please log in to view this image Is it past 12? Yep, the market is finally closed. The exodus is complete. September 3d has arrived and silence dominates the football markets. As the dust settles, the agents, players, technical directors and managers can finally get some sleep. When the day breaks and reality kicks back in, the league is left with teams in shambles; talents and creativity have to be found in what remains in the Eredivisie. And it isnât much, I can tell you that. Here is an overview of all the major transfers this summer(every transfer above one million euros): Kevin Strootman: PSV -> AS Roma 16.5m ⬠Wilfried Bony: Vitesse -> Swansea City 13.9m ⬠Christian Eriksen: Ajax -> Tottenham Hotspur 13.5m ⬠Jozy Altidore: AZ Alkmaar -> Sunderland 10m ⬠Dries Mertens: PSV -> Napoli 9.7m ⬠Marco van Ginkel: Vitesse -> Chelsea 9.4m ⬠Jeremain Lens: PSV -> Dynamo Kiev 9m ⬠Nacer Chadli: FC Twente -> Tottenham Hotspur 8.15m ⬠Toby Alderweireld: Ajax -> Atletico Madrid 7m ⬠Filip Djuricic: SC Heerenveen -> Benfica 6m ⬠Leroy Fer: FC Twente -> Norwich City 5.5m ⬠Erik Pieters: PSV -> Stoke City 3.6m ⬠Virgil van Dijk: FC Groningen -> Celtic 3m ⬠Marcelo: PSV -> Hannover 96 2.75m ⬠Derk Boerrigter: Ajax -> Celtic 2.5m ⬠Sanharib Malki: Roda JC -> Kasimpasa 1.5m ⬠Leandro Bacuna: FC Groningen -> Aston Villa 1m ⬠Figures from Transfermarkt.com and Dutch media. please log in to view this image Strootman's transfer to AS Roma was the biggest this summer. Add all the transfers up and you get a staggering 111.3 million euros in profit for the entire Eredivisie. There was only one league in the world that made more profit than the Dutch league: the Brazilian Série A which made a 183 million profit, with a bit of help from Neymar(57m) and Shakhtar Donetsk which spent 60 million on four players from Brazil. But still, a 111 million euros. We couldâve got Gareth Bale and barely a yearâs salary with that! That may all sound great but the league is now deprived of any developed talent and the few that are remaining are already looking for options in the winter transfer period, like Tadic, Toivonen and Finnbogason. This season Ajax, PSV and FC Twente are falling back on their youth academy hoping that new talent will stand up and develop. Now with the last generation out of the way the youngsters can rise up again and gain experience, progress and hopefully by the end of the season, the Eredivisie will have produced another generation of prospects and sensations. But judging from the first five rounds, the quality of the players has obviously dropped, though some exciting players have come in on loans this summer. The main worry is that with a new broadcast contract with Fox Sports and the hundreds of millions of euros coming in through transfers, the clubs will drop their ambitions in favour of the money. Johan Cruijff himself stated that he wants to bring Ajax to a level that they can win the Europa League or Champions League again. Selling Eriksen and Alderweireld wonât do them any good and even though the money is helpful, an international title will be out of the equation for the next five, maybe ten years. Same goes for PSV and Feyenoord. The clubs are not willing to spend and the fans are the victims as always. They watch the news, jealous of the clubs in England, Italy and Spain who can spend hundreds of millions without repercussions from the UEFA or FA. Whilst we count our euros(grateful the clubs are not going bust but get to play their matches for another couple of seasons), Real Madrid can spend 99 million euros on Bale, Arsenal splash out 45 million on Ãzil, and Napoli pay 37 million for HiguaÃn, just to name a few. The Dutch clubs canât wait for FFP to go into full effect. They hope they can finally compete with the big leagues like in the old days once the UEFA implements it in full. And to be frank, I hope Iâll still be alive when that day comes, because that might take decades. please log in to view this image Erwin and Ronald Koeman cheering for the money Fox throws at them!
Talking point will always be Gareth Bale- the most expensive player in football market. We wish him luck because pressure is on him to perform.
A very facile way of defining profit. The incoming monies are not all profit for the clubs. Add to that the reduction in quality to the teams who have transferred their players out. Put the 2 together and just maybe you'll find a not so rosy figure!
Very true, a Dutch financial news show reported Ajax has around 75 to 80 million euro in reserves but are not willing to spend that kind of money. There may be talent in the team but the performance and results on the pitch are poor.
Ajax can in the dutch league. they can guarantee CL football. why on earth would they spend that money? until some mad shek turns up like in france and psv suddenly dominate why? 3 dutch leagues and plenty of talent so they are simply sustaining their position. you can't shovel money at players due to wages needed as an ongoing basis. they only thing they'll miss is a CL tilt.
2 and most clubs in the second division are nearly going bust. And we have a Georgian 'friend' of a certain mister Abramovich in charge at Vitesse. Pumped around 60 million in the club and got to fourth place in the league last season. And this season has been dreadful in Europe. FC Utrecht got kicked out by semi pros from Luxemburg, Vitesse by Petrolul Ploeisti and Feyenoord didn't stand a chance against Kuban Krasnodar. AZ was lucky they beat Atromitos 1-3 away and advance to the group stage. PSV got their arses kicked by AC Milan and Ajax look already poor in the Eredivisie, let alone against Barcelona in two weeks. It's going to be a massacre, 6-0 or 7-0 would be a score most likely.
and thats why in the end you can't retain players long enough so spending that 80mil would be a waste. the dutch league cannot generate the revenue for the clubs like the tv in england can. YOu can get europe by just being ajax and maintaining standards and structures across the tiers within the club and make clubs like tottenham great players they don't deserve
The thing I've always admire about the Dutch leagues is their ability to bounce back from selling the best players. The top stars have left Dutch football since the Ajax team of the mid 90s and yet they have always gone on to produce the next generation to take the place of the departing. Cove, do you believe that this wont happen from now on? Are there no young guns ready to step and make a name? Also Bony cost more than Eriksen?? Whats up with that?
Sure they will, they've got enough talent in the youth teams. But as always, it will take another 2 or 3 years before they are back at their level. But with that cycle happening over and over again, it'll take decades before we see a CL or EL title go to a Dutch club, I'm even doubting it will happen in my lifetime. And Eriksen was indeed on a contract till 2014. Bony still had 2 years on his.
