- Multi million pound Match of the Day! - 1st January 2026
- Wordy again part two - 31st December 2025
- Wordy again part one - 30th December 2025
For our Editor, Welshman Phil Parry, the sums of money today in football have reached astronomical levels, with this month a star player likely to join Manchester City triggering a £65 million release clause (which is actually quite low!), when the team he may be connecting with is itself under investigation after allegedly breaching financial fair play rules.
The amounts seem to go permanently up.
Every time you think a pinnacle has been reached in footballers transfer fees and they can go no further, in a few years this seems like a TINY amount as a new milestone is passed.
This extraordinary situation far outstrips the rate of inflation.
For example Antoine Semenyo’s representatives were due in Manchester on Monday to finalise contract terms, as Manchester City opened talks with Bournemouth over his £65 million release clause.
Man City wanted to conclude the signing of the 25-year-old winger when the transfer window opens today.
Mr Semenyo’s representatives were also expected to agree personal terms on a long-term contract at City’s Etihad Stadium, which will no doubt involve MORE money.
They want him because he’s an oven-ready, two-footed player proven in the Premier League, about to enter his prime years and available for what is, in this day and age, a cut-price fee (believe it or not!).
Let me say that again: A £65 MILLION RELEASE CLAUSE AND IT IS CONSIDERED A BARGAIN!
It’s very difficult to get your head around these sums when you look at the history of the game.
The first one million pound player was Trevor Francis.
He moved from Birmingham City to Nottingham Forest in February 1979 for a then record-breaking sum (some say it was actually £999,999 to avoid the one million pound player tag, but whatever the amount it seemed an incredible number).
I remember it well (I follow football closely) and it seemed an astonishing figure at the time which would never be beaten – how wrong I was!
To put this in a Welsh context – every single player for Wales is a multi-millionaire.
We’re a long way from ‘bring yer boots’…
At the end of 2024, this was the situation:
| 10 Highest-Valued Wales Player in Football History [Ranked] | ||
|---|---|---|
| Rank | Player | Peak Market Value |
| 1 | Gareth Bale | €90m |
| 2 | Brennan Johnson | €48m |
| 3 | Aaron Ramsey | €45m |
| 4 | David Brooks | €30m |
| 5 | Daniel James | €28m |
| 6 | Ryan Giggs | €25m |
| 7 | Harry Wilson | €25m |
| 8 | Ben Davies | €25m |
| 9 | Neco Williams | €20m |
| 10 | Joe Allen | €18m |
Don’t get me started on how much they were paid per week.
No need to scrabble round for the mortgage money every month for them, like we ordinary mortals!
The memories of Phil’s astonishing 42 year award-winning career in journalism (and he started on less than £5,000 a year!) as he was gripped by the rare neurological disabling condition, Hereditary Spastic Paraplegia (HSP), have been released in a major book ‘A GOOD STORY’. Order the book now!
Tomorrow – Phil, looks back at the BBC’s dismal selection of ‘extraordinary lives’ in a TV programme over the holiday season, which didn’t include the Pope, a former president, and had only a small reference to a key footballer, who earned FAR less in his career than the salaries now!
Soon – the sky-high prices for football fans at the World Cup, which were reduced because of the price.
