By Tony Attwood
Our correspondent in Switzerland has just come up with the calculation that the English players in the top level of the academy at Arsenal outnumber the non-English by two to one. The suggestion is that there is some serious forward thinking going on, judging by the way the transfer market is going.
That serious forward thinking relates to the possible restrictions on the Premier League from 2019/20 onwards when the free movement of players registered with European countries will be stopped, and all such players will be subject to import restrictions. At this time, English players will once more be at a premium.
For the moment however there is little such restriction, and the number of English citizens who are moving between clubs in Europe for the highest of prices seems very limited. I think three out of the 31 transfers listed below involve an English player.
What the tables show us is that there clearly does seem to be one price structure for selling to a Premier League club, and one for selling to any other club.
We’ll deal with the explanations as to why this is so in a moment. But first I decided to have a quick look at the cost of players across three leagues: the ten most expensive players sold to Premier League clubs, the same for Spanish clubs and again for German clubs.
Of course this is not scientific – we’d need to do many more analyses for this, but it is an indicator – a suggestion based on some data, the selection of which looks reasonable. The hypothesis is that in Spain and Germany players cost far less irrespective of where they come from.
Which raises the question: why should any Premier League club sell to a club in Germany or Spain? And the answer is… because they don’t want a Premier League club to have their star players, even if selling abroad reduces the price.
This might be a suicidal approach to finances, but first let’s see if this basic level of analysis fits the hypothesis.
Top Premier League buys
| Rank | Player | From | To | Price |
| 1 | Lakaku | Everton | Manchester Utd | £75m |
| 2 | Kyle Walker | Tottenham | Manchester City | £50m |
| 3 | Alexandre Lacazette | Lyon | Arsenal | £46m |
| 4 | Bernardo Silva | Monaco | Manchester City | £43.6m |
| 5 | Tiémoué Bakayoko | Monaco | Chelsea | £39.7m |
| 6 | Mohamed Salah | Roma | Liverpool | £36.9m |
| 7 |
Ederson
|
Benfica | Manchester City | £34.9m |
| 8 | Victor Lindelof | Benfica | Manchester United | £31m |
| 9 | Antonio Rüdiger | Roma | Chelsea | £29m |
| 10= | Jordan Pickford | Sunderland | Everton | £25m |
| 10= | Michael Keane | Burnley | Everton | £25m |
The other explanation is that if it is an English team buying then the price goes up because everyone knows the English have the money.
Over time we’ll see.
The Index of Indexes
- The In Index: All the players tipped to be joining Arsenal this summer
- The Out Index: All the players tipped to be leaving Arsenal this summer
- The Purchase Index: All this summer’s player buying by the top 10 clubs of last season
- The Loan Index: The top clubs compared in terms of players loaned out
I’ll buy into the notion of, “If it is an English team buying then the price goes up because everyone knows the English have the money”. This kind of segregated selling attitude shown to English teams in particular by other European teams when an English team wants to buy from them is pathetically unfortunate and unprecedented. More so pathetic to see when our own Arsenal want to buy from any of the top European club sides as these club sides will employ every strategy possible in the anal of the transfer book at their disposal to try by all means to shave Arsenal head but dry with broken bottles. So that Arsenal will become financially bruised and pained after getting the target they want from them over the line.
A similar scenario is now starting to play it’s self out in the out going transfer case from Monaco to Arsenal who want to sign their Thomas Lemar this summer. And this is despite the fact that there is no report of any other club side amongst the Europe’s 9 super club sides submitting a bidding to Monaco to sign Thomas Lemar this summer, save Arsenal. But yet, Monaco continue to stall to deny Arsenal signing Lemar. Is it until when Arsenal break the bank and pack all the money inside it and give them to Monaco, then will they allow Lemar to go to Arsenal?
As side a thought, I think I’ve been hearing about the single market economy that is in operation in the European Union of which the United Kingdom is still a part and parcel of it until it finally pulled out from it. Doesn’t this single market economy which is in operation in the EU affect the players transfer market across the member states to control the price of transfer of players and streamline it across board?
I’ll buy into the notion of, “If it is an English team buying then the price goes up because everyone knows the English have the money”. This kind of segregated selling attitude shown to English teams in particular by other European teams when an English team wants to buy from them is pathetically unfortunate and unprecedented. More so pathetic to see when our own Arsenal want to buy from any of the top European club sides as these club sides will employ every strategy possible in the anal of the transfer book at their disposal to try by all means to shave Arsenal head but dry with broken bottles. So that Arsenal will become financially bruised and pained after getting the target they want from them over the line.
A similar scenario is now starting to play it’s self out in the out going transfer case from Monaco to Arsenal who want to sign their Thomas Lemar this summer. And this is despite the fact that there is no report of any other club side amongst the Europe’s 9 super club sides submitting a bidding to Monaco to sign Thomas Lemar this summer, save Arsenal. But yet, Monaco continue to stall to deny Arsenal signing Lemar. Is it until when Arsenal break the bank and pack all the money inside it and give them to Monaco, then will they allow Lemar to go to Arsenal?
As a side thought, I think I’ve been hearing about the single market economy that is in operation in the European Union of which the United Kingdom is still a part and parcel of it until it has finally pulled out from it. Doesn’t this single market economy which is in operation in the EU market affect the players transfer market too across the member states to control the price of transfer of players and streamline it across board?
At his press conference today which he held in China, Le Prof has emphasised in his stance that come what may, any further discussion on the current Arsenal outgoing transfers that will involves Alexis Sanchez leaving Arsenal this summer is completely ruled out and has become null and void. Therefore, I am taking this Le Prof’s statement on the media rumour of Sanchez wanting away from Arsenal this summer as a final statement that finally nailed the media rumour coffin on Alexis Sanchez leaving Arsenal this summer. And I’ll not be discussing the subject anymore in my subsequent comments on Arsenal outgoing transfers this summer as I’ve considered Le Prof has now close any further discussions on the Sanchez transfer case this summer.
Nonetheless, in as much as the match between Arsenal and Bayern Munich tomorrow in China is a friendly game, but even then, Le Prof and the Gunners should do everything within their power to see that Arsenal in unofficial way but will still be satisfying beat Bayern Munich in China tomorrow to revenge in a small way the two defeats Arsenal suffered at their hands in the knockout stages of the Champions League last season.
On a related topic to your blog, it has been “rumoured” that Sanchez has asked for £400,000 quid a week
Taking into account that Messi is (apparently) now on a £1,000,000 a week contract
as of today it is rumoured that P.S.G. is prepared to pay Neymar`s buyout price of $220,000,000 odd (around £200,000,000)
On the assumption that these prices are correct £400,000 quid a week no longer seems outrageous
Ok the world has gone loopy, perhaps but only a few years ago £150,000 a week seemed nonsensical, but is now becoming par for the course,
Perhaps it may be an idea to agree £400,000 as quick as poss.in case the price goes up !!
Messi is on £500k a week, not a million. Neymar’s buyout is £197m but the word is Barca are willing to accept £133m. I miss the days when players were on peanuts and used to play a blinder with Friday night’s beer still sloshing around in their brains. Pitches like mud, heavy balls, jumpers for goalposts etc. It’s all madness these days, isn’t it? Isn’t it? Hmm? Madness.
@terry white, let me admit that you have a point. But @Flares has countered your figures of a million pound which you claimed as Messi’s weekly wage earnings, with his own figures of £500k as Messi’s weekly wage earnings. So, which of the two figures of the two of you should be believed. At any rate, and whatever be the case, am sure Arsenal know all the weekly wage earnings of all the top footballers at all the nine Europe super club sides which includes Arsenal FC. With this weekly salary wage structure being earned by the top players at the elite Europe’s nine super clubs in the back of Arsenal mind, i believe Arsenal will do the needful for Alexis Sanchez, by offering him another new weekly wages that is different from the ones they were reported to have offered him in recent past which is tailored to make him to happy and extends his staying at Arsenal beyond next season campaign.
OT: Corruption News
Gee, imagine that. More corruption touching FIFA and UEFA.
The brown paper bags full of money may have disappeared, but only because they now have a tinge of pink due to the infant one leading FIFA They are still full of money. And gee, the septic bladder has said he is going to personally attend the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Well, of course he is. How else can he pick up his (pink tinged) brown paper bags.
As Google has given up on being a good news source, this is from the CBC.
http://www.cbc.ca/sports/soccer/recent-arrests-fifa-corruption-1.4210322
The CBC article doesn’t mention any idiots from The (sweet) FA, which is a shame.
Corrupt as he is, 😈 Mike Riley isn’t mentioned either. He is too small a fish (at the moment) to do this kind of stuff.
Warm Milk…
In a convent in Ireland, the 98-year-old Mother Superior lay dying. The nuns gathered around her bed, trying to make her last journey comfortable. They tried giving her warm milk to drink but she refused it.
One of the nuns took the glass back to the kitchen. Then, remembering a bottle of Irish whiskey that had been received as a gift the previous Christmas, she opened it and poured a generous amount into the warm milk.
Back at Mother Superior’s bed, they held the glass to her lips. The frail nun drank a little, then a little more and before they knew it, she had finished the whole glass, down to the last drop.
As her eyes brightened, the nuns thought it would be a good opportunity to have one last talk with their spiritual leader.
“Mother,” the nuns asked earnestly, “Please give us some of your wisdom before you leave us.”
She raised herself up in bed on one elbow, looked at them and said:
“Don’t sell that cow!”
Brickfields
Magic !
You bring everything back to reality
Still laughing
Here is a squad of English players that have played in Europe. Please add to it.
Goalkeepers –
Joe Hart – (2016) – Man City to Torino (loan)
Defenders –
Ashley Cole (2014) – Chelsea to Roma
Jonathan Woodgate (2004) -Newcastle to Real Madrid
Dave Watson (1979) -Man City to Werder Bremen
Midfield –
Joey Barton (2012) – QPR to Marseille ( loan)
David Beckham (2003) -Man Utd to Real Madrid
Owen Hargreaves (1997) – Calgary Foothills FC to Bayern
Paul Gascoigne(1992) – Spurs to Lazio
David Platt (1991) – Aston Villa to Bari
Glenn Hoddle (1987) – Spurs to Monaco
Gordon Cowans (1985) – Aston Villa to Bari
Strikers/ wingers –
Jermaine Pennant (2009) – Liverpool to Real Zaragoza
Darius Vassell (2009) – Man. City to Ankaragücü
Micheal Owen (2004) – Liverpool to Real Madrid
Stan Collymore (2001) – Bradford City to Real Oviedo
Steve McManaman (1999) – Liverpool to Real Madrid
Chris Waddle (1989) – Spurs to Marseille
Gary Lineker (1986) – Spurs to Barcelona
Paul Rideout (1985) – Aston Villa to Bari
Mark Hateley (1984) -Portsmouth to AC Millan
Luther Blissett (1983) – Watford to AC Millan
Laurie Cunningham (1979) – WBA to Real Madrid
Kevin Keegan (1977) – Liverpool to Hamburg SV
Jimmy Greaves (1961) – Chelsea to AC Millan
Gerry Hitchens (1961) -Aston Villa to Inter
@ terry white -19/07/2017 at 8:30 am – And as you can clearly see from the above list , English clubs have sold quite a number of turkeys to Europe !
Or ‘lemons’ as they are referred in the US.
@Brickfield Gunners,
I think there is one point that is missing.
Why would an english player want to play in Europe when most of the time even in Championship and probably one lower he’d get better pay then in most european clubs – except those with truckloads of money ? Please do not forget that most if not of the PL clubs are in the top 40 biggest clubs in Europe (in terms if revenue at least).
Then, there is the other issue if UK players being crowded out as clubs go souting all through Europe and have no problem finding better talent – a base of 350 million people rather then 40 or 50 million and that in countries like Germany, France, Switzerland, come to think of it Iceland the youth movements, infrastructure, organisation is very professional, whereas as numerous articles in UA and in the UK press have shown how the FA mismanages about everything it does to the point of losing state subventions.
Add the 2 together and you have a market where few players have a chance emerging, and whether they do or not, few chances of earning the same thing in Europe.
And in the meantime, the FA, PL, club owners are behaving like the first class people on the Titanic and letting the orchestra play while the ship is taking water. I mean even straberry farmers are lobbying the government because they are in danger of economic exctinction after the borders close. Do we hear of any sort of approach by the actors listed above to defend the PL ? In this regards, I am left with no understanding at all and wonder how these gazillionaires are able to manage their money, empires, etc when with such a life-threatening event looming they sure look like they are ignoring it. And I do not beleiver there is some secret negociation going on….we’d know about it as we know all about…there is always a leaker.
Let the band play ‘Should Auld acquaintance…..’
@ Chris – Let’s see if post Brexit brings about stringent laws on club ownership , and fit and proper person rules are allied.
Am sure many present foreign ‘investors’ may be deemed persona non Grata , and may have to leave.
Are there local businessmen who will be able tobtakebthe slack ?
And now a word form Joe Bloggs ….
And I have seemed to left Sammy Lee from my list above.
He played for Osasuna.