The Neymar effect has started

[anne honemous]

Van Dijk to Liverpool for £75m.

A good player, but no way on this earth is he worth £75m and no way at any point in the future will he be worth that amount.

With stupid amounts now being spent by big teams in this country, it makes you wonder whether players at our level have an even more inflated opinion of their own self worth and will be commanding absolutely ridiculous money when in discussions with clubs.

It has to filter down at some point with average players going for massive money at the top level.

[selby]

  The best way to stop it is,when the next Leeds arrives(a big club in trouble to the tune of £140 million) and are not out of administration as Leeds were at the start of the next season.
  Impose the rules that exist and chuck them out of the league, as they did with Chester and Hereford.

[anne honemous]

It'll never happen but Swansea City will be the next club to go up the creek when they lose the riches of the PL.

[southwestexile]

January prices are always overinflated anyway, but you could argue that £75m is a good price if it helps them secure CL for next season, if it helps them progress in this season's CL and if it stops their competitors getting hold of him

[GazLaz]

He’s in the top 3 centre halves in the Prem probably.

[mushRTID]

Everyone questioned Sterling at 50m but that’s looking cheap at the minute.

It’s just the way it’s going. With all the money flying around it’s obviously the players most of it goes on.

[adamtherover]

January prices are always overinflated anyway, but you could argue that £75m is a good price if it helps them secure CL for next season, if it helps them progress in this season's CL and if it stops their competitors getting hold of him

is champs league footy even worth 75 mill?

[Donnywolf]

Probably worth a "pile" to the 4 Teams that get in it.

Incidentally I thought we were due to "lose" one place on Account of us not being very successful as a Nation / League ? Is that still coming ?

[idler]

January prices are always overinflated anyway, but you could argue that £75m is a good price if it helps them secure CL for next season, if it helps them progress in this season's CL and if it stops their competitors getting hold of him

is champs league footy even worth 75 mill?

When you are recruiting top players the gauruntee of CL football can be a big draw as well.

[RoversAlias]

Probably worth a "pile" to the 4 Teams that get in it.

Incidentally I thought we were due to "lose" one place on Account of us not being very successful as a Nation / League ? Is that still coming ?

Nope, we are locked in as one of the big nations to get 4 automatic qualifiers from next year.

This Van Dijk price is due to the Neymar Effect but it isn't the start of it, that came in the summer when Barca spent the Neymar money on Dembele for well over £100mil, and I believe someone like Mbappe also penned a move well over that price too.

[BillyStubbsTears]

He’s in the top 3 centre halves in the Prem probably.

Gaz. Just stop and reflect for a moment. A player who is possibly/probably in the top 3 centre backs in the PL is worth about the same as the highest transfer fee ever paid in the world for any player just 4 years ago.

Is this not just a little obscene?

[anne honemous]

I don't think he's even that good.

Height, strength, physique - yeah, but he's a very, very, very average defender.

Some of the defenders who have been around at the same level in the last 25 years would eat him for breakfast.

[GazLaz]

He’s in the top 3 centre halves in the Prem probably.

Gaz. Just stop and reflect for a moment. A player who is possibly/probably in the top 3 centre backs in the PL is worth about the same as the highest transfer fee ever paid in the world for any player just 4 years ago.

Is this not just a little obscene?

It’s plenty admittedly. Prices are determined on more than just ability though aren’t they.

[Beerseller]

He’s in the top 3 centre halves in the Prem probably.

Gaz. Just stop and reflect for a moment. A player who is possibly/probably in the top 3 centre backs in the PL is worth about the same as the highest transfer fee ever paid in the world for any player just 4 years ago.

Is this not just a little obscene?

Its not just the transfer fee though is it?  With a £75m transfer fee comes a £75m rated player's wages (which will be quoted in the ridiculous £s per week)   If he's going to be on £200k per week that translates to an annual salary of over £10m per year.  And here's the trouble, once you get one of the nearly-best-in-his-position players on £10m a year then every other player whose agent fancies him as maybe nearly best also wants £10m a year.  And that's where it gets really f**king obscene.

[Draytonian III]

He's not that good,looked good in an average Southampton side. £75 million 😂 😂

[BillyStubbsTears]

Gaz

Yes. Precisely.

Beerseller.
The most nauseating interview I’ve read this year was Sam Allardyce in the Guardian a few days ago.

https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/football/2017/dec/22/sam-allardyce-uk-reliance-foodbanks-disgrace-everton

First half of the interview: Allardyce berating the country for the obscenity of us accepting that thousands of people have to rely on food banks.

Second half of the interview: Allardyce discussing how he will spend the £150m loan from Everton’s owners.

There’s a lot about modern society that is disgusting. But there’s not much more disgusting than the pigs in the trough at the top level of football.

[Nudga]

A big reason why I get more enjoyment out of coaching kids than I do watching professional football.