But VP has, what, two or three more years at the very top? Bale has around ten. You need to account for that time in the fee. Bale was very close to VP's goal tally in a midfield/second striker role and a much weaker team. Not comparing the players, but their impact.
In Real's case the debt probably is irrelevant. They aren't comparable to the banking sector as they are not generating money through risky investments, around 40% comes from commercial sales (which, by the way, examining their recent numbers, has not been greatly affected by global economic crisis) with another 40% from TV. They have a firmly established commercial brand that will continue to generate revenue regardless of on-pitch performance. Real Madrid is a fashion brand more than anything. Not to mention the absurd amount of financial cheating that goes on at the club. Perez selling a small parcel of land to the council who paid a 5,400% markup on it? They're corrupt as dogs, receiving state aid whenever the dept looks too bad on paper. Both Real and Barca are still under investigation for receiving illegal state aid. Bale will be their Messi. High impact, low maintenance, professional. He'll do well.
A club of Real Madrid's size has to make big signings for massive amounts of money, just to keep their fans happy
This is such a redundant debate, Iâm surprised that it still goes on every time a transfer fee is broken â people said exactly the same about the £3.6m back then. Yes, it is money we cannot even imagine in our wildest dreams, we canât really even comprehend it or what it looks like. But itâs also an abstract, or a symbol. Of course no one is worth that money, but at the same time, even when Shearer smashed the transfer fee record, players were simply players, who earned their money by what they did on the pitch alone. Whilest players now stil have to perform on the pitch, a purchase like Bale is buying a brand (Bale) to enhance a bigger brand (Madrid) â the latter brand is built on being biggest, best, richest, and breaking financial records to increase their global reach and sell merchandise. They keep that brand going by paying massive fees â which are still nowhere near the sort of money that gets chucked round industry every day, with some top financial and oil executives personally earning a quarter or half of such a fee for an annual bonus, which is just money in their pocket rather than money towards one of the worldâs best players which will generate itself back after one season. People doubting Bale remind me of the people saying VP has had one good season at Arsenal, and is not worth £23m (there were a lot of them on forums at the time). Sometimes you just know how good a player is going to be â he has almost superhuman physical prowess (speed, strength); can cut through half a team solo, and does so on a regular basis, whether against Norwich or Inter Milan; has lethal end product from most key areas on the pitch; has insane confidence and ambition; and makes the whole thing look easy. He stands out like a sore thumb on a pitch of 22 players, like no player I can remember, in the worldâs most competitive league, and is blatantly going to be one of the top three players in the world, if he isnât already. We were robbed in terms of our transfer fee; Spurs are obviously not going to let themselves get robbed â this is a player they did not want to sell, and so they have added a huge premium to compensate. After a season or so, no one is going to mention this fee, and it will look on the nose. This is not Andy Carroll weâre talking about.
Only if you want to move house - otherwise you've got a tangeable asset that will eventually recover it's value. Bale will recover his value for Madrid faster than any house bought at the height of a bubble - in cash terms through shirt sales alone (let alone other sponsorship deals he'll help pull in) & on the pitch IMO he'll help lead them to a champions league trophy. It's a crazy price, but Bale will pay for himself.
Not in Spain you haven't. You may well have a debt burden that'll never recover it's value. I'm not questioning Bale's ability to help Real win trophies, sell shirts, and promote their "brand" around the world. He's a consummate professional who would be as asset to any team in the world. I'm simply questioning the assumption that, in a world where football clubs are going bust regularly all around Europe, the biggest clubs are too big to fail financially. Football's finances are built on sand, from Chelsea to Chester, from Real Madrid to Rangers. And in the end, the bubble always bursts.
Apart from where they cheat and receive government aid. Anyway, Sun and Tele now reporting that Sinclair to WBA is all set to be announced any time now. Are there any other links to wide players floating around? Or just Moses in all our hearts and dreams.
My point is that sure, the bubble bursts, but when you've assetts making you millions in shirt sales you're more than capable of riding it out. Just like when a housing bubble bursts, if you don't want to move you still have the bricks & mortar that you paid for until the economy (housing or football) recovers. The Big clubs will ride out the bursting of the bubble precisely because of big name players. It's smaller clubs that will suffer far more.
It's a general all-around "meh" where Sinclair is concerned, I'm not sure anyone here was ever that enthusiastic. I would have liked him on loan to see how he did first. WBA fans seem happy though!
Nigel Clough denies there have been bids for Will Hughes. Said it would take a lot more than 6m to get him. I'd go to 10m, I think he's a marvellous talent.
We got our business done well in time. The Osvaldo announcement came on Sunday, that's 15 days before the deadline. No last minute rushing about this time, I'd say. Cortese outlined that we had three key targets. Lovren, Wanyama and Osvaldo significantly strengthen the spine and I am delighted with the club's business.
Would still like a wide player to replace Punch but great business done so far. Personally I wouldnt take Hughes. He's not better than the youngsters we already have imo.
Another article you guys may find interesting: http://www.football-italia.net/38633/rise-and-fall-osvaldo?
I'm over the moon with the window. Certainly the best in recent memory as a Saints fan. If we go on to sell Fox for a million I'd feel like we did some of the best business around. I just can't help the feeling that there is one more to come. I'm not proposing Hughes to us by any stretch. Just that if Liverpool get him for 10m then I think that's a good deal for all.
Is it just me or are there few genuinely good wide men available? I would like a good replacement for Punch but won't be devastated if we don't. Just worry about a plan B, although Punch cut in early and didn't skin people on the wings so he didn't provide that.
