Soccer is awash with money. For the major Premier League clubs, this isn’t a new thing. They’ve used the financial muscle provided by extortionate T.V deals to get their way in the transfer market for several years now. But in the words of Bob Dylan “The times they are a changing”. With more money than ever flowing through the sport, clubs no longer have the need to sell their prime assets.
So, if you’re looking to take advantage of a Betfair betting offer, we’d advise steering clear from betting on the transfer market until the new market value of players has been established. Save your hard earned dollar for when the season gets going, and you have a better idea of who is who and who to look out for. That is of course unless you utilise your free bets and have a crack at betting on the new market value!
Premier League Muscle
FC Barcelona and Real Madrid aside, the heavyweights of the Premier League have spent years imposing their transfer will be on smaller clubs who survived by nurturing young players and selling them for profit. At £8.3 billion, the latest T.V deal for rights to Premier League games saw an increase of 50% from the previous deal. It’s because of revenue streams such as this that Manchester United were able to sign Paul Pogba for a world record £89.3 million (€105 million) fee in 2016. If recent reports are to be believed, Manchester United are all set to break this record again, with the signing of Romelu Lukaku from Everton.
Money, Money, Money
Some of Europe’s other major leagues are finally starting to catch up with the EPL. Serie A has the second most lucrative deal currently in place. So while Italian teams may struggle to generate revenue from sponsorship deals, they’re getting a good deal from television. Juventus, for example, were unable to resist a world record fee for Paul Pogba but thus far been stood firm over Chelsea targets Leonardo Bonucci and Alex Sandro. And don’t even get us started on the money involved in Chinese soccer right now!
Spiralling Values
Money has also flowed into straight out of owner’s pockets and into clubs for years. Despite the best efforts of UEFA, this has allowed clubs like Qatari-owned PSG to make huge signings despite having a small revenue stream from other sources. In the case of Red Bull Leipzig, it’s enabled them to frustrate Liverpool and their attempts to sign Naby Keita. Despite only being a formed in 2009, RBL have rapidly climbed Germany’s footballing pyramid thanks to the drinks manufacturers funding. So while they’re not yet an attractive landing spot for the world’s best players, RBL have the financial might to retain players and demand a supposed £70 million fee for a player who was a relative unknown at the beginning of last season.
Players Likely to Move
These players could all make big moves: Lukaku, Morata, Van Dijk, Keita, Mbappe, Verratti and Aubameyang.
Conclusion
As most teams wait and keep their powder dry nobody yet knows where they stand. Once a well-known player makes a move and has their value established, it should set the tone for everybody else.
