Greece should have just approached Sheikh Mansour bin Zayed Al Nahyan for a debt write off and a bail out. That giant sucking sound heard is more money being thrown at the bottomless pit that is the soccer transfer market. This time it’s 20 year old former cherubin Raheem Sterling, his self worth inflated and innocence ripped off by agent Aidy Ward, agitating for a lucrative move away from Liverpool. His wish was granted.
Man City swooped in with a $76m offer ($68m up front + $8m in add ons) which will swell to $156m with his eye popping $350,000 per week wages for the next 5 years (if he doesn’t riot for more before then). That sort of money elevates Sterling into the top ten richest players on par with David Silva, Eden Hazard, Cesc Fabregas, and Angel Di Maria, who in their extensive playing careers have established themselves as top performers and achieved notable success. To put this in perspective that sort of money would pay the pensions of 200,000 Greek retirees for a month or 8% of the total number of pensioners. If we factor the €120 ($132) allowed with the imposition of capital control, that would mean 1.2 million Greeks receiving their pension benefits.
Liverpool aren’t the only beneficiaries, as QPR his academy club will get about $16m of the proceeds as part of their sale on clause when Rafa Benitez plucked him away for $900,000 in 2012. A mark up of 8200% is a very nice bit of business. So the question is what does City get in return? Probably one of the most exciting English prospects since Wayne Rooney. A national side fixture already at 20 years of age, English, whose calling card is blazing speed down the flanks, freezing defences with his tricky changes in pace, twisting body, and close control. What he doesn’t have is are goals. Last season he scored 7 in the league in 62 attempts, averaging a goal every 5 matches. He has a significant shortfall in finishing skills.
More promising from City’s standpoint is his distribution which created 75 chances for his teammates. It says more about Liverpool and the quality of their goalscorers they were successful on just seven occasions. That will not be the case with Sergio Aguero, one of the few PL strikers at the top of the world echelon. Although $76 million is undoubtedly jaw dropping, CIES laboratory which valuates players recognizing his immense potential established his transfer fee range in June at between €73.7m to €81m, which is in the ballpark of what City’s paid out. Sterling was ranked sixth with only Sergio Aguero, Neymar Jr, Cristiano Ronaldo, Eden Hazard, and Leo Messi ahead of him.
For Liverpool, such a sale doesn’t automatically establish buying quality. They have squandered their transfer fortunes from the sale of Fernando Torres and Luis Suarez on buying no shows like Andy Carroll, Charlie Adam, Mario Balotelli, and Fabio Borini who have proven as fictional to success as some one named Sergio Lingonberry. They have bought Roberto Firmino, whose work ethic seems to be impressive, to partner Daniel Sturridge.