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European football has a global fanbase and clubs are always looking to break new ground in terms of reach and marketability. The quality of football is obviously every club's priority but they also focus on making the brand grow so that revenue streams don't run dry.
The richest football clubs in the world always try to bring in the biggest superstars in the game. While the primary objective is to improve the squad, having a high-profile player on your team helps generate a lot of revenue via merchandise sales and advertising campaigns.
But these signings need not always work out on the pitch. We've seen several big-money signings failing to work out. Sometimes, they make more of an impact away from the pitch than on it.
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Without further ado, let's take a look at five players who had more of a marketing impact than on the pitch.
#5 Fernando Torres - Chelsea
Fernando Torres was an instant hit in the Premier League after joining Liverpool from Atletico Madrid in 2007 for a then club record €38 million. He became the first player since Robbie Fowler (1996-96) to score more than 20 league goals in a season for the Merseysiders.
In late 2000s, Torres successfully established himself as one of the best strikers in the world. He won the 2008 Euros and the 2010 FIFA World Cup before copping a move to Chelsea in January 2011 for a then-British record fee of €58.5 million.
He joined the Blues amid much fanfare and to the disdain of the Anfield faithful. Unfortunately for Torres, his stint at Chelsea proved to be quite underwhelming. The high-profile nature of his signing reflected more in his marketability than in his performances on the pitch.
In a study conducted by sports marketing experts Repucom (via BBC) in 2014, Torres was named the fourth most marketable footballer on the planet. This was despite his largely underwhelming stay at Chelsea.
Torres did win one Champions League title, one FA Cup and one Europa League title with Chelsea. However, he failed to have the kind of impact on the pitch everyone thought he would have.
In 172 appearances across all competitions for the Blues, Torres managed to score just45 goals and provide 35 assists.
#4 Lionel Messi - Paris Saint-Germain
A lot of people might say that it is too early to peg Lionel Messi as a transfer flop. He is definitely not a transfer flop. But when a team with Paris Saint-Germain's ambitions signs the best player in the world, expectations are bound to be sky high.
Has Messi's signing really improved PSG as a team? The jury is still out on that one. The Argentine international famously missed a crucial penalty in PSG's Round of 16 exit against Real Madrid. Messi also failed to hit the ground running in the early phase and has scored just three goals in Ligue 1 this term.
Meanwhile, the boost that Messi's signing has given PSG on a global level is immense. In December, Goal claimed that PSG had sold almost one million Messi shirts. PSG's sponsorship director Marc Armstrong claimed that the club had sold more shirts in that time than any other club in the world. He told Goal:
"He's a great asset. From a commercial point of view, the impact is incredible.
“We believe that last year we sold more shirts than any other club, and this year will be even better. It's definitely the best jersey launch in terms of sales with at least a 30-40% increase in demand.
"The demand has been enormous. If we could produce more, we would sell even more."
Following Messi's arrival, PSG also signed new sponsorship agreements with Autohero, Crypto.com, Smart Good Things and Gorillas. These deals helped them rake in millions as well.
#3 Cristiano Ronaldo - Manchester United
It's hard to believe that Lionel Messi leaving Barcelona to join PSG wasn't the biggest transfer story of the 2021 summer transfer window. Cristiano Ronaldo stole the limelight by making a dramatic return to his former club Manchester United.
Ronaldo has produced multiple rescue acts over the course of the season but his overall impact disappointing. The Portuguese international's arrival forced Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to rejig his system and Manchester United have suffered in its aftermath.
Ronaldo is a great goalscorer but he has not been exactly as dominant or sharp a marksman as United expected him to be. Save for a handful of performances, he has been a passenger in several games.
But Ronaldo's arrival increased the number of global partnerships for Manchester United. He is the most followed individual on Instagram. Within seven days of his return, Manchester United's followers base on Instagram rose by 3.73 million.
Ronaldo is still the most marketable footballer on the planet and it's clear that his impact off the pitch has been bigger than on it.
#2 Kaka - Real Madrid
Between 2006 and 2009, Kaka was named in the FIFA World XI and UEFA Team of the Year thrice each. Kaka was the top scorer in the competition as he led AC Milan to UEFA Champions League glory in the 2006-07 season. He picked up the FIFA World Player of the Year and the Ballon d'Or in 2007.
As such, it made perfect sense for Real Madrid to break the bank and sign him in 2009. However, Kaka's stay at Real Madrid was largely underwhelming. Kaka was expected to elevate the team to another level, but he ended up being overshadowed by Cristiano Ronaldo.
His niggling injury issues became a major source of frustration and he never once made more than 30 league appearances during his Real Madrid stint. Jose Mourinho did not build his team around Kaka and as a result, the Brazilian international did not enjoy the kind of tactical freedom he did at AC Milan.
By the end of the 2012-13 season, Kaka asked the club to let him go and he joined MLS side Orlando City.
But when he initially joined Real Madrid, he was one of the biggest footballing icons in the world. That helped Real Madrid garner a lot of hype and revenue just when they were starting to get overshadowed by Pep Guardiola's Barcelona.
In 120 appearances across all competitions for Real Madrid, he scored 29 goals and provided 39 assists.
In 2012, when Kaka was still at Real Madrid, he became the world's first athlete to garner 10 million followers on Twitter.
#1 David Beckham - Paris Saint-Germain
David Beckham was one of the early signings that helped put Paris Saint-Germain on the world map. The Englishman was winding down his career when he joined PSG in 2013 for one last dance. However, with his best days way behind him, he wasn't expected to have much impact on the pitch.
Beckham was 38 at the time and was the oldest footballer in Ligue 1. He scored just one goal and was also shown a red card during that season. But Beckham helped PSG win their first Ligue 1 title in 19 years, mostly coming off the bench and playing in central midfield.
His performance against Barcelona in the home leg of their Champions League quarter-final tie was the highlight of his PSG stay. Beckham also donated his £1 million salary to charity by his own admission. Upon joining the French giants, he said (via BBC):
"I won't receive any salary. My salary will go to a local children's charity. That's one of the things we are excited and proud to do.
"It's something the guys [PSG management] do, but obviously it's a very good figure. That's one thing we're very excited about. To be able to give a huge sum to a children's charity in Paris is very special."
More than anything, signing David Beckham gave PSG the kind of visibility they were crying out loud for after Qatar Sports Investments purchased the club in 2011.
