u/stevenwise0511

Someone asked for this as follow up to our biggest signings adjusted for football inflation. Again ai doing the hard work but all looks reasonable.

Definitely interesting, clear winner on top. I always thought it was too low a fee at the time for Rooney, and even adjusted I'd probably still say it's too low for the best the English talent ever alongside gazza, but maybe it was really a bigger fee than I thought.

Player	Bought (adj.)	Sold (adj.)	Adjusted net profit
**Wayne Rooney**	£0 (academy)	£148m	**+£148m**
**Kanchelskis**	£82m	£110m	+£28m
**Lukaku**	£54m	£100m	+£46m
**Duncan Ferguson**	£92m	£78m	**-£14m**
**Lescott**	£24m	£72m	+£48m
**Stones**	£8m	£66m	**+£57m**
**Richarlison**	£47m	£62m	+£15m
**Fellaini**	£49m	£53m	+£5m
**Gordon**	£0 (academy)	£52m	+£52m
**Jeffers**	£0 (academy)	£47m	+£47m
**Barmby**	£79m	£45m	**-£34m**
**Gueye**	£10m	£42m	+£32m
**Kean**	£35m	£27m	**-£8m**

Don't think I ever realised how cheaply we sold Barmby for, not sure what his contract situation was at the time but in my head he was someone who got better whilst at us and got in England squad, but in reality we lost a lot on him.

Similar moise Kean, in my head it was a failure but least we made a bit of profit on him, technically we didn't.

Recently Keiran Maguire had calculated adjusted for football inflation that Shearer going to Newcastle for £15m in 96 equates to most expensive British transfer of all time being +£200m in today's money.

It got me thinking about us and how our historical transfers stack up in today's money so got ai to do some calcs. I knew it would give a different image to how we invested historically compared to currently. Gives real context for how you should view 90s kendall, royle, Martinez, koeman, and the two moyes eras.

I was convinced Kanchelskis would be top as I remember what a big deal that was at the time and he was amongst the best players in the world then but he is pipped.

Player	Fee (nominal)	Season	PL revenue then	Adjusted to today
**Duncan Ferguson**	£4.4m	1994/95	~£300m*	**~£92m**
**Kanchelskis**	£5m	1995/96	£386m	**~£82m**
**Nick Barmby**	£5.75m	1996/97	~£470m*	**~£77m**
Richarlison	£50m	2017/18	£4.78bn	~£66m
**Daniel Amokachi**	£3m	1994/95	~£300m*	**~£63m**
Gylfi Sigurdsson	£45m	2016/17	£4.55bn	~£62m
Romelu Lukaku	£28m	2013/14	£3.26bn	~£54m
**Marouane Fellaini**	£15m	2008/09	~£1.9bn*	**~£50m**
**Gary Speed**	£3.5m	1996/97	~£470m*	**~£47m**
Alex Iwobi	£34m	2018/19	£5.15bn	~£42m
**Andy Johnson**	£8.6m	2006/07	~£1.4bn*	**~£39m**
Amadou Onana	£33m	2021/22	£5.5bn	~£38m

Big Dunc from Rangers was equivalent of £92m in current (2024) money. Fascinating that Amokachi cost more than lukaku and sigurdsson..

Also one to note, pre PL, signing Cottee in 1988 for £2.2m a British record then, equates to £135-140m today. Before my time watching, could only dream of us being massive enough to break the British transfer record 😂