GatoLoco
Full Member
- Joined
- Apr 7, 2018
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- Real Madrid
Some of those variables are not entirely random, but more or less a result of the way squads are managed. For instance you mentioned two players forcing out, but in one of the cases the selling club got a transfer record for the player, in the other one the fee was very reduced because there was only one year remaining in the contract. If forcing out was the key for everything, Verratti would now be at Barcelona, and we all know now what the story was.I'm all for analyzing a clubs spending individually to see whether or not they've done a good job investing in players, but comparing them against each other seems daft to me.
All of these clubs operate within different financial restraints, with different wage structures, transfer budgets per window etc. Something like Coutinho pushing for and getting a transfer to Barcelona or Courtois going on strike to force a move to Madrid is a variable that dramatically impact what a club does in a transfer window. Chelsea wouldn't have spent a record fee on a keeper if Courtois would've stayed. An injury to Chamberlain is what probably prompted us to go and spent 13 million on Shaqiri, and Arsenal & now Spurs were/are unable to spend as much as others because they both built/are building new stadiums.
These variables create an unbalanced comparison when looking at what clubs are doing or have done in the market imo.