After splashing nearly 40 million euros on Asier Illarramendi, Real Madrid might have got their man but have again proved that the soul of the game is being eaten away slowly but surely.
This summer’s transfer window has seen a lot of movements within Europe. Young players with huge potential but still a lot to prove, have chosen to join clubs where they just might not be able to completely realise their potentials. However, the allure of a big club is a tempting one and for a young player, it is never easy to say no when a club like Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or Barcelona comes calling.
Mario Gotze for instance, a product of Borussia Dortmund’s youth academy, chose to join rivals Bayern Munich as soon as the Bavarians activated his buyout clause. In a similar fashion, Isco chose to join Real Madrid as soon as the buyout clause was activated where he would be hoping to be a regular face in the starting eleven.
The transfer saga of Neymar is probably the biggest one as it spans more than 15 months. The Brazilian’s transfer to Barcelona was indeed great bit of business for his father and multitudes of companies that held his rights.
Same was the case with young Asier Illarramendi. The Spanish Under-21 international had a terrific 2012/2013 campaign with Real Sociedad whom he helped secure a place in the Champions League for next season. For those eight months, he had the world at his feet and was constantly being linked with a move to a host of European clubs.
Initially, the youngster did not pay much attention to what was being written in the papers. However, when Real Madrid came calling, the player was put in a quandary that was always going to be solved by him saying yes to the La Liga giants.
Following the arrival of Isco and Dani Carvajal, Illarramendi becomes Los Merengues’ third high profile Spanish addition. The youngster had a great last season but one has to question if just one season is enough of an attestation to splurge so much cash on a player who is yet to prove himself on the big stage?
Today, football is revolving more and more around money and thanks to many agents, players focus on a big payday rather than focusing on forging an excellent career. Big clubs are willing to meet overly-exaggerated valuations of the star players of the other clubs which means that both parties have tools to hold each other at ransom.
Inflated transfer values have slowly started making the soul of the game redundant which is the reason why the game gives more and more impression of a business rather than a way of life and passion.
Great at controlling the midfield and getting the best out of his creative teammates is an attribute that has raised the midfielder’s profile. So much has the youngster’s profile risen these past few months that Madrid saw him as a perfect replacement of Xabi Alonso who is expected to leave the club pretty soon.
The native of Basque was an integral part of Spain Under-21 side that retained its European title in Israel this summer. However, past transfers to Madrid have shown that many players, especially the young ones, crumble under the burden that comes with a hefty price tag.
Illarramendi is not the first player who has been touted as a potential replacement for Alonso and might not be the last.
About two years back, Madrid brought in Nuri Sahin from Dortmund. The Turkish international was in the form of his life before he arrived at the Spanish capital. However, it was the weight of expectation to be an instant success that turned out to be his downfall. Today, Sahin is not the same player he was two years back and the same fate could await Illarramendi.
All in all, the growing inflation in the market, coupled with agents’ propensity to forge lucrative deals is literally taking the life and soul out of the game and if this trend continues, the game will slowly become a business that cannot be a sustainable one once a club stretches more than its pockets allow it to.
Mario Gotze for instance, a product of Borussia Dortmund’s youth academy, chose to join rivals Bayern Munich as soon as the Bavarians activated his buyout clause. In a similar fashion, Isco chose to join Real Madrid as soon as the buyout clause was activated where he would be hoping to be a regular face in the starting eleven.
The transfer saga of Neymar is probably the biggest one as it spans more than 15 months. The Brazilian’s transfer to Barcelona was indeed great bit of business for his father and multitudes of companies that held his rights.
Same was the case with young Asier Illarramendi. The Spanish Under-21 international had a terrific 2012/2013 campaign with Real Sociedad whom he helped secure a place in the Champions League for next season. For those eight months, he had the world at his feet and was constantly being linked with a move to a host of European clubs.
Initially, the youngster did not pay much attention to what was being written in the papers. However, when Real Madrid came calling, the player was put in a quandary that was always going to be solved by him saying yes to the La Liga giants.
Following the arrival of Isco and Dani Carvajal, Illarramendi becomes Los Merengues’ third high profile Spanish addition. The youngster had a great last season but one has to question if just one season is enough of an attestation to splurge so much cash on a player who is yet to prove himself on the big stage?
Today, football is revolving more and more around money and thanks to many agents, players focus on a big payday rather than focusing on forging an excellent career. Big clubs are willing to meet overly-exaggerated valuations of the star players of the other clubs which means that both parties have tools to hold each other at ransom.
Inflated transfer values have slowly started making the soul of the game redundant which is the reason why the game gives more and more impression of a business rather than a way of life and passion.
Great at controlling the midfield and getting the best out of his creative teammates is an attribute that has raised the midfielder’s profile. So much has the youngster’s profile risen these past few months that Madrid saw him as a perfect replacement of Xabi Alonso who is expected to leave the club pretty soon.
The native of Basque was an integral part of Spain Under-21 side that retained its European title in Israel this summer. However, past transfers to Madrid have shown that many players, especially the young ones, crumble under the burden that comes with a hefty price tag.
Illarramendi is not the first player who has been touted as a potential replacement for Alonso and might not be the last.
About two years back, Madrid brought in Nuri Sahin from Dortmund. The Turkish international was in the form of his life before he arrived at the Spanish capital. However, it was the weight of expectation to be an instant success that turned out to be his downfall. Today, Sahin is not the same player he was two years back and the same fate could await Illarramendi.
All in all, the growing inflation in the market, coupled with agents’ propensity to forge lucrative deals is literally taking the life and soul out of the game and if this trend continues, the game will slowly become a business that cannot be a sustainable one once a club stretches more than its pockets allow it to.
