Football: A look at the evolution of the transfer record
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Neymar of Barcelona reacts during their International Champions Cup football match at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on July 29, 2017.
PHOTO: AFP
Mark August 3, 2017, in your calendar. It is the day that Neymar's €222 million (£198 million, S$353 million) transfer was completed and will become the incredible yardstick which future deals will be judged.
The transfer market has come a long way since Alf Common became the first footballer to be valued at £1,000 in 1905. The Straits Times looks at the evolution of the transfer market over the last century.
£1,000 (S$1,780): Alf Common, 1905
The English striker joins Middlesbrough from Sunderland in the first four-figure transfer fee.
£23,000: Bernabee Ferreyra, 1932
The Argentinian became the first non-British player to break the world record, joining River Plate from Tigre.
£152,000: Luis Suarez Miramontes, 1961
The Spanish midfielder's move from Barcelona to Inter Milan is the first six-figure transfer deal.
£1m: Trevor Francis, 1979
Born in Plymouth, Francis made his name as a striker with Birmingham City and in February, 1979, moved to Nottingham Forrest as the first million-pound footballer.
£3m: Diego Maradona, 1982
The record was twice broken for Maradona, with his move from Boca Juniors to Barca and his £5m switch to Napoli in 1984.
£15m: Alan Shearer, 1996
The Premier League showed its emerging financial muscle when the England striker joined Newcastle from Blackburn.
£37m: Luis Figo, 2000
The Portugal playmaker's acrimonious move from Barcelona to Real Madrid kickstarted the galactico era in earnest.
£80m: Cristiano Ronaldo, 2009
Real Madrid prised the Portuguese from Manchester United.
£89m: Paul Pogba, 2016
The Frenchman overtook Gareth Bale as the world's most expensive player in rejoining Manchester United from Juventus.
