The Premier League has seen a massive financial windfall, via the massive increase in price for broadcasting rights. The rocketing revenue streams generated by television contracts makes the clubs richer, and therefore allows them to spend more on acquiring top notch players. This summer alone, Chelsea, Arsenal and Liverpool all broke their club records for individual transfer fees.
Manchester United broke the world record last summer, by paying £89.3 million for Paul Pogba. They made another top ten most expensive in history buy this summer with Romelu Lukaku at £75 million. Additionally, they signed Victor Lindelof at £31 million, and thus spent £106m on just two players.
Thus it seems a bit like the pot calling the kettle black when Mourinho describes the transfer market as “very strange” and “out of control.” Mourinho’s club has certainly done their part and more to exponentially drive the prices up. Mourinho also took the media opportunity to defend the cost paid for Pogba and Lukaku, the top tier players, while also deriding what he views as overpayment for a players who aren’t in the elite stratosphere.
“Every club is getting good players, every club is investing a lot and some clubs are paying too much and by paying too much they create a very strange and out of control market,” Mourinho said. “But this is the reality now.”
“I always thought the problem is not what you pay for these kind of (top) players, I don’t think the problem is what you pay for Pogba, I don’t think the problem is going to pay crazy for Neymar,” Mourinho told the media.
“I think the problem is with the other group which is a big group because players like Pogba, there is one or two (big) transfers (like that) per transfer window. The other ones are where you have 100 transfers and for me that is the dangerous area of the market.”
“Some clubs are paying or they don’t buy because they don’t accept the numbers that are now ruling the market, or to do it they have to go the same levels and for me that’s what worries me a little bit because now we speak about £30m, £40m, £50m in such an easy way.”
Mourinho is clearly frustrated with the summer transfer market right now, and disappointed with how United’s transfer window has turned out to some extent. He’s a guy who likes to get his summer transfer business done as early as possible, so that he can integrate all the new additions into his side. With the club still seeking the third and fourth summer acquisitions that Mourinho has openly pined for, it’s only natural that the Portugese vents his frustration.
Criticizing the transfer market in general is a natural outlet for him.
Paul M. Banks runs The Sports Bank.net and TheBank.News, partnered with FOX Sports Engage Network and News Now. Banks, a former writer for the Washington Times, NBC Chicago.com and Chicago Tribune.com, currently contributes regularly to WGN CLTV.
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