Man City cannibalizing rivals
Off they go again taking advantage of the spoils of their rivals in the English Premier League. One could fault the transfer techniques of Manchester City as a catalyst for bloated transfer fees and salaries, but one fact stands out - It is paying off!
You don't think so?
Of course you can argue that the transfer of Emmanuel Adebayor, Kolo Toure, Shaun Wright Philips, James Milner and Lescott had little or no impact on Man City's 3rd place league finish and the FA Cup victory. However, not having those players at their disposal certainly weakened their EPL rivals.
Fast forward to July 4, 2011. Gael Clichy, the last of the Gunner 'Invisibles', signs for Man City. Unlike the Ashley Cole and Gallas swap, the Gunners just gave Clichy up for $11.2 without any demands on Man City. Surely, Man City would have paid more for Arsenal to take Wayne Bridge off their books.
While this does not necessarily make Man City any stronger, it certainly presents a challenge for Mr. Wenger and the Gunners. It does raise an eyebrow that todays players are willing to sacrifice regular on-field play for a spot on the bench in the hopes of winning a trophy.
I thought that was ridiculous until I saw Javier Masherano lift the Champions League trophy.
Perhaps the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal are the ridiculous ones for watching teams like Man City and Tottenham challenge the status quo by attracting greater interest and influence in the transfer market. Liverpool has already suffered the consequences of this by being shut out of the top four, two seasons in a row.
Is Arsenal next?
You don't think so?
Of course you can argue that the transfer of Emmanuel Adebayor, Kolo Toure, Shaun Wright Philips, James Milner and Lescott had little or no impact on Man City's 3rd place league finish and the FA Cup victory. However, not having those players at their disposal certainly weakened their EPL rivals.
Fast forward to July 4, 2011. Gael Clichy, the last of the Gunner 'Invisibles', signs for Man City. Unlike the Ashley Cole and Gallas swap, the Gunners just gave Clichy up for $11.2 without any demands on Man City. Surely, Man City would have paid more for Arsenal to take Wayne Bridge off their books.
While this does not necessarily make Man City any stronger, it certainly presents a challenge for Mr. Wenger and the Gunners. It does raise an eyebrow that todays players are willing to sacrifice regular on-field play for a spot on the bench in the hopes of winning a trophy.
I thought that was ridiculous until I saw Javier Masherano lift the Champions League trophy.
Perhaps the likes of Liverpool and Arsenal are the ridiculous ones for watching teams like Man City and Tottenham challenge the status quo by attracting greater interest and influence in the transfer market. Liverpool has already suffered the consequences of this by being shut out of the top four, two seasons in a row.
Is Arsenal next?
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