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I was surfing the net yesterday when I heard saw the news that Joao Felix has been signed by Atletico Madrid for a crazy sum of $142 million. Where is football going?

In 2009, Real Madrid signed Cristiano Ronaldo for a then record fee of €94m. 10 years after, that transfer fee has been surpassed by atleast 9 players with Ronaldo part of them.

Cristiano Ronaldo transfer saw Real Madrid shatter records in Europe. He equaled a goal every game and won a lot of trophies with the Spanish giants which includes the Uefa Champions League 4 times. That’s what a record signing should do, that’s the influence he should have on the team, break records, set your own records, receive a standing ovation from your opponent at their own stadium.

Now, let’s look at the other signings that have exceeded Cristiano Ronaldo transfer fee.

  • Eden Hazard to Real Madrid €100m in 2019
  • Cristiano Ronaldo to Juventus €100m in 2018
  • Gareth Bale to Real Madrid €100.8m in 2013
  • Paul Pogba to Manchester united €105m in 2016
  • Ousmane Dembele to Barcelona €105m in 2017
  • Phillipe Coutinho to Barcelona €120m in 2018
  • Joao Felix to Atletico Madrid €126m in 2019
  • Kylian Mbappe to PSG €145m in 2017
  • Neymar to PSG €222m in 2017

Look at the above players and tell me those that have truly performed up to standard with the exception of Cristiano Ronaldo, Hazard, and Felix.

These fees paid are not true valuation of the players ability and you see them flopping or unable to move the club to greater height. Despite the fact that PSG spent a crazy amount of money on Mbappe and Neymar, they have been unable to conquer Europe. Infact, they lost to a makeshift Manchester united side in the UCL.

Look at Gareth Bale now, Real Madrid are looking to offload him, the same applies to Dembele and Coutinho. Despite their huge transfer fees they have been unable to set Camp Nou on fire. Their performance have been below par. I don’t blame them. I blame Barcelona for signing them at a crazy fee. Spending €100m for a player means that player should be able to influence matches day in day out just as Ronaldo has done with Real Madrid and now with Juventus.

Joao Felix is the latest of this crazy transfers. 19 years old going for that amount is insane. He set the Portuguese league on fire but was unable to replicate that for Portugal in the Nations League and was eventually benched for Guedes. There is no how he is going to justify that fee for A.Madrid. I agree that they are looking to sell Griezman and other couple of players but that fee is outrageous.

Paul Pogba has been spending Manchester united fees on haircuts. His transfer ushered in the wave of crazy transfer fees. You see Clubs demanding for outrageous fees for their one-season wonder.

I won’t be surprised in 5 years time when a club pays €500m for a player. That’s where we are going with this crazy transfer fees.

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