Micah Richards on Saudi Spending

[KB1862]

I enjoy listening to the trio of Shearer, Lineker and Richards so when their new podcast, the rest is football, released on Monday I had to give it a listen. 

But there was something that Micah said when talking about players going to the Saudi league. 

This isn't a direct quote but it's the gist of what he was saying. 

The Premier League have been out spending everyone for years and no other league has ever been able to compete with the Premier League financially but no one's really kicked up a fuss about that. Now, there's this other power come to challenge them financially and all of a sudden it's an issue. 

Personally, I think Micah makes a valid point. Transfers have become ridiculous over the years and it says alot when you have teams like Bournemouth being able to offer more money than top teams in Serie A, La Liga etc. 

The Premier League broke away to become this superpower that it is today but they're out financed by the Saudi's by a long way. 

Plus there was a bit that Lineker mentioned about some fans these days don't support teams they support players so like Ronaldo, who is a brand now himself, goes to Saudi all of a sudden viewing figures for the Saudi league will increase. Same with the MLS with the arrival of Messi. 

What do you guys think? Does Micah have a point on this? 

[liampie]

over 100m for a player that had one good season, suddenly bigger clubs come in for them. its beyond a joke.

but there is little in the means that can be done to stop it, as i think in the 90s italian teams started signing better players because they waved taxes and lowered them. people will go where they earn more and teams will always cough up what they dont have in order to buy a player. i am not sure what can be done to stop this but its silly.

[cheeky~k8]

Its been going on for years, some clubs spend way over what they should spend. Something should be done about it but i don't think it ever will.

[Chris]

Many leagues over the years have competed with the spending of the Premier League, it's just that in the last 5 or so years, it's become ridiculous. All the big leagues in europe have had spells where insane figures have been racked up. China had a spell where they were trying, it's really not sustainable what the Saudi league is attempting to do.

It's becoming what I would call an exhibition league.

There's zero reason for it to be taken seriously, the Champions League and European football offers much more than just money. There will be no shortage of good players.

[KB1862]

1 hour ago, Chris said:

the Champions League and European football offers much more than just money. There will be no shortage of good players.

I agree. However, when players who are on say £150k a week are being offered £400k they're more likely to accept it irrelevant of what European football offers. Of course there are exceptions like Messi and Mbappe. 

1 hour ago, Chris said:

China had a spell where they were trying, it's really not sustainable what the Saudi league is attempting to do.

Difference between the 2, as they highlighted on the podcast, is that the Chinese government pulled the plug on letting them fund as they did where as the Saudi league it is the government doing it. The clubs are owned by the state that have shares in both Newcastle and Chelsea. 

The money isn't sustainable but this is why they're doing what they're doing so that they have a means to fall back on or increase their wealth. If their source of income starts to run low, they will have all these stars in the league which will start gaining plenty of income add on to the likes of Golf, WWE and Boxing which they're dipping into now as well.

I can't see it stopping anytime soon but I think the players and stupid money might get a little lower as time goes on. I think they're using what ever money they like at the minute to give them a kick start. 

21 hours ago, liampie said:

90s italian teams started signing better players because they waved taxes and lowered them. people will go where they earn more and teams will always cough up what they dont have in order to buy a player.

I read the other day of top transfers in the 90s and Serie A made up about 90% of the most expensive transfers in the window. As for teams coughing up, again you're not wrong, teams will stand their ground and say they want a certain fee and eventually they get that fee cause the teams don't want to lose out on their target. Hence the term "English tax" which should really be termed "Premier League tax" 

[AmericanPie]

The issue arises when clubs are willing to shell out exorbitant amounts on transfer fees and salaries, prompting players to gravitate towards those destinations. Consequently, numerous talented individuals miss out on building a more reputable career. In the past, these players might have been disregarded due to the league's standards, but nowadays, names and reputations often take precedence in the eyes of international teams. Personally, I believe those who haven't retired from international duties should be passed over. Opportunities should be given to players motivated by the right reasons, rather than just financial gain. In my opinion, it's not a commendable trait. While I comprehend the inclusion of aging players, it feels inappropriate for those who still have valuable contributions to offer.