RT Journal Article T1 The wisdom of crowd, real option and game theory decisions: can they be used by clubs to improve their investment in football players? A1 González Sánchez, Francisco José A1 Féliz Navarrete, Álvaro A1 Rubio Martín, Gracia María A1 Manuel García, Conrado Miguel AB Purpose: The aim of this work is to explain the final negotiated prices for some of the most famous transfers of football players over the last twelve years (2007–2018).Design/methodology/approach: The article analyses different values for forwards taken from the sports website Transfermarkt, developing a statistical model based on personal, performance, risk, environmental and popularity variables. From those values, the article finds an explanation for the final prices paid for 20 superstar players based on a combination of real option valuations, incorporating the players' life cycles and game theory.Findings: The authors find that in a large percentage (70%) of the analysed cases, the price paid was higher than the intrinsic market value resulting from Transfermarkt, implying the existence of monopolistic rents, paid as “growth options” on prices from different negotiating conditions. On occasions, the final prices also exceed the value of the growth option, calculated under neutral bargaining conditions, highlighting the lack of economic viability of important transfers, leading to financial difficulties for the clubs involved.Originality/value: The algorithm provides more flexibility and realism than previous proposals, based on the life cycle of football players, introducing the uncertainty and volatility of projections through Monte Carlo simulation, the capacity of clubs to bargain a price at any point of the contract and finally, the buyer's ability to transfer the player if his subsequent performance is not as expected. PB Emerald SN 0307-4358 YR 2022 FD 2022 LK https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/94006 UL https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.14352/94006 LA eng NO Rubio Martín, Gracia, Conrado M. Miguel García, Francisco José González Sánchez, y Álvaro Féliz Navarrete. «The Wisdom of Crowd, Real Option and Game Theory Decisions: Can They Be Used by Clubs to Improve Their Investment in Football Players?» Managerial Finance 49, n.o 6 (22 de mayo de 2023): 1036-55. https://doi.org/10.1108/MF-05-2022-0230. DS Docta Complutense RD 21 abr 2025