In recent years, transfer fees in mainstream football have risen to astronomical levels. Jack Grealish broke the English record for the most expensive transfer fee in the game with his move to Manchester City for PS100million. FIFA, however, has not yet followed the lead of Call of Duty and Counter-Strike Global Offensive in imposing price tags on the most highly valued players. Until now.
Tom Leese of Hashtag United, a non-association soccer club in Essex, England, is going to leave a mark on the world by turning into the main FIFA esports player to be offered to one more teams for a significant exchange expense of up to PS100,000
Sky Sports reports that the FIFA star has received numerous bids from unnamed clubs. However, it is not yet clear if Hashtag United will accept the offer and Leese can agree to personal terms.
Leese was crowned 2020 ePremier League champion. He represented Watford. Leese won $20,000. cash prize after beating Gary “Marleythirteen”, Marley, who represented Bournemouth. Leese has won the English qualifier for FIFAe Nations Cup since then. But unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic forced the officials to cancel the main event.
The 22-year old has won over $150,000 and amassed 79,000 YouTube subscribers since he began competing in 2018. Tom Leese spends up to 20 hours training a day and honing his skills to be one of the top FIFA players in the world. He has already been popular among the esports fans, as well as investors who are fond of esports betting on FIFA game, especially during the Covid era. The money for the transfer will likely be used to fund facilities at Hashtag United. They are aiming to build a full Football League team and are boosting the leagues.
Esports transfer fees are typically kept secret, which is not the case for mainstream sports. The industry is becoming more transparent about larger transactions. Cloud9 allegedly snatched Alex McMeekin, CS: GO player, with a $1,650,000 deal over three years.
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Leese’s transfer to FIFA will be the “first of its kind” and could cause a domino effect on other football clubs that see the financial value of esports.
Although the exchange isn’t yet finished, many top-level English clubs have entered Esports as of late, including Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United.
Background: Hashtag United FC
YouTube content creator Spencer Owen founded Hashtag United Football Club in 2016. It was originally started by a group of friends playing a charity game to honor a childhood friend. Hashtag played exhibition matches and friendlies over the next two years in an innovative league format that Spencer had created. The Chairman set points targets for the team, and if they met them, The Chairman would reward the team and allow them to move on to the next level. This format was played across 7 countries against pro-football staff teams, YouTube creators, sponsor/brand team teams, Sunday sides, and non-league teams.
The club applied to the FA’s National League System in 2018 (‘non-league football) to make the significant transition from an exhibition team to a competitive club at the 10th tier. Jay Devereux, an experienced non-league manager, was appointed to manage the transition. Home games were played at Haringey Borough stadium in Tottenham. The team now has a mix of experienced and original Hashtag players. We are enjoying the journey so far.
Hashtag United is not only a football club but also a highly successful esports team. Professional FIFA players compete at top FIFA tournaments around the world and the Gfinity Elite Series. Three members of the club’s roster participated in the FIFA eWorld Cup final 32.
