The renowned website Transfermarkt has compiled a list of the top 15 players with the longest contract durations in football, with Chelsea claiming eight spots and Barcelona’s Roque also making the list.
The report highlights that, in recent years, football clubs typically signed players to contracts lasting a maximum of five years. However, the landscape has dramatically shifted, particularly under the pressure of the PSR (Premier League Sustainability Regulations) and FFP (UEFA Financial Fair Play) regulations. More and more clubs are opting to secure longer-term contracts with players – this allows them to spread the player’s salary or amortization costs over a more extended period, improving the club’s financial statements in specific periods and alleviating financial pressure.
Of course, another possibility cannot be excluded, such as the club placing immense faith in a player and wishing for their continued contributions over the long term, hence offering a contract exceeding five years. In any case, Transfermarkt has compiled a list of the 15 players with the longest contract durations in football.
Chelsea’s Palmer tops the list with a nine-year contract, extending until June 2033. In joint second place, we have Chelsea’s Enzo, Bilbao’s Vivian, and Sancet, all with eight-year contracts ending in June 2032.
Jointly ranked fifth are eleven players: Chelsea’s Caicedo, Mudryk, Neto, Vega, Jackson, and Philip-Jorgensen, West Ham’s Wan-Bissaka and Kilman, Athletic Bilbao’s Prados, Barcelona’s rising star Roque, and Osasuna’s Moncayola. Their contracts are all seven years in duration, ending in June 2031.
In summary, Chelsea boasts eight players with contracts of seven years or longer. If you sum up the contract durations of all current Chelsea players, the total reaches an impressive 196 years. In the Premier League, the closest rival to Chelsea in this regard is Tottenham Hotspur, with a combined contract duration of only 97 years, less than half of Chelsea’s. This is partly due to Chelsea’s larger squad size but also reflects their preference for offering extended contracts to players. Transfermarkt points out that, undeniably, Chelsea possesses a considerable number of talented young stars, but this situation has a downside. When Chelsea needs to sell a player, these long-term, high-salary contracts can pose additional difficulties for the club.
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