With more clubs than ever now capable of shattering transfer records, there is destined to be a spate of eye-watering deals over the next 12 months
Neymar's €222 million (£198m/$247m) move from Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain in 2017 has been widely regarded as the point of no return for football transfers. Since then, the fees exchanged between top European sides have risen to previously unimaginable levels, with 14 other players switching clubs for a fee over €100m since.
Will the bubble burst any time soon? It doesn't seem likely, particularly as the Saudi Pro League has now emerged as a genuine payer in the transfer market. Even the conventional wisdoms about which positions are most expensive no longer hold true. In the past, it was strikers and occasionally playmakers who fetched the big bucks. However, three of the players who've broken the €100m mark in recent times (Declan Rice, Enzo Fernandez and Moises Caicedo) are primarily deep-lying midfielders.
Will this trend continue? Or will attacking players return to their place at the top of the transfer tree? Below, GOAL predicts who's in contention to become the next €100m+ player in 2024…
GettyEvan Ferguson (Brighton)
Ferguson is already showing signs that he could turn out to be one of the greatest Irish footballers of all time. It's a bold claim, but at 19 years old he's already starting – and scoring – regularly in the Premier League.
Strikers as well rounded as him tend to cost a pretty penny too, with Brighton reportedly valuing him at around €137m (£120m/$147m). He's recently signed a new, long-term deal at the Amex Stadium and is said to be in favour of staying on the south coast to aid his development.
Carry on improving on his current trajectory, however, and he'll surely move on to a bigger club, with Manchester City apparently earmarking him as a long-term Erling Haaland replacement. When he does leave the Seagulls, expect him to easily fetch over €100m.
AdvertisementGetty ImagesFlorian Wirtz (Bayer Leverkusen)
After an ACL injury threatened to stunt Wirtz's development, the German wonderkid has played the best football of his career under Xabi Alonso for free-flowing Bayer Leverkusen this season. The outrageously-creative attacking midfielder has registered a glut of goals and assists playing behind Victor Boniface and is being linked with a host of top European clubs, including Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Liverpool.
Contracted at the BayArena until 2027, it will take a monster bid to prise him away from the Bundesliga upstarts, but he might just be worth the financial risk. Players as inventive as Wirtz do not come around often. Let's just hope his career does not go the same way as Kai Havertz when he does depart Leverkusen…
Getty ImagesMohamed Salah (Liverpool)
Thirty-one-year-olds rarely command €100m+ transfer fees, but the Saudi Pro League's rise over the past few months has changed everything. After tempting the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo, Karim Benzema and Neymar to the Middle East, Salah is the next high-profile name on the SPL's wishlist. Several massive offers were submitted in the summer, and reports suggest that this interest will be renewed in January.
Liverpool are likely resigned to losing their talisman for free in summer 2025 anyway, so they might be tempted to sell while his value is as high as it's ever been and reinvest in the squad.
GettyVictor Osimhen (Napoli)
In typically Neapolitan fashion, things have unravelled quickly since Osimhen and Co led Gli Azzurri to a shock Scudetto last season. After successfully batting away offers for the free-scoring Nigerian in the summer, the club managed to inflame tensions with a series of ill-advised social media posts. This was followed by two confusing club statements which seemed to suggest the the striker had changed his mind over signing a new contract.
Amid all of this off-field turmoil, Osimhen has continued to score at a impressive rate, and the 24-year-old remains one of the alluring centre-forwards on the market. Even without the new deal, Osimhen cannot leave for free until 2025, and a string of clubs are likely to test Napoli's resolve over the next few transfer windows.