Although the deal for Gareth Bale to join Real Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur appears to be on hold for the time being, the reported fee of over £85m could have knock on efforts elsewhere in the transfer market, pushing up valuations.
Of course, arguments about what a player is ‘worth’ founder on the fact that he is worth what a club is prepared to pay for him. It may not represent a good use of money, but it is as much about prestige as anything.
Although the deal for Gareth Bale to join Real Madrid from Tottenham Hotspur appears to be on hold for the time being, the reported fee of over £85m could have knock on efforts elsewhere in the transfer market, pushing up valuations.
Of course, arguments about what a player is ‘worth’ founder on the fact that he is worth what a club is prepared to pay for him. It may not represent a good use of money, but it is as much about prestige as anything.
Liverpool are not finding it easy to attract the players that would help to secure a return to ‘top club’ (i.e., Champions League qualifier) status. Manager Brendan Rogers has revealed financial rather than football reasons were behind Liverpool missing out on the signing of Willian.
He has warned the club must start spending big to avoid being cast adrift in the race for Champions League qualification. Only last week, Liverpool were considered in pole position for the Brazilian winger having opened negotiations with the Russian outfit over a fee.
An agreement, though, could not be reached, with Chelsea now poised to gazump Tottenham Hotspur for the player’s signature. Rodgers has given a glimpse of his frustration at missing out on another target with Liverpool having previously failed to lure Henrikh Mkhitaryan from Shakhtar Donestsk or Diego Costa from Atletico Madrid.
Asked if it was for a purely football reason Willian is heading elsewhere, Rodgers said yesterday: ‘No, it wasn’t a football one and I don’t really want to go into it… that’s for us as a club really.’
The manager is loathe to criticise Fenway Sports Group , who have made significant funds available to snare a marquee signing. But with their near rivals now spending heavily, Rodgers believes Liverpool have to splash the cash if they are to maintain a genuine top-four challenge.
‘I think the owners will spend the money,’ he said. ‘They are ambitious for the club to progress and get into the Champions League places, and we also know in order to not get left behind you have to spend money.’
That’s rightly important, to get quality in to help you progress, and the owners want to do that. We just need to make sure we can compete and get some players in. What they have taken on here is a huge job. You have seen over the few years they will finance a project we are trying to develop and what we have to make sure of is we get the right players and the value and worth of the player is right.’
Asked if Liverpool were too ambitious with their targets, Rodgers added: ‘Not necessarily too ambitious but there is a demand here to always get the best and you can’t always.’
Marquee signings are seen as a signal of serious intent and boost the morale of fans, but if one accepts the argument that a team is only as good as its weakest link, then there is an argument for strength in depth. Against there are very special players who change a match with their skill. There are very few of them and that is reflected in their cost.