The last few transfer windows, seemingly more than ever before, have seen the increasing emergence of ridiculous transfers. False overtures of ambition hide the reality that football is becoming a business that is determined by money. It is a tragic situation, and it is all because of one simple mistake that the FA made when the Premier League was created.
The biggest mistake the FA has ever made is not imposing a cap on player wages or transfer fees. Now, the likes of City and United may well dispute this, but the lack of such upper limits is ruining modern football for many justifiable reasons.
The constant bleating of wanting Champions League football may well be true to some extent, but make no mistakes that the primary reasons for the likes of Milner and Young moving on is due to money. Driven on by their bloodsucking agents (who are always being criticised by managers and owners alike), transfers are based on getting as much money as possible. Except for players in the twilight of their career, when have you ever known a player move and get less money?
Players are sacrificing what is often guaranteed first team football for a bigger salary. The case of Milner is apparent, and many believe that Young will be the same. These two examples are galling for me as a Villa fan, but it is happening all over the league.
If, however, the FA had said at the start of the Premier league that the maximum weekly payment to players (in all forms) is £10,000, I would wager any money that there would be far more player loyalty. Players would be less likely to move for money and any transfers would be based purely on other factors. If transfers were capped at £10million, it would also take away the ego element of players wanting to be more expensive than their similar counterparts.
Think of the money that clubs would save. This could be invested in youth schemes that would bring genuine, home grown talent into the game. Stadiums could be improved and ticket prices would come down so that football became the community sport enjoyed by all that it always used to be.
Another plus point would be the eradication of agents. They would be far less prominent in the game because there would be no astronomical wages to haggle. Players would be able to speak more for themselves (possibly).
Of course, it is too late now. The FA cannot impose such limits now because all of our best players would go abroad, but make no mistake that it is the biggest blunder the sport has ever seen. It is now a game of money where the clout of foreign investors dictates success in the league (or at least they think it does). It is ruining the game and it concerns me how things will progress.
The likes of Rooney and Torres, with their ridiculous wages and transfer fees, indicate just how preposterous it has become. Fans of these ‘bigger’ clubs may well be in favour of such extravagance, but I wonder how well that opinion would hold if the Fenways or Abramovics find a new toy to play with.
I genuinely fear for our beautiful game, and all because of a very simple mistake that could have been avoided.