To the original post. Why would they cut the price so drastically for a player they regarded so highly, something not right. They should sell him to us for £15m, to pay back the £15m they robbed off us for Costa. Bayern the next club to be mentioned for Raphinha, probably Juve next and the list will go on and on and on. Not sure any of our ex players fell on particularly hard times financially and obviously there as been a spate of death and Illness but no different to any occupation of men that age. As Doc says the PFA have a responsibility to retired players not the clubs, without trying to sound callous, they have no right to be looked after anymore than people such as ex forces, PTSD is more recognised nowadays but is anymore being done to help sufferers, for example.
Players may now earn thousands each week, but that doesn't mean that players in the pre-Bosman age weren't heavily rewarded too. Players earned far more than punters each week, plus if you played for a team like Leeds, you had regular bonuses too to add to it. I can't accept they were poorly paid when comparing them to their contemporaries. Traore - forget him. If he was that good, Wolves would be fighting other teams off to keep him. They aren't, hence the price drop. It'll drop again, of that I'm sure, as no-one will want him at that price. No point in getting worked up about Raphinha. If he goes, he goes. If he doesn't, magic! Upside to him going is a big chunk of investment cash, & no doubt Orta has a hitlist to replace him. Cheaply. Chill pill required.
Traore was quoted at £70m last season because the idiot scousers were talking about him, just like Brighton wanted £40m for White. It's all bollox paper talk but greedy clubs inflate prices in the UK because of crap journo's. Ever wondered if Journos take brown envelopes from agents to push a story? What many seem to forget is that hardly any clubs have any cash to spare and transfer fees in Europe will plummet in the Summer. Barcelona have a new president who is actually an old president who was arrested for tax fraud. he has promised the world to get reelected but most of his cash will go on keeping Messi. Real Madrid need to sell so some good deals to be done as they need to get rid of a massive wage bill. Liverpool will find Salah and anyone else has no alternative but to stay with the scousers as nobody will pay them higher wages. Bayern Munich, Chelsea, Man City are the 3 teams who can buy players like Alfies lad, but they will all need to offload a top heavy wage bill. We will be doing just fine this Summer thanks and probably from France as they have only a partial TV deal which has slashed cash and put many clubs in hock. Leeds are linked with Brest as an example for 2 players a LB and an AM, why Brest? well it seems Orta has a mate there and they need cash