Transfer: Ajax to Barcelona, 1973
Price: US$2 million
Impact: A huge favourite at Camp Nou, Cruyff helped Barcelona to the 1974 La Liga crown (the club’s first since 1960). During that season Cruyff helped his side beat Real 5-0 at the Bernabeu and also claimed the European Footballer of the Year.
Money well spent? On the field, the then-world record transfer fee was repaid in 1974 with their title triumph. The move was also the start of Cruyff’s affinity with Barcelona. He would return as manager and earn them four league titles and one European Cup in the 1990s.

Transfer: to Real Madrid (via Barcelona), 1953
Price: 5.5 million pesetas (US$100k)
Impact: After a drawn out transfer saga between Real, Barca and Colombian club Millonarios, the Spanish FA ordered Di Stefano to play two years each at the Spanish rivals. But after boardroom turmoil at Barcelona, the Catalans sold their stake in Di Stefano for four millions pesetas.
Money well spent? Di Stefani scored four goals for Real in his first match against Barca, and went on to win eight league titles and five European Cups.

Transfer: Chester City to Liverpool, 1980
Price: £300k
Impact: Rush was the focus of the great Liverpool sides on the 1980s. He scored 346 goals in 658 games for the club, won five league titles, three FA Cups and one European Cup.
Money well spent? In 1981, Bryan Robson, the heart of Liverpool’s bitter rivals Manchester United in the 1980s, cost five times what Liverpool paid for Rush. Robson didn’t win a single league title.

Transfer: Greenwich Borough to Crystal Palace, 1985
Price: A set of weights
Impact: Ian Wright scored 117 goals in 277 games for Crystal Palace and took them to the English top flight. He was named in Palace’s team of the century in 2005.
Money well spent? Not only did he perform on the pitch, he helped keep Palace’s bank manager happy when Arsenal bought him for £2.5 million in 1991. That was more than double what Manchester United paid for Eric Cantona a year later.