The most tantalizing transfers in modern football tend to centre around massive transfer fees. However, large financial fees are not the only ways players move clubs. There have been some incredibly strange transfers in football history to occur without cash ever changing hands.

Meatman

In 1998, Jiul Petrosani sold Ion Radu to Valcea in 1998 for a load of meat. Yes, a load of meat! Jiul Petrosani president said after the transfer went through: “We will sell the meat, then pay all the other players’ salaries.”

Balls, bags, shirts, and more

Gary Pallister was famous for playing for nearly a decade for Manchester United. Before he moved to the Theatre of Dreams, however, he was a player at Billingham Town. In 1984, Pallister was sold to Middlesbrough for a set of football kits, a bag of balls and goal nets. Middlesbrough recouped their investment a few years later selling the player to Man United for £2.3 million.

A load of shrimp

In 2002, Vindbjart sold player Kenneth Kristensen to Floey for a load of seafood. In return for the player, Vindbjart received a load of shrimp of equal weight to the player. Kristensen weighed around 75 kg (165 lb) at the time.

30 tracksuits

Who needs nearly three dozen tracksuits? Well, Rushall Olympic did in 1999 when they sold Zat Knight to Fulham. It is claimed that the 30 tracksuits were a “goodwill gesture” rather than an actual transfer fee. Knight went on to play 150 league games for the club before leaving. Thirty tracksuits seem like an excellent deal for the Cottagers.

A bag of footballs

Go down to your local sports store and there is a chance you could get 10 decent football for around £100. In 1998, in dire need of footballs (as well as meat), Jiul Petrosani sold Liviu Baicea to UT Arad for 10 footballs. Footballs seem a little more appropriate than a load of meat.