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FC Basel are one of the most successful clubs in Switzerland. Founded in 1893, it is also one of the oldest clubs in the history of Swiss football. The origin of the club is a rather fascinating one.
The message to form a club was conveyed via an advertisement. In it, interested people were told to attend a meeting at a particular venue. 11 men arrived and hence began the journey of Fussball Club Basel.
Their progress started blooming the most after entering the 21st century. Since the 1999-2000 season, they have been regular participants in European competitions. Qualifying for the Champions League seven times, FC Basel have the most appearances for a Swiss club in the competition.
They are also the only club from Switzerland to have earned direct qualification to the group stage of the Champions League. Basel's success this century coincided with them producing some fantastic players. These players went on to different clubs in other leagues and made their name.
While we cannot discuss them all, we will be viewing five of the club's most expensive departures as listed by Transfermarkt:
#5 Mohamed Elneny - €12.5 million
Elneny is an Egyptian player who started his career at Al Mokawloon. Debuting at the age of 18, he earned his European call when FC Basel signed him on a six-month long loan in 2013. His move was made permanent before the new season began.
The 29-year-old defensive midfielder earned a regular spot there and appeared 142 times in four years. He also managed to win the Swiss Super League every year and his performances there attracted the attention of Arsene Wenger.
In the winter transfer window of the 2015-16 season, Arsenal signed Elneny for a fee of €12.50 million. He was their backup option, as a result of which he did not appear as frequently as he used to at Basel. Excluding a season-long spell at Besiktas, he is in his sixth season with the Gunners.
#4 Mohamed Salah - €16.5 million
Mohamed Salah is another Egyptian player who had the same route map as that of Elneny. After a couple of seasons with Mokawloon, he moved to Switzerland where he joined Basel in 2012.
Unlike his team-mate, he did not stick there long, as two years later, Chelsea signed him for a fee of €16.5 million. However, he failed to succeed at Stamford Bridge which resulted in him going out on loan spells. Roma finalized his permanent move in 2016 which saw a turnaround in his fortune.
A year later, Liverpool signed him and he delivered a record-breaking debut. With 32 goals in one season, he broke the record for the most goals scored in a single Premier League campaign.
Salah has broken many more records in his five-year stay so far and is currently leading the goals and assists chart for the 2021-22 Premier League season.
#3 Mohamed Elyounoussi - €18 million
Third on the list for the most expensive FC Basel departure is Norway's Mohamed Elyounoussi. The Moroccan-born became a Norway international after moving there at a very young age. He made his debut for Sarpsborg 08 and three years later, he signed for Molde.
At the Norwegian club, Elyounoussi was moulded into a talented winger and went on to score 42 goals in less than 100 appearances. Basel were impressed by his ability in front of goal and signed him in 2016. Two seasons later, he was signed by Premier League side Southampton for €18 million.
However, he failed to maintain his goalscoring form as he ended his first season with the Saints by not registering a single goal in 19 appearances. He then spent two seasons on loan with Celtic before finally opening his Southampton account in the 2021-22 season.
#2 Manuel Akanji - €21.5 million
Manuel Akanji marked his professional debut for a second-tier Swiss side named Winterthur. He moved to the Swiss Super League when Basel confirmed his signing in 2015.
Akanji spent three years with them, during which time he managed to participate in the Champions League as well. Following Swiss Super League and Swiss Cup success, Basel qualified for the 2017-18 Champions League.
Akanji played all the fixtures as they finished second in the group stages and registered four clean sheets.
However, the 26-year-old defender could not be part of their knockout phase journey as Borussia Dortmund signed him for €21.5 million in the winter transfer window. Currently in his fifth and final year at Dortmund, Akanji is yet to decide on his future.
#1 Breel Embolo - €26.5 million
The Cameroonian-born Swiss international was an academy product of FC Basel. Rising through different ranks at the youth level, Embolo earned his first-team debut four years after joining the club.
Marking his debut at 17, the forward spent his teenage years at Basel and earned a good deal of plaudits. He was exceptionally good for a player of his age and was tipped to become a top player. In 2016, he shifted to Germany after Schalke 04 signed him in a deal worth €26.5 million.
Three seasons later, he was signed by another German club, Borussia Monchengladbach. Embolo struggled to deliver like he used to as at both Bundesliga clubs as he scored only 29 goals in six years, two less than what he managed at Basel in three years.
