Which clubs with at least somewhat modest budgets were able to hold onto star players for at least another season against the odds?

I always love to see clubs that don't spend wildly able to give their fans one more season of watching great talents. Also, a nod to the players who probably could have absolutely "forced" their way out but didn't.

I'd start with:

Juan Cuadrado remains with Fiorentina and with it keeps alive the Viola's dreams of fighting for a CL spot.

This post was edited on 9/1/14 at 5:14 pm

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Posted by TN Bhoy

San Antonio, TX

Member since Apr 2010

60589 posts

Posted on 9/1/14 at 3:59 pm to wm72

Celtic were able to keep hold of VVD.

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Posted by thenry712

Zasullia, Ukraine

Member since Nov 2008

15795 posts

Posted on 9/1/14 at 4:38 pm to wm72

Can we count Dortmund? The club finalized the Lewandowski transfer in January. They then held on to Reus; probably helped by his pre-World Cup injury.

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Posted by wm72

Brooklyn

Member since Mar 2010

7797 posts

Posted on 9/1/14 at 4:49 pm to thenry712

quote:
They then held on to Reus; probably helped by his pre-World Cup injury.

Yeah, that was huge for them after the Lewandowski, Goetze etc defections.

quote:
Can we count Dortmund?

I still wouldn't quite consider Dortmund as one the poorer 95% of clubs since then Napoli, Roma, Atletico Madrid among many others would also included and clubs on that level all kept a ton of star players as well.

On the other hand, I suppose Dortmund are not really bigger spenders than Fiorentina but simply have the cache of being the 2nd best in Bundesliga.

This post was edited on 9/1/14 at 5:58 pm

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Posted by thenry712

Zasullia, Ukraine

Member since Nov 2008

15795 posts

Posted on 9/1/14 at 4:53 pm to wm72

I mentioned that Hull City really did well in the transfer thread, but they don't have any stars. They did buy Abel Hernandez, Gaston Ramirez on loan, Michael Dawson and potentially Hatem Ben Arfa.

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Posted by wm72

Brooklyn

Member since Mar 2010

7797 posts

Posted on 9/1/14 at 5:17 pm to thenry712

quote:
Abel Hernandez, Gaston Ramirez on loan, Michael Dawson and potentially Hatem Ben Arfa.

Hernandez has all the tools to be great but it hasn't quite clicked. He did well in Serie B last season though.

Ramirez and Ben Arfa are huge talents if Ramirez can be consistent and Ben Arfa mature.

I was hoping that Torino would be able to hold onto Alessio Cerci but he ended up going to At. Madrid.

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Posted by MLSter

Member since Feb 2013

3967 posts

Posted on 9/1/14 at 5:27 pm to wm72

Swansea keeping bony

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Posted by apfour21

New Orleans, LA

Member since Nov 2012

3143 posts

Posted on 9/1/14 at 5:34 pm to wm72

United held on to Cleverley...

This post was edited on 9/1/14 at 5:42 pm

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Posted by wm72

Brooklyn

Member since Mar 2010

7797 posts

Posted on 9/1/14 at 5:45 pm to MLSter

quote:
Swansea keeping Bony

Yeah, there seemed to be a lot of interest in him.

quote:
United held on to Cleverley

They were smart to show their confidence by extending him on a big contract last season.

Other ones that are not quite as big as Bony and Cuadrado but great for the clubs:

Cagliari keeping Victor Ibarbo after a pretty good showing in the WC for Colombia

Sassoulo keeping Simone Zaza who's just become one their first players in a long time or ever to be called into the Italian NT.

This post was edited on 9/1/14 at 5:47 pm

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Posted by StraightCashHomey21