Central midfielders priced at 100 million are now the trend

01/12/2025 23:29:00 PANDATV

In the contemporary football world, where high-profile transfers happen regularly, a 100 million pound fee was once considered irrational, even crazy.

Yet, when examining players like Declan Rice, Enzo Fernandez, and Moises Caicedo, there is good reason to assert that for an all-around central midfielder, 100 million pounds is not only reasonable but sometimes a wise investment.

Attack superstars are no longer the "fashion"

Looking back over the last decade, most forward transfers exceeding 100 million pounds have been disappointing. Antoine Griezmann moved from Atletico Madrid to Barcelona for 105.9 million pounds but never recaptured his peak performance. Joao Felix joined Atletico for 112.9 million pounds, then was loaned to Chelsea and Barcelona without securing a place. Philippe Coutinho stands as a notable failure: Barcelona spent 142 million pounds, only to loan him to Aston Villa a few years later.

Even highly celebrated signings like Jack Grealish, who cost Man City 100 million pounds, didn’t deliver equivalent impact. Grealish won numerous trophies, but it was clearly Pep Guardiola’s strong squad that laid the foundation for success.

At PSG, Neymar (200 million pounds) and Mbappe (165.7 million pounds) dominated Ligue 1 but failed in the biggest challenge: the Champions League. Ironically, PSG won that tournament only after both had departed, leading analysts to regard it as a triumph of a team not reliant on superstars.

Liverpool recently joined the "big spender" club with Alexander Isak (125 million pounds) and Florian Wirtz (116 million pounds). However, at present, neither has yet proven themselves.

All these cases suggest that attackers costing 100 million pounds usually cannot guarantee a stronger team. They need the right system, proper service, and rarely produce foundational change on their own. This is precisely where versatile central midfielders begin to show their worth.

Declan Rice and Moises Caicedo are demonstrating the value of midfielders worth hundreds of millions

The 100 million midfielder is the new trend

In an era where modern football values versatility, players like Declan Rice, Enzo Fernandez, and Moises Caicedo illustrate why the midfield deserves significant investment.

Enzo Fernandez, after joining Chelsea for 106 million pounds, was initially expected to play a pure defensive midfield role like he did at the 2022 World Cup. But within Chelsea’s new system, he evolved into a versatile attacking midfielder, capable of penetrating the box, finishing well, and having a much greater influence.

Moises Caicedo, Chelsea’s 115 million pound signing, offers a different kind of value: a unique tactical solution. Under Enzo Maresca, Caicedo sometimes defends as a right-back but returns to a deep-lying playmaker role when in possession. A player type once only seen in theory has become a practical reality at Chelsea. Such a flexible player is extremely rare.

Declan Rice, valued at 105 million pounds, is the clearest example of the importance of a central midfielder. At West Ham, he was seen as capable of playing center-back or defensive midfield. At Arsenal, Rice became a key element in Mikel Arteta’s complex structure: sometimes dropping between two center-backs, other times appearing in the box as an attacking number 8. The recent 4-1 win over Tottenham showed Rice’s all-around ability: ball recovery, evading pressure, creating chances, and finishing attacks.

In an age where strikers need the right system to shine, central midfielders help the system operate at its best. This makes them a rare tactical asset, valuable both now and for the long term.

As football increasingly blurs the line between defensive (number 6) and box-to-box (number 8) roles, all-around midfielders who can win the ball, control play, explode in attack, and maintain tempo for 90 minutes have become extremely valuable. Instead of sparking debate, a price tag of 100 million pounds or more is becoming the standard for this special group of players.

Comment (0)