the friday fantasista five...

Five fantasista who broke the World transfer record...

It's transfer silly season, and in today’s football world ridiculous sums of money are being exchanged for players with limited first team experience, without being tested at the highest levels. However when it comes to actually breaking the world transfer record, fantasista’s have featured prominently and positively, by either going on to become World Player of the Year, or having already won the award, justifying their hefty price tags.

We show you the last five fantasista who smashed the world transfer record...

5. Diego Maradona: 1982 Boca Juniors – Barcelona: £3m

A young Diego holds his new Barcelona shirt

The whole world was already talking about the incredible 21 year old Argentine when Barcelona swooped to bring him to Europe on the eve of the 1982 World Cup finals. With Boca Juniors struggling to pay their bills, they were in little position to keep hold of the world’s greatest talent. Not only that, the majority of the fee would be collected by Maradona’s first club, Argentinos Juniors due to a previous transfer agreement between the two Argentine sides. Barcelona, who hadn’t won La Liga in eight seasons, hoped his arrival would lead them to victory. His sending off in Spain during that summer’s World Cup, would be an omen of things to come in his new country...

4. Diego Maradona: 1984 Barcelona – Napoli: £5m

The perfect 10 - Maradona at Napoli

Diego’s miserable stay in Spain ended after just two seasons. Italy was calling, but rather than choosing the aristocrats from the North of Italy, Juventus, Diego chose to move south to Naples. Napoli reminded him of Boca - a tough, intimidating crowd and city. When 70,000 fans turned out to greet him at the fabulous San Paulo Stadium Diego instantly felt at home. He enjoyed the form of his life whilst in Naples, leading his team to unprecedented success, securing their first league titles and also bringing home a UEFA Cup, and cementing himself as possibly the greatest player ever. Quite how Napoli had come to afford such a transfer fee at the time however, is another story in itself.

3. Roberto Baggio: 1990 Fiorentina – Juventus: £8m

Baggio walks off the pitch during his return to Florence clutching a Viola scarf

Juventus smashed the world transfer record that had stood for three years when signing Baggio prior to the 1990 World Cup finals. The transfer caused riots lasting for three days in the city of Florence; the Fiorentina fans unhappy that their hero was being sold (against his will) to their bitter rivals. The transfer also prompted the Vatican to issue a statement of dismay at the amount of money being used in football. After a frosty start, Baggio become the captain and went on to somewhat fulfil his enormous potential by winning World Player and European Player of the Year and bringing home domestic and European silverware, whilst at Juventus - as well as becoming one of the all-time greats.

2. Zinedine Zidane: 2001 Juventus – Real Madrid: £46m

A smug Perez looks on as he signs his second galactico

Fast-forward just over 10 years and this time Juventus were receiving a world record transfer fee for their playmaker.  Real Madrid president Florentino Perez was in the midst of his first galactic era, paying astonishing fees for the world’s greatest players and at that time, nobody was better than Zidane. Having already won the World Player of the Year award twice, he won it again whilst at Madrid, and also added the only major trophy he was personally missing – the European Cup.

1. Kaka: 2009 AC Milan – Real Madrid: £56m

Perez is at it again, initiating los galacticos phase 2!

Once again Real Madrid smashed the world record transfer fee and once again it was president Floretino Perez who paid it – this time it was his second spell at the club and he was embarking on this galactic phase two model. Kaka, who was World Player of the Year in 2007, had been linked with Real for a number of years but this time AC Milan couldn’t refuse the huge transfer fee. Unfortunately for Kaka, his record feewas soon overshadowed (much like his form for Madrid) by Cristiano Ronaldo’s transfer to the same club just a few days later.