10 most expensive players aged 30 plus

#9 Medhi Benatia - £14.8m, Bayern Munich to Juventus, 2017

FC Juventus v Espanyol: Pre-Season Friendly — Despite his fee Medhi Benatia hasn't featured too much for Juventus

Moroccan centre-back Benatia was signed by Bayern Munich back in the summer of 2014 but didn’t really feature that much for them during his time there, so a move to Juventus – initially on loan in the summer of 2016, and then permanently – made a lot of sense given Juve’s penchant for using older players. Benatia was 30 when he moved to Turin, a relative youngster when compared to the likes of Gianluigi Buffon and Giorgio Chiellini.

Unfortunately for Benatia, he was only able to make a paltry 21 appearances for Juventus last season despite the relatively big transfer fee, and was an unused substitute when the Old Lady lost to Real Madrid in the Champions League final at the end of last season. More appearances than he made at Bayern, but still not great.

Chances for him this season may remain slim given the development of youngster Daniele Rugani and the arrival of German international Benedikt Howedes, but evidently, Juve manager Max Allegri felt strongly enough for the Moroccan to pay a large fee. He may have a role to play yet.

About the author

Scott is a veteran MMA writer with over two decades of experience, including his ongoing tenure in Sportskeeda, which began seven years ago. He has written over 3000 pieces for the organization, while also covering football. Before joining Sportskeeda, Scott wrote articles for websites like The Oratory and Inside Pulse MMA.

Scott has a degree in history, which drives his research skills and helps him compile accurate information. His long stint in the field helps Scott provide a clear take on important topics, such as the criticism of promotions regarding fighter pay. While he feels fighters deserve a bigger revenue share, he doesn’t want MMA to suffer with purse-split issues.

Scott’s work has been previously reshared by the former UFC middleweight champion Chris Weidman. He uses credible sources, such as the UFC’s official website, during the writing process.

His dedication to MMA writing won him the Feature Writer of the Month award for Sportskeeda in November 2021.

Outside of work, Scott likes to go to the gym, walk his dog, and travel.

Know More

Edited by Amit Mishra