The landscape of football transfers has changed, so they tell us. A summer that was predicted to be full of nine-figure fees at the start of the year now looks completely different viewed through the haze of Coronavirus headlines and COVID-19 measures.
Football may have changed, with fewer fans now involved, but the cost of failure has, if anything gone up. Because of this, players with huge contracts and mammoth weekly wages are not the attractive prospects they once were. We’re taking a look at three men who could find a move hard to come by unless they’re prepared to take a massive pay cut.
Gareth Bale
It’s hard to argue against the footballing merits of Gareth Bale. Having helped drag Tottenham Hotspur into the Champions League Places and paved the way for their development over the last few years, Bale also earned his former employers in North London a ludicrous sum of £89.2m when he switched the Lilywhite shirt of Spurs for the… er, similarly white shirt of Los Blancos.
Since signing for Real Madrid, Bale has won 13 trophies, a fairly amazing haul given he’s shared the era of his peak with that of Lionel Messi at Barcelona. Bale scored the crucial goal in the 2014 Champions League final, heading in at the far post against a stubborn Atletico Madrid, as well as this spectacular goal in the 2014 Copa Del Rey final against Barcelona with just five minutes remaining. Bale’s two goals against Liverpool to win the 2018 had his manager Zinedine Zidane stroking his head with awe.
How is it come to pass, then, that Gareth Bale has become so disposable to the new La Liga champions? The arrival of Eden Hazard can’t be blamed, with the former Chelsea winger having been injured for much of his debut season. No, it seems that the famously demanding Zidane really doesn’t get on with the chilled-out Welshman who plays with an eye for flair rather than control, something that Zidane – as a manager at least – seems to value a lot more than on the pitch fireworks.
Bale should have been sold last summer but his move to China was scuppered by Madrid at the last moment after the waiving of a fee for one of their most expensive imports became too much for the club to stomach. A fee was required, but after a season where Bale has been used sparingly, even feigning sleep on the bench, would that be the case if a club came in for him now. His astronomical wages of £350,000 a week after tax are a stumbling block that would trip over Godzilla.
A rumoured return to Tottenham Hotspur has been paper talk for years, but how could Levy break the bank to pay his wages when his tightly structured payroll is famed. It would be open season across the squad. Bale, for now, appears to be going nowhere, but Zidane’s open dislike of him may yet see some sort of move. It might be a story that ends with a very slow boat circling the Med, rather than last summer’s proposed slow boat to China, but we think a short-term deal will happen.
Aaron Ramsey
Another Welshman who might be hastily checking travel plans is Aaron Ramsey. It was only just over a year ago that ‘Rambo’ left Arsenal after 11 years as their talismanic midfielder and F.A. Cup lucky charm.
New Juventus manager Andrea Pirlo might prefer Joe Allen (nicknamed ‘The Welsh Pirlo’) than Ramsey, a player not built in his cool, calm image. Indeed, as recently as this week, Ramsey was apparently part of a failed bid from the Old Lady for Raul Jimenez.
The stumbling block, as you might expect, is the Welshman’s wages. Having signed on a free contract after his time at Arsenal ended, Ramsey is on a reported £400,000 before tax, which even if he’s paying 40% ends up at eye-watering £57,000 per day. For a player who only completed his first 90 minutes for Juventus in March this year, that’s some going. While Ramsey might not be wanted by Pirlo, with a four-year contract earning the Welsh midfielder around £50 million from between the ages of 28 to 32 years old, we don’t see him coming home very soon.
Mesut Ozil
The German midfielder with a strong allegiance to Turkey cuts a controversial figure at Arsenal. Having been pleaded with to sign a new contract, when he did, performances meant Gunners fans weren’t entirely delighted that their man was staying.
Ozil is clearly not needed or wanted by new broom Mikel Arteta, as he hasn’t played in any of the last dozen games for the North London side. Despite that, Ozilhas gone on record as saying he’s going nowhere and that he’ll decide when he leaves Arsenal.
With that in mind, it’s very hard to see the 31-year-old former World Cup winner departing Arsenal, especially on a $24 million a year contract. Having made 184 appearances for Arsenal and scored 33 goals, it’s possible that Ozil will be training with the kids until he’s 32. If he is, it is a sad end to what could have been a fantastic career looks to have fallen a little short of that target.
With many players contracts not running to an end this summer and potentially costing Premier League, Serie A, La Liga and Bundesliga clubs millions in wages, a restructuring rather than reinvestment might be the direction the transfer window takes us in.
