Premier League: Transfer window’s lack of loyalty just business
By Adam Jackson
With the recent transfer of N’Golo Kante from Premier League champions Leicester City to annual contender Chelsea, some uproar has been voiced regarding this move as treasonous.
Whether this is the case or not is up to personal opinion, however the business standpoint of players seeking to establish and develop careers should not be overlooked in the midst of fan support. It has come to fruition that inner-divisional transfers have grown in scrutiny, especially in the case of a player move to a team of more prominence, as is the case with Kante.
While moves like midfielder Matt Phillips from QPR to West Brom or Andros Townsend from Newcastle to Crystal Palace have been classified as strategic exchanges on the part of both club and player, the move of Kante to Chelsea has developed more distaste from fans especially.
Not to ignore the magnitude of the move in comparison to the ones aforementioned, Kante indeed has shown himself to be a rising star with a stat line to prove it. He recorded the most tackles and interceptions of any player in the top five world leagues.
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Although this line will undoubtedly be condensed in work with Chelsea due to a higher level of possession and attacking play, the industrial style of Kante should indeed add a grit that Chelsea has lacked. In that regard the move seems a quality one for the likes of Chelsea.
In recognition of the value of the move, some show concern with the nature of the deal itself. Leicester City supporters were fully pleased with the remain of now sought after attacker Jamie Vardy, but were in uproar with the departure of Kante.
As the highest revenue league in the world, the upper escalate of Premier League teams account for the gross majority of total league revenue and wages, and develop the most commercial revenue league in the world, even greater than the NFL in this regard.
The finances at the disposal of these top clubs have made their recruiting system somewhat of a farm system with lower ladder clubs as theoretical affiliates, as we see with the Kante move.
While this system may not be preferable for supporters and managers of those lower level teams, the system does serve to facilitate and feature talent. As in the transfer of interest, the move not only financially compensates the Frenchman in a way that his former club could not offer, but also provides externality opportunities through global exposure thus furthering financial and career gains.
With a typical first team delegation of eight years and average retirement age of 35, the urgency to take advantage of a transfer is extremely relevant. None the better example than the case of Dimitri Payet of West Ham.
With international tournaments proving to be a breeding ground for formerly unknown talent and scouting these talents, the emergence of Payet in the Euro 2016 was apparent.
Fellow French countryman to Kante, Payet proved his ingenuity in attack and his technical ability on set pieces. However the buzz around his person was quick to dampen post tournament, not due to his skill set but rather his age. At 29, Payet, four years the senior of Kante, is thought to be past his physical prime making his cash-out all the less probable.
While loyalty and patriotism are at the forefront of supporter’s notions, transfers like the case of Kante must be considered from a holistic standpoint. While the Premier League does not seem primed to have a new financial giant anytime soon, like the case of PSG with new ownership, the farm like system is bound continue.
Dissenters can at the very least rejoice in the option of top tier transfer options within the league in a comparative standpoint to the likes of the gold mining Bayern Munich atop the German Budesliga.
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While end of career redemption runs like that of Carlos Tevez and Boca Jr may not be feasible in the ever competitive EPL, team transfers should be viewed as from not only a competitive standpoint but also one of business and professionalism.