Dodgy transfer’s costing Anfield legacy

How often have you heard “how much?! For him?!” or “he’s not worth that, not in a million years!”  Sometimes clubs make transfers that seem ludicrous to an outsider and even to some insiders.  In order to highlight this point, I will now show one transfer comparison, which I find to be baffling, that took place this season. 

Exhibit A concerns two midfielders, both cost around £16 million pounds, both play in a similar position.  One has made most of his appearances in the second tier of English football and has 10 caps for his less than impressive footballing nation.  The other has spent most of his career amongst the top clubs in Spain and has one two European Championships with his country.

If you haven’t guessed by now I am of course referring to Liverpool’s Joe Allen and Arsenal’s Santi Cazorla.  Before I criticise anyone or anything let me set a few things straight.  I am fully aware that Allen is five years younger than Cazorla and that the transfer market for British players is ridiculously over inflated.  I know that the comparison isn’t perfect, but the point still stands, these two cost the same amount of money.

Despite the imperfections regarding this comparison I challenge anyone to seriously claim that Liverpool were better of spending £16 million pounds on Allen not Cazorla?  Again, I know they might not be the same ‘type’ of player or that Arsenal had already had links with Cazorla before his big money move to Malaga.  The facts of the matter are that Arsenal pay £16 million for a player who is quickly becoming one of the players of the season, and Liverpool spent the same amount on a promising Welshman with 1 full season of Premier League experience under his belt.

I don’t know whether Liverpool can’t entice the best players anymore or if no one knew Santi would be so super but in my mind, if Liverpool want to regrow into the huge mould they have created over the years, transfer comparisons like this should need to stop being made.

Tom DiMaio

Follow @tomdimaio

<script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");</script>

<a href="https://twitter.com/tomdimaio" class="twitter-follow-button" data-show-count="false">Follow @tomdimaio</a><script>!function(d,s,id){var js,fjs=d.getElementsByTagName(s)[0];if(!d.getElementById(id)){js=d.createElement(s);js.id=id;js.src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js";fjs.parentNode.insertBefore(js,fjs);}}(document,"script","twitter-wjs");</script>

Comments

[norman]

You cannot pluralise transfer by shoving 's on the end.
The apostrophe is redundant.
Thought you'd like to know as on Newsnow it is an advert saying, " We are illiterate"
Please ignore this if that was your intention.

[Bobby4]

The comparison between playing for national teams is completly irrelevant as cazorla didnt actually play in of the europian chamionship matches, also i think you may be forgetting Allen was one of the few good things in a dire performance from the olympic GB side which did include very well thought of players. Also Allen didnt cost liverpool 16 million he was cheaper than that..
Lastly despite the massive difference in the type of players they are, which you do mention, allen hasnt played in his natural position since lucas' injury as he has had to sit back and play a more defensive role, in which he has still performed magnificently just by his stats alone.. However cazorla will get more attention as he is playing almost a centre forward role and therefore getting into far more attacking positions..
So please dont jump on the alan shearer bandwagon as in this case he is most certainly wrong..

[lol]

@bobby4;

This article could be directed at any of Liverpools big transfers in recent years. Had other teams spent the same money on a single player, the way they are going would have them at the top of the table if you compare 'money:value'. How is Andy Carroll going?

[Vinnie]

And what makes you think that carzola or any of these star players want to play for us in our current situation?

[Bill]

It's only you making the comparisons you idiot.

[Tom]

Do to the apparent discontent regarding this blog i thought i would attempt to defend myself to some extent. The apostrophe is a mistake, i write a lot of these things in a short window and a few of those are bound to get through.
Joe Allen did cost Liverpool "around £16 million" which is what i said.
Cazorla did play some football in both European Championships
As to the man who believes me to be an idiot for even making this comparison i think the point i was trying to make has been misinterpreted. It is not merely a matter of which player is better. It is the money spent on the transfer. Liverpool did spend an amount that i believe to be too much for a player with Allen's background, the Cazorla comparison was only really meant to highlight this.

[David]

Are you serious... you criticize Allen when there's Garbage like Carroll, Henderson and Downing on Liverpool's Books. Allen has been solid and reliable and Id say worth 16mil for a British Player but when there's 3 Players that Liverpool payed a lot more for you should start there... Lets be honest - Most British players are over-rated and over paid... The fact that England haven't come close to winning a tournament yet have one of the highest paid teams is a joke. Take Rooney - supposed the best player since Gazza - Would be a Bench warmer for Spain.

The other thing this ridiculous Article fails to look at is Loyalty - Does not exist 99% of Foreign players. Just look at Arsenal.

[norman]

I think it should be "Due to the apparent discontent regarding this blog......"

[Tom]

I have to check my comments as well now? I'm not saying Allen isn't a very talented footballer and yes Henderson, Carroll and Downing are worse. The Allen transfer was just more recent and the financial comparison seemed to fit the Cazorla one. As for loyalty i think it's incredibly unfair to say English players are more loyal. I seem to remember Mr Rooney looking across the city not that long ago. Cole?