Sweet justice? Reality bites?
Tottenham get Bent for 16.5 mil, Liverpool are reported to have agreed a 27m deal with Atletico Madrid for Fernando Torres.
For two clubs who have roundly berated the top two sides in the Premiership for ‘buying’ the title, what will they say now?
As Tottenham finalise a deal with Charlton to bring Darren Bent over to White Hart Lane for a deal that’s worth 16.5mil, I can’t help but laugh. After flogging Michael Carrick for 14m (although this is rising as United won the Prem and one of the bonus payments has been triggered) and making a big fuss about how United overpaid for Carrick, how will Tottenham fans react to the news that they themselves have overpaid – to the tune of 6-8mil – on Darren Bent?
Liverpool are paying 27m for Torres – perhaps 20m would have been a fairer price (considering that he’s not proven in the Premiership). But Liverpool need a big striker to appease the fans and they need quality – although I wonder if a player like Huntelaar might not have been a better choice. Even Martins or Owen would have been better (and cheaper).
Newsflash – prices in the transfer markets have been on a rise and will go higher. It’s not simply a case of strikers being scarce or the Premiership being over-charged for strikers – the market has been moving in this direction for a long time and it takes a lot of hard work for clubs to bring in players at the right price.
Deals like Pizarro and Rosicky are smart deals, and they don’t happen all the time. Football clubs will have to pay increasingly higher costs to match their ambitions.
And speaking of ambitions, why does it look like Tottenham are trying to buy 5th place permanently? Bent alone won’t take them into the top four. Bale’s presence will help, but Tottenham still lack that class midfielder. Yes, if Carrick had still been there I’d have tipped them as genuine challengers for 4th spot, but not at the moment.
Liverpool? Torres, if he really signs on, will help, but a change in mentality is also required by Rafa, otherwise Liverpool fans will learn this season what I’ve known for the last year – that not even a top-notch striker can make a difference if your mindset is to defend first.
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