I've just retutnred from the Edinburgh Fringe and met up with an old pal who I'd absolutely classify as a 'footy nut'. Whereas I'm more nutty about Brentford than the actual sport itself (if that makes sense) he'll watch everything, including Aussie league games!
We spoke about whether this transfer window has been particularly momentous and whether it's set potentially dangerous precedences. I was relieved in truth to learn he agreed with me in that it had. Mainly 3 points
1. Player's demanding moves.
Look, I get it that some fans, not most, but some may be a bit more forgiving over Ollie's actions than I am. But that's only because the first and only time (for now) it happened to us, our negotiator supreme, the best in world football if the prices swirling around other clubs are anything to go by, got £55m for a player who'd in my view already reached their peak with us. Clubs need greater protection! Whether that means new clauses in contracts about forfeited pay over certain actions, whether that means specify entries over what differentiates requesting to leave and dishonouring your contract, whether clubs can insert minimum starting bids over the sale of players trying to quite literally void their contracts (Mateta) etc.. otherwise this will become even more of a issue than it already has.
2. Squad 'Exoduses'
Personally I differentiate the players that Newcastle have lost compared to what's happened with Villa. Reset v destruction. But considering Palace who are arguably in their most successful years as a Premier Leage club are losing a few too, it is noteworthy. It leads onto to what I think is arguably the 'recementing' of the top 6. In other words, as a smaller club with European aspirations, whilst I'm not not suggesting at all this would happen here, what comes with having a successful team is having players that will more and more commonly be linked with moves elsewhere.
3. 'Top 6' financial supremacy/ Premier League isolation?
I imagine some will either thoroughly agree or thoroughly disagree. Despite finishing last season in the top 4 and losing what they have and with Spurs effectively buying in almost half a new starting squad, the sheer financial dominance of the top 6 has never been so clear.
What continues to fund this though are other Premier League essentially surrending vast sums to them for arguably adequate at best players. Forest paying £50m for Delap, apparently about to spend £40m on an Everton teen, Savinho £75m, Gonzalez to Newcastle £52m.
And that's what I mean by Premier League isolation. Complete hypothetical, but if Yarmo turns into the player we all hope he will, there will only be what 5 clubs in the world who can afford him. On the one hand great, but that's nuts.
Whilst I do appreciate alot of this is hardly new, it's been quite alarming just how much movement, esepcially within the league, has been done. And I can only imagine it'll continue
international and 3 apps at WC26.
