Fans and pundits question fees but proof remains in thee trophy pudding
And so it begins. The transfer window is officially open and the deals are coming thick, if not fast. Thick in the sense of the wads of cash that are involved, because as sure as night follows day, we are on course for another summer of record spending.
Money is a very odd concept in soccer. As abstract as anything Jackson Pollock’s – or even Jamie Pollock’s – mind could fathom, it has little relevance in the world where elite clubs operate. Colossal TV deals, shirt sales, Champions League revenue and official noodle partners have long put paid to that – so why is it that we all get ourselves so twisted up about value in the market?
Fair enough if you’re a club outside of the elite, there’s good reason. Money is at a premium and when you spend over the odds on a player who doesn’t perform then people lose jobs and clubs go out of business. But in the Monopoly money, make- believe world of the Premier League, why does anyone care?
There is no value in the market. That’s a Sir Alex Ferguson quote that is now seven years old, and arguably it’s only got worse. Players are worth whatever their agents and current clubs can convince their new clubs to pay – and Ferguson himself is proof of that. To my eyes, Jordan Pickford moving to Everton for 30 million pounds ($ 38 million) constitutes a good deal for all. Sunderland get plenty of money to fritter away while Everton get an England international who is a proven Premier League player and could have 15 years ahead of him. To some it is a sure sign of the End of Days.
A similar amount was spent by Manchester United on Victor Lindelof and opinion has been split on that deal, too. Former Manchester United midfielder Ray Wilkins was firmly in the “keep the receipt” camp. “This guy has done nothing. Absolutely nothing,” was Wilkins’ verdict on the Swede, but in the same breath he suggested that a 25 million pound deal for one- season- in- the- Premier League Michael Keane would be money well spent. Never mind that 22- year- old Lindelof has won back- to- back Portuguese titles with Benfica.
Whatever opinion you hold, the truth is that a teenager with one season of soccer under his belt might well become the world’s first 100 million pound soccer player this summer. Is that good value? Ask whoever signs Kylian Mbappe in a few years. If he wins soccer matches and they in turn win trophies then yes, he will have been. And if he sells some TV deals, shirts and noodles along the way then even better.
As fans and explayers, we’re obsessed by money – what players earn, what they cost and whether they are worth it. It’s the easiest stick with which to beat players – ask Paul Pogba this season – and entire leagues – see 99 percent of media coverage of the Chinese Super League. And it is nonsense; the horse has long since bolted in that regard.
There are zeros that matter: clean sheets, making sure you aren’t kept out by the opposition, and the number of fans in the stands, as examples. But transfer fees? No way, Jose.