It took a record-breaking fee to change the perception. Paul Pogba's £89 million (Dh424.1m) move to Manchester United became the deal that dominated the summer, the move that gave the transfer market a defining theme.
The Frenchman became the face of a division's dealings as well as the most expensive footballer in history. Pogba is many things: a world-class midfielder, most obviously, and a statement of intent from United.
He is certainly proof of United’s vast resources. The reality is that they have reached a stage where £150m transfer budgets have become annual features of life at Old Trafford. But Pogba’s initial significance is not just at United.
He is the first example this summer of the Premier League using its financial muscle to raid other leagues for their most coveted players. Until his arrival, the most notable signing did not command a transfer fee: his new United teammate Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
Until then, fuelled by the £8 billion television rights deal that kicks in this year, English clubs had spent more than £600 million without buying a bona fide superstar.
They had signed from each other and the relegated clubs. They had bought enthusiastically from Europe, yet without bringing in anyone from the first teams of Real Madrid, Barcelona and Bayern Munich or, arguably, anyone who would merit a place in their starting 11.
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Instead, that half-a-billion outlay has been spread across the division with only Sunderland, who are yet to pay a fee, and Hull, who have only brought in youngsters, not really involved.
Perhaps the deals that epitomise a wider market were Liverpool’s signings of Southampton’s Sadio Mane for £30m and Newcastle’s Georginio Wijnaldum for £25m.
Both are indisputably good players, attacking midfielders with an eye for goal.
But Southampton tripled their money on Mane in two years. Newcastle made a £10m profit on the Dutchman in one year even though being relegated ought to have weakened their negotiating position and damaged his reputation.
But in an environment where every club will receive £100m in television rights this season, inflation is rampant, much to managers’ irritation.
Jurgen Klopp addressed the issue of Pogba’s price directly. “If you bring one player in for £100 million and he gets injured, then it all goes through the chimney,” the Liverpool manager said.
“The day that this is football, I’m not in a job anymore.”
Others’ observations were more general. “With the cheques that everybody signs, it’s quite scary,” Arsenal’s Arsene Wenger said.
Chelsea’s Antonio Conte concurred: “We are seeing a crazy market. It’s incredible. It’s very difficult for all the teams to try and buy the players. Now, we are starting to speak about £100 million, £120 million, £95 million, and these prices are incredible.”
Players who cost £25m or £30m were rarities once. Now they are comparatively commonplace. If anything, Borussia Dortmund seem slow to recognise that.
The Bundesliga club may have undervalued Ilkay Gundogan, who joined Manchester City for £20m, and Henrikh Mkhitaryan, who moved to Manchester United for £26.3m.
Players of lesser ability or more limited achievements have commanded similar or greater fees.
Two such highlight the Premier League clubs’ habit of scouring Europe for the best of the rest, the finest players at mid-ranking outfits who will not attract offers from the superpowers.
Michy Batshuayi joined the Belgian invasion by signing for Chelsea for £33.2m after one excellent season with Marseille. Granit Xhaka arrived at Arsenal for £35m after proving himself one of the most impressive midfielders in the Bundesliga.
There are buys aplenty but, even excepting the dominant duopoly of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, none belong in the next bracket of players on the world stage, with Luis Suarez, Gareth Bale, Neymar, Thomas Muller and Robert Lewandowski. Ibrahimovic and Pogba, the free transfer and the record-breaking deal, do.
They have shaped a summer. Their next task is to shape a season.
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