Football News transfer window : How Monaco made a billion in transfer sales
There are clubs in European football that flourish on the ground and trophies and then there are clubs that thrive in the transfer market. For the second case, are clubs like AS Monaco
Kylian Mbappe
AS Monaco is rightfully regarded as one of the best clubs in the world at developing and improving players, as evidenced by the high quality of their outgoings since 2000
Since Dmitry Rybolovlev's arrival, the Principality club has made several high-profile transfers AS Monaco is a club that understands how to buy and sell in Europe.
At the same time, the club has achieved consistent results due to its strategy and expertise in identifying and nurturing tomorrow's talent.
Monaco is home to one of the most productive talent factories in the game. The Ligue 1 club's famed youth academy has produced players such as Kylian Mbappe, Benoit Badiashile, and Laywin Kurzawa.
They have, however, earned a well-deserved reputation for spotting potential superstars and reviving the careers of top performers who have fallen on hard times.
After honing or showcasing their skills at the Stade Louis II, players such as James Rodriguez, Youri Tielemans, Bernardo Silva, Fabinho, and Thomas Lemar secured big-money moves.
In 2017, AS Monaco sold Kylian Mbappé for 180 million euros, including bonuses. This summer, they sold Aurélien Tchouaméni for 100 million euros, including bonuses, making them the first club to do so.
Benfica soon matched the record after selling Darwin Nunez to Liverpool for 100 million euros (bonus included), three years after selling Joao Felix to Atletico Madrid (127 million euros, compensation).
The profit-making machine that is AS Monaco
In recent years, AS Monaco has proven to be one of the most profitable clubs in the world, if not the most beneficial, thanks to the transfers of James Rodriguez (€75 million), Thomas Lemar (€72 million), Anthony Martial (€60 million), Benjamin Mendy (€57.5 million) and Bernardo Silva (€50 million).
Special mention goes to Aurélien Tchouaméni, who moved from AS Monaco to Real Madrid for a fee of €100 million.
He is now among the top 5 most expensive French players in history. A ranking led by Kylian Mbappé featuring no less than five AS Monaco players.
Monaco has spent €757.76 million on transfers since returning to Ligue 1 in 2013. This is a large sum for a Ligue 1 club, but recent sales have offset it. The transfer market poured 1.064 billion euros into the club's coffers, generating a profit of 306.99 million euros in just eight seasons.
These sales had no negative impact on the club's performance. On the contrary, in fact. AS Monaco's sales increased dramatically due to this policy, dubbed "trading" by the French club Lille in particular.
However, results on the field were also improving, with a French championship title and a Champions League semi-final in the same year (2017).
Despite significant sales, President Rybolovlev's strategy is not solely financial.
A successful and wise policy because aside from James Rodriguez (€45 million), Radamel Falcao (€43 million), and Wissam Ben Yedder (€40 million), three experienced international players, the Monaco club has never spent more than €30 million on a player on the market.
Here is the list of the most successful transfers from AS Monaco:
1. Kylian Mbappe - €180 million
2. Aurelien Tchouameni – €100 million
3. James Rodriguez – €75 million
4. Thomas Lemar – €72 million
5. Anthony Martial – €60 million
6. Benjamin Mendy – r €57.5 million
7. Bernardo Silva – €50 million
8. Fabio Henrique Tavares (Fabinho) – €45 million
9. Youri Tielemans – €45 million
10. Tiemoue Bakayoko – €40 million