With the January transfer window now in full swing, a study carried out by the world’s newest memorabilia and collectables brand, Club Legacyz, shows that Premier League clubs have found it increasingly difficult to attract the biggest global names and most marketable players to England.
Despite the English top flight promoting itself as the best league in the world and the financial power that runs throughout the division, the Premier League now features just one of the top 15 most followed footballers on Instagram.
That sole representative is Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah who was the subject of great interest from a number of Saudi Pro League clubs last summer and there is a belief that these clubs will attempt to test the resolve of the Reds again at the end of the season.
The Saudi Pro League was able to sign numerous big names last year and is now home to three of the most followed footballers on Instagram. Only La Liga has greater representation with five players, while Seria A has two and the MLS, Ligue 1 and Premier League boast just a single player in the top 15.
“It’s remarkable to think that despite how big the Premier League is as a brand, being the financial powerhouse of European football, the most marketable individuals playing the game do so outside of it,” said image-rights expert Balthazar Theobald-Brosseau, who co-founded Club Legacyz – a collectables brand that has partnered with some of the biggest clubs and players on the planet.
“We’re now in an age where social following is one of the most important marketing tools, so the Saudi Pro League will see their transfers over the last 18 months as not only huge coups from a footballing sense but monumental for their marketing approach. It’s important not to underestimate just how big keeping hold of Mohamed Salah was for both Liverpool and the Premier League – as the division’s truest global star.”
Aside from Salah, who joined Liverpool in the summer of 2017, the only other Premier League representative on the full list is Erling Haaland who ranks 17th thanks to boasting 38 million followers on Instagram.
The Norwegian superstar joined Manchester City from Borussia Dortmund for £51.2 million in the summer of 2022 and the Club Legacyz founder believes he is vital to the future marketability of the Premier League.
“Erling Haaland will no doubt take on the mantle in years to come, and the Premier League will be as desperate to keep him within its ranks as the Manchester City fans. As a sum of its parts, the Premier League is still the biggest league on earth – but in order to stay at the top, it needs to keep hold of its stars, and attract more from around the world,” explained Theobald-Brosseau.
“We all know the importance of players to clubs when it comes to shirt sales, ticket sales and attracting domestic and international partners. Looking at who the next generation of commercial stars are, it feels as though La Liga may have stolen a march on the Premier League.”
Erling Haaland is one of the many players who feature in Club Legacyz products. This year, a number of Europe’s top clubs have joined Club Legacyz, the world’s newest memorabilia and collectibles brand. Arsenal FC, Chelsea FC, Manchester City FC, FC Barcelona, Paris Saint Germain FC and FC Bayern Munich have all joined Club Legacyz as the brand looks to disrupt the highly lucrative collectibles market, with further plans to launch in the memorabilia space later this year. As part of the launch, Club Legacyz has revealed a series of limited-edition collectible posters and icons.
To purchase a poster or icon visit: www.clublegacyz.com.
