A young Welshman by the name of Gareth Bale became the subject of the most expensive transfer in soccer history, completing a move from Tottenham Hotspur Football Club in North London to the glamorous home of the “Galacticos” Real Madrid...for many players, the ultimate dream come true.
The transfer also brings to an end one of the most expensive transfer windows – the period when players are sent shuffling between teams in different countries – in recent memory. For point of reference, five of the 10 priciest transfers of all time have happened in the past three months.
SLIDESHOW: THE MOST EXPENSIVE SOCCER TRANSFERS OF ALL TIME
Here’s a quick guide to how millions and millions of dollars (or pounds or euros, more likely) change hands and the spending spree that made this summer a wild one for fans.
First, for those unfamiliar with soccer’s transfer system: Depending on the country, the soccer season typically runs from mid-August through mid-May. With very rare exceptions, transfers between teams are only allowed during the two official transfer windows: The first basically corresponds to the off-season, running from June 1 to August 31 (and this year was extended to September 2 because the last day of August fell on a weekend). The second takes place from January 1 to January 31 to allow teams to make midseason replacements.
This window typically results in a sort of madness on the final day, with staring contests finally breaking and last minute deals being hammered out.
BIDDING WARS GALORE
And while yesterday certainly provided its share of drama (the Bale saga coming to an end; Arsenal’s surprise announcement of Mesut Ozil; Man U’s day of total shambles, including an incident involving imposter agents) it was most noteworthy as the end of a summer in which clubs desperately clung to their best players and only bids of ridiculous amounts of money were able to break the deadlock.
The summer started normally enough with Carlos Tevez’s sale to Juventus for the totally reasonable price of $12 million. At 29, Tevez still had years to give, but would likely receive little in the way of resale value at the end of his contract. He had long wanted out of rainy Manchester and this move seemed fair to all parties.
Then things got weird.
Despite insisting that he wished to stay in his native Brazil until after next summer’s World Cup, (which will be held, not coincidentally, in Brazil) wonder kid Neymar was eventually sold to Barcelona when a bid of $75.5 million proved too much to resist.
Then the clutch of clubs owned by oil-rich oligarchs (Chelsea, Manchester City, PSG, and AS Monaco), more concerned with status than profit, entered into a bidding war for the same two strikers. This led to Edinson Cavani and Radamel Falao both joining the two French clubs for $85 million and $80 million, respectively. It should be noted that prior to this recent influx of cash, the French league was considered a bit second rate, and not all that desirable for players to join.
So two players only moderately younger and better than Carlos Tevez were sold for four to five times his price. Suddenly prices across the board jumped. A Real Madrid striker was on his way to Arsenal for $36 million, but with those two sales his price became over $50 Million. Arsenal backed off and Napoli, suddenly rich from the sale of Cavani and in need of a striker, swooped in. All the while, the drum beat of the Bale deal played in the background.
In the end Arsenal finally did land a star, but not till after Real had Bale. At 24, Mesut Ozil already leads the continent in assists provided. He may in fact be the best deal of the transfer window, as Arsenal are in desperate need of a star, and with the arrival of Bale in Madrid, Ozil was in need of a new home.
For Bale’s part, English players have often had murky fates in Madrid. David Beckham seems to have largely been bought to sell jerseys with his name on them. Michael Owen, who had been a star striker in England, was clearly brought in to be a substitute, a role that he obviously hated. And while a solid dependable sort like Steve McMannaman was able to find a place among the Galacticos, the less said of Jonathan Woodgate’s time there the better.
In addition to the weight of expectations, Bale will have the not inconsiderable ego of former “most expensive footballer in the world” Cristiano Ronaldo to deal with. Bale is clearly talented, but it remains to be seen if he’s really worth that price tag and if Real intend to use him as more than a face on a poster.