The First Million Pound Footballer - Trevor Francis Transfer Fee

Trevor Francis Transfer Fee Revealed

The actual transfer fee was initially reported at £975,000. Of course, this wouldn’t make Francis the first million-pound footballer. There were extra fees for Forest to take on, however, which took the total cost well over the magic number.

According to The Football Pink, Forest had to pay a £97,500 levy and 8% VAT on £75,000. Combined with the initial fee of just under £1 million, this took the total transfer fee to £1,150,500.

There was a risk the deal could fall through at the last minute as Brian Clough was not keen on Francis going to the States to play football in the summer for the Detroit Express.

With Francis already having put pen to paper on a contract with the American club, though, there was nothing Forest or Clough could do. It wasn’t enough to make Forest pull out of the transfer.

Speaking to the press at his unveiling, Francis said, “I am going to the best side in the First Division, but the America thing was important to me.”

Why Was Francis Worth £1 Million?

Transfer records don’t get broken for no reason. Sometimes players might flop, but they have done something to deserve such an honour.

Francis made his debut for Birmingham City when he was only 16 years old. Breaking into the team as a teenager brings pressure, but he lived up to the expectation, scoring 119 goals in 280 appearances for the Midlands club.

Already an England international by 1979, Francis was a man in demand. Having been at Birmingham since he was a schoolboy, it was time for the gifted striker to move on.

Birmingham were facing financial issues. Cashing in on Francis was the best path to improve the club’s footing.

Forest were already English champions and had won a League Cup in the Clough and Peter Taylor era.

They were looking to bolster their already impressive squad, and Francis was prolific for Birmingham. He’d scored 46 league goals in 84 appearances across the 1976-77 and 1977-78 seasons.

Blues needed the money. Forest were on the lookout for a striker. Francis’ transfer might not have gone down well with everyone (Clive Woods even said the transfer system should be abolished), but it made sense for all three parties.

Forest got a big-name striker to get the City Ground faithful excited, and Birmingham helped to secure the financial future of the club.

Francis Impact At Nottingham Forest

Within just months of arriving in Nottingham, Francis had secured legend status.

Scoring the only goal in Forest’s European Cup Final win over Malmo, Francis repaid the transfer fee immediately. His heroics cemented the Forest kits of the late 1970s among the most iconic retro football shirts.

The goal in the final is what is best remembered, of course, but Francis endured a frustrating few weeks with Forest. He was ineligible for their League Cup success, and had to wait until the semi-final before he could take part in the European Cup.

A powerful diving header in Munich secured Francis’ legacy in Nottingham and beyond. Such an achievement is impossible to live up to, but even by more reasonable standards, Francis was underwhelming in the following seasons.

Clough often put him on the wing. His goal return was down as a result, and an Achilles injury kept him out Forest’s triumph over Hamburg in the 1980 European Cup Final.

That same injury saw Francis miss the European Championships, and ultimately led to his departure.

Manchester City coughed up £1.2 million to sign Francis in September 1981 – he stayed in Manchester for just a few months before joining Sampdoria for £700,000.

How Much Would Trevor Francis Cost Now?

The Trevor Francis fee would work out at around £5.9 million in 2020, accounting for inflation. That seems like a tiny fee compared with today’s figures, doesn’t it?

Michael Essien ranks 100th among the most expensive Premier League transfers, according to Transfer Markt. The Ghanian cost around £34 million when he moved to Chelsea. The Jack Grealish to Manchester City deal came in at roughly £100 million.

The transfer fee record of every active Premier League club in 2021/22 is considerably higher than the £5.9 million that Francis’ adjusted figure comes to.

Fees 10 times greater than Francis’ transfer are commonplace in the Premier League now. Even two decades ago, clubs were massively exceeding Forest’s previous spend.

For instance, Alan Shearer’s 1996 move from Blackburn to Newcastle comes in at almost £29 million when adjusted for inflation. Rio Ferdinand’s big-money switch from Leeds to Manchester United six years later would be £48.4 million.

Massive transfers sway Premier League predictions in the 2020s. While the fees have soared, the impact of heavy spending has been present for as long as most fans can remember.

Not every player can cope with the pressure of breaking a transfer record, though, and few can rival the magic provided by the first million pound footballer.