Who is the club record of the English Premier League (EPL) ‘Big 6’?
Last day of the transfer market. Chelsea have made an all-time transfer. It was the signing of Enzo Fernandez, who emerged as a World Cup star. The club announced on its official website on the 1st that “Fernandez, who led the World Cup victory, has completed his transfer to Chelsea. His contract period is until the summer of 2031.” The eight-and-a-half year contract period is surprising, but what is even more surprising is his transfer fee. A whopping 106.8 million pounds (approximately 159.8 billion won). It is the highest amount in EPL history.
After Fernandez’s signing was announced, Britain’s leading football magazine ‘Fo Four Two’ listed the club records of 20 clubs in the EPL. And among them, only the clubs corresponding to the ‘Big 6’ were selected separately.
Chelsea, as mentioned, is Fernandez. Considering the performance and potential shown in the World Cup, it is well worth the investment. However, it remains to be seen whether the amount equivalent to 160 billion won is worth it. For reference, Romelu Lukaku, who recorded 113 million euros (approximately 150.9 billion won), is in second place. He’s a player that Chelsea fans don’t even want to think about.
Arsenal haven’t had a successful signing. In 2019, it invested 72 million pounds (about 107.8 billion won) to bring Nicola Pepe. Although he was successful in the French league, he could hardly adapt to England. He has scored 27 goals and 21 assists in 112 games over the past three years before finally leaving on loan to OGC Nice this season. Fortunately, he returned to France and succeeded in recovering, posting 8 goals and 1 assist in 23 games, including cup competitions.
Arsenal’s ‘North London rival’ Tottenham Hotspur also failed to sign successfully. In 2019, they invested 63 million pounds (about 94.3 billion won) to bring Tanggi Ndombele. He was widely expected to replace Christian Eriksen, but was criticized for his lazy play. He has scored just 10 goals and nine assists in 91 appearances over his last two and a half seasons and has been on the loan list since the second half of last season. This season, he is also living on loan in Naples, where Kim Min-jae is active.
Liverpool will have to wait a little longer. Last summer, they invested 85 million pounds 메이저사이트 to acquire Darwin Nunez. Along with Elling Haaland, he was considered the best prospect this season, but unlike Haaland, he continues to play a minor role. 10 goals and 3 assists in 25 games including cup competitions. It is still in the adaptation period, so we need to wait a little longer.
Manchester City are also waiting patiently. In 2021, they invested 100 million pounds (about 149.7 billion won) to bring Jack Grealish. Before Fernandez, he was the highest paid player in EPL history. Because he had to produce results as much as he invested, manager Pep Guardiola moderated him. He has appeared in 64 games so far and is being used as a starting resource. However, his performance is minimal. 8 goals and 8 assists. Compared to his appearance at Aston Villa, it is below expectations. Man City fans are watching with hope because he is showing a little bit of a revival recently.
To say Manchester United is a success is ambiguous. It is because he has a lot of playing time and has become an icon of the team. The main character is Paul Pogba. In 2016, he invested 89.5 million pounds (approximately 134 billion won) to recruit. He was much better on the team than the other players on the list. He played in over 200 games in his career and made an impact of his own. However, outside of the game, it became a headache for the club. Ahead of this season, he went to Juventus as an ‘again’ free agent (FA) and left a big scar on the fans.