The Cristiano Ronaldo transfer from Manchester United to Real Madrid really put the cat amongst the pigeons didn’t it? Despite the fact that he is quite possibly one of the greatest 5 players ever to walk the earth, football clubs and agents were and are happy to use the Ronaldo fee as a reference point when trying to get the best price for their own, often mediocre, clients.
Gareth Bale went for around £86m and, for all his talents, he’s nowhere near as good as Ronnie. But Tottenham would only accept a fee in excess of the world record for his signature. And now the agent of Paul Pogba has rather gleefully suggested that his client will have to be sold for a world record commission – I mean transfer fee.
“Pogba could go to one of six teams. When the right moment arrives this summer we will take it but moving isn’t an objective itself. We’re in no hurry.
“If he goes he will break Ronaldo’s transfer record.”
What about Gareth Bale? Didn’t he go for more?
Anyway, the big question is, is he worth the cash? At Manchester United he was already an dynamic player but leggy and gazelle like. Now he has filled out into one of the best midfielders in the world. He’s box to box, a great athlete and he has the superb touch which allows for a superb range of passing and sensational goals.
But any comparison to Ronnie is typically going to favour the Portuguese. And if Ronaldo hadn’t been sold for £80m we surely wouldn’t be talking about that kind of money for Pogba – maybe only half of that.
But it’s just another representation of the crazy world of modern football. And teams like Manchester United would consider paying such vast fees if they deemed him a worthwhile addition to the team.