna Sittard for FREE (MV: €1.5million)
Two years ago Turkey veteran Burak Yilmaz was already 35 years old when Lille signed him on a free transfer taking him to a top-5 European league for the first time in his storied career. Some would say he was past his prime back then. Those were probably the same sorts of people saying that Lille couldn’t beat PSG to the 2020/21 Ligue 1 title. But they did and Yilmaz was their top-scorer with 16 league goals in what proved to be a glorious Indian summer for the striker. After a lean return last season, his name doesn’t yield the same excitement as it did in his first season in France but he may yet have a little magic left in his boots. Fortuna Sittard languished towards the bottom of Eredivisie last season. If Yilmaz proves he has one last dance in him, they’ll cause a bit more trouble in the league this season.
Adam Hlozek (20)
Sparta Prague to Bayer Leverkusen for €13million (MV: €20million)
Not too much is said about Adam Hlozek outside of his native Czech Republic and perhaps, equally, too much has been said about him in his home nation. Having broken into the Sparta Prague first team at just 16 and remaining a fixture since then, much was expected of Hlozek and much transfer speculation circled him, too. A couple of years ago he was being linked with some of Europe’s biggest clubs and, after staying on in Prague longer than many had first expected, it started to seem like his star may have waned ever so slightly and that the big move moment may have passed. It’s proved just the right moment, however, for Bayer Leverkusen to pick him up well below his market value for a very tidy €13million. The biggest attacking talent to emerge in the Czech Republic in years has been snapped up for a relative snip.
Andre Onana (26)
From Ajax to Inter for FREE (MV: €12million)
A slightly forgotten man, Andre Onana missed a large portion of the 2021/22 Eredivisie season due to a doping ban he received in February 2021 for testing positive for the banned substance Furosemide. Before that he was a stable presence in the Ajax team for years and a highly regarded goalkeeper - his market value peaking at €45million in late 2019. After returning from his ban he struggled to regain his spot initially. Once he did, he was soon out again through injury. After deciding to leave Ajax at the end of last season, Inter have picked him up on a free transfer. This is truly great business to recruit a top-class goalkeeper still in his prime years who fell off the radar for rather unfortunate reasons… if it is true that he took his wife’s medication by accident.
Dries Mertens (35)
From Napoli to Galatasaray for FREE (MV: €4million)
After nine glorious seasons in Naples, Dries Mertens leaves as Napoli’s all-time leading Serie A goalscorer, quite an achievement for a man that was originally brought over to Italy as a winger. After being turned into a not-so-false false-9 (or maybe just a number 9) by Maurizio Sarri, Mertens’ goal return exploded and he has hardly looked back since. He may be 35 years old and surely past his peak, but he still managed 11 goals in 30 league appearances in Serie A last season. If Galatasaray can get that sort of return from Mertens this season, this free transfer will represent savvy business for a club that is in desperate need to appease a massive and very demanding fanbase after a shocking 13th place finish in the Turkish Super Lig league last season. Their worst ever season!
Jonathan Clauss (29)
From Lens to Marseille for €7.5million (MV: €15million)
A relative unknown late bloomer, Alsacian right back Jonathan Clauss bounced between lesser-known French and German clubs before being picked up by Lens two years ago when they returned to Ligue 1. He then went on to make his first top-flight appearance at the age of 28. From there, his star has risen quite steeply. Clauss made the Union Nationale des Footballeurs Professionels (UNFP) team of the season for 2020/21 and was further rewarded for his fine form last season with a call-up to the national team in March 2022. To break into the French national team these days is no small achievement and nor is picking up an international quality right back for less than €10million. This is great business by Marseille who have been building an interesting side this summer and, seemingly, quite frugally. Clauss joins Jordan Veretout (€11million), Cengiz Under (€8.4million) and Alexis Sanchez (FREE) amongst others. Surely a team to watch in Ligue 1 this season.
Xavi Simons (19)
From PSG to PSV for FREE (MV: €4million)
The term wunderkind is thrown around quite freely. Rarely do the subjects of such terms reach their expected heights but Xavi Simons is one who just might. Yet another viral young star to emerge from Barcelona’s famed La Masia academy, Xavi Simons made a high-profile move to PSG in 2019 and made his first team debut in the 2020/21 season. He kicked on to make nine appearances under Mauricio Pochettino last season and starred in the UEFA youth league to much acclaim. This season he was all set to spend the campaign on loan at PSV until a last-minute change of mind led him to reject PSG’s new contract offer and opt for a permanent move to PSV instead. The brain's trust in Eindhoven must have been jumping for joy. Historically a famed developer of talent, PSV now have one of Europe’s most hyped teenagers in their ranks and they seem to have stolen him from under the noses of one of the world’s most powerful clubs. Brilliant business!
Paco Alcacer (28)
From Villarreal to Al Sharjah for FREE (MV: €9million)
Paco Alcacer strode into the limelight whilst at Borussia Dortmund, returning 23 goals in 37 league games in the Bundesliga across a season and a half between 2018-2020. The former Barcelona player thus secured a second lucrative move, this time back to Spain but with Villarreal. Unfortunately, since then, his hot streak has somewhat cooled and his goal return has notably diminished. At 28, however, he still has time on his side. One way to look at his transfer to the UAE is that it seems far too early for a proven European performer to be heading to such climes. Another way to look at it is that this is a real coup for Al Sharjah and the UAE Pro League at large. Surely, Alcacer will be getting paid a pretty penny but, nonetheless, this is a fantastic free signing for Al Sharjah, who finished 2nd last season and will be hoping to go one better.
Kasper Schmeichel (35)
From Leicester City to Nice for €1million (MV: €4million)
It probably doesn’t take much to lure a man to move to the French Riviera but it’s still somewhat of a coup to prize Kasper Schmeichel away from Leicester City for only €1million. The fee represents just a quarter of his market value and you’d think Leicester would have demanded a little more to part ways with their number one and a certified club legend. He may be in the autumn years of his career at 35 but, nonetheless, this represents excellent business any way you look at it. One million!
Divock Origi (27)
From Liverpool to AC Milan for FREE (MV: €12million)
A firm favourite during his time at Liverpool due to his happy knack for scoring massive goals in big games, Divock Origi made no secret of the fact he would be leaving Liverpool for pastures new at the end of last season. Jurgen Klopp lavished him with praise ahead of his departure describing him as “forever a Liverpool legend [and] one of the most important players I ever had.” Rumours abounded and the criminally underused Origi eventually decided that AC Milan was the place to prove himself as a regular performer. The Nerorossi, who last summer made the similarly canny capture of Olivier Giroud, will be hoping that Origi can bring some of the magic that defined his time in England to Italy as they defend their Serie A title.
