Nine years ago, Tom Carter traveled from San Francisco to China, responding to a job posting that turned out to be a scam. He managed to find another job as a teacher, and saved enough money to embark on a 56,000 km trip through all of China's 33 provinces that lasted two years. Carrying a camera – just a a 4-megapixel point-and-shoot – Carter captured some amazing images of the widely varying landscape, people, and architecture across the nation. Photo: Buddhist pilgrim family from Sichuan. (Photo by Tom Carter via The Atlantic)

A woman wearing a gown hands out campaign leaflets to a coconut juice vendor during a Santacruzan-themed house-to-house campaign for Philippine Vice President and presidential candidate Leni Robredo, in Quezon City, Metro Manila, Philippines, May 5, 2022. (Photo by Lisa Marie David/Reuters)

A helicopter flies close to a volcanic eruption which has begun in Fagradalsfjall near the capital Reykjavik on March 20, 2021 in Fagradalsfjall, Iceland. On Friday the Icelandic meteorological office announced a volcano, referring to a mountain located south-west of the Capital Reykjavik has erupted after thousands of small earthquakes in the area over the recent weeks. A no-fly zone has been established in the area. (Photo by Vilhelm Gunnarsson/Getty Images)

Ryon Healy #25 of the Oakland Athletics is covered in water by Adam Rosales #16 after he hit a walk-off home run in the ninth inning against the Detroit Tigers at Oakland Alameda Coliseum on May 7, 2017 in Oakland, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

England's full-back Freddie Steward dives across the line to score a try chased by Japan's wing Lomano Lemeki (L) during the France 2023 Rugby World Cup Pool D match between England and Japan at Stade de Nice in Nice, southern France on September 17, 2023. (Photo by Nicolas Tucat/AFP Photo)

France's Juliette Ducordeau (Front R) and fellow athletes react after crossing the finish line of the Women's Mass Start 10 km Free event at the FIS Tour de Ski stage on January 8, 2023 in Val di Fiemme. (Photo by Marco Bertorello/AFP Photo)

Football transfers are not cheap. To have a player strengthen their ranks, teams are willing to pay big money. The football transfer considered to be the most expensive in the sport's history was that of Gareth Bale leaving Tottenham to play at Real Madrid. The Spanish club paid not less than £86 million (about $133 million at today's exchange rates) to have the player among its own. But recent news suggest that this record might be broken this year. According to reports in the media, UK Premier League team Manchester United is willing to almost double that amount.

Russian soldiers from 34th motorized infantry mountain brigade, 58th Army, prepare to evacuate a fellow soldier acting as an injured person during a drill at the Darial range outside Russia's city of Vladikavkaz, July 28, 2010. (Photo by Kazbek Basayev/Reuters)