Why there’s such a Lac of interest

AGENTS and clubs have a common complaint in this summer’s transfer market.

There is absolutely no movement in the ’middle market’ when it comes to offloading and buying players, which has caused a huge backlog in deals.

Manchester City broke the Premier League record with £100million for Jack Grealish, Chelsea spent £97.5m on Romelu Lukaku and Arsenal are on course to spend £140m – and that’s a huge statement.

But clubs are really struggling to sell players.

In most years, outcasts could be sold to Spain or Italy and yet there is very little money among even some of the big clubs in La Liga or Serie A.

That, more than anything else, is causing the issue and may also be the reason why, towards the end of the market, it may be more about a mad scramble for loans, swaps and smaller loans with a view to buy.

Arsenal are a classic example as they have Hector Bellerin, Willian, Sead Kolasinac, Lucas Torreira, Reiss Nelson, Eddie Nketiah, Ainsley Maitland-Niles all available for transfer – but no takers so far.

They expected some offers for Alexandre Lacazette (above) but there has been nothing.

And now he is set to stay even though he is into the final year of his contract.

One agent said they had never known such a slow market, Premier League clubs were prepared to go for it, they felt the shackles were off after the financially painful 18 months of the pandemic… but it was at an impasse because there were few or no takers overseas.