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The G-8 That Broke Banks in Summer Transfer Windows
Just as the transfer market in Europe is bubbling with unfolding events, so are the banking halls as vaults are being opened and closed with huge amounts either coming out or inflowing into players and clubs’ accounts.
The world is at the verge of witnessing the biggest movement of money in football history when Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior moves from FC Barcelona to Paris Saint-Germain. Courtesy of 90min, the world’s largest football media platform, Sports Village Square brings to you the eight teams that have had to pay ridiculous amounts during summer transfer.
8. Paris Saint-Germain – Summer of 2012
Total spend: £144.5m
In their first transfer window with the Qatari owners on board, Paris Saint-Germain went all-out ahead of the 2012/13 season, spending nearly £150m on signing seven of Europe’s brightest and most experienced players.
The double swoop of Thiago Silva and Zlatan Ibrahimovic from AC Milan was worth in excess of £55m, while the likes of Lucas Moura, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Marco Verratti helped put the French side on the map.
7. Manchester United – Summer of 2016
Total spend: £147m
Last summer was a big one for Manchester United. Two of football’s biggest personalities, Jose Mourinho and Zlatan Ibrahimovic, joined the club, but neither are included in United’s total transfer spend.
Rather, the world’s most expensive player, Paul Pogba, as well as the additions of Armenian playmaker Henrikh Mkhitaryan and no-nonsense defender Eric Bailly, cost a combined fee of £147m.
6. Manchester City – Summer of 2015
Total spend: £147.5m
Manchester City are serial spenders when it comes to the transfer window, but even by their own lofty standards the summer of 2015 was an expensive one, as they captured five players for a combined fee of nearly £150m.
While Raheem Sterling and Kevin De Bruyne represented the bulk of the spending at nearly £100m together, Fabian Delph, Patrick Roberts and Nicolas Otamendi were hardly on the cheap side.
5. Barcelona – Summer of 2014
Total spend: £148m
Newly installed manager Luis Enrique was backed by the Barcelona owners to return to winning ways, following a disappointing 2013/14 campaign and the flurry of signings had the desired effect, with Barca finishing the season as treble-winners.
The main expenditure went on Luis Suarez, who cost £65m from Liverpool, while the arrivals of Claudio Bravo, Marc-Andre ter Stegen, Ivan Rakitic, Thomas Vermaelen and Jeremy Mathieu took the spending almost to £150m.
4. Real Madrid – Summer of 2013
Total spend: £148.5m
Beating Barcelona by just £500,000 to 4th spot here, Real Madrid broke the world record in September 2013 when they brought Gareth Bale to La Liga, signing a cheque for around £85m.
The Welshman was joined by Dani Carvajal, Casemiro, Isco and Asier Illarramendi, the former being the second priciest signing of that summer for Los Blancos, and the new arrivals contributed to the club’s unprecedented ‘La Decima‘ success.
3. Manchester United – Summer of 2014
Total spend: £149m
After the disaster of David Moyes’ stewardship the year before, Manchester United’s owners gave new boss Louis van Gaal a transfer warchest ahead of the 2014/15 season and he gladly accepted it, bringing in five major players.
The Red Devils broke a British transfer record when they acquired Angel Di Maria from Real Madrid for almost £60m, while the likes of Luke Shaw, Marcos Rojo, Daley Blind and Ander Herrera also came through the doors of Old Trafford.
2. Manchester City – Summer of 2017
Total spend: £202m
The Citizens find themselves this summer as having the second most expensive transfer window of all time for a club, after a number of pricey acquisitions following a somewhat disappointing campaign last year.
Kyle Walker (£45m), Benjamin Mendy (£52m), Ederson (£35m), Danilo (£26m) and Bernardo Silva (£43m) have all signed on the dotted line for Pep Guardiola’s men and the spending might not even be done yet!
1. Real Madrid – Summer of 2009
Total spend: £230m
The summer of 2009 saw Real Madrid begin a new dawn of the Galacticos era, by breaking the world record not once, but twice in a matter of week as they followed the £56m capture of Kaka with the £80m signing of Cristiano Ronaldo.
Also arriving to the Spanish capital prior to the start of the 2009/10 season were Xabi Alonso (£30m from Liverpool), Karim Benzema (£31m from Lyon) and Raul Albiol (£13.5m from Valencia).
By George Akpayen
The finish line is now in sight in this season’s Nigeria Premier Football League (NPFL), and much of the talk has centred on the title race and those at the other end of the table, which surprisingly include last season’s champions Remo Stars.
However, there is another race shaping up among the leading top scorers this season, and this could see as many as six or more players going head-to-head in the final six matchdays.
Top contenders in the race for the battle for the golden boot are Enugu Rangers’ striker, Godwin Obaje and Ikorodu City winger Joseph Arumala, who have scored 11 goals apiece.
On the tails of the top-two scoring individuals are Victor Mbaoma (Remo Stars), El-Kanemi Warriors midfielder Daddy Abdulrahman, Katsina United’s Uche Collins and Emeka Obioma of Abia Warriors, all on 10 goals each.
THE PERFORMANCE BREAKDOWN
Out of the top-six leading scorers, Obaje, Arumala and Mbaoma have more direct goal involvement. Obaje and Arumala have 11 goals and two assists each, while Mbaoma has 10 goals and assists from 23 appearances, which is the least number of matches featured in among the leading scorers. Mbaoma missed most of the early parts of the season due to bruised ribs.
El-Kanemi Warriors midfielder Abdulrahman has made the most appearances among the top-six scorers and has a 12-goal direct involvement (10 goals + two assists).
Obioma is however, the only top-six scorer who is yet to register an assist this season after 26 appearances for Abia Warriors.
Interestingly, Collins is the only top-six scorer who has netted a hat-trick this season so far.
THE CHASING PACK
There is also the chasing pack in the race for the Golden Boot. One of them is Plateau United winger Temitope Vincent Adebayo, who has scored nine goals. Sodiq Ibrahim (3SC), Enyimba striker Chidera Michael, and Igbunu Evwierhurhoma of Warri Wolves.
The variety of players in the chasing pack also makes the race intriguing as they have been consistent goal scorers in recent matchweeks. They are definitely breathing down the necks of the frontrunners.
There are also the outsiders in the race. Jonathan Mairiga of Wikki Tourists, Chidozie Iwundu (Rangers) and Bendel Insurance duo of Kayode Oke, 3SC’s Qamar Adegoke and Alex Oweilayefa – all on eight goals. On seven goals is Kano Pillars legend Rabiu Ali.
WORTHY MENTION
However, Iwundu deserves a big mention among the top scorers as he is the top-scoring defender. He has made 29 appearances for Rangers and has been booked three times and sent off once.
Iwundu’s goalscoring form from his centre-back role has also been important for his club in their title aspirations this season, and his team will hope his form can continue into the final six matchdays.
No doubt, there will be twists and turns for individual glory in a race that is still wide open. Fixture difficulty, favourable run-in, struggling defences and hunger in front of goal are surely going to be among the factors that would decide who wins this race in an unpredictable league. At this point, nothing is guaranteed as all top marksmen are odds-on to claim the top individual prize.
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A dramatic World Cup playoff clash between DR Congo and Jamaica took an unusual turn when referee Facundo Tello was forced to abandon the match late in extra time after sustaining an injury.
The incident occurred deep into the second half of extra time, when the Argentine official suddenly blew his whistle to halt play, leaving players from both sides momentarily confused. What followed was a rare and surreal scene, as players gathered around not for a foul or confrontation, but to assist the injured referee.
Tello appeared to be struggling with a calf problem and required attention on the pitch, even as some players — mindful of the ticking clock — urged for a quick resumption of play. The stoppage stretched on, drawing audible frustration from the crowd, whose boos echoed around the stadium.
After several minutes of treatment, it became clear the referee could not continue. Moving gingerly with his hand on his calf, Tello made his way to the touchline, where he was replaced by the fourth official to oversee the remainder of the encounter.
From the sidelines, the injured referee watched as the match reached its conclusion, culminating in jubilant celebrations from the DR Congo players following their hard-fought victory over Jamaica.
The unusual interruption added another layer of drama to an already intense playoff, highlighting the physical demands not only on players but also on match officials in high-stakes encounters.
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Nigeria’s head coach, Eric Chelle, has named a 23-man squad for this month’s international friendly matches against the Iran national football team and the Jordan national football team, with star striker Victor Osimhen notably absent from the list.
In Osimhen’s absence, Chelle has retained a strong core led by captain Wilfred Ndidi, alongside midfield playmaker Alex Iwobi and reigning African Footballer of the Year Ademola Lookman.
Friendlies Moved to Turkey Amid Security Concerns
The Super Eagles will now face Iran on March 27 before taking on Jordan on March 31, with both matches scheduled to be played in Antalya, Turkey.
Originally billed for venues in Amman, including the Amman International Stadium and King Abdullah Sports City Stadium, the fixtures were relocated following the outbreak of military conflict in the Middle East.
Kick-off times are set for 4 pm local time against Iran and 8 pm local time against Jordan.
Key Players Return, New Faces Earn First Call-Ups
Chelle has also recalled several established names, including goalkeeper Maduka Okoye, defender Oluwasemilogo Ajayi, and midfielder Frank Onyeka.
In attack, the coach has options in Moses Simon, Samuel Chukwueze, Akor Adams, and Paul Onuachu.
There are also first-time invitations for Scotland-based defender Emmanuel Oluwasegun Fernandez, Germany-based forward Philip Otele, and Belgium-based attacker Collins Yira Sor, a former youth international.
Goalkeeper Adebayo Adeleye also returns to the squad.
Focus on Squad Depth
The friendlies present Chelle with an opportunity to test squad depth and integrate new players ahead of future competitive fixtures.
With Osimhen missing, attention will be on how Nigeria’s attacking unit adapts, particularly with Lookman expected to play a leading role in the forward line.
The matches against Iran and Jordan will provide crucial preparation for the Super Eagles as they continue rebuilding following their disappointment in the 2026 FIFA World Cup qualification campaign.
23 SUPER EAGLES FOR FRIENDLIES MATCHES AGAINST IRAN & JORDAN
Goalkeepers: Maduka Okoye (Udinese FC, Italy); Adeleye Adebayo (Volos FC, Greece); Francis Uzoho (Omonia FC, Cyprus)
Defenders: Calvin Bassey (Fulham FC, England); Oluwasemilogo Ajayi (Hull City, England); Bright Osayi-Samuel (Birmingham City, England); Bruno Onyemaechi (Olympiakos, Greece); Zaidu Sanusi (FC Porto, Portugal); Igoh Ogbu (Slavia Prague, Czech Republic); Emmanuel Fernandez (Glasgow Rangers, Scotland)
Midfielders: Alex Iwobi (Fulham FC, England); Frank Onyeka (Coventry FC, England); Wilfred Ndidi (Besiktas FC, Turkey); Raphael Onyedika (Club Brugge, Belgium); Fisayo Dele-Bashiru (SS Lazio, Italy)
Forwards: Ademola Lookman (Atletico Madrid, Spain); Samuel Chukwueze (Fulham FC, England); Simon Moses (Paris FC, France); Chidera Ejuke (Sevilla FC, Spain); Paul Onuachu (Trabzonspor AS, Turkey); Akor Adams (Sevilla FC, Spain); Philip Otele (Hamburger SV, Germany); Collins Yira Sor (KRC Genk, Belgium)
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