TRANSFER market fees are set to drop with no more megabucks £90m-plus moves and clubs raking in zero income due to the coronavirus crisis.
Some clubs including Werder Bremen, Borussia Monchengladbach, Lyon and Hearts have even been forced to announce layoffs or cuts to players’ salaries.
Neymar and Kylian Mbappe both cost over £90mCredit: AFP or licensors
Football across Europe has been put on standby with campaigns possibly finishing throughout the summer meaning clubs aren’t currently generating any income.
Nobody can guarantee contracts during a pandemic and wages, investment and expenses are set to take a big hit.
When the transfer window hopefully opens again this summer transfer fees are predicted to plummet and lavish £90m-plus moves are likely to be a distant memory.
Players who cost more than £90m
1. Neymar – £198m from Barcelona to PSG
2. Kylian Mbappe – £166m from Monaco to PSG
3. Philippe Coutinho – £142m from Liverpool to Barcelona
4. Ousmane Dembele – £135.5m from Dortmund to Barcelona
5. Eden Hazard – £130m from Chelsea to Real Madrid
6. Joao Felix – £113m from Benfica to Atletico Madrid
7. Antoine Griezmann – £107m from Atletico Madrid to Barcelona
8. Cristiano Ronaldo – £99.2m from Real Madrid to Juventus
Only eight players have cost over £90m, Neymar, Kylian Mbappe, Philippe Coutinho, Joao Felix, Ousmane Dembele, Antoine Griezmann, Cristiano Ronaldo and Eden Hazard.
Should the transfer fees drop, players’ salaries are likely to be adjusted also.
Bigger clubs will have deeper pockets to handle the tough times ahead but are still all set to reduce their budgets in the summer.
FIFA president Gianni Infantino has put mechanisms in place to minimise the blow and to support clubs
And both FIFA and UEFA are trying to avoid a collapse that would prevent competitions from restarting.
A sporting director has said: “The figures were inflated and £100million euros was being spent on any player.
“The story will change though and there won’t be any more signings like that.
“The problem will be for clubs who have signed for more than that, they’ll never recover that money.
“Fees are going to go down.”
Some lower league clubs are going to go close to the wall and transfer budgets almost entirely across the piece will take a hit as football tries to handle the crisis.
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Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
