Ah, money. It seems as if the world revolves around it, and the footballing world is no different. Foreign ownership of football clubs, especially in England, has become a popular trend over the last few years. This has led to an increased amount of money being poured into the transfer market, as teams like Chelsea and Manchester City look to compete with the likes of Manchester United and Barcelona – teams who have earned the right to spend through their own success, not the success of a yacht frolicking oil magnate.

So what happens when a club like Chelsea or Manchester City comes knocking? Footballers are faced with the decision of remaining loyal to their club, often the club who has allowed them to become successful, or selling their career to the devil.

Ashley Cole is a great example of this. He turned his back on Arsenal F.C, the club who brought him through their academy and made him a star, and ran to Chelsea’s rubles. Once touted as the best left back in the world, Ashley Cole has fallen from grace, and the likes of Patrice Evra and Gael Clichy have surpassed him. He has won the FA Cup twice with Chelsea, and is now one of the most hated footballers in England, especially in North London. Andriy Shevchenko is another great example – UEFA Champions League Winner and European Footballer of the Year with AC Milan. He chose to turn his back on the club he loved for Chelsea and where is he now? Exactly.

Are the likes of Emmanuel Adebayor, Gareth Barry, and Christiano Ronaldo destined for footballing anonymity? Will winning for their new teams be as fulfilling as the success they had with their former clubs?

Or will they forever regret selling their career to the devil?