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footballghana · 4 years

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Where does Salisu rank among Ghana’s most expensive centre-backs in last two decades?

Mohammed Salisu has been at the heart of a battle between two clubs and finally, a choice has been made.

The 21-year-old was set to move to Ligue 1 side Stade Rennais until Premier League outfit Southampton came in and gave him an offer he could not refuse.

He earned the biggest move of his young career on Wednesday after Southampton splashed the cash on him.

It is no surprise that Black Stars head coach, Charles Kwablan Akonnor, has tried on multiple occasions to get Salisu to represent Ghana.

He broke through Valladolid’s youth ranks to play a starring role in the Spanish outfit’s 2019/20 campaign and earned the tag as one of the biggest breakthrough stories in La Liga. He accumulated 31 league appearances this season, an impressive feat for the young defender.

Southampton coughed up €12 million for his services, his release clause and a fee considered enormous for a Ghanaian defender.

Where does the outlay rank among the biggest Ghanaian transfers to European clubs since 2001?

Salisu’s transfer means that he is now the most expensive Ghanaian central defender in Europe. The 21-year-old’s huge move to England puts him ahead of every centre-back in Ghana.

He overtook the legendary, John Mensah, who was top of the list after he completed a move to French outfit Lyon in 2008. The 37-year-old also made a switch to another French side in Stade Rennais in 2006, earning another place among the exclusive list.

He has commanded a transfer fee of €9.6 million from those two moves combined. The former Sunderland man last signed for Swedish side AFC United in 2016 where he made no appearances.

One of Mensah’s partners in the Black Stars, Shilla Illiasu also sealed his place on the list after completing a move to Russian side Saturn in 2006. He sealed his big transfer after making his name at Ghana Premier League powerhouses Asante Kotoko.

The 37-year-old last played for a defunct Armenian football club named Impuls FC in 2013.

Mensah’s best partner in crime, Isaac Vorsah, also appeared on the list on two occasions. His first big move happened in 2008. The 32-year-old made a move to Hoffenheim and four years later, decided to test his might in the Austrian top flight with RB Salzburg.

His two transfers totalled €3 million. He last played for Saudi Arabian club Ohod in 2018. In the current crop of Black Stars centre-backs, one of them commanded a higher fee from Hoffenheim.

Kasim Adams, a current Hoffenheim player, earned his move to the German side in 2018 after an impressive campaign with Swiss club Young Boys.

The 25-year-old was sent to Fortuna Dussledorf on loan for the 2019/20 season. Adams’ partner for the Black Stars, made the lineup as well.

Joseph Aidoo also earns a spot among the list on two occasions. The 24-year-old made a move to Belgian side KRC Genk in 2017. Two years later, La Liga came calling in the form of Celta Vigo and the highly rated defender answered.

In the three year span, Aidoo commanded a total of €9.25 million. He is now a key part of the Spanish outfit.

Nicholas Opoku, a star for Italian side Udinese, earns his spot on the list. The 22-year-old worked his way up from Kumasi Corner Babies to Berekum Chelsea. After an impressive string of performances, Club Africain made the move to sign him in 2017.

A number of clubs in Europe spotted his talent and tried to sign him after just one year in Club Africain but Udinese won the race. He featured for Amiens on loan in 2020.

Former Hearts of Lions star, Jerry Akaminko, earned a spot in the list as well. The 32-year-old played most of his career in Turkey. He started with Odurspor in 2008 and moved to Manisaspor in 2011. A year later, he made his big switch to Eskisehirspor.

He now plies his trade in the Idonesian league with Persik Kediri.

The numbers behind top ten Ghanaian centre-back transfers

€45.7 million was spent on the top ten Ghanaian centre-backs by European clubs. Only permanent transfers were considered. All figures were picked from transfermarkt.

Salisu takes the biggest chunk of the pie. His €12 million move to Southampton means his transfer eats up 26.2% of the accumulated fees for the top ten.

Mensah made a €1.2 million switch to Stade Rennais in 2006 and two years later, made a then record €8.4 million switch to Lyon. His combined fees take 21% of the total.

Aidoo comes next with an €8 million move to Celta Vigo in 2019 and a €1.25 million move to KRC Genk in 2017. He commanded a combined €9.25 million which takes 20.2% of the total amount.

Adams also takes a huge part of the total amount with his €8 million move to Hoffenheim in 2018. His transfer means he takes 17.5% of the accumulated figure spent on the top ten.

Vorsah appeared twice on the list with a €2 million move to RB Salzburg in 2012 and a €1 million transfer to Hoffenheim in 2008. His €3 million in total accounts for 6.6%.

Opoku comes up next after securing a €1.5 million transfer to Udinese in 2018. It makes up 3.3% of the total.

Akaminko and Illiasu take the final two spots with €1.35 million and €1 million moves to Eskisehispor and Saturn respectively. They take 3% and 2.2% of the totals.

In the graph above, it can be seen that England spent the highest (€12 million). The money goes solely into the purchase of Mohammed Salisu.

France funded the moves of John Mensah (€9.6 million), hence their high spot. Germany spent on Vorsah and Adams (€9 million) and Spain paid money for Aidoo (€8 million).

The bottom five spent on Illiasu, Opoku, Akaminko, Vorsah and Aidoo. It can also be noted that the bottom five countries combined (€7.1 million) spent lower than the top four countries individually.

It can be deduced that 2020 produced the highest expenditure among the top ten centre-backs and all of it is attributed to Salisu (€12 million).

The year 2018 (€9.5 million) brought the second spending with the money going into Aidoo and Opoku’s transfers. For the third spot (€9.4 million), you would have to go back to 2008 where John Mensah and Isaac Vorsah made huge moves.

The future expectations of Salisu

A €12 million outlay on the youngster signals the club’s intent to use him on a regular basis. The move seems to be the right one as Salisu will gain quality experience in one of the best leagues in the world.

With his fee surpassing that of John Mensah, a loyal servant and a legend in the Black Stars, there is hope that Salisu could be the next leader of the nation’s backline for future tournaments.

Salisu is yet to make an appearance for the senior national team but it is only a matter of time until he gives Ghanaians a taste of his elegance and quality.

In the next four or five years, we could be seeing Salisu surpassing Van Dijk’s €84.65 million move to Liverpool in 2018. We could see the 21-year-old wear the colors of Real Madrid, Barcelona, or any of the top clubs in the globe.

Salisu will have some pressure to handle but if he keeps his head up, he could exceed all expectations.

Source: Bill Eshun (Joy Sports)

source: https://footballghana.com/

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mancitynoise · 4 years

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Arsenal, Alexis Sanchez.

While he may have left the club in not so popular fashion, there's no denying the impact Alexis Sanchez had at Arsenal. the Chilean carried the club at times, buzzing about the pitch and doing whatever he had to do to get a result for the Gunners. He cost £32 million from Barcelona in 2013, spending three and a half years at the Emirates. He scored 80 goals in 166 competitive games, nearly a goal every other game, which is astounding considering he wasn't an out and out striker. An elite player who has sadly fell by the wayside since leaving Arsenal, not that Gunners fans will care.

Aston Villa, Jack Grealish.

Jack Grealish of Aston Villa celebrates at the full time whistle after his teams victory during the Sky Bet Championship Play-off Final match between Aston Villa and Derby County at...

This was a difficult one as it's been a rough decade for Villa, eventually succumbing to relegation before spending three years in the Championship. We saw players like Christian Benteke and Fabian Delph shine in patches, but we're giving top spot to Jack Grealish. The youngster has been in and around the first team for most of the decade, but in the past four or five years has stepped up, with Championship making him into the player he is today. He's now Villa's talisman, and performing excellently in the Premier League whilst donning the captain's armband.

Bournemouth, Nathan Ake.

a crucial decade in Bournemouth's existence, who made it to the promised land of the Premier League. And with that came better players, which brings us to Nathan Ake. the Dutch defender arrived from Chelsea in 2016 on loan, then became a permanent Cherry for £20 million a year later. He's a top defender, and been linked with even bigger clubs due to his performances. The likes of Simon Francis and Steve Cook have been loyal servants over the decade, but neither have as much class as Ake.

Brighton, Lewis Dunk.

Bar a brief loan spell at Bristol City, Lewis Dunk has been Mr Brighton this decade, making his first Seagulls appearance in April 2010. Since then he's gone from League One all the way to the Premier League, Brighton captain and an England player, which is a testament to both his ability and his loyalty. A top player who has been unrivalled at Brighton during the past 10 years.

Burnley, Tom Heaton.

Thomas Heaton of Burnley celebrates his sides first goal during the Premier League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Burnley at Wembley Stadium on August 27, 2017 in London, England.

He left this summer, but in years prior, Tom Heaton has been Burnley's most consistent player in both the Championship and the Premier League. The goalkeeper made 200 appearances for the club during a six year stint at Turf Moor, forcing his way into the England setup in the process. Some Burnley players have had better individual seasons, such as Michael Keane or Danny Ings, but no one has been as consistently good as Heaton.

Chelsea, Eden Hazard.

Not only was he Chelsea's best player of the decade, he could stake a very strong claim to being the Premier League's best player of the decade. Hazard is pretty much unstoppable when he's at his best, going past players, playing at his own pace, and doing so with a smile on his face. Despite numerous managers, his role at Chelsea he never changed, he was always the main man. Hazard left this summer for Real Madrid, and fortunately Chelsea aren't missing him, but the Premier League is a worse place without him. the Belgian is simply one of the best players in the world.

Crystal Palace, Wilfried Zaha.

The biggest fish in the pond, Zaha's has had an interesting decade, one that started with a move to Manchester United. That ended badly, but Zaha is now back at Selhrust Park and proving to be one of the best players outside of the top six. He's consistently been Palace's go to guy, a talisman who has been the difference between staying up and going down. A modern day Crystal Palace legend.

Everton, Romelu Lukaku.

Romelu Lukaku of Manchester United celebrates scoring his sides second goal during the UEFA Champions League group A match between Manchester United and FC Basel at Old Trafford on...

I very nearly picked Seamus Coleman here for his longevity, but Lukaku was and is just too good to ignore. The Belgian striker made the shock move from Chelsea to Everton in 2014 for £28 million after scoring 15 league goals on loan the season prior. The big man was a goal machine at Goodison Park, and one they still haven't replaced despite him joining Manchester United in 2017. But his best ever Premier League season came in an Everton shirt, scoring 25 times in the 2016 17 campaign.

Leicester City, Jamie Vardy.

From Riyad Mahrez to N'Golo Kante to Wes Morgan, there were a few candidates for Leicester City, but it's just got to be Vardy. He started the decade in non league, and just look a what he's done in the past 10 years! Promotion, survival, a Premier League winner, the record for consecutive games scored in, and he's not slowing down despite entering his 30s.

Liverpool, Luis Suarez.

We had a lot of people to pick from, but Suarez gets the nod ahead of Steven Gerard and Virgil van Dijk. when you look back at Suarez's Liverpool record, it's incredible, especially when you consider the games he missed for suspension because of various different discrepancies. Suarez nearly took Liverpool to the Premier League title under Rodgers, falling at the final hurdle, but that wasn't a great team. it was Suarez's heroics that took them so far, which is a testament to his ability. He's a horrible bloke, but a great footballer.

Manchester City, David Silva.

David Silva of Manchester City celebrates after scoring his team's fourth goal during the Premier League match between Manchester City and Huddersfield Town at Etihad Stadium on August 19,...

There were a lot of choices when it came to City, as this decade has been the best in the club's history. But we've decided to go with David Silva, who could easily go down as the best foreign player ever to embark on the Premier League. He arrived in 2010 from Valencia, and since then he's dazzled in England. A pass master, a genius with the ball at his feet and also a leader, David Silva has been unrivalled at times at City, getting better and better as the years go by. This is Silva's last season in the Premier League, and we should cherish every minute.

Manchester United, David de Gea.

It's been an interesting decade for Manchester United. While they did win two Premier League titles, they also lost the best manager they've ever had and slid down the league at an alarming rate. But even through the bad years, De Gea was still world class, and often won them a lot of points, which is why he gets the honour of being Man United's player of the decade ahead of Wayne Rooney.

Newcastle United, Fabricio Coloccini.

A player whose Newcastle career ended badly with the Argentinian desperate to return to his homeland, Coloccini was amazing at the start of the decade, the best defender Newcastle had had in years, although that wasn't difficult considering how bad they'd been at the back. Colo would read the game expertly and was confident on the ball, but ruthless when he needed to be. He once made the Premier League team of the season and also broke a bone in his back when doing an overhead kick clearance in the corner flag, which sums him up really.

Norwich City, Grant Holt.

Grant Holt of Wigan Athletic celebrates his goal during the Sky Bet Championship match between Barnsley and Wigan Athletic at Oakwell on August 03, 2013 in Barnsley, England,

We're going right back to the start of the decade and going with the big man Grant Holt. In three years he played in three divisions, helping the canaries from League One all the way to the Premier League, firing double figures in each division. It was the Premier League where he was most impressive of course, scoring 15 goals in his first ever season in the top flight. And now he's a wrestler, how odd.

Sheffield United, Harry Maguire.

Good old Slabhead started his career at Sheffield united, and spent three years of his decade at the heart of the Blades' defence in League One. While they've had other players play at a higher level and have a bigger impact in club's fortunes such as Billy Sharp, you've just got to look at what Maguire did at such a young age, and what he's since gone on to achieve. None of that would've been possible had it not been for his formative years at Bramall Lane.

Southampton, Adam Lallana.

The Saints have had some sensational players during this decade, from League One to the Premier League. And while Virgil van Dijk would be the easy option here, let's look at what Adam Lallana actually did in a Southampton shirt compared to Van Dijk. The defender has really stepped up since joining Liverpool, but Lallana dragged the Saints all the way to the top flight, a key figure in the foundations of the club and where they are today. Van Dijk is overall the better player, but Lallana was better for Southampton.

Tottenham, Harry Kane.

Harry Kane of Tottenham Hotspur celebrates after scoring his team's second goal during the Group B match of the UEFA Champions League between Tottenham Hotspur and PSV at Wembley Stadium...

Sorry Gareth Bale, you've been pipped by Kane here. While Bale's final few years at Tottenham were sensational, Kane has been equally impressive over a longer period of time. While Bale left in 2013, Kane is in his 7th season as a Spurs first team player, and the amount of goals he's scored in that time is unrivalled. He scored 41 goals in all competitions in the 2017 18 season - that's Ronaldo and Messi levels of greatness! An amazing goalscorer who is Tottenham's player of the decade.

Watford, Troy Deeney.

A no brainer, Troy Deeney is Mr Watford. He's been a Hornet for pretty much the full decade, joining in the summer of 2010 from Walsall. He's had his issues, but his efforts on the pitch In a Watford shirt make him their player of the decade. He's been a goal machine in the Championship, a leader taking them to the Premier League, then a talisman in the top flight, showing he can score against some of the best in the world. Not afraid to speak his mind, Deeney has a real job on his hands to get Watford out of their current mess.

West Ham, Dimitri Payet.

He was here, then he was gone. West Ham got 18 months out of Dimitri Payet, but what an 18 months it was. The French midfielder was a class above at Upton Park and then the London Stadium, scoring some truly out of this world goals, such as that physics defying free kick against Palace and the outstanding solo strike against Middlesbrough. His time there ended in disgrace, but what a talent he was for West Ham.

Wolves, Ruben Neves.

Ruben Neves of Wolverhampton Wanderers celebrates after scoring his team's first goal during the Premier League match between Wolverhampton Wanderers and Manchester United at Molineux on...

I've said it before and i'll say it again, how is Ruben Neves a wolves player? Well I know it's because of Jorge Mendes, but that's besides the point. Joining in 2017, the Portuguese midfielder has lived up to his potential at Molineux, in the Championship, Premier League and Europa League. We've seen stunning passes and ludicrous strikes, and there's no doubt more to come from Neves, who is surely destined for even greater things.

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