The transfer window made it clear that we have no idea what any player is "worth" anymore
There was a time when transfers made sense. The biggest clubs in the world bought the best players and the players who went for astronomical transfer fees were usually those widely acknowledged as the best on the planet. Anyone beneath that, even good players who could do a job for a Champions League contender, would be sold for under £20 million. It was pretty clear what everyone was worth and what their market price was.
Not anymore. Not even close.
We knew that the Premier League was about to cash in on an unfathomable amount of TV money this summer. We knew corporate partnerships were pouring millions into clubs, that foreign investment was going to bankroll teams and that China had already had a major impact on the market by spending obscenely to sign high (and not so high) profile players. We were prepared for a massive shift in this transfer window. And yet nobody could have predicted that it would play out the way it did.
That's five players in a single transfer window who clubs paid €50 million or more for, and only one of them could be considered one of the best in the world right now. It's crazy.
It's not like the the outlandish money was reserved for one end of the spectrum either. While the most expensive transfers were mind-boggling, so is the fact that 51 players were sold for at least €20 million this summer. Even the mid-level player was going for a huge sum of money. In total, 13 Premier League clubs set their transfer record this summer, as did 11 Bundesliga clubs, and that came a year before the German league's new TV deal kicks in.
Even those who predicted a huge increase in spending this window -- and that was everyone -- couldn't have guessed that spending would look like this. They didn't believe Newcastle would actually get £30 million for Moussa Sissoko or Napoli would shell out €32 million for Arkadiusz Milik. The list of unconscionable transfers went on and on.
That's not to say that clubs were wrong to pay what they paid or that everything went to hell. A lot of clubs were spending money that they made on sales, like Napoli taking the €90 million they got Higuain and spending it on six players. It's easier to justify spending huge money on players if you're selling players for similarly obscene fees. But even beyond that, the spending wasn't irresponsible.
With so much money coming into the sport, it's only natural that clubs spend it. The transfer fees were gigantic, and so were the wages. At least that means players are getting a cut of the billions coming into the spot on the backs of their talent and work. Increased spending with increased revenue is perfectly normal, and it's making its way down to the workers. If there is one group that will be upset at all the money being spent, it might be the fans, who haven't seen ticket prices or even merchandise prices level out, but at least the money is being spent on the teams they love so it's not just lining the pockets of already-rich owners.
With the first Super Silly MoneyTransfer Window in our rearview mirror, we now look forward to January and beyond. And there's no telling what spending will look like. If this summer taught us anything, it's that we don't know what a player is worth anymore. There's no system or basic logic that dictates what transfer fee category a player fits into. The selling team, buying team, previous transfers, TV deals, new stadiums, kit contracts, foreign investment and, on top of that, poor scouting or desperation have all proven to matter more than what a player is "worth."
So what are players worth nowadays? We have no idea. But it's definitely a lot of money.
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