Remember the days when money actually mattered to football clubs?
Remember when Alan Shearer went for £15m and you were trying to get your head around the sheer enormity of the transfer fee? Then Newcastle doubled it and then some for Andy Carroll, Jordan Ibe got bought by Bournemouth for £18m and the game just lost complete control.
Well, just like when things were edging a little forward last decade and any decent player had a £20m price slapped on them automatically, £75m now seems to be the go-to.
Chelsea are interested in Callum Wilson so Bournemouth say it will cost them £75m.
Liverpool wanted Virgil Van Dijk and Southampton probably thought they were safe with £75m. Liverpool turned the laughs to envies by gladly spending every penny of it.
Now, Everton are faced with the same proposition. The club are said to be mad keen on Lyon midfielder Tanguy NDombele but the Ligue 1 outfit have reverted to the magic £75m. (Star)
NDombele is proving quite the sensation at Lyon. After spending last season on loan with them and forcing himself to become an ever-present in the team, they wasted no time in splashing the £8m that was tied to him as part of the loan deal and, now, they could be acquiring over nine times the amount of that for the same player.
The French anchor has broken his way onto his international team too and, at just 22, could be worth every bit of the fee. With Man City’s interest said to have cooled, the path could be clear for Marco Silva and Everton if they are really serious about taking the next step.
Elsewhere, Manchester United are reportedly interested in Slovakian defender Milan Skriniar. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer has moved himself into pole position for the permanent job at Old Trafford but the club are said to be on the hunt for a defender with the Inter wall high up their list.
His manager Luciano Spalletti has ruled out the possibility of a move, however, saying that he’s out of everybody’s price range. Presumably £75m, so. (Mirror)
