Transfer Valuations
It is always interesting to compare varied points of view especially when they are from different countries. The biggest issue at the moment in European football has to be the round up of the transfers window that has finished. When you look at the papers or the internet sites in the UK they state first and foremost the amount that has been paid by the club for the player or if undisclosed the estimated amount. But if you look at the German transfers the first statement that is issued is the length of the contract the player has signed.
The issue that occurs when you place the emphasise on the price tag is that it can hang around the players neck like a millstone. Some players will thrive on this and others will not, the question is that is it really productive put that pressure on a player?.
Just because a lot of money has been spent on a player does not mean that he will be the finished article. Some of the greatest players in the English game were bought for next to nothing, look at Eric Cantona he cost £1-million which was next to nothing at that time for a player in the Premiership.
With the likes of Robinho and Berbatov costing over £30-million each it will be interesting to see how they will cope with the price tag that hangs over their heads. They are both top class players but the transition into a new club will always take sometime and the problem with their valuation is that the crowd and the media will expect world class performances from the off.
By Jake Hall