Premier League transfers fees are bigger than ever before, but what would some of Ipswich Town’s biggest deals be worth if they happened in the modern day?
The formula
Research by TotallyMoney has seen every deal of the Premier League era studied, leading to a formula which shows just how much players would be worth if they were sold today.
The research took into account a wide range of factors that have inflated the transfer market during the Premier League era, including increased broadcasting revenue and commercial opportunities.
Chelsea’s £29.4million move for Andriy Shevchenko in 2006 would cost the Londoners a Premier League record £144m, according to the formula, while Alan Shearer would cost Newcastle £125.1m compared to the £15m they paid back in 1996.
For context, if day-to-day items increased in line with Premier League inflation, a pint of milk today would cost £7.62, a loaf of bread £12.32, and a litre of fuel £11.20.
Here, we take a look at Ipswich Town’s biggest deals, according to the formula.
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The outs
It’s fair to say the Blues have been something of a selling club for much of the Premier League era, with many of the club’s crown jewels produced in house and sold on for serious profit.
Kieron Dyer’s £6million move to Newcastle in 1999 funded a promotion push through the signings of John McGreal, Jermaine Wright and Marcus Stewart, but if the former England international was sold today he would have cost the Magpies £36.7m according to the study.
Richard Wright and Titus Bramble departed for similar fees in 2001 and 2002, with Wright’s move to Arsenal worth £23.87m in today’s money while Bramble would have cost £18m.
The formula says Jason Dozzell’s £1.6m switch to Tottenham in 1993 would be worth £31m today while Connor Wickham (sold to Sunderland for £7.8m in 2011) and Chris Kiwomya (to Arsenal for £1.5m in 1995) would both be worth more than £20m today.
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Darren Bent, another academy departure when he left for Charlton for around £3m in 2005, would have cost the Addicks £13.5 while Leicester would have paid a similar figure for James Scowcroft in 2001.
There was a fire sale after the Blues entered administration during the 2002/03, with Matt Holland, Hermann Hreidarsson (more on him later) and Darren Ambrose each departing for less than £1million as financial reality hit home. If those deals were done today, Holland would have cost Charlton £3.7m, Hreidarsson £3.1 and Newcastle would have paid £4m for Ambrose. Each of those three deals was cut-price as Town looked to bring in quick money, so today’s figure is not a clear indication of their actual value.
Even more recent sales to Premier League sides, such as Aaron Cresswell’s near £4m departure to West Ham in 2014 and Tyrone Mings’ £8m move to Bournemouth in 2015, have seen significant inflation. Cresswell would now cost more than £6m, with Mings’ move costing the Cherries more than £14m.
The ins
According to the research, Hermann Hreidarsson would be Ipswich Town’s record signing at a staggering £19.96m if completed today, compared to his near £4.5m move from Wimbledon in the summer of 2000.
Matteo Sereni, signed from Sampdoria in 2001 to replace Wright, would cost Ipswich £16.77m today while Finidi George’s move from Real Mallorca would now be worth more than £11m. Other deals done in the 2001/02 season, in which the Blues tried to push on after finishing fifth in the top flight but ultimately suffered relegation, would see Ulrich Le Pen bought for £5.2m in today’s money (originally £1,2m from Lorient) Marcus Bent for £12m (£3m from Blackburn), Thomas Gaardsoe for £4.6m (£1.2m from Aalborg) and Tommy Miller for £2.9m (£800,000 from Hartlepool).
The most significant deals in terms of inflated fees relate to the Blues’ first stint in the Premier League, between 1992 and 1995.
According to the research, Ian Marshall’s £750,000 move from Oldham in 1993 would be valued at nearly £15m today. Geraint Williams would be worth more than £10m following a £500,000 switch from Derby in 1992 and Steve Sedgley’s £830,000 move from Tottenham in 1994 would be inflated to more than £16m.
Mauricio Taricco, who the research says cost Ipswich just £163,000 from Argentinos Juniors in 1994, would have cost £2.3m in today’s money while his transfer to Tottenham in 1998 would be worth £11.5m as opposed to the £1.75m Spurs actually paid.
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