Barcelona’s transfer signing of Sassuolo’s Kevin-Prince Boateng is proof that there is little value for money in the winter window.
It is this point in the season that big clubs around Europe typically add high-level players to spur on their title and/or cup challenges. It is a chance to add that missing piece to get over the line. Yet, the big clubs in England, France, Germany, Italy, and Spain are not making the key signings that they have in years past.
Liverpool and Manchester City, who are battling it out for the Premier League title and Champions League trophy, are both set to make zero transfer signings. Paris Saint-Germain, desperate for the Champions League trophy, haven’t signed a player yet. Real Madrid are in need of attacking upgrades but no major additions are set to arrive at the Santiago Bernabeu. But why?
Why aren’t big clubs making winter transfers?
The increase in transfer prices, salaries, and long-term contracts at the big clubs are the chief reasons players aren’t moving. Barcelona signed Luis Suarez and Philippe Coutinho from Liverpool in recent years after their development at Anfield. However, Liverpool have moved to sign their core players to long-term deals over the last 12 months. It is preventing clubs like Barcelona from poaching top talent.
In the Premier League, in particular, teams down the table are reluctant to sell to the big clubs with the amount of money available to them by avoiding relegation. Thanks to the Premier League’s television rights deal, it is more important for a club to hold on to players, avoid relegation, and collect their money for remaining in the top-flight. At the end of the 2017-18 Premier League season, the 20th place team, West Brom, still received £100 million despite being relegated.
While television rights contracts aren’t the same in other major European leagues, the lack of movement in England is having a knock-on effect around the continent. English teams make a transfer move which causes the dominos to fall. The selling team then becomes a buying team to add a player from elsewhere and so on. This winter is seeing a major change.
Have there been any big transfers?
The biggest headline grabbing deals thus far have been Bayern Munich’s capture of Canadian teenager Alphonso Davies from Vancouver Whitecaps, Fulham’s signing of ex-Liverpool striker Ryan Babel, and Ashley Cole moving to Derby County on a free transfer. That is it! The value for the players available isn’t great currently.
Burnley, seeing that Liverpool are in a defensive crisis right now, reportedly quoted the Reds £50m for defender James Tarkowski. The defender’s value is well over what he is really worth on the pitch. But again, Burnley do not have to sell and Liverpool won’t spend that money on a player some insiders have valued at £13.5m. Burnley will make more than double the £50m price if they remain in the Premier League. English top-flight clubs have no need to sell.
A shift in transfer spending
The world of football is heading toward a shift in transfer spending. With prices soaring for players, even mediocre ones, and top-flight teams not needing to sell, transfers will become fewer at the top-level. Of course, they won’t become obsolete, but free agent signings will become the norm for the top players in football.
Just take a look to North America with the NBA and Major League Baseball and football fans can see the way top-level football is trending. Although trades (transfers) are still made each season, the biggest names in their respective sports move via free agency. LeBron James, Bryce Harper, and the other highest paid players only move due to free agency.
Boateng’s signing with Barcelona could turn out to be a great deal. It is simply a six-month loan and despite going three months without a goal for Sassuolo, Boateng was a major player in Eintracht Frankfurt’s German Cup win last term. As a back-up player, Barcelona could have done a lot worse.