There’s no Covid discount for ruthless sharks trying to feed off the small fry

FANS of England’s biggest clubs have long dreaded one of their stars becoming so good he’d be coveted by Europe’s richest.

The pain at losing them being almost as bad as the tapping-up when Spain and Italy’s finest turn the perception of what they are doing on its head.

They aren’t predators hunting weaker meat, but liberators freeing desperate young men from the captivity of low achievement.

Then, once the player’s agent is on board, they sell the notion they are charities sending underprivileged kids to Disneyland as they set about ruthlessly hacking down the price.

Amid the torrent of fan anger, wiser heads point out that this is simply football’s version of Darwinism, with the strong feeding off the weak, just as their own club does with ones further down the food chain.

When Covid threw a hand grenade under football’s finances, there was a strong feeling that the sardines would be easily devoured by the sharks this summer.

That relegated and Championship sides would be so desperate for cash they would surrender to the first offer for their star men and top clubs would be able to readjust their damaged transfer budgets with some bargain deals.

That may eventually happen, but so far stands are being made and it’s uplifting to see the sharks being played at their own game.

Take Norwich, whose sporting director Stuart Webber told Liverpool, after they submitted an initial offer of £10 million for left back Jamal

Lewis, not bother calling back unless the bidding started at £20m.

Webber said he didn’t care how much Lewis was swooning at the chance to join the champions as he had him tied up for another three years and was in no rush to sell.

That’s the thing about parachute payments. It means you don’t have to initially panic about paying the bills when you go down.

Webber’s stand has sent a timely message to clubs thinking of bidding for other young talents, such as

Todd

Cantwell and Ben Godfrey, that they shouldn’t do so wearing a robber’s mask.

Another relegated side, Watford, have reportedly told Crystal Palace that if they want to replace Wilfried Zaha with 22-year-old Ismaila Sarr, the minimum they need to come up with is £40m.

And Bournemouth’s new boss Jason Tindall warned at his opening press conference that he wouldn’t have taken the job without assurances that there would be no “fire sale” of his best young players.

Having banked £41m for Nathan Ake, they’re selling no one on the cheap. Hence rejecting a £12m offer from Sheffield United for goalkeeper Aaron Ramsdale.

Nottingham Forest gave the Blades the same answer as

Bourneto mouth when they tried to nab full-back Matty Cash and Burnley now fear a low-priced swoop for Forest defender Joe Worrall will meet with the same response.

On a bigger stage, Manchester United are finding with Jadon Sancho there is no “Covid discount” and they’ll have to pay the pre-lockdown price of £108m. A compromise may ensue, but it’s refreshing to hear that Ed Woodward is “frustrated at the slow pace of negotiations”.

Just as Liverpool’s Michael Edwards was frustrated that Norwich had the audacity to think Lewis was worth £20m. Even though he values Harry Wilson, who has made only one substitute appearance for the Reds in an FA Cup replay at Plymouth, at the same price.

It’s early days in the transfer window and economic necessity may change things, but for now it’s good to see the sardines taking a stand against the sharks. Because, once fans get back into grounds, the market will readjust and the big clubs will have plenty of money to spend again.

So there’s no rush to let their pockets get picked.