The football transfer market has skyrocketed in recent years.
Indeed, prices for players has reached ridiculous levels as the £100m barrier has been broken on numerous occasions in the Premier League as of late.
It may not be long before we see the first £200m player in the Premier League either. Alexander Isak has been valued at £200m recently, and Arsenal are particularly interested in Isak.
Speaking to ESPN, Jermain Defoe has been taking part in a challenge where he’s had to predict how much he’d be worth if he was playing football today, and he made quite the claim about his own market value.
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How much Jermain Defoe would be worth today
Defoe, remarkably, claimed that he would be worth £100m in today’s money.
The biggest move of Defoe’s career was for £15m when he rejoined Tottenham from Portsmouth, and, according to Sky Sports’ football inflation calculator, that would be a move worth around £60m in today’s market.
However, Defoe reckons he’d be worth £100m.
“£100m?” The host asked.
“Yeah, English, prime, goalscorer, here’s a statement for you, even someone like a Darren Bent, he doesn’t get enough flowers. How much is he going for now? £100m plus. If you’re English and a consistent goalscorer, £100m plus.”
Jermain Defoe compared to modern Premier League strikers
Defoe reckons he’d have been worth £100m today, and he may not be too far wrong.
Indeed, the market has gone to ridiculous levels, and £100m for that type of striker isn’t unheard of.
Back in the 2001/02 season, Defoe netted 10 Premier League goals as a 20-year-old in a struggling West Ham team, that sort of form will get you a big move nowadays.
Evan Ferguson has been touted as a £100m striker in the past, and he’s never had a season like that.
Meanwhile, Joao Pedro has been valued at £100m in recent times, and a young Defoe was outperforming these types of players.
| Jermain Defoe 2001/02 | Evan Ferguson’s best Premier League season | Joao Pedro’s best Premier League season | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Games | 35 | 19 | 31 |
| Goals | 10 | 6 | 9 |
| Assists | 0 | 2 | 3 |
| Age | 20 | 19 | 22 |
Defoe makes a good point here, and the fact that there’s an argument to make that he would’ve been a £100m player just goes to show how the transfer market has evolved in recent years.
It surely won’t be long before we see a £200m move within the Premier League.
