The Rondo - Bang For Your Buck - 04AUG2025

When it comes to transfers, big money always gets the most attention

But what about the best deals? Today we're going to be looking at some of the best deals in transfer history

Alright guys, just to roll some parameters in this one. Since you've got players like Mbappe going for free, free transfers are not allowed

Your player has to be sold for a transfer fee. And these are the best value for transfers for the last five years

You ready? Yeah, that's valid. Right, so it's 2020, 21, 22, 23, and 24

Yes sir. Because you can't do this year. Yes, sir. First year, 2020

Jesus, what a terrible year for all of us. But there were transfers still going around

What was your favorite? It's like, guys, when there was COVID, but you remember that Anthony Robinson went from Wigan to Fulham for $2 million, bro

Which is my best value for money? Anthony Robinson, $2 million from Wigan to Fulham

You know what's crazy about that transfer? He was supposed to go to AC Milan before the medical

But do you know what? That's nuts. Because this is a really great piece of business

considering how good he became at Fulham. and I know it's a bit like hyper niche for a podcast

where you're supposed to be like, I mean, you're mal. But the thing is, is that they got lucky

because the only reason he ended up going there was because he had an irregular heartbeat

And he was supposed to go to Milan and like slide indoors moment. He could be playing for Milan with Christian Pulisic

You know, it's crazy as well. That means Milan wouldn't have signed Theo Hernandez most likely

Manga. What's funny is he had the heartbeat and foam was like, I don't care

Yeah, literally. He's good enough. You see him overlapping, forget that. No, but I actually read something about this really interesting while I was researching for this episode

It turns out that because of COVID, he just like stopped. Obviously, they stopped playing football for like a couple months

which meant he wasn't doing like the crazy caffeine shots before games

I didn't know that they did. Yeah, they do. Yeah. And then funnily enough, his heartbeat problem just went away

Yeah, he's tweaking off the pre-workout every week. Corbin, who's your 2020? Give me Jude the door, man

It was 34 mil, so it's not exactly cheap. But the piece of business that they've done turning him around for over 100 million bucks a couple of years later is excellent

You know, I like that from Corbin. It's it's such a classic example of Dortmund's business model and like sporting model

But it's excellent. And not even that many years. Right. How long? Well, three, four years

Yeah. So they did an excellent business with him. And I think that that that's got to be one of the best

Mine is Luis Suarez to Atletico Madrid for 5.5 million. and he won them la liga yeah the next year think about it barcelona thought suarez was rinsed they

were not starting him they were not playing him i remember who was the manager at the time was it uh

ronald coleman right who made all the transfers so louis suarez told him look you're not good

enough for my squad you go ahead atlético madrid be your thing louis suarez did his thing won la

liga rest is history man all right moving on 2021 2021 best transfer value so 2021 was weird right

because it was after covid everyone had money again and there was no sense of how much anyone

was worth mate in 2021 corbin you would have gone for 20 million pounds now you go for 60 yeah for

a lot like that it's the it's the it's the mills tax if his name was corbinio mills no man he's

going extra 30 put an extra 30 mil on that corbinio millenario you're going to a club in europe for

like 70 mil buddy yes this guy's 13 and he has arthritis but he could be a dog

mine's mine's weird denzel gumfries for 11 million to where from psv to inter you know that's a great

signing honestly i feel like denzel dumfries is super underrated in the fact that like bro he

could basically play on the right on his own dog he don he don need no link up just straight let him just run forward bro and just get in the box and cut it back elite wing back can defend can attack basically was part of a team that led

into his turnaround we all thought they were rinse they had no money they spent like a decent amount

of their budget one summer on this like dutch like outside back it's like what the hell are you doing

and he's been key for the last five years all right my transfer for 2021 is martin odegaard

to Arsenal for 40 mil. 40 mil is good value. Oh, yeah

For Odegaard? One of the best players in the Premier League. This is a hot take, bro. He's one of the best players in the Premier League

He is. He is. In the age where we live now, the best player in the Premier League

attacking midfield or whatever, would probably go for 90 million, 100 million

Florian Verde. Florian Verde. 120 million for a guy who, I think if he's as good as Odegaard

you'd be happy. I think he should be better than Odegaard. If he's as good as Odegaard

would you be happy, though, for 100? You'd be like, yeah, this guy's a really, he's a big producer for a top three club in the league he's one of the star players he can captain

the team you'd be happy with that i feel like he went for yes three times three yeah you would be

happy with that bro okay when you put that in that in that light yes but here's what i do i go back

to the amount of money that you like the transfer market is inflated so much in those three years

yeah i still think that's i still think no no actually you know i mean but it's like you say

You could argue that they saved double what they paid. That's true

You could argue that they saved $80 million. I'll say this. If we waited one more season to get Odegaard, I think he's going for like $60, bro

That's what I'm saying. It's a good piece of business. Yeah, fine. It's a good piece of business, but fine

For my 2021 year as a Mike Mang Young, Lill to Milan for $11.2 million

You got to consider. Onana went to Manchester United for over $40 million. It's hard to find a world-class keeper nowadays

Milan got a world-class starting French goalkeeper for $11.2 million. I'm all right with that

That's a decent transfer. I'm all right with that. I'm fuming with Raheem because I was on the subway looking at my answers this morning

I'm like, yeah. No one will know who this is. I'm like, Anthony Robinson

I've smashed it. And then Raheem's like, hey, how about the starting French national team keeper that you forgot about

And I'm like, oh, and that's right after Donnarumma's left as well

Exactly, bro. Think about it. Think about Milan. One thing about Milan, though. They love a steal

One thing about AC Milan, they ain't bidding a cent over 20 million. You know what I'm saying

Like, that's the one thing about AC Milan. They do not spend a lot of money on players, but they found some deals

Hit or miss, bro. Hit or miss, bro. Moving on to 2022

Dude, how is Raheem 2-0? Nah, Raheem's cooking right now. Listen, man, I'm cooking right now, boy

I got no transfers. All right, let me tell you guys. You guys are going to win it. 2022, the best transfer was Kaviche Fariskelia to Napoli for $12 million

From what team? Georgia. Pronounce it. Go ahead and pronounce it. Not going to even bother

But I do love some Hachipuri. You guys ever had that? Oh, that's all. Five, five, five

So I respect Georgia. That has the egg ting in it, right? Yeah, yeah, yeah. I respect the culture and nation of Georgia very much

And the state too. And the state of Georgia. $12 million for what is now one of the best wingers in the world

Mine sounds really bad now. Like, my logic, I was so proud of my logic

You over-dotted, bro. Yeah, my logic is exactly what Corbin's was for Martin Odegaard

Mine's Erling Haaland for $60 million. Oh, no, that's a deal. That's a deal. That's a steal

Right now, Haaland goes for $150. Sir, I had the same one? But bro come on bro Now you got to think about it million for a striker like Erling Haaland Yeah it cheap That wins you the treble Yeah That changes your mystery It crazy when you think that Dortmund Is that the Premier League record I going to give that one to me though because that

What do you guys think? That's the core, bro? Yeah. Vichayet. All right

Now we got... I'm winning this one. 2023. This one's easy for me, bro

Cole Palmer to Chelsea for 50 mil. No. He is one of the best players

How much did he go for? 50.7 million. 50.7 million? At the time? No, no, no. 2023

No, no, no, no. Nah. No, no. He's dead weight at Man City

That's an over, like, that is an overpay. I feel like Cole Palmer is, I think Pep's not thinking twice about selling Cole Palmer again

Yeah, that's an overpay. Yeah, but it's not. That's not good value for money if you overpay for someone

If that was half the price, I'd say that's smart. You got to think about it. Cole Palmer's stats came when you went to Chelsea, not before

They saw the vision. They didn't. They saw the vision. They saw the vision and they paid 50 mil for a guy who would go for 150 now

Alexis McAllister, 30 mil. That was a great signing. Okay, complains in six, complains in eight, complains in six

Wait, wait, wait, wait. You're telling me that Cole Palmer for only 20 million more is an overpay

Alexis McAllister is perfect at 30. Alexis McAllister is the best center midfielder in the Premier League

Go on, name a better one. Bruno Finesse. Not a center mid

Not a center mid. How is he not a center mid? He's a number 10. Rodri? Rodri? He's a six and he doesn't have an ACL

Don't give me that, bro. Come on. Well, name a better one. Well, now that you've named one

I'm changing the parameters. You're changing the parameters, yeah, bro. Actually, name me one who's not from Spain

So you got, so you got. Alexis McAllister. That's a great deal, that's a great deal

Yeah, I mean. Especially because Brighton's whole thing is selling everyone for a hundred million

to get someone 430 who anchored a team that first, after being makes it to the Champions League and Dan wins the league for mine mine is Osmond Dembele

no no no no bro you got to think about it like this you got to think about this the state of

where Osmond Dembele's career was we're talking about a player who had elite potential and nobody

wanted to bid 50 million for him the only club that bid for him was PSG Arsenal had a chance

Liverpool had a chance Manchester City had a chance nobody bidded for Dembele everybody thought he

was beat this is this is what he was for a year no no where dembele at psg he was bad for no he

was not bad dude yes he was he was actively bad for a year okay but at the same time this is

different squad and bap is there this is why this is why i agree with him they saw the vision shut

up he's just using it to push his own they saw the vision they signed the guy who ended up winning

them the Champions League and by far being the best team in the world

How is that not good business? Dude, the PSG model to get in Dembele was pay money because French

And it worked out. And it worked. There is no scouting. There's no thought in that

There's no value for money. And it worked. So you're telling me there's no. So they're just bollocking their way to it

They're stumbling. I will not know. No PSG signing is ever good value for money

Nah. That's bull. Nah, nah, nah, nah. That's bull. You're bugging. Nah. They didn't discover him in the fifth tier

In league three When you have You money It doesn't matter It's never a good value for money signing

So who do we have as the winner for that year? You, McAllister

So you've won one, I've won one, you've won two So this is the last one

Whoever going to tie me Alright guys 2024 Our last value for transfer signing is I want you to go first You need to go first Nah we ain supposed to have the order here I go first

Ismail Asar to Crystal Palace for 14 mil. He got 14 goals assists his first season of the tournament

Who is that? Who? Ismail Asar. Who? Ismail Asar from Crystal Palace to Palace

Yeah, to Palace. He played a Wofford before. It wasn't the best. Dude, that's bollocks

It wasn't the best. All right. He comes back. He comes back to the Prem for Palace bags

14 goals assists in his first season. That's a decent contribution. You can't buy a goal for less than 30 mil in the Premier League nowadays

You know, I'm crying. I'm crying. Because, like, yo, this is... Is my story, that's the type of player you expect to be at Crystal Palace

Like, of course, he's like, what? You just expect it. It's like, expect it

It's like, hey, go to New York and get a bagel. And you know what

Damn good bagel. It is, it is. Okay, is my story? Watch, watch, watch

He's going to bag 25 all comps next year, and you guys are going to feel stupid. Yeah, I don't know

I don't know about that. I'm not buying that one. I'm not buying that one. 25. 25. We're going to post this clip in a year

I like that ball knowledge, though, from recording. Because you guys are, oh, Tom's like, oh, it's not

You saw your guy for 50 mil. It's not real. I bring a guy who's a little bit cheaper, and Tom's like, no, man, you are not seeing the vision right now

25. 25 all comps. Anyways, Tom, what's your. You're going to be like, it's going to be this guy, too

Plymouth Argyle for $400,000. Trust me. It's guys elite It's going to be Scott McTominay

From Manchester United to Napoli Who How much was it? 25 mil

Tell them what McTominay won Scudetto He won Serie A And he was player of the season in Serie A

Honestly that was a great time After they get rid of Osserman as well

And Kvaric Skellier The only thing I would say though Is that I felt that Scott McTominay

In Manchester United The time was just at its end Like I feel like for McTominay

He wasn't like that outstanding of a player for Manchester United. The move to Napoli just kind of made sense

They didn't know he was that good. They didn't know he was that good when they signed him. Boom. Then why are they signing him

That's not Napoli's. That was your whole argument for that past one. I said they didn't know he was that good when they signed him, so it doesn't matter

Yeah, bro. Antonio Conte is the manager. You're telling me that Antonio Conte isn't running that transfer room like the f***ing Navy

Oh, for sure. Bro, he knew. He saw McTominay and he was like, that's not Napoli

I had already decided to hate on your pick and that's what I saw them. To be fair, you know, that's a great one

Give me someone to vote for him. My value for transfer was Maz Rawi from Bayern Munich

Shut up. To Man United. 15 million. 5 million add-ons. For a quality defender

15 million. No, you are. From a big club in today's nowadays. That's a great transfer

Rahim. That's a great value for transfer. Manchester United finished 16th in the Premier League

Yeah, but I'm saying I'm not talking about their position in the league. I'm talking about him as a player. And it could have been worse if he wasn't there

Corbin, you're really going to tell me that you're going to vote for that out of spite? Maz Rawi are starting right back from a big club

You are dumb. That's not a good deal for 15 mil? No, it's not

It's not. Man United is... Raheem. I'm coming back. I like the way you think

I give up. What do you think? I think you're so... You don't think Masparari is a quality player? No

That's crazy. Hey, don't write him. That's crazy. You don't write him. You don't write him. He's going to Manchester United

So? They finished 16th with him, bro. Okay, that's cool, but still, he's a great player

Like, we didn't talk about That's a value for I think it's his bollocks

But at least they won the FA Cup Right, they won a trophy in his first year Exactly

Vote for your boy You know what, alright, alright So who we giving it to Frickin' Asmali Yassar

Scott McTominay Alright, I'm giving it to Scott McTominay then I'll take that