Skip to main content

Bang For Buck - Is Jamie Vardy The Greatest Striker Transfer in Football History?

Since 2015, Premier League teams have spent over £6.6 billion in gross transfer fees and it's fair to say that not every one of those transfers has turned out great. Nicolas Pepe was sold to Arsenal in 2019 for a club-record £72 million and has only scored on 9 occasions in 47 appearances. Danny Drinkwater signed for Chelsea in 2017 for £34.1 million after being a regular starter for Leicester Cities Premier League winning side the year prior. In his very short time at Chelsea, the Englishman made 12 appearances over 2 years and contributed a single goal. Thankfully, not all Premier League transfers have made such disastrous headlines and at the very top of those successful few is Leicester front-man Jamie Vardy. 

Originally bought from non-league side Fleetwood Town for £1 million, Vardy made his Premier League debut with Leicester after contributing to their promotion in 2014. What followed could only be described as a footballing miracle. 

As well as being one of the main driving forces behind Leicesters 5000-to-1 capture of the Premier League title in 2016, Vardy has scored 115 goals in 231 appearances for the Foxes; a conversion rate of over 50%. This performance has propelled Vardy to numerous Premier League awards including the 2019/2020 Golden Boot, Player of the Season for 2015/2016, and a place on the England squad for the 2016 Euro's and 2018 World Cup. 

It's a great rag to riches story and one that has made Jamie Vardy a player that is beloved by Leicester and England fans alike. But in terms of 'Bang for Buck,' I don't think there is a player in professional football that provides the same results for such a low price tag. The only men that come close in terms of delivery from the striker position are Robin Van Persie and Eric Cantona, both of which were bought by big-name clubs in Arsenal and Manchester United before the time of inflated player prices and supposedly superior talent of today's Premier League.  

In today's billionaire filled transfer market, there are not many gems that go unnoticed and clubs will usually dish out for so-called young stars like Timo Werner and Kai Havertz. But in the case of Jamie Vardy and Leicester, not only did he produce an immediate impact for Leicester but laid the foundations for the Foxes who have blossomed into a true 'Big Six' side, overtaking the likes of Arsenal and Everton and challenging for the title once again in 2021. 



 


Labels:

Comments

  1. Godderzz99February 15, 2021 at 4:25 PM

    Although he was sold for £130m mbappe went to Monaco on a free transfer and within two seasons won them a league title, I do however agree Vardy is the best in English football

    ReplyDelete
  2. Stevo 57February 18, 2021 at 7:58 AM

    Straight out of the bargain basement !!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Athlete's Wages - The Price WE Pay For World-Class Sport

In 2014, Michael Jordan became the first billionaire athlete with his combined assets reaching an estimated $1.9 billion. Since then, athletes such as Cristiano Ronaldo, Tiger Woods and Michael Schumacher have all joined the billionaire club as a reward for their decades of hard work and sacrifice to become some of the greatest sportsmen of all time. However, no matter what year you choose, the world always seems to be in some sort of economic crisis  and every day people lose their livelihoods so that people further up the food chain can live a little more lavishly. Professional athletes are treated like gods whilst the mortals within the general public continue their daily struggle to make ends meet. The worst part? The deeper you dig, the more outrageous this illusion becomes. Let's start with some infamous salaries from this year alone (before endorsements and sponsorship):   NBA: Average Salary - $7 million           Highest Paid - Stephen C...
2 comments
Read more

"Pistol Pete" Maravich - The Most Underrated NBA Legend of All Time

When people talk about inventors that were ahead of their time, some might say Leonardo Da Vinci, Plato, or Hero of Alexandria. But if you ever want to find a man that was born into the wrong era, look no further than "Pistol Pete" Maravich.  Now, I'll admit, Pete Maravich isn't exactly a household name in today's NBA and I doubt you'll find him on any all-time lists. However, in the basketball world, there are two main things that Maravich is known for:  1. Having very bad knees. 2. Being one of the best NBA guards of all time.  As the son of a tough basketball coach, Press Maravich, Pete was sculpted into the mould of a great basketball player. The legend of "Pistol Pete" started at Louisiana State University from 1967-1970 and he immediately set the college basketball scene alight. Over 3 seasons, he averaged 44.2 points per game, an NCAA record that still stands to this day and is a stat that arguably makes him the greatest college basketball pla...
Post a Comment
Read more

We Were Wrong

International football is a strange paradigm. The same fans who pushed England to the brink of their best result in 55 years are the same fans that have brought nothing but disgrace to themselves and the nation after Sunday nights heartbreaking exit at Euro 2020. After just 1 minute at 37 seconds, Luke Shaw raised a nation to it’s feet, only for Italy to bring us crashing back down to our sofas with our heads in our hands 66 minutes later. Despite the outrageous home advantage, it was always Italy’s game to lose and with a 33 game winning streak on the line, they showcased not only why they are the best team in Europe, but maybe even on the planet - something our young lions may one day possess (just not in the immediate future).   There were several major errors both on and off the pitch that ultimately cost the lions their first international trophy since 1966. In fact, England’s problems started long before any ball was placed on a penalty spot. After a scintillating 45 minutes ...
1 comment
Read more