Last year I calculated the prices fans must pay to get the name of a footballer on the back of their shirt. Below is the updated list for the 2014/2015 Premier League season based on the names and squad numbers provided by the Premier League.
Once again we’re working off the same cost structure: £4 per number and £1 per letter, with all dots, hyphens etc. considered as letters.
Jussi Jääskeläinen keeps the top spot due to the 3 diaeresis' in his name. It would cost a West Ham fan £26 to get the Finnish goalkeeper on the back of their replica shirt. There are three new additions claiming joint 2nd owing to their double barrel name and double digit squad numbers and come in at a price of £23. Jerome 'Binnom-Williams' (15) plays with Crystal Palace, Gary 'Taylor-Fletcher' (15) lines out for Leicester and Shaun 'Wright-Phillips' (15) is with QPR. Jamie 'Sendles-White' (13), also of QPR, is 3rd highest at £21. The one addition to joint 4th spot is Mapou 'Yanga-Mbiwa' (11) of Newcastle who signed for the Geordies last January.
In terms of a bargain there is no new additions this year. All of the 3 lettered names have double digit squad numbers meaning they cost £11. Emre Can, Liverpool's new signing, was given 23.
Based on the 2012/13 performance statistics Patrice Evra was the 'best value' shirt. Given last years stats the best value buy would be Joe Hart with the number one, costing just £8.
There may be one change to the order in the coming weeks. If Morgan Schneiderlin's (12) proposed move to Tottenham or Manchester United is completed and he is given a double digit squad number, he will become 4th most expensive. I'm sure Spurs or United fans wouldn't complain to much!
As for the cheapest ever, all I can think of is players with three letter surnames (as nearly all of the Korean and Japanese players had double digit squad numbers). Newscastle's Rob Lee and Tottenham's Ruel Fox both wore the number 7 and if they were lining out today would have been priced at £7, a proper bargain!