Even though the European transfer window only occupies 1/4th
of the calendar year, it’s become a full year worldwide circus. Rumors (and by “rumors,”
I mean 95% complete bullshit) are churned out by every paper and source from
the free sidewalk papers in London to the BBC and there are literally thousands
of twitter handles claiming to be “in the know” reporting throughout the year
on possible transfers and player movement. A good run of form by any young
player on the continent will earn a back page headline linking him with any
amount of top European clubs - the general format being _________ set to raid
_______ for €15m rated _________. Most people are lured into the stories much
too easily which results in fans sitting with their dicks in their hands on
deadline day disappointed because not one of the big names they were “linked
with” end up signing. This often results in frustration towards the front offices
of clubs. The problem is this attitude of thinking that management didn’t try
hard enough to sign a player (yes, I’m sure they’ve been sitting at home all
off-season watching Debbie Does Dallas on repeat), or that they’re too stingy to
throw out a couple extra million Euros to grab a top name, as if an €5m can be
tossed around like monopoly money. Don’t people ever wonder, “Hey, maybe
everything in the paper is complete bullshit?”
Perfect example of this has been for the past month or so
with Tottenham being linked with David Villa. Villa signed today with Atletico
Madrid for a very low sum of €5m after everyone on the internet has been
quoting a €12m figure for the past couple of weeks between Spurs and Fiorentina.
Not only that, but there were actually multiple outlets who claimed over the weekend
that the fee had been agreed (some sources said Fiorentina, others Spurs – but no
one Atletico) and that there would be further talks this week to iron out other
details. Never mind the fact that the monetary figure was completely wrong, but
knowing that Barcelona let him go for just €5m, one has to wonder, were Spurs
even in for him at all? Is it possible that (audible gasp) the entire thing was
completely made up to sell newspapers? Not to mention the Gareth Bale saga, as
that pile of steaming trash Marca has been reporting for the better part of a
year that Madrid were preparing an €80m bid for Bale, he was their number one
transfer target, Zidane jerks off to his haircut every day, etc. Until today
when the President Florentino Perez said that they haven’t even put in a bid
for him and hinted even further that one was not coming this summer. I guess my
point is simple. Any idiot or fan of a team knows their points of weakness and
the kind of players that need to be signed. The transfer window provides a
ridiculous, but in some ways necessary distraction during the soccer offseason.
Knowing both these things, any smart person can use a filter to decide between
the ridiculous, and the possibly somewhat reasonable. But most of all, don’t
trust anyone but the team website.
Well, most of the time at least.
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