In the high-stakes world of modern football, transfer fees and weekly wages often steal the headlines. But behind the scenes, contract lengths play a crucial role in player stability, club strategy, and financial planning.

While the typical professional footballer signs deals ranging from three to five years, some players have bucked the trend with eyebrow-raising mega contracts stretching well beyond the norm.

From teenage prodigies to global superstars, here’s a look at the longest contracts ever signed in football history - and the stories behind them.

Before we dive into the top 10, a number of other bumper deals deserve a mention, not least the eight-year deal handed out to Cesc Fabregas in 2005 by Arsenal, who were somewhat ahead of the curve in that regard.

Chelsea (much more on them later) handed out the same length of contract to Nicolas Jackson as well as an eight-and-a-half year contract to Mykhailo Mudryk. It's safe to say the success of both decisions remain up for debate.

Meanwhile in the managerial world, Alan Pardew's bizarre eight-year Newcastle contract only technically expired in 2020 despite leaving the club in 2014.

Athletic Bilbao have a habit of tying their Basque-based talents down to bumper contracts and, at the time, striker Inaki Williams' nine years in 2019 was their biggest.

It has proved to be good value for money, with the 31-year-old once playing 251 consecutive LaLiga matches.

When Lionel Messi broke through into the football world, Barcelona acted quick by offering him a whopping nine-year deal for the then 18-year-old.

It proved to be anything but a rash move, with the Argentine delivering on his promise by becoming arguably the greatest footballer of all time.

Chelsea's strategy of handing out huge contracts continues here, but the nine years given to star man Cole Palmer seems a safer bet than the rest.

Signing for an initial seven years from Manchester City in 2023, the Blues tied him down for another nine at the end of a stunning debut season and the England man is now one of the Premier League's top talents and will be hoping to inspire his side to Club World Cup glory in the coming weeks.

Enzo Fernandez's time at Chelsea has been slightly less glamorous but could hardly be deemed a failure. Still, the midfielder has another seven years to make his time at Stamford Bridge an undoubted success.

The Argentine World Cup winner has been a regular in the Blues midfield since signing in January 2023, helping the West Londoners finish in the top four and win the Conference League in 2024/25.

Many expected Erling Haaland to be a success when he joined Man City in 2022, but he has arguably exceeded even those high expectations.

The Norwegian has scored a stunning 124 goals in 142 City appearances, crushing record after record and helping them win countless trophies, so when there was speculation over a move earlier this year, City decided to make sure their prized possession's future was secured with a deal until 2034.

A recent entry into the top five, in-demand winger Nico Williams has ended speculation over a move to Barcelona by signing a 10-year deal with Athletic Bilbao.

A deal which is a year longer than the one his brother signed, the Basque club will be rejoicing that they have managed to keep the Euro 2024 winner for so much longer.

One of the first so-called wonderkids to burst onto the scene, eyebrows were raised when 17-year-old Sao Paulo talent Denilson decided to join Real Betis in 1998 - and even more shocked when he signed a contract lasting 10 years.

Unfortunately, it did not quite work out as hoped in Spain for the winger, who made nearly 200 appearances for the club but scored just 14 times before he left before the end of his contract in 2005.

Raul had already achieved legendary status at Real Madrid when he was awarded with a lifetime contract in 2008.

The Spaniard left for Schalke just two years later but by the time he did depart, the striker had spent 18 years at the club, playing over 700 times and scoring 323 times.

At a similar time to Raul, Los Blancos also offered a lifetime deal for fellow icon Iker Casillas, who will go down as one of the greatest ever goalkeepers.

The Spanish stopper outlasted his team-mate though, staying for another seven years, during which he added his third Champions League title to his collection in 2013-14.

Not wanting to be outdone by their rivals, Barcelona decided to give a lifetime contract in 2017 to midfielder Andres Iniesta, who had been central to their dominance in the decade prior.

Interestingly though, Iniesta departed just a year later, joining Japanese side Vissell Kobe, where he stayed for five years. Regardless, his status of as a Barca great was firmly secured before that.

You can check out the players currently out of contract this summer in both the Premier League and the rest of the world, as well as all the confirmed Premier League transfers so far.

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