by Joé Weimerskirch, reporter

 

Tickets becoming more expensive due to one player doesn’t seem possible, right? However, it is likely to happen, as it can already be experienced in Italy.

The top football news last summer was the transfer of Cristiano Ronaldo to Turin-based club Juventus, for an estimated sum of £100 million.

Since he arrived in Italy, Juventus is producing record numbers in shirt sales, social media followers and a thirty per cent profit increase, and this all due to him. Ticket prices for a Juventus home game have even been raised by thirty per cent.

However, the so-called Ronaldo-effect is not only hitting Juventus, but also all the other Italian clubs are increasing ticket prices when they host Ronaldo and his team.

But could this also happen in England if a star player like Ronaldo or Messi would make a transfer to the Premier League?

Danial Pratt from the Football Supporters Federation said: “I think we are already seeing it happen in terms of Paul Pogba at Manchester United. This is probably the biggest transfer in terms of money that has ever been made in English Football. He has a big commercial role to the club.”

“In terms of ticket prices, football is becoming a luxury item at the very top level.”

Juventus sold 520,000 Ronaldo shirts in the first 24 hours after his arrival, raised ticket prices by thirty per cent and even ice creams have been named CR7 in his honour.

But all of this could also happen in England and it is likely that a player of Ronaldo’s class could have a similar effect in the UK.