The Great United Summer Giveaway …
Is this close season set be known as ‘The Great United Summer Giveaway?’
Grim news arrived last week that Newcastle would exchange £3.5 million in used tenners for Alan Smith.
Fans curious about the size of the fee had their worst fears confirmed by noted wheeler-dealer Harry Redknapp. The Portsmouth boss is another admirer of the fiery United striker and told the Mail on Sunday that he would seek to persuade Smith that life is better in Southsea.
Redknapp said: “Alan is fantastic value at the money United are asking.”
However, newspaper reports today suggest that United have set Smith’s fee at £6 million with only Middlesbrough willing to match that valuation. If the deal goes ahead, United stand to lose £1 million on a player they signed just three years ago.
If fans believe Smith’s transfer fee is too low, they should brace themselves for further giveaways later this summer. Wes Brown, still in his prime and a proven English international with many years experience of top flight football, could be sold next month but for nothing like the money West Brom will collect for the transfer of defender Curtis Davies to Spurs.
Kieran Richardson, who now admits that he may have to leave United, is said to be available for a sum in the region of £4.5 million, a near £2 million drop on the England winger’s worth in 2005. United will be lucky to pick up more than £2.5 million each for the likes of Mikael Silvestre, Chris Eagles and David Bardsley.
The likely summer sale price of United players is even more incomprehensible when taken against the amounts tossed around for English players of lesser reputations. Darren Bent’s £16 million move to Spurs, is mystifying to everyone but the suits now running the finance of top Premiership clubs, as confirmed by a Telegraph newspaper report.
“One figure at Charlton said he believed the deal would be profitable for Tottenham in the long run,” the newspaper revealed.
“‘The main reason we think Darren has such a high value is because he has just turned 23,’ said the Charlton source. ‘In four years’ time do you think for one minute transfer fees will have gone down with all the TV money coming in? He will be 27 and one of the top English centre-forwards. He’s going to be worth at least £20m.’
“‘Basically we see it as a free deal for somebody. OK, there is a cashflow implication but they will profit. If you buy Michael Owen at 27 - £9m transfer fee, £120,000-a-week - you’ve got to write that all off because in four years’ time he’ll be 31 and nearing the end of his career. It’s a good deal and, once it’s happened, in a year’s time it will look cheap.’”
Fact: Darren Bent will cost more than £16 million and will sign a four year deal that will earn him a reputed £50,0000 a week but may still struggle to be first choice if Spurs hold onto Defoe and Keane and Berbatov again shoot the team towards success.
Yet, such is the financial logic at work that this summer should be a sellers’ market for clubs holding the registrations of talented and youngish British players. West Ham signed Scotty Parker for £6 million and want more than £7 million from Aston Villa for club captain Nigel Reo Coker. Championship striker David Nugent could be part of Keano’s north east revolution if Sunderland agree to Preston’s £6 million valuation.
It is an accepted truth that British players attract a premium price, except, of course, if they are stamped with the Old Trafford brand. There is money in the Premiership courtesy of the new television deal but United may lose out because of their unsurpassed reputation for buying at the top rate and selling at rock bottom prices.
The write-offs on Birtles, Davenport, Poborsky, Kleberson, Bellion, Djemba Djemba, Yorke and Veron are the stuff of legend down the years. More recently, United sold Paul McShane to West Brom last season for £400,000. He is now worth £2 million. Spurs’ negotiators took United to the cleaners last July when claiming £18 million for the modestly gifted Michael Carrick, whilst Real Madrid used no Vaseline whatsoever when forcing United to release Ruud van Nistelrooy for a risible £10.3 million.
Of course, United’s finance wizards may be willing to accept lower fees for their assets because of a desire to get the players off the club’s wage bill. It may also prove to be true that United will extract higher sums for their players than the fees advertised. They will need to, for the debt’s sake.
