Asia has but to supply a World Cup profitable group however that doesn’t imply they have not produced loads of world class skills down the years.
From Park Ji Sung to Kunishige Kamamoto, the biggest continent on earth is accountable from some really nice gamers. However with Asian golf equipment, not less than traditionally, not in a position to match European or South American golf equipment financially, the gamers do not at all times switch for giant cash.
However with that in thoughts, who’s the most costly Asian footballer of all time?
Who’s the most costly Asian participant of all time?
Kim Min-jae turned the most costly Asian participant of all time when he transferred from Napoli to Bayern Munich in July 2023.
The South Korea defender value the German powerhouses €50million (£43m) after starring in Napoli’s beautiful Serie A title win the 12 months earlier than.
That exact season had elevated Kim to turning into one of many top-rated centre-halves, not solely in Italy however in Europe. Regardless of some inconsistent kind within the second half of his maiden season within the Bundesliga, he has made a superb begin to 2024-25 and was man of the match in a 1-0 Champions League win over PSG.
Who held the all-time document switch charge for an Asian participant previous to Kim Min-jae?
Bayern’s resolution to purchase Kim Min-jae noticed him surpass Japanese winger Shoya Nakajima as the most costly Asian participant in historical past.
Nakajima, who went on to have an unsuccessful time with Porto, claimed the document when he moved to Qatar Stars League facet Al Duhai for £29million again in February 2019 from Portimonense. It was an odd deal Nakajima taking part in solely seven video games earlier than his transfer again to Portugal.
A longstanding holder of the document was former Japan worldwide midfielder Hidetoshi Nakata – who coincidentally was additionally the primary Asian participant in historical past to be nominated for the Ballon d’Or.
Nakata’s transfer to big-spending Parma from fellow Italian membership Roma in 2001, value £19million, an enormous sum on the time.
This world document fee for an Asian participant wouldn’t be topped for 14 years, lengthy after Nakata himself retired, following the 2006 World Cup.
Tottenham had been the membership chargeable for lastly beating the Nakata charge, after they paid £22m for South Korea captain Son Heung-min, signing the ahead from Bayer Leverkusen and setting a brand new Asian document within the course of.
