Prices invariably skyrocket when a
commodity is in short in supply, and that looks certain to be the
scenario as the world’s richest clubs fight it out to secure the
precious and elusive mineral that is a goal scorer this summer.
Cristiano
Ronaldo is the highest-profile scoring machine with a ‘For Sale’ sign
seemingly hoisted above his well-preened forehead, but the Real Madrid
superstar is not the only goal-getter set to shatter transfer records
ahead of the new season.
The heroes who blast the match-winning
goals tend to be the icons who cost more than the rest, yet, as Andriy
Shevchenko and Fernando Torres have confirmed after less-than-glorious,
big-money moves to Chelsea, transporting penalty box success from one
club to another can never be guaranteed.
As much as £200 million
could be spent by Premier League clubs on fresh scoring talent in the
next couple of months, so here is our guide to the best value for money
options in an overinflated financial market.
Gonzalo Higuain
Current club: Real Madrid
Price: £22 million
Possible destination: Arsenal, Juventus, Chelsea
Value for money rating: 8 out of 10
Arsenal
are reportedly ready to shatter their transfer record and wage
structure to sign Higuain, but many cynics will reserve judgment on the
signing until notoriously prudent spender Arsene Wenger sanctions the
deal and attends a news conference alongside his new star player.
Juventus’
interest in the player is strong, and it might be that the French-born
Argentina striker needs to pick between a Premier League club with
modest ambitions or an Italian side challenging for major domestic
honours each year. That is, unless Chelsea offer him an alternative
career path.
Our verdict: At the age of 25, Higuain would be a
fantastic buy, and with his price tag a fraction of the figures being
quoted for Bale, Ronaldo and Cavani, he might be the snatch of the
summer.
Cristiano Ronaldo
Current club: Real Madrid
Price: £70m
Possible destinations: Manchester United, PSG, Monaco
Value for money: 7 out of 10
Currently
the world's most-expensive footballer at £80m It’s hard to put up a
reasoned argument to suggest any footballer is suitably priced at £70
million, but Ronaldo is one of only two players in the game who could be
viewed worthy of such extravagance.
Yes, he might often appear
arrogant. Yes, he might infuriate at times with his selfishness on the
field, but his football ability cannot be questioned. The 28-year-old
has scored 199 goals in 201 appearances for Real Madrid. They are truly
astonishing numbers.
Our verdict: A player of this calibre should
not be playing in the mediocre French league for PSG or Monaco, so he
has to re-sign with Machester United if he leaves Real Madrid.
Luis Suarez
Current club: Liverpool
Price: £35 million
Possible destination: Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, Napoli
Value for money: 7 out of 10
Suarez
has made it clear that he intends to walk out on Liverpool, and if he
can be prized away from Anfield for a figure a little above £30 million,
all involved in the deal will be doing good business.
New Napoli
boss Rafael Benitez is said to be interested in signing Suarez as a
possible replacement for international teammate Edinson Cavani should he
depart, but it is the lure of Real Madrid that appeals most to the
Liverpool No. 7.
Our verdict: He might come with a ‘high
maintenance’ tag, but Suarez is a wonderful footballer, and in a summer
when players not as good as him are being sold for extravagant sums of
cash, he represents a decent option for any top club.
Wayne Rooney
Current club: Manchester United
Price: £28m
Possible destination: Chelsea, PSG, Arsenal
Value for money rating: 6 out of 10
Rooney
appears to have used up his last life at Manchester United, and unless
his old courtroom adversary David Moyes changes the script and insists
on him staying, the 27-year-old will be changing his employer in the
coming weeks.
PSG’s interest in Rooney is long standing, and they
believe they can entice him to Paris once they resolve the mess
surrounding their managerial vacancy. If United are desperate to offload
their trouble maker, Chelsea might well be an option.
Our
verdict: PSG are favourites to snap up Rooney, and he would be a good
signing for the French club as they look to expand their global brand. A
move to Real Madrid would seem likely only as part of a deal that sees
Ronaldo head back to Manchester. However, Rooney’s resale value will be
minimal in three years’ time.
Edinson Cavani
Current club: Napoli
Price: £55 million
Possible destinations: Real Madrid, Chelsea, and Manchester City
Value for money: 6 out of 10
Of all the strikers being touted for sale right now, Cavani has been hailed as the prize catch as he is just 26 years old, hungry for a move to a top club and seemingly ready to shine on the game’s biggest stage.
Yet
his price tag is so inflated that he is a signing who would now come
with a huge risk factor in this era of Financial Fair Play restrictions.
When you pay in excess of £53 million for a player, a guarantee of
success needs to come in unison, and while he seems to be a top striker,
Cavani will have much to prove if he moves to England.
Our
verdict: He might boast quality in abundance, but Cavani is not value
for money at his current value. Manchester City have already refused to
meet his release clause, and it remains to be seen whether Chelsea or
Real Madrid will bow to Napoli’s demands.
Christian Benteke
Current club: Aston Villa
Price: £20 million
Possible destinations: Tottenham, Arsenal
Value for money rating: 6 out of 10
Aston
Villa’s powerhouse Belgian striker was a sensation in the Premier
League last season, and Tottenham are eager to bring him to White Hart
Lane, but there is always a danger in signing a player on the back of
one good season.
At this moment, most observers would hail Benteke
as the real deal with his finishing ability and first touch as
impressive as his physical presence, yet shining on a team for which
expectations are diminished and performing consistently at the top end
of the table are different propositions.
Our verdict: You would be
buying a player whose value is at its maximum, and that means his value
for money might be lacking. Is he that much better than his Belgium
teammate Romelu Lukaku, who might be available for half the price?
Gareth Bale
Current club: Tottenham
Price: £85 million
Possible destination: Real Madrid
Value for money: 5 out of 10
Real
Madrid seem intent on paying whatever it takes to lure Bale out of
Tottenham, and even if that is because they fear Ronaldo might leave,
the move is laced with uncertainty.
Bale is a world-class
performer, and he has proved as much over the past three seasons with
Spurs, but this quiet Welshman is not an attention seeker, and there is
no guarantee he would warm to the bright lights and expectations at Real
Madrid. He would be far better suited to Manchester United, but
Tottenham will not sell him to a domestic rival.
Our verdict:
Tottenham would have to accept a bid of £85 million if Real Madrid are
serious about paying that much for Bale. Whether he would be a success
in Spain is another question, and at that price, it has to be a risky
purchase.
David Villa
Current club: Barcelona
Price: £15 million
Possible destinations: Tottenham, Arsenal, Manchester City
Value for money rating: 6 out of 10
David
Villa may be forced to make way at Camp Nou after Neymar's arrival A
decorated World Cup winner with Spain and proven marksman at the highest
level, Villa still offers so much to any employer even if his very best
days are now behind him.
His wages might be an issue, however, as
at 31 years of age Villa will not make a move unless the financial
package is attractive, and there is always an inherent risk of fitness
issues when signing a player of more mature years. Villa’s quality is
enduring, but he might not be a shrewd financial purchase as he offers
limited resale value.
Our verdict: Villa would be an instant hit
in the Premier League, and if a club like Tottenham were to get him, it
could propel them from outsiders into contenders in an instant.
Leandro Damiao
Current club: Internacional Price: £25 million
Possible destination: Tottenham
Value for money rating: 5 out of 10
The
gifted 23-year-old has been on Tottenham’s radar for some time, but the
North London club seem reluctant to seal a deal, and the price tag
appears to be the stumbling block for Spurs chief Daniel Levy.
Whether
Levy was serious in his last-gasp bid to snare Leandro in the final
hours of the January transfer window is open to debate, but the signing
would come with plenty of uncertainty as there is no guarantee the
Brazilian would be suited to the Premier League or settle in London.
Our
verdict: Investing in youthful South American talent is a risky
business for top European clubs. Leandro looks the part, but will he
really cut it in the Premier League?
Carlos Tevez
Current Club: Manchester City
Price: £15 million
Possible destination: AC Milan, Napoli, Chelsea
Value for money rating: 5 out of 10
Manchester
City are looking to shake up their attacking line and with just one
year left on his contract, they will look to move Tevez on ahead of the
new season.
Italy is a probable destination if reports are to be
believed, yet the vast wages the Argentine striker commands means any
deal would stretch the salary structures at Serie A clubs. Could a
Premier League rival nip in to snare the one-time homesick striker?
Money talks when Tevez and his advisers are involved.
Our
verdict: Tevez is a quality footballer, but his reputation has been
somewhat tarnished since he refused to to warm up against Bayern Munich
in the 2011-12 season. He will get another big move in the next 12
months, but the cash-hungry forward would be quite happy to hang around
at City and secure a free transfer a year from now.
Hulk
Current club: Zenit St Petersburg
Price: £30 million
Possible destination: Chelsea, PSG
Value for money: 3 out of 10
Hulk might be powerful, muscular and Brazilian, but any club signing him are likely to discover he is also painfully overrated.
While
he did a decent job in a dominant Porto side that trampled all over
their second-rate rivals in Portugal, he has not set the world alight in
Russia following a huge €40 million move last year, and now Zenit are
looking to get some of their money back on him.
Our verdict: Hulk
misses too many chances to be considered a top-class marksman, and he is
not worth the price tag that hangs around his neck.
Emmanuel Adebayor
Current club: Tottenham
Price: £8m
Possible destinations: Who would take him??
Value for money rating: 1 out of 10
The
Togolese striker is damaged goods after indifferent spells with Arsenal
and Manchester City, so Tottenham might struggle to offload him after
his often woeful efforts last season.
After a reasonably
impressive spell on loan at Tottenham the season before last, Adebayor
appeared to be less than interested for much of the recent campaign even
though Spurs were relying on him as their only striker for long
periods. Whoever takes this enigma under their wing cannot complain if
it goes wrong again.
Our verdict: You know what you are getting if
you sign Adebayor, and any manager who does so is putting his own
future on the line.
