Leeds United would stand to pick up almost six times the amount had they sold Rio Ferdinand this summer. That’s according to the former Whites defender himself, who believes he would be able to command a fee of around £170million had he been a player in today's market.
Ferdinand spent just short of two seasons with Leeds after joining from West Ham United in November 2000. He was already an England international but during his spell at Elland Road, he managed to firmly establish himself as one of the best defenders the English game had to offer.
As such, Manchester United were willing to part with a record-breaking £30m to secure his services and add him to their backline in July 2002. It was a fee that made Ferdinand the most expensive English footballer ever at the time and the world’s most expensive defender.
Read more: Ex-Leeds United coach gives Daniel Farke seal of approval as Whites' manager search nears end
The centre-back’s record has been smashed over and over again in the 21 years that have followed. Jack Grealish now holds the title of England’s most expensive player, following his £100m switch from Aston Villa to Manchester City, while Harry Maguire remains the most expensive defender after his £80m switch in 2019 from Leicester City to Old Trafford.
Ferdinand’s price tag pales into insignificance by today’s standards, with PSG’s purchase of Neymar for £198m in 2017 still being the most money spent on one player. Ferdinand doesn’t believe he would be far off breaking that record, though, if he was a player in today’s game.
The BT Sport pundit believes any club would have been forced to fork out around £170m to take him from Leeds and for context that's how much 49ers Enterprises' takeover of Leeds is said to value the club at in its current guise as a Championship club.
“I was £30m back in the day,” Ferdinand said on his FIVE Youtube Channel. "Imagine today, man.
“£100m would be cheap, serious, in today's market. £170m, £400,000 per week, that is what I would be now, I would be that now.”
