Argentina is one of the best countries in South America that has competed in the FIFA World Cup thanks to the innovative players they have played elite football in Europe. These are the 10 most expensive Argentine players signed by English Premier League clubs.
1. Enzo Fernandez - Argentinian central midfielder joined Chelsea from Benfica in the January 2023 winter transfer window for 121 million euros. Being a young star gives him a higher transfer fee.
2. Angel Di Maria - Argentinian attacking midfielder joined Manchester United from Real Madrid in the 2014/2015 season for 75 million euros.
3. Lisandro Martinez - Central defender joined Manchester United from Ajax in the summer transfer window of 2022 for 57.4 million euros. He showed that he was aggressive enough to strengthen their defense in the 2022/2023 season.
4. Christian Romero - He is the fourth most expensive Argentine footballer signed by a club in the English Premier League. The midfielder joined Tottenham Hotspur from Atalanta for 50 million euros.
Alexis Mac Allister joined Liverpool from Brighton in the summer 2023 transfer window making him the seventh most expensive Argentine to be signed by the English Premier League club. His transfer fee is 42 million euros.
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Saudi Arabia is planning global domination in the sports arena and Manchester United contributed to that by eliminating Cristiano Ronaldo six months ago.
Unknowingly, Manchester United has inadvertently launched the next playing field of world football.
Many left-wing nations have tried - and failed - to gain a foothold against traditional football nations by flaunting money. Russia in the early 2010s drew the likes of Samuel Eto'o and Roberto Carlos to the area, an experience that quickly plunged into the abyss.
Another global superpower, China, also promoted the sport a decade later. Characters like Rafa Benitez have flown to the Far East, but just as the Covid-19 pandemic paralyzes the planet, the house of cards collapses. However, unlike their predecessors... Saudi Arabia is only interested in business.
The newest shark in the tank is a Gulf state backed by a sovereign wealth fund of around £600 billion. The calls to clean up sport were justified when they first entered the sports arena, but in reality the Western media is scrutinizing their regime more than ever - here not the behavior of a nation that wants to wipe out alleged atrocities under the rug.
And that microscope will only grow larger as the Middle Eastern nation increases its influence on the world stage. Whether through Formula 1, super boxing, Newcastle United or, more recently, a complete takeover of golf, Saudi Arabia is going nowhere.
Last December, United shocked the world when Piers Morgan's explosive interview about Cristiano Ronaldo marked the end of his Premier League career. Offloading the superstar, a sensible move at the time, inadvertently provided football's latest big-spender catalyst.
It is a fact that Ronaldo himself did not notice.
"Let's bore everyone a bit," Ronaldo told reporters midweek. "I knew Saudi Arabia would open a box - and I was not wrong.
"I'm sure that in a few or three years this tournament will be one of the most important in the world. We can see that. Karim (Benzema) has left (Real Madrid) and I'm sure. 1000% sure there will be more players."
Reports suggest Benzema will earn £86m a year - or £1.6m a week - from Saudi Arabia's Al-Ittihad side. His Real Madrid team-mate Luka Modric is also mulling a big move that would signal the end of his career in any serious way. As these two - and Ronaldo - near the end of their careers, the Saudi Pro League is also attracting players who still have a lot of potential. N'Golo Kante and Wilfried Zaha could both cut him off in the Champions League but are said to be considering a move to the Middle East.
With the league's lavish spending still in its infancy, the dominant players are likely to find new pastures for their final payday. But over time, there's no reason why Saudi Arabia, eager to achieve its Vision 2030 plan to diversify its economy away from oil, can become home to the world's best - same as it is with golf.
Man United missed the opportunity by selling Ronaldo on a free transfer six months ago. An innocuous move to a seemingly unrelated club has now created a domino effect, with players starting to see Saudi Arabia as a possible option.
It will take time - and a lot of money - for Pro League to emerge as a real competitor, rather than cashing in on ex-pats and mercenaries. However, anyone who claims not to fish in the same group as Man United is delusional - and the Saudi clubs are now posing a direct problem.
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