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Title of article: The rising cost of success in football
The year is 1997. Brazilian superstar Ronaldo has just become the subject of the highest ever transfer fee when he moved from Barcelona to Inter Milan for £19.5 million and Manchester United have signed Teddy Sheringham for £3.5 million to replace the retiring Eric Cantona. A decade later, a baby-faced Gareth Bale joined Tottenham for £5 million and Arsenal’s Thierry Henry left the Premier League to join Barcelona for £16 million. Jump forward to today and the title of being the first £100 million player looks set to be awarded to a teenager with one full year of first team experience, Manchester City have spent £45 million on a defender that many are questioning and Manchester United have spent £75 million on a striker that has struggled against the big teams. With more money being spent than ever before at one end of the English football ladder, clubs struggling to stay in business and pay the wages of their staff is becoming a common occurrence at the other.
