The usual blanket media coverage of football has been pushed aside in the last few weeks by the Olympics. For those so inclined this has given them a chance to drive home their message about the greed and venality of footballers.
Even so, the transfer window has been relatively quiet. With two weeks left, Barclays Premier League clubs have spent only £240m on new players, a considerable decrease on last summer”s £485m outlay.
The usual blanket media coverage of football has been pushed aside in the last few weeks by the Olympics. For those so inclined this has given them a chance to drive home their message about the greed and venality of footballers.
Even so, the transfer window has been relatively quiet. With two weeks left, Barclays Premier League clubs have spent only £240m on new players, a considerable decrease on last summer”s £485m outlay.
Of course, a health warning is necessary. Last year £100m was spent on deadline day. There are almost certain to be big deals for van Persie and Modric. Nevertheless, there is some evidence of a sea change going on. Many leading clubs seem to be waiting to sell before they buy.
Uefa’s financial fair play rules are having an effect. Dan Jones from Deloitte Sport Business told The Times, ‘Even with an improved television deal looming, we’re seeing a more sustainable model, and that’s in part because we are already in the period when [FFP] will be taken into account. What clubs do now could impact their figures when legislation kicks in next year.’
Jones also argued that there is more strategic thinking going into recruitment. There is a greater interest in finding young players, often in undervalued markets, and paying them a relatively low wage while building up their value.
The examples of Rangers and Portsmouth have also served as an awful warning. The Premier League does not want any repetition of what happened at Pompey. The example of Rangers shows that even the mighty can fall.
It seems that the only club pushing the boat out in Europe at the moment are Paris Saint-Germain who have spent more than £100m building their side.