As poll of UK football fans names Mohamed Salah’s 2017 move from Roma to Liverpool the best value Premier League transfer of all time
While Paul Pogba’s 2016 move from Juventus to Manchester United is voted the worst value
Today is one of the most anticipated days in the football calendar – Transfer Deadline Day – and major names including Kane, Grealish, Watkins and Kelly have already been revealed as exciting new signings…for iD Mobile.
To the surprise of passers-by in central London, the star transfers were unveiled on giant screens outside Tottenham Court Road station, causing commuters to reach for their phones. The delighted faces of Kane (Jared Kane, 31 from North London), Grealish (Dean Grealish, 28 from Lincoln), Watkins (Izzie Watkins, 32 from London) and Kelly (Chloe-Francis Kelly, 27 from Derry) are being celebrated on Transfer Deadline Day by mobile network operator, iD Mobile, to mark their switch from a rival network.
And it's not only big-name players (or their namesakes) who should switch teams to get a bumper new deal this transfer window. iD Mobile are offering people the opportunity to ‘Sign Like a Pro’ with a special Transfer Deadline Day deal designed for fans, packed with 100GB data and unlimited minutes & texts, for just £10 a month. The special deal is available until midnight on 6th September.
iD Mobile have also commissioned a nationwide poll of 2,000 football fans to discover their opinions on the best and worst value player transfers of all time.
Mohamed Salah’s 2017 move from Roma to Liverpool was voted the best value Premier League transfer of all time, according to the OnePoll survey of UK football fans1. The Egyptian star's £34.3m switch topped the poll, despite him being an unexpected choice for the club, as he has now scored more than 200 goals for them, as well as helping deliver a long-awaited Premier League title to the Merseyside club and the UEFA Champions League trophy.
Surprisingly, Salah’s move beat Cristiano Ronaldo’s £12.2m transfer from Sporting Lisbon to Manchester United, and the iconic Eric Cantona joining the Red Devils from Leeds for a mere £1.2m.
Commenting on the poll, Lewis Henry, Customer and Marketing Director of iD Mobile, said,
“Getting the best value is important for all of us. Whether it be a player looking for a bumper new contract with a new club, or someone looking for a new phone contract.”
“These findings show that an unexpected option can be worth it if you get good value for money, and they can be outstanding in the long run”.
“Value in a crowded market can be tricky – just ask any premier league club – but we know a good value deal is not just about the best or lowest price and it’s more about what you get back for your money instead.”
When asked about the worst value transfers, Paul Pogba’s big-money switch to United from Juventus for £89m in 2016 was deemed by fans the worst ever made.
Andy Carroll’s £35m move to Liverpool on the final day of the transfer window in 2011 was voted second-worst value for money, followed by Romelu Lukaku’s switch from United to Chelsea.
Manchester City, Liverpool and Arsenal were deemed the best at identifying good value transfers, according to the figures.
Nearly nine in 10 (87 per cent) believe Premier League sides massively overpay for players, and 56 per cent think there’s no such thing as good value in football transfers in the modern game.
A huge 95 per cent also believe top-flight clubs should focus more on developing talent, rather than simply buying it in.
iD’s fixed price SIM-only Transfer Deadline Day deal ranks top of the value league with a plan packed with 100GB of data and unlimited minutes & texts for just £10 a month.
Like all iD Mobile plans, it includes features such as Data Rollover, 99% UK 4G coverage and the UK’s fastest 5G. What’s more, fans travelling to away games in European competitions this season can take advantage of iD’s inclusive Roaming in 50 worldwide destinations – that’s more than any other mobile network.
Anyone switching to iD Mobile can also feel confident they’ve made a smart money move. iD customers save an average of £230 a year on phone deals and an average of £14 a month on SIM only deals versus the ‘big four’ networks. And, unlike transferring from one club to another, switching to iD is an easy affair.
The transfer window for iD’s limited time SIM only deal closes on 6th September, so fans are urged to act fast if they want to take advantage of joining an award-winning network that already boasts ‘silverware’: including 'Best Network for Data' and 'Best Contract Value for Money' at the Uswitch Telecoms Awards 2024. They have also been recommended by Which? three times in a row. Fans can sign up to the Transfer Deadline Day special at https://www.idmobile.co.uk/sign-like-a-pro
The poll also highlighted how important mobile phones have become for fans’ enjoyment of the game. 32 per cent use their handset to watch highlights and 23 per cent scroll social media on their devices to gather views on recent games.
55 per cent admit they’re using their mobile phone ‘more than ever’ to keep on top of all the football and more than a third (35 per cent) even admit they’d rather their side’s bitterest rivals won the league – rather than lose their mobile phone.
Lewis Henry of iD Mobile added: “Keeping up with football isn’t just about waiting for the TV highlights on Saturday nights anymore. It’s possible to stream live games via your phone anywhere in the world and fans in the pre-2000’s era couldn’t have dreamed of this kind of access to the game.”
“And luckily, for anyone looking to switch their mobile provider for iD, you definitely won’t have to pay out £100m+ to do so, and you’ll have far more confidence in your purchase.”
THE 10 BEST-VALUE TRANSFERS EVER:
- Mohamed Salah (AS Roma to Liverpool) £36.5million 2017
- Cristiano Ronaldo (Sporting Lisbon to Manchester United) £12.2million 2003
- Eric Cantona (Leeds United to Manchester United) £1million 1992
- Kevin De Bruyne (Wolfsburg to Manchester City) £55million 2015
- Jamie Vardy (Fleetwood Town to Leicester City) £1million 2012
- Wayne Rooney (Everton to Manchester United) £25.6million 2004
- Didier Drogba (Marseille to Chelsea) £24million 2004
- Gareth Bale (Southampton to Tottenham Hotspur) £13.23million 2007
- Frank Lampard (West Ham to Chelsea) £11million 2001
- Virgil van Dijk (Southampton to Liverpool) £75million 2018
AND THE 10 WORST VALUE DEALS:
- Paul Pogba (Juventus to Manchester United) £89.3million 2016
- Andy Carroll (Newcastle United to Liverpool) £35million 2011
- Romelu Lukaku (Manchester United to Chelsea) £97.5million 2021
- Fernando Torres (Liverpool to Chelsea) £50million 2011
- Danny Drinkwater (Leicester City to Chelsea) £35million 2017
- Alexis Sánchez (Arsenal to Manchester United) £35million 2018
- Mario Balotelli (AC Milan to Liverpool) £16million 2014
- Philippe Coutinho (Liverpool to Barcelona) £140million 2018
- Angel Di María (Real Madrid to Manchester United) £59.7million 2014
- Christian Benteke (Aston Villa to Liverpool) £32.5million 2015
For more information on iD Mobile’s Transfer Deadline deal, visit https://www.idmobile.co.uk/sign-like-a-pro
ENDS
For more information on this story or interview requests, please contact: [email protected] or 0207 867 3721.
About iD Mobile
Launched in May 2015, iD Mobile is the Mobile Virtual Network Operator from Currys plc that runs on the Three network. Its plans are amongst the best value in the UK, covering flexible SIM only deals and the latest flagship smartphones.
iD Mobile’s offering is built around its customers, providing ‘no fluff, just the good stuff’. Which means amazing value deals, great service and fantastic features such as the UK's fastest 5G, Data Rollover, and Roaming in 50 destinations worldwide included on all plans at no extra cost. In iD’s own words – that’s ‘mobile done right’.
iD Mobile's SIM only plans were recently endorsed by Which? for 'Great Value' for the third time in a row, and iD Mobile were voted 'Best Network for Data' and 'Best Contract Value for Money' at the Uswitch Telecoms Awards 2024.
About Currys plc
Currys plc is a leading omnichannel retailer of technology products and services, operating online and through 815 stores in 8 countries. We Help Everyone Enjoy Amazing Technology, however they choose to shop with us.
In the UK & Ireland we trade as Currys; in the Nordics under the Elkjøp brand and as Kotsovolos in Greece. In each of these markets we are the market leader, employing almost 28,000 capable and committed colleagues. Our full range of services and support makes it easy for our customers to discover, choose, afford and enjoy the right technology for them, throughout their lives. The Group’s operations include state-of-the-art repair facilities in Newark, UK, a sourcing office in Hong Kong and an extensive distribution network, enabling fast and efficient delivery to stores and homes.
Our vision, We Help Everyone Enjoy Amazing Technology, has a powerful social purpose at its heart. We believe in the power of technology to improve lives, help people stay connected, productive, healthy, and entertained. We’re here to help everyone enjoy those benefits and with our scale and expertise, we are uniquely placed to do so.
We’re a leader in giving technology a longer life through repair, recycling and reuse. We’re reducing our impact on the environment in our operations and our wider value chain and we will achieve net zero emissions by 2040. We offer customers products that help them save energy, reduce waste and save water, and we partner with charitable organisations to bring the benefits of amazing technology to those who might otherwise be excluded.
1 Nationally representative survey of 2,000 football fans conducted by OnePoll.com, 20-21 August 2024